You all turn 40 today! -- Merry Christmas

In 1978, my Christmas gift to each of you ( except Megan and Eden) was a photo album consisting of just your own individual photo histories..... You each loved it ....as you'll see from the photo.. Everyone but Channa was too engrossed to look at the camera ! You had enjoyment and access to them for quite some time, until, ''they'' said that the albums acid components would destroy the photos and eat away the colour. Indeed, by the time I took all the photos from the non archival card, glue, and plastic of the book, some photos of the cheaper developers had faded and some had changed color...

For years the the loose but rescued photos lay in shoe boxes and then in trunks.. mingled with ancestral and newer generation photos . Periodic dives into the trunk added to the disorganization as school, church classes etc, made their various requests.

Over the years, efforts were made, and the intentions were great, to make the sort once again before the on slot of grandchildren photos over took the original eight children and family photos.. It seems that every ten years or so was the schedule.. for a sort One time I even taking them to Utah to work on... Never though, was the job taken to completion. Many people helped over time.. I found it difficult to decide who would get a photo that had more than one child in it... which was most of them... I always worried that ...dividing them up would mean some would not see photos of their siblings only those of themselves.. Much time has passed......

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ITS NEVER TOO LATE... AND THE POSTPONED ''LATER ''HAS ARRIVED......

Technology and Nova have solved my dilemmas! ! ! .. I can now share all photos with everyone..once I have been able to do another manner of sorting.......All photos that are a part of the Family Biography will be posted for all to see. and down load to DVDs, beginning now ! with PAST CHRISTMAS and WINTER family activities...presented this Christmas Eve.

Each of you will in very 'near'' time, be given your own individual photo biography and all other categories will be scanned first into Internet albums like this, and then onto disks. for distribution..

In early 2009, watch for photos of individual categories , activities, Portland, Hornby etc etc.

I have enjoyed this thorough viewing of over 16,000 photo graphs.. Not many of those were duplicates ! ! all of them warmed my heart ant and brought back so many memories... I've enjoyed every minute of the massive project that must have exhausted Nova..

Some photos have been my 'favourites'' over the years and remain so... some I had almost forgotten.. I will have a special category for them . I'm sure you will agree with my choices for they include all of you...! I've had such a special privilege to have each of you add so much to my life and to each others''... Seeing the friendships and ties..that have emerged and been maintained for so many years ....melts my heart..and is the dream of every mother.. Thank you all so much...I

.I feel that I can move through this winter season of my years... knowing that you will all be left in good hands... each others ''.

I'm so grateful that you have passed these warm connections on to the next generation .. that will know their cousins and extended family in spite of being spread so far afield....

My grandma Livingston did that for her children's cousins, My mother kept the connection for your cousins and now I see that you mothers and fathers , all are passing on the torch.

. My thanks expressed will never be enough..
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.Let me promise you the Family Forties Photo Biography to be dispersed throughout 2009
....a promise, with Nova's help, I'll keep.... Love Mum