Sixteen years -- a collage

I'm not entirely certain how this tradition began. I think I might have been in a framing store just before my oldest's sixteenth birthday when I happened upon a collage frame with exactly sixteen openings. And there it was -- sixteen frames for sixteen years. I'm real quick like that. 

So, I bought that frame and carefully combed through sixteen years of photos, trying my best to represent each year of her life. Not only was it fun to reminisce through all of those first day of school, and Easter, and messy-spaghetti-face pictures, but in the end I had this little time capsule of my baby's life. 

So, when Madison turned sixteen I made another. And boom! A tradition! Guys, how lucky am I that Aaron Brothers has been making the same frame for three and a half years? I know I should have bought four frames from the start, but I wasn't thinking ahead. And when I went to buy Madison's . . . there was only one frame in stock. And, two weeks ago, when I went to buy Rebecca's . . . there was only one frame in stock. I think it's like a magical agreement between me and Aaron Brother's. 

I have Jordan and Madison's hanging in the landing on our stairs. But now that my collection contains three frames, I'm going to pull them down and hang them three across on the long wall at the top of the stairs. I present the finished frame to my kids on their birthdays, but really -- they are for me. I love looking at them! My own little trip down memory lane. 

Here's the deal, if I can get all of those frames hung in the next week I'm going to give myself a big treat. I might be known for letting frames sit, leaning against the wall, for months. Unless I can get my husband to hang them FOR me. Yes. That's my plan. I'll report back soon.