Celebrate Parents

This is the last day of August - WOW! Where has the month gone? Unbelievable! Before we know it harsh winter weather will be upon us.

So, since it is the last day of the month, it is the day that the Crafters of Faith blog group shares our monthly project with you.

Barb is the hostess this month and she gave us a wonderful theme to work with.

These are her words:

Memories of Mom and Dad! 
Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Even though my parents have been gone for close to 20 years, I still have wonderful memories of both of them. Some of you may have one or both of your parents still an active part of your lives and for others, the memories are what we hold close. So - what can you create on your card that reminds you of your mom or dad or both of them? A site from a family vacation? A hobby - music, gardening, literature, art, etc.? A favorite food? Your mom cooking? Your dad spending time with cars? Or vice versa. Create a card that shines of the memories that honor your father and mother.

Enjoy this trip back in time - or maybe it is just a few steps back of a recent memory. Tell us in your blog post about your card, the memory it unlocks and a bit about your parents if you want to share. I cannot wait to see all of the wonderful memories you create and post. Have fun getting inky.

Barb

Here is my card:

This card makes me think of my parents for a number of reasons:

1. The simplicity of it 

Due to my dad's work, we moved a lot... No! REALLY! We moved A LOT! Every 3 to 6 months, to be exact. It was an incredible childhood and I treasure the memories! Because we moved so often, my parents purchased a mobile home - so we took our home with us. My dad pulled it behind a huge truck, so he was the one that stopped at the weigh stations along the way. He knew how much it weighed. Therefore, he was very strict about what we could keep - no hoarding in our family. Things were nice, but simple!

2. The flowers on it

My mom loves the outdoors. She loves mowing the grass. And she loves growing things. So whenever it was possible, she would grow flowers outside our home. I also think of flowers when I think of my dad. He lost his mom not long after he graduated from high school. He and she had been extremely close. He missed her tremendously. So when we were back in his hometown (sometimes we even lived there) we would go to the cemetery where he would lovingly clean the pine cones and things off of her grave and he would just sit and reminisce for a while. Sometimes he brought her flowers, too. My mom, sister and I would wander down to the little lake at the cemetery and watch the ducks while he spent time with his mom. Because I never knew her, it wasn't a sad time for me, other than seeing my dad distraught over his loss.

3. The colors of it

Purple. Now, don't mistake this one. Purple isn't either of my parent's favorite color, at least not as far as I know. When I was in college studying speech and theatre, we did an extensive study on the meanings of different colors for a costuming class I was in. Purple is the color of royalty, but it is also the color of longevity. So I used purples on my card, since my parents are both in their 80's now and doing reasonably well. Longevity!

Perhaps the thing that MOST reminds me of my parents with this card, though is this...

As I said earlier, we moved every 3 to 6 months. We lived all over the western half of the United States. I've lived in Kansas, Washington, South Dakota, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, California, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, and now as an adult I live in Illinois.

My parents considered our lifestyle a learning experience, so no matter where we lived, they sought out the local sights, restaurants, adventures - and we experienced as many of them as possible in the short time we lived there. We viewed life as a NEVER-ENDING VACATION. It was incredible! We truly celebrated EVERY day!

I so appreciate my parents and the experiences they enabled my sister and I to have.

Thank you, Mama and Daddy! I love you both so much!!!

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image: Stampin' UP! Flower Shop
Sentiment: Stampin' UP! Perfectly Penned
Ink: Stampin' UP!
Cardstock: Stampin' UP!
Embossing Folder: Stampin' UP! Beautifully Baroque
Embellishments: Michael's Rhinestones and Stickles Glitter Glue