How to Best Capture the Sweet Family Moments of 2016

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How to Best Capture the Sweet Family Moments in 2016 - Columbia SC Moms Blog

In saying farewell to another year and hello to a brand new, never-been-done-before January, we moms share a bittersweet feeling. We may think in terms of, “Next time…” “If only…” and “When things are easier…”

And the questions start to creep in.

Did we do enough?

Did we really listen to our children when they were singing the new song they learned?

Did this year’s day-to-day living inspire our families?

The tune to Robert Burn’s, “Auld Lang Syne” plays in my head. The song’s Scottish title translates to Times Gone By or Times Long Past. The lyrics remind us not to let our favorite memories be forgotten, but to find ways to revel in the joy they carry.

Written as a poem in the 1700s, it was put to music and inadvertently became a New Year’s Eve classic. The song was played on the radio just after the clock struck twelve in 1929. The tune, which was used to fill radio air space between live performances at New York’s Roosevelt Hotel, was such a hit that it went from being a transition to an honored tradition.

As the fleeting years escape us, within our control is the ability to capture moments. I reach for my replacement calendar and “Auld Lang Syne’s” melody continues in my head. Here’s to the second half of the feeling. Cheers to the sweet part. The part where we focus on life’s greatest blessing; more time with the ones we love.

Our children. Our spouses and significant others. Our families we work so hard to raise and love more than life itself. Those individuals make up life's greatest adventure.

Making the Most of the New Year

Enter 2016.

Let’s afford ourselves some time to reflect on what has worked in years gone by. Let’s make room in our lives for all that grows our families together. We can block out weeknights or entire weekends to spend time with those who live under our roof. We can get to know our little ones and reconnect with our older ones. We can plan more or plan less.

Similarly to how Guy Lombardo and his band popularized “Auld Lang Syne,” we may find traditions in our transitions. There is sentiment to be found even in the moments that don’t necessarily feel like quality time with our children. It may very well be both our most important and most difficult challenge to remind ourselves and our families in the midst of chores, messes, failures, deadlines, fussing and exhaustion that all of it is precious.

So, in 2016 let’s keep enough space in our calendars clear to let the year surprise us and let’s commit to cutting ourselves some slack. Full of hope, January is both an intriguing stranger and a comfortable friend.

The best part of looking toward a new year? Finding time and creating ways to spend more quality time with our children, family and those who mean the most.

Inexpensive Ways to Capture Family Moments Throughout the Year

Here are some suggestions to capture moments in small, inexpensive ways to give our families gifts that keep on giving as time goes by:

  • Record a few of the kiddos’ insightful or funny quotes throughout the week, either in a separate book, or even more conveniently, in a yearly planner.
  • Use large ink pads to make handprint art as the kids grow and designate a wall for frames, maybe going up the stairs, to enjoy a visual timeline.
  • Create a corkboard for easily pinning items. Try somewhere central like the dining room or living room so the drawings, ticket stubs, and photos can inspire conversation. At the end of the year, transfer the collection to an empty box or bin with the date.
  • Choose a date with a friend to meet with her and her family at a park. Exchange phones and take photos of each other relaxing together on a bench or hamming it up on the monkey bars with the kids. Portrait sessions are nice, but can be pricey. Creative, candid shots are full of personality and are far more popular with the kids.
  • Set up a private photo account on one of the leading sites. They’re free and allow the sharing of photos and thoughts with as many or as few people as the account manager selects. It hardly takes any time to snap a shot and jot something down to caption the photo. This saves time because many relatives and friends can stay in the loop with one post and may even be able to stay in better communication with each other, via the account. The best part is that kids love having access to their happy memories, in timeline order.

If these suggestions sound like more work and less fun, then just be present. You’ll memory bank the keepsakes. Moms, who simply smile at their kids, give them a lifetime full of love. Children remember those moments and in adulthood, delight in them as some of their favorite memories from times long past.

Here’s to 2016! May it be the best year yet! What suggestions would you add to help capture those special family moments in the new year?

1 COMMENT

  1. Victoria, every time I read an article you have written, I learn so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Charlie was so right about you being a great writer! He`d be so proud like I am.

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