"When I Think of You" by Lisa

Here's Lisa: 

This page didn't turn out anything like I envisioned. At first I was going to print a list of words I associate with my Mom down the side of the page and then work some other stuff into it. As you can see, it took a completely different route. LOL!

Journaling list: Crossword puzzles, Jean Naté body splash, Barry White & Lou Rawls songs, Chinese food, Linzer and sugar cookies, Beautiful blue eyes and big smiles, Bakeries and baked goods, Jello mold and Idylwilde Farm, The ocean (especially in Maine), Orderly closets and cabinets

Please don't forget to link us up in the comments section of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to see what you come up with!

"Joy" and "She is..." by Jen

Here's Jen:

This picture isn’t the best of Katherine, but it was a wonderful moment I wanted to capture.  I went on a cruise with Katherine and several family members, a few months before she passed away.  We were all aware that this would be her last vacation, but tried to enjoy each moment.  This picture was on the bus from the airport to the cruise terminal – Katherine was singing, laughing and clapping while talking to a smile child sitting nearby.  This was exactly how she was all the time – always connecting with everyone around us.

Journaling: Daughter, sister, aunt, partner … but she was so much more.  Funny, loving, giving, focused, generous, forgiving, story-telling, present.  But the word that best describes her: joy.

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When I saw this patterned paper, I thought it would be perfect for word association.  I made a list of words I thought of for my Grandma, and started adding the words to the different shapes.  Once it was finished, I realized one important word missing, “missed” so added it to a pop-dotted label to the picture. 

Journaling: She is… faithful, organized, gentle, sensitive, patient, unselfish, poised, devoted, efficient, endearing, grandmother, hospitable, honest, loyal, helpful, fair, loved, caring, independent, nice, tender, beautiful, sweet, practical, trusting, loving, smart, genuine, mom, dedicated, missed.

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Please don't forget to link us up in the comments section of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to see what you come up with!

"Word Association" by Amanda

I'll start things off. I took this challenge literally. As I've been completing the previous challenges, I keep running into little stories that I want to tell. This challenge allowed me to pull many of those thoughts together. As I so often do, I simply made a list...of things that make me think of my dad. The stories aren't included here, but just making the list helped me remember them. And now I have something to work from when I do get around to telling those stories...

Please don't forget to link us up in the comments section of the original post if you tackle this challenge! We'd love to see what you come up with!

* USE WORD ASSOCIATION *

Happy February! As we start off a new month, we'd also like to share some happy news...we're adding more regular contributors to our team! For this challenge, please welcome Marti! Marti's been a guest contributor here before and will now be joining us regularly. (Her picture and blog are now linked up over on the left.) As our other new contributors join in, I'll add them to the list, so stay tuned in the coming challenges, okay? Yay!!

Now. This challenge is open to plenty of interpretation. Simply put, use word association. Take that however you want. :) Our contributors have created their own takes on this and we'll explain more in the coming days as we feature the layouts individually. For now, here's what we came up with:

Tania:

Marti:

 
Lisa:

 Jen:

Amanda:
 
How's that for some variety this time? :) We hope you'll join us in this challenge and would love to see your take. Please link us to your layout in the comments of this post. (Even if you don't do a layout, btw, we'd love to hear any thoughts or stories you'd like to share! We love comments!) Thanks!

Don't forget to check back for the stories behind these layouts in the coming days...

"Right Here" and "Maui" by Jen

Here's Jen:

Our family gatherings were always so much fun with Katherine … she was the only extrovert in a family of introverts!  She would always make us laugh so hard … and it’s so hard without her.  She also liked taking pictures ‘just because’ so I’m blessed to have so many pictures of these times; this layout includes 3 different gatherings.

Journaling: My favorite place was anywhere, as long as we were all together.  I love our family gatherings, and I know you did too.  We’d laugh, cry, play games and tell stories.  Some of my best memories were during these occasions.  And it’s not the same without you. 

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My grandparents took my entire family to Hawaii twice, and I know it just made Grandma so happy to have us all there.  She loved having her entire family all together.  This picture was taken during one of the trips, when we got her to sit on Forrest Gump’s bench (her skinny leg in the big shoes just make me laugh!)

Journaling:  You loved being on Maui, with all of us there.  We went twice as an entire family.  So much fun … from synchronized swimming to the daily 5:00 conch shell, it was nice for us to all be together.  This picture at Bubba Gumps in Lahaina cracks me up – I still smile looking at you in Forrest Gump’s shoes.  :)  I miss those happy times.

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Remember, we'd still love to see your take on this challenge! Please link us up in the comments of the original challenge post. Thanks!! And, stay tuned for a new challenge on the 1st, okay?