Memories:

What looks like a mess on the counter is actually memories.
I found an old box in one of the upstairs closets and had saved it out to look through. I knew it had old cards in it but was in for a real surprise with all of the miscellaneous items inside. Our photo id cards from the Rolla pool in 1989, the kid's teeth in envelopes for the tooth fairy, etc. I didn't remember Todd writing on his envelopes so much but I should have as he has always been creative and had a big imagination. His would say, "please leave me $1.00 or $2.00 if you want", "please leave me $1.00 or a motorcyle", "please leave me $1.00 or $10.00". To my knowledge, the tooth fairy only left him a $1.00 each time.
April had a letter to Santa Claus and imagine her surprise a little later in the search to find a written letter from Santa Claus mailed to her that same year and told her what he would try to bring-just matched her letter!! The phone book in the picture, April had wrote, what a nice book with names on phone numbers someone made. Uhmmm, it is a phone book!! lol She even had design and organizing on her mind when she was young.
There were cards the kids had made Dwayne and I through the years, cards I've received from friends and family and a host of small notes. Some were written to each other during church service when the kids were younger.
I always think I should quit saving so much stuff, but an evening of these memories are so worth the extra box or two in the closet. I have many more to look through in the future.

I am so grateful for keeping this stuff around for years. Brings back a lot of memories.