Sunday Afternoons

"When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child,

     I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself."

This is a cherished picture I have of my mother and me. I could tell from the swinging bridge far in the back of the picture that this was taken at my Great Granny and Grandpa Saunder's house. I asked my mom the history of the picture, I explained that there was the initials "FC" on the back, which I knew were for my grandma's name. 

She told me that this was probably taken on a Sunday afternoon. She often visited Granny and Grandpa on Sunday afternoons and so did Sis and her children. I could hear when she was telling me about Sunday afternoons that that was a memory she cherished.

I originally started Heirloom Stories to keep family recipes in. I want to give something special this Christmas and it started with wanting to collect family recipes and turn them into a book to give as a gift. It started with my husband's grandmother but then I realized for myself that I wanted a book with my family recipes too. So I decided to combine them and start here, right here on this blog. There are so many memories I have of summer family reunions, camping at Watoga, family get togethers at Christmas and simple little moments that are special. I want to remember all of these, I want to share these memories with my children and hope that someday they will share these memories with their children.

After going through some family pictures I decided that I could not devote this blog only to recipes. Yes, a lot of things are remembered through heirloom recipes in the family, such as my husband making cookies with  Grann in her kitchen and my Great Grandpa Saunder's always having something special made when we visited. But there are those other memories that aren't kept with recipes. Memories of playing on the merry go round at a family reunion with all of my cousins and my grandpa spinning us while we laughed and yelled at him to push us some more. Memories of holidays and my mother sewing in the late hours of the night making us beautiful dresses that matched perfectly. These are also the things I want to remember and for my children to remember and someday share.

But for today, today it starts with this little picture I cherish of my mother and me. The way she is looking at me and smiling, her gentle hands around me holding me close and the way she has me all dressed up from the little yellow dress to the patten leather shoes. My mother is someone I love very much. Someone I know helped me become the woman, wife and mother that I am today. 

Thank you Mom, for raising me in a loving, Christian home. Thank you for being my mom. I love you.

~Amber Hope