I am in serious need of some technical help from Jennifer! I have tried all night to get these photos of my Chatterbox entry to appear in order, but I just can't do it. Please forgive the disorganization.
The album's theme was built around my desire to have my son know all of the things his Great-grandpa...my grandpa...would have taught him about being a great person and a great man and how his name is a constant reminder of that part within him.
This is actually the last page....it simply has a photo
of Nathan and the opposite side has a letter to him which goes like this:
My Dearest Nathan,
I've made this album especially for you, hoping that you would be able to connect with your great-grandfather even though he isn't physically with you. I hope that you realize that he is always with you in spirit. As a matter of fact, I've got a suspician that the two of you were bosom buddies in the pre-existence. You came into this life with many of his characteristics and I know that I am in for a wild ride.
With that said, I want to remind you that you have a father who loves you very much, and that you also carry his name. Your middle name "Powell" comes from your father and from your Papaw. Your father is a great man. There are so many things that he will teach you. He is very smart and can remember anything he reads. He is talented. He is whom you will look to as you learn to honor your priesthood.
I look forward to watching you grow up by your father's side. There will be scouting and Father/Son outings. Ball games and maybe even some music recitals and art exhibits. Whatever you choose to do with your life, however you choose to express yourself, I hope you know that your father and I love you very much and that most of all, we want you to be happy. Remember to always do what is right, and to acknowledge your mistakes. Keep your goals centered on Christ, and you will have all the happiness that you deserve.
This is actually the 4th topic in the album. It is about how to be loving. It reads....
Your great-grandpa never did anything halfway. Especially love. If he loved you, you knew it and he gave it to you 110%.
He always said "I love you", but not just in words. He said it in all that he did. Great-grandma never had to put gas in her car..that was his way of saying "I love you". He did the grocery shopping. Whe Grandma worked, he would have dinner ready for her when she got home because he was home first and knew she was tired. He brought her gifts for no reason except that he thought she might like them.
Grandpa loved Grandma with all his heart. I hope that when you find someone to love, that you love with everything you have. Don't be afraid to be tender and thoughtful, and remember that love isn't just something you say, it's something you do.
The quote on the right side says:
Love never reasons but profusely gives; gives like a thoughtless prodigal, it's all, and trembles lest it has done too little. -Hannah Moore
This is obviously the cover. I used a pair of my daughter's old jeans. I stitched them down the raw side and then frayed the edges. The words are printed on a t-shirt transfer and ironed on. They just say "Nathan Powell, and Carrol Nathan" over and over in different CBX fonts. The chipboard stencil is Bazzil. The grommets came from the fabric store.
This is the last topic of the album. It's about how to be a great Father. It reads:
One of the most important things you can be is a good father...and your great-grandpa was one of the best. Not only was he a good father to your grandma, but he was a good father to those who didn't have one. He saw to it that grandma's cousin's needs were met, and that they were loved and cared for. He was a strong disciplinarian, but he never belittled you or made you feel afraid of him. You wanted to be good because to disappoint him would break your heart. He was tender and kind, and he loved his family unconditionally.
The quote on the right says: The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart. -Mencius
This page is simply the dedication page and topical guide. The dedication on the left reads:
What a miracle you are, and how perfect it is that your name means "Gift from God". You are the child that I was told I would never have and truly you are a gift from God. I have yet to hold your soft warm body in my arms or to hear your first cries, or to smell your sweet skin, but I know how very much I love you. Every time I feel you move inside of me, I am reminded that I am carrying a very precious treasure from my Heavenly Father, and of what a great responsibility I have ahead of me teaching you to be a man.
I have so many hopes and dreams for you, and I want you to remember that those hopes and dreams are always carried in a simple reminder...your name. Your name was not an accident, or a spur of the moment choice. I always knew that someday, if I had a son, I would name him Nathan, after my grandfather, Carrol Nathan Staker. I admired and loved my grandfather so very much because of all of his wonderful qualities. This is why I put together this album. I wanted you to know the things he would have taught you if he were here. He was such a constant example of what it means to be a man and I wish you could have the opportunity to watch him live, because that is how you would have learned from your great-grandfather. Not from lectures, but from example.
I know that it will be awhile until you completely understand all that I have written in this album, but I look forward to sharing it with you over the years, teaching you, and knowing that you great-grandfather is watching over us and loving you so.
This is the 3rd topic in the album. It is about being playful and reads:
Your Great grandpa had a sense of humor. He found joy and laughter in many things. He could be a real prankster too. There are many funny stories that I want to share with you so you can get to know what a character your great-grandpa was.
I hope that you will not be afraid to "lghten up". Laugh at yourself and have fun. Play, no matter how old you are, and find joy in the people that surround you...Especially your children and loved ones.
This is obiously the title page...I used Heidi Swapp chipboard ABC's with that new distressing embossing powder by Tim Holtz.
This is the first topic in the album. It is about being a strong man. It reads:
Your great-grandpa was a strong man. He was tall, and broad shouldered, and in my opinion could do anything. The picture of Great-Grandpa holding the pocket knife is the only time I know of that he felt he had to "prove" he was a man. (Even at the young age of 2 he knew that batten burg lace and black patent leather shoes made him look like a girl. The only way that he would let them take this picture was if he could hold a pocket knife!)
Your great-grandpa showed his strength gently. He could be firm, but he was never cruel. He was kind and thoughtful - even tender. But no one would ever call him a wimp or a sissy. He was physically strong, but most importantly, his tenderness was his strength.
I hope that you will never be afraid to be tender and kind. These are qualities of a real man. These are qualities that make you strong.
The quote on the right side reads: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength."
This is the 2nd topic in the album. It is about being excellent. It reads:
Your great-grandpa was an excellent man. Everything he chose to do, he did well and never half way. If he made a commitment, he kept it.
I love the picture of your great-grandpa all dressed up and ready to be shipped out shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. If you'll look closely, you'll see the difference between him and the other men. His uniform is perfect. His pants are even, above the boot. His coat is neat, and his hat is at just the right angle. You can tell that he took his commitment to serve seriously and that he would never allow his appearance to reflect poorly on his country.
I hope that this is how you will approach all you do in life...with an attitude of excellence.
The quote on the right reads:
"very job is a self portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence. "
Well, that is it. Reading it now, I realize it probably doesn't effect others the way it does me, because you all didn't know and love my grandfather...but that is okay. My son will understand. Thanks for reading!
