Hi, LadyAustin! You have really done a lot of work in your yard. It's fun to watch the progress. Thanks for showing us your photos, and please keep us updated when you can. Things should be really growing well for you over the weeks ahead! Marcia (ps...I believe your "calla" is actually a canna, just so you know when you want to look up info on it.)

They are clear envelope type items. If I were not trying so hard I could tell you the name of them, but I think they are made my several companies, including 3M products, so you should be able to do a search on them that way. They are called memorbilla (sp) pockets, I think, Penny

I don't have 16 or 20 years of photos to so, but my first album was for my first daughter's first two years (because that's when I started.) I couldn't decide how to organize them, either, so I did a variation on the ABC album. I picked pictures I wanted to put in the scrapbook and sorted them into 26 envelopes each having a different letter of the alphabet, writing on the front of each an idea or "theme" for each of the pictures that started with that letter. Clear as mud? :) i.e. for the "A" enveolpe I had pictures of aunts and uncles, alligators (for our trip to an alligator farm), "B" had birthdays, blowing bubbles, bathtime, "C" had Christmas, cousins, and so on. I made sure I included the letter on the page and all the captions or theme for the page centered on that letter. I didn't stick with just one page for each letter like the traditional ABC albums, rather had as many pages for each letter as I wanted with as many pictures as I wanted. That way I had the best of both worlds. I was able to organize them into a theme for the whole album and I could also organize them into chronological order within the certain letter. I also put die cuts, stickers, etc. in the envelope if there were particular ones I wanted to use. Some pages had several different pics if I had a single picture of a few things and didn't want to do a whole page for each. For example there was a mixed "S" page because I had several small single pictures that I could title with an "S" word but didn't want to do separate pages. There's "S" is for sandbox, stories with Daddy, "Soooooooo big!" and sliding and swinging in Savannah, GA. all on one page. It's a simple page, but it looks very pretty. All in shades of blue. I was able to experiment with different techniques and styles with this type of album, too. It was a great way to do it. As always, of course, some pages turned out better than others, but I love how it turned out on the whole. It is kind of hard to picture, I know, but if I wasn't clear enough on something feel free to email me and have me clarify. Good luck and happy scrappin'! -Sarah

I would scan the pictures, put them on a CD and then have them printed at a photo place. Actually photos that age can be enhanced so that they turn out much better looking if you take the time at a photo kiosk to fix each photo. I can understand your Mom's feelings. My birthparents never did tell any of my nine half brothers and sisters that I exist. I was born a few years later than your brother and my birthmother felt really ashamed. My siblings still don't know I exist. I met my birthmother 18 years ago and have kept her secret even though I know a lot about my half siblings and could find and tell them so easily. If I could make one suggestion to you it would be to think of your brother as a friend, not a brother. Not growing up with him, you really don't have a true sibling connection. Take your reunion slow and easy as reunions can be emotional roller-coasters. The best ones are done carefully and slowly. Wishing you a wonderful close friendship with him. Your brother will treasure those photos. He probably would enjoy any family stories that you have and also a copy of things such as a copy of your mother's writing. Was he searching or is this all very new to him?