Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm new to blogging, but I thought this would be a good way for my Heritage Makers clients and consultants to get to know me better :o) And also learn more about the power of storybooking...

How did I find out about Heritage Makers? One day I was sitting at my MOPS meeting (funny name I know, but it's Mothers of Preschoolers) April 2007 and some of the moms were sharing their favorite things...like Oprah's Favorite Things, just minus Oprah. One of the moms shared two storybooks that she had made of her son's first year and second year. When I held her storybooks in my hands I just knew that I had found something that I wanted to do! I had a story to tell and this was a perfect way for me to share it. It's no secret that my hubby and I lost our first son, Brian, in August 2003. He was born 16 weeks too early and only lived for two short weeks. The night after the MOPS meeting I could not sleep! I was so excited about the storybooks and Baby Brian's story was running through my head...I wanted to preserve it ASAP!

Shortly after that MOPS meeting, I received an email from a friend about how to make a Father's Day storybook and I thought "what a great gift for my hubby!"...he would *love* a storybook with pictures of our son Joey (Brian's younger brother). I immediately emailed Kelly Barquin (the only HM consultant in my area at the time) and asked her how to get started. She created a free Basic account for me and I purchased the publishing credit. I uploaded my pictures and added them to a scrapless storybook template...very user friendly. I cannot explain the anticipation of waiting for the UPS man each day and then the magic of opening that package and finding a storybook that my husband treasures to this day! He keeps it on his desk at work and just recently I ordered myself a copy so I can show it off :o)

I began my next project at a Digi Crop that Kelly hosted at Nirvana Cafe in Roswell. That evening I started working on Baby Brian's storybook. This is the beginning of the rest of my story. I had not even considered becoming a consultant. Kelly mentioned it to me one day and I said I would think about it and discuss it with my husband. Brian got very excited about it when I told him and said I should do it! He saw how in love with the storybooks that I was and my passion for preserving photos and stories. He thought I would make a great personal storybook coach!

I became a HM consultant in July 2007 and it has changed my life! I finished and published Baby Brian's storybook which has touched MANY hearts. Writing his story was so healing to me and brought back so many thoughts and emotions that had gotten buried in the 4 years since we lost him. Plus, I knew that his story ends with me and my husband. If I didn't write it down it would be lost and gone forever. And I have met so many people along this journey that I would not have met otherwise.

Baby Brian is my WHY...he is WHY I began my Heritage Makers business. I love what I do and I love helping others do the same. I am preserving my heritage for my son and his children and their children and so on. Thank you for reading!

Happy Heritage Making!
Betty