A Scrapbook

I just counted, and I have twenty-three scrapbooks on my bookshelf. That sounds like a lot, and it is. Mary Ann and I made fourteen of them together, and I made the rest by myself.

I have scrapbooks from my trips to New York, the Grand Canyon, and Washington, DC. I have scrapbooks from holidays and birthdays. I even have one I made when we first moved to Wish Pond Road.

I love having them because when I look back at the special times in my life, the scrapbooks help me remember all the specific details. It’s a pretty cool way to keep track of all of those important events.

Of course, I made a scrapbook for this Thanksgiving too. How could I not? It was such a special holiday, and a lot of things happened that I feel so grateful for. My Thanksgiving scrapbook is packed full of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites.

Here’s a picture of Joey and me organizing (or at least trying to!) the cans from the food drive. It was a lot of work, and of course, there were a few problems. But in the end, everything worked out great.

Here’s a picture from the assembly when Mr. Lee gave the class reps our certificates.

I like it because you can see how surprised and excited everyone is.

Here’s my certificate. I put it in my scrapbook so I’ll always know where it is.

Here’s a picture of me with my family on Thanksgiving Day. Don’t Champ and Cheeseburger look cute?

And last but not least, here’s a picture of me.

When Mom took this one of me on Thanksgiving, she said she liked it because I look very mature. She even got kind of teary-eyed and said she can’t believe how old I’m getting and, even more importantly, how nicely I’m growing up.

“Do you mean how big and tall I’m getting?” I asked Mom.

Mom laughed and said that wasn’t exactly what she meant.

“Are you talking about the kind of person I’m becoming?” I asked.

Mom nodded and gave me a hug. “Mallory, I’m so proud of you,” she said. “You have exhibited real signs of maturity lately.”

I didn’t ask her what those signs were, but I kind of had an idea what she was talking about, and I have to admit, it made me proud of myself.

I had a great Thanksgiving, and not just because I was part of a project that helped so many people. I have an amazing family, great friends, an awesome cat, and everything I need—like a house, clothes, and food. I think what made Thanksgiving so special is that I realized how grateful I am for so many things in my life.

Is that a sign of maturity?

I, Mallory McDonald, think it just might be.