What is the most important element on a scrapbook page. One point if you said the photos, but if you said journaling, give yourself two points! For example, in the photograph above, I could have said "Anna Marie Olson and her children." I don't know the exact date of the photograph, but I could guess the early 1900s. Do exact dates matter? Well, if you have them use them, but if you don't have them, don't despair. There's more important facts or even opinion to photo journaling to include. Here's what my journaling says:

Many comment when they look at old photographs, "Why aren't they smiling?"or "Boy, she must have been a real fun person." But after spending some time researching my grandma's family, I've come to learn a little about the stories behind the faces in the pictures. Here, my great-great grandmother, Anna Marie Olson, is surrounded by her surviving children: Lena, Albert and Mary are standing, and my great-grandmother, Hilda Olson Horgan is sitting. Anna Marie, sitting on the left, looks so solemn and weary -- and for good reason as I learned: her life sounds like a soap opera! She and my great-great grandfather, Martin Olson, a tailor, brought their family to the United States from Norway in 1874. Also coming along were Anna Marie's parents, Halvor and Pernille Johnson. Five days before the trip, Anna Marie's 15-year-old brother died. Can you imagine burying a family member and only days later getting on a boat, never to return? Still more misfortune awaited the family during the voyage across the Atlantic. Anna Marie's mother (my great-great-great grandmother) died enroute, as did two of Anne Marie and Martin's children -- from the measles. Just imagine being on a strange boat, surrounded by strangers, off to a strange land and you must bury three dear loved ones in the sea. Then on May 21, 1874, off the foggy coast of Newfoundland, their ship, the PontoCorvo, hit an iceberg! According to the ship's history, "The collision sent the mast crashing down upon the deck tearing a big hole in the planking and tons of ice cascading back over the deck of the ship. There was a lot of wailing and confusion among the passengers following the collision with the iceberg. A few prayed to God; others sang and shouted". Just like the Titanic, except this was no luxury ship. They were rescued by the SS Macedonia. But even after being rescued the passengers were forced to sleep on piles of coal at night. The worst was that they were also very short of water and the small amount that was available was rationed. It is anticipated the PontoCorvo was towed to the quarantine station by the Macedonia. She came into quarantine station at Grosse Ile on the 10th of June. Five deaths had occurred at sea from measles. The Olsons traveled on to their destination, Hudson, Wisconsin. Eventually, they moved to the nearby little village of Star Prairie, building a home on the Apple River, and Martin opened a tailor shop. More tragedy awaited as three more children died in a diphtheria epidemic, all within a month's span in 1887. In all, Anne Marie lost seven children, as two had also died back in Norway. Fortunately, her four surviving children had better endings to their stories. Mary became a nurse and moved to California. Lena married and lived in North Dakota. Otto stayed in Star Prairie, becoming postmaster, a photographer and general store owner. My great-grandmother, Hilda, also stayed in Star Prairie, married a shoemaker and had 16 children! (And she is the one smiling the most in this photo! ) My grandmother was number 15 of those 16 children. Sure, some people can look at this photo and see five somewhat solemn faces, but I look at this photo and I see perseverance.