Tuesday Tell All - Tiny Treasures‏

This week's topic took me down a stroll down memory lane. What a wonderful opportunity to write about my many "tiny treasures" that I have acquired over my life.

I got so wrapped up in finding all my special pieces of jewelry that I spent hours looking through boxes, baggies, drawers and my cedar chest in search of things. I guess that is what happens when you are constantly hiding valuable away from busy little inquisitive hands.

As I searched, I stumbled upon so many things I had forgotten and waves of memories came flooding back. The necklace I wore in my senior picture, earrings my mom bought for me for Halloween long ago, the watch I wore in my engagement photo, rings from Disneyland, pins from student council and cheer, things I had made, things people gave to me, and so many other treasures that my heart was touched as I rummaged through the bits of gold and sliver.

You can not put a monetary value on each piece. The thing that fills me with joy is the story every item brings, the people who have shared and the love I feel for them. These simple items remind me of them and their love.

As for the list, I have many items that I hold dear, but there are a few that are priceless and will be passed down with love as cherished heirlooms to my family.

My favorite piece of jewelry is my wedding ring. Rich and I went together to pick out settings and this is the one I selected. I knew long before I was engaged that I wanted a simple gold band with a round solitaire. He picked out the diamond so there was an element of surprise. My wedding band is not sautered together and I love that I can wear it alone if I am going on a trip and don't want to wear my diamond.

The next item is a beautiful old gold locket given to me by my Grandma Nance when I was twelve years old. This necklace was given to her when she was twelve from her dear Aunt Anne who lived in San Fransisco. Inside the locket are very small pictures of my grandma and grandpa on each side. When my Grandma gave an oral history to my brother Jeff for his 50 hour school project, he asked about her about special pieces of jewelry and she mentioned this locket and the ring that will follow. I am so honored that she would share a bit of her tiny treasures with me.

This ring is very special to me. It was also given to me by my Grandma Nance. It was her graduation ring that her parents gave to her when she was 18 and graduating from East High School in Salt Lake City. It a gold ring, with a pearl in the center and is flanked by two small rubies. I wore it on my wedding day, on my children's blessing days and to my siblings weddings. It its priceless.

I absolutely love all the little rings my parents gave to me when I was a teenager. They first sat me down on their bed and gave me the little heart ring that is gold and had a very tiny diamond in the middle. I wore it with pride in middle school and impressed all my friends that I was responsible enough for a ring with a bit of value. I learned to take great care with my rings and my parents gave me more for Christmas each year. The Sapphire flower was next, then the ruby, then the diamond and last was the emerald. I still wear them today and look forward to one day giving them to my own daughters.

I have to say that these little necklaces represent the most work I even had to do for jewelry. I earned my Faith in God award when I was in Primary (center pendant) and then over the years in the young women program completed all the requirement in the personal progress book and earned my Young womanhood medallion just days before my 18th birthday. I was so close to finishing, but was living in Hawaii and have given up home of earning it. My mom called and encouraged me to complete the last few service hours, so I began tutoring ESL students and organized a beach clean up. I was very proud to be presented with my necklace by my own father who was my home ward bishop when I went back to Utah during the Christmas break.

Rich has given me many wonderful gift over the years and has very good taste in jewelry. I thought I would document the first and the most recent of his purchases. He gave me the diamond heart for Christmas when we were engaged and surprised me with this lovely O shaped pendant last Christmas.

I love these little bracelets Brynn and Kaitlyn wore on their blessing day and when they were very young. A wonderful woman in Rich's Provo home ward named Robin Harmon made these for my girls and had her son bring them to the house on Christmas Eve. I was five months pregnant with the girls and discovered them in my stocking on Christmas morning. The delicate crystal beads and silver charm brought me to tears to think I would soon have two baby girls. It was a gift of love.

These next things are wonderful and I love them, but they don't hold quite the sentimental value that the previous items do.

I begged my parents to get my ears pierced when I was 3 years old. My parents told me that it would be painful, but I promised I would sit still and be brave. We took a trip to Trolley Square and picked out the little gold heart earrings and sat perfectly still as they pierced my ears. I loved them.

I wore the strawberry pendant when I was around three or four.

I got these pins from Disneyland back in 1988, before the craze of pin trading. I loved going each morning and receiving a free pin at the entry gate. I got the Sea World one that year too.

In junior high I taught myself how to make beaded jewelry and loved making ones with bright beads and creating flowers. These are a few ones that have lasted over the years.

This is one of my very favorite pendants. It is blown glass from Venice. I have worn it for years and years and goes with anything.

Often when my parents would go on trips they would bring me jewelry home for my souvenir. I love this gold bracelet that they bought for me from St Thomas.

I wore these earring at my wedding. They are cheap fashion jewelry from ZCMI, but thought they were simple and elegant.

I love all the necklaces that my Grandma Larsen has given to me for my birthday over the past few years. This one has my birthstone on the heart.

I love this necklace that Rich's parents gave to me this past birthday. It was a milestone one since I turned 30 and they sent this beautiful necklace that has my children's birthstones on the family tree. It is lovely and so special to wear my children close to my heart.

My one and only piece from Tiffany and Co. in NYC. My parents took a trip a few years ago and brought this silver daisy pendant back for me. My mom has a matching one too.

Greg and Kate really spoiled me last year when they drew my name for Christmas and gave me this beautiful necklace from San Francisco.

And last, I love this little pendant. I bought it at ShopKo a few years ago and think it is so pretty.

The only sad part of this whole thing is that I rarely wear all these beautiful things. The only thing that gets use everyday is my wedding ring. I tend to just put on a pair of gold hoops and my watch and I'm good for days. I do love my watch though. Rich gave it to me for Christmas years ago and it's the prettiest I've ever seen. Oh how my list could go on. Hopefully writing all this down will get me motivated to pull out something new everyday and make new memories enjoying them.