Our summer was certainly full of fun: outdoor barbeques, neighborhood cookouts, making ice cream, 4th of July parades, a trip to grandpas house, sleeping late, moving my oldest daughter into her first apartment It never seems like the season is long enough to do everything we want to do.

Now that the summer is almost over, how do we preserve these memories? Take a few minutes before the busy routine of school begins to put together a family album of summer keepsakes. Whether its in a scrapbook, photo album, or shoebox, these mementoes chronicle tidbits of family life that often become lasting traditions. Your kids will love showing friends and family how they spent their summer vacation.

And dont forget to snap a picture on the first day of school. We take a photograph in the same spot every year. My daughter left for her first year of college. In the opening page of her scrapbook were all of the pictures we had taken on the first day of school. From the scared preschooler with the little lamb name tag, to the confident, beautiful young woman she blossomed into, each picture was truly worth a thousand words.

Want a quick and easy way to make a time capsule of your summer vacation?

Find a large, clean, wide mouth jar (mayonnaise jars work well) to hold your treasures.

Gather together pictures, ticket stubs, sea shells, maps, souvenirs, pressed flowers or anything that has sentimental value from you summer vacation.

Write names and dates on the back of photographs. Place all of your items inside the jar. On brightly colored paper, write a few notes about each event. You may want to interview other family members for their thoughts as well.

Preserve your summer stories in a place of honor. Kids will enjoy getting their keepsake jar down to tell stories for many summers to come.

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About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com