If you haven’t taken the Cozi Family Journal out for a test drive yet, you’ve got to give it a try. It’s awesome. Of course, I’m not completely impartial since I work for the dealership, but speaking sincerely:

The family journal is my favorite feature of Cozi.

I love how easy it is to quickly capture and preserve a moment or a memory, and I love that I can then email my entry to my mom, my sister, or anyone I choose. Or, if I don’t want to send it now, I can always send it via email later, or send out all the posts from the month automatically in a family newsletter. I could even share via Facebook or on my own Cozi web page. So simple, so fast, and so many good options!

My two main motivations for using the family journal are simple:

• To keep my extended family involved in the day-to-day life of my kids, because they love to feel connected

• To keep a contemporaneous record of life in our busy, chaotic household so that I won’t forget the hysterical and wonderful moments that happen every day.

I used to assume that I’d always remember the outrageous quotes or the daily events that seem so unforgettable. Sadly, that turns out to be far from true. For example, I know that my 12-year-old said adorable things when he was little, things I never wanted to forget and never thought I would forget.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’m shocked and embarrassed to admit that I can’t remember even a single funny line from his childhood, other than a vague recollection that he spoke with an Australian accent for awhile.

I used to call my mom to tell her his funny stories, because they made her day. Plus, it seemed like telling someone the story was a way of ensuring that it would be remembered. As it turns out, these quick calls gave us both enjoyment, but they didn’t preserve the memories. The funny lines and milestone moments were swept away with the daily tide of activity and routines.

It’s too late to preserve the great moments of my 12-year-old’s early years, but my younger kids are still in the funny quote stage, and all my kids are doing great stuff that I don’t want to forget. The first lost tooth, the first soccer goal, the big lacrosse game, the school science fair; I don’t want to miss any of those events, and I don’t want to forget them later.

As busy and crazy as this chapter of life can be, I know it’s just about the best chapter there is, and when these years are gone, they’ll be gone for good. As the years go by, I’ll want to be reminded of these special times, and relive them. With the family journal, I know I’ll be able to enjoy these memories for a lifetime.