Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Meet August’s Mom of the Month, Lori Johnson, who is raising three sons, running a business and gathering funds to fight the disease that killed her husband.

Lori Johnson wanted a way to keep her baby’s memories sacred. But after scouring countless stores, catalogs and Web sites, she remained unsatisfied. “I just wasn’t happy with the choices I was seeing on the market, and I thought, ‘If I cannot find it, I will make it!’” says Johnson, a mother of three.

Looking for More
Johnson, who currently lives in Colleyville, Texas, with her sons Scott, 8, Trent, 6, and Chad, 4, set out to make something “much, much more comprehensive” than the baby books she had passed over. “After all, it was the book that would store my baby's cherished memories and the unforgettable events of our family's years together,” she says.

Still, just one book didn’t seem enough to capture an entire childhood, nor a varied family history. It was then that Johnson hit upon the idea for the Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life. “I decided to create a complete baby package for parents, so they could make a one-time purchase and have a way to record all of their cherished memories,” says Johnson, who used her business background and natural creativity to found her company, Timeless Keepsakes Inc., in early 2000 – right before her husband, Doug, was diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

Creating a Time Capsule
Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life includes everything a parent needs to capture a lifetime of memories – enclosed in a classic wooden chest. “Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life is beautiful enough to display in the nursery or family room,” says Johnson of the chest lined in velvet, detailed with a keyed lock and decoratively engraved with “Baby’s Treasures.”

Within the treasure chest, there is an antique-styled baby book, along with other ways to document all of the fun, special and momentous “firsts” of Baby. Unique sections include a place to record a complete history of Baby’s parents and grandparents. To add even more interest to Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life, Johnson included another feature: Predictions for Baby's Future. Here, parents record their hopes and dreams for their little one’s accomplishments.

“It creates a time capsule to store away for Baby’s future,” Johnson says.

Preserving the Present
Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life includes several certificates commemorating Baby’s "firsts." These certificates, which can be framed, include a place to display mementos, such as a lock of Baby’s hair. The treasure chest has directions for requesting a letter from the president of the United States to commemorate Baby’s birth, as well as tips for other freebies.

A helpful instruction book includes everything parents need to get started with creating, completing and preserving a priceless heirloom for Baby. All of the Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life paper products are acid-free and specific instructions are included on how to store the treasure chest safely, so it will last from generation to generation.

“Parents tell me they are making the treasure chest a family tradition and are already excited for the day their ‘baby’ turns 18 or 21 and they can gather the whole family and open this heirloom containing family memories,” she says.

The joy families feel at recording their child’s history is bittersweet to Johnson. “Shortly after I had the idea for Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life, my husband, Doug, got sick. I decided to include a Special Keepsake Letter, where the parents or other loved ones can write a personal note to the child to be sealed away inside the treasure chest and opened at a specified date in the future,” says Johnson, who understands better than most the importance of leaving a legacy while you can.

Cherishing the ‘Now’
“Unfortunately, Doug's cancer came so fast and so aggressively and so unexpectedly that he did not get to write a keepsake letter to our kids, and that is a regret I will live with forever,” says Johnson.

“It is a shock for an extremely healthy, 6-foot, 4-inch, 36-year-old strong, athletic man to be diagnosed with a cancer this rare,” Johnson says. “He is actually the youngest in recorded history to be diagnosed with this awful form of cancer. That is what makes these letters so much more important to me, personally. I suggest all parents do this immediately as they are creating and completing their timeless keepsake for their baby.”

A Challenging Road
It took Johnson nearly two years to complete her product and launch her company, and she ran into many obstacles along the way. “I was not only dealing with starting a new corporation, but had a husband whom I cared for around the clock,” says Johnson. At the time, Doug was in the late stages of terminal cancer and required chemotherapy and daily doctor appointments. He underwent surgeries across the country and endured a lifetime dose of radiation to his neck, which resulted in a feeding tube.

Ten short and painful months later, Doug died. “He passed away Dec. 19, 2000, and that was the day my life turned upside down,” she says. “We had been together for 10 wonderful and perfect years, and we knew we were soul mates and would be together, forever. This was not the way I had dreamed my life would turn out.

“Try explaining to a 2-year-old why his Daddy won't be coming back again. I had to move out of my house. I took out loans and decided Doug would want me to go through with our dream to build Timeless Keepsakes Inc., so I continued.”

One year after her husband’s death, Johnson’s company was incorporated, and she introduced her products to the market.

Remembering Doug
Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida. Today, she volunteers twice a week up at her children's elementary school, is active in the PTA and accompanies her boys to baseball, soccer, basketball and tennis.

Johnson also plans and organizes the Douglas Johnson Annual Hoop Night, which she has hosted each January in the three years since Doug's death.

The Douglas Johnson Annual Hoop Night benefits the American Cancer Society and the Doug Johnson Memorial Fund. “Doug's goal, if he survived cancer, was to speak to others with cancer as a representative for the American Cancer Society – to give them hope and motivation,” she says.

“The Doug Johnson Annual Hoop Night is my little way of helping, so hopefully one day they can find a cure for cancer, and families like mine won’t lose a husband and dad at an unfairly young age,” she says.

Something to Treasure
Johnson’s future goals include expanding her company’s offerings to include My Married Little Treasure Chest of Life and treasure chests for birthdays, anniversaries, military personnel, graduation ceremonies and loved ones who have passed away.

Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life can be found online at Timeless Keepsakes Inc. and at retail stores, gift shops and physician offices near Johnson’s Texas home.

“I am overwhelmed by the letters and e-mails I receive from people thanking me,” Johnson says. “Baby’s Little Treasure Chest of Life really is like a ‘time capsule’ or ‘heirloom’ that will last for generation to generation. What better gift than endless childhood memories?”

Want to see more?

• Meet July's Mom of the Month Susan Henderson
• Meet November 2002's Mom of the Month Sandra Tiffany
• Meet December 2002's Mom of the Month Pam LaRoche
• Talk about it!