Keeping Memories Close: The Most Special Gift

Normally, when I post a blog, I try to limit the amount of pictures somewhat, but in this case, I'm not going to. A while back, I mentioned that Travis gave me a gift so special for my birthday, that it deserved a post in itself. Here it is. Several weeks ago, my mom called to tell me that our Christmas present this year was a new flat screen, high definition, 46 inch, Sony TV. Travis, of course, was elated, and to everyone's surprise, he drove up to Kentucky that very weekend with Sage to get it. He also told me that he was giving me a "weekend to myself." Unfortunately, I was extremely nauseated and had an extremely painful backache that kept me from enjoying it, but that's ok.

I knew he took Sage to boo at the zoo, so when I asked to see his camera to see the pics, he said no. For almost 2 weeks, I wasn't allowed to look or even get on his side of the computer. He said that I would be able to see soon, so I assumed he had done something for my birthday. He had made that obvious, but beyond that, I was absolutely clueless as to what it could be. The night before my birthday, he and my mom left for hours. By the time I got home from choir practice, he was exhausted, but my present was "finished" and wrapped. I kind of woke up all through the night wondering what it might be. The next morning, he gave me some perfume I had been wanting and a very heavy "something" that he said was from Sage. When I opened it, there was an album with the first picture below on the front. I said, "What is this?" He said, "It's all about you. Everything in there: your town, your life, you."

As I began to flip through it, I was overwhelmed with emotion: the beauty of the pictures and the significance that HE took time to make in each one. I was teary looking through it. There were pictures in there that made me feel like a child, a teenager, and an adult. There were over 300 pictures in it, each one breathtakingly beautiful. He had stayed up late for days after I had gone to bed to edit each one and put them on a CD. When he printed them, my mom told me that he'd spent hours in the floor getting them in the order he wanted telling her to "watch" for me in case I came home early. He told me that he didn't even go to Kentucky for the tv. He had that in mind to do the entire time. Of course, I couldn't put even 1/4 of them up, and I wouldn't even say I put the best ones up. It's too hard to choose. But I wanted to share a piece, at least, of the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me, and that person was my husband.

This was the cover.

The Lousiville Slugger Museum (I'll try to just point out what the picture is in each one, rather than say, "Isn't this an AWESOME picture?" That's pretty obvious, right?) Every elementary school took a field trip here and got a miniature bat, and I still have mine...somewhere.

Sage in downtown Louisville, KY.

One of my favorites

Outside of Kentucky Center for the Arts. I saw "The Nutcracker" here when I was in 1st grade.

The Humana Building. He took this because we have humana insurance, and he said that we give them enough money so it should be included in the album. ha!

Travis and Sage at the waterfront

Beautiful

Sage looking out at the Ohio River.

One of my senior activities was a day on the Belle of Louisville.

I love this one too.

Look at that sky.

Derby Horse!

This reminds me of a "Where's Waldo" picture.

I got teary when I saw this. Most of you know, my aunt Carol, passed away from breast cancer just a little over 3 years ago.

Isn't she pretty?

This reminds me of a picture my mom has of me at the zoo when I was 5, I think. I have that same expression. Actually, I STILL make that expression.

And she is.

This one is so cool to me.

Of course, this is where I graduated. Mom told me that the school was blocked off that day, and Travis went up to them, told them what he was doing, and they let him in.