The Book (or Dad's 60th Birthday Present)

My sister and I tried so hard to come up with something to give our Dad for his 60th birthday. It was such a big birthday, and we wanted something to commemerate it appropriately. Jenna suggested a pocketwatch that we would get engraved... but I thought of a HUGE project that I just knew would make the perfect gift. A photo book.

I know photobooks are a rather overdone gift these days... but with some help from my sister I knew we could make one that would truly show our father how much his life and his love have meant to us. She did all the legwork and made a trip to my parents to dig through old photos (not an easy feat with two babies!) The best part is she did all the work while Dad was at work, so he had no idea that was the reason for her visit. I was just sad I couldnt share in the photo party with Jenna and Mom. She then took them home, and managed to scan almost 70 photos and titled all of them! We had photos from before Dad was born up until Landon's birthday, baptism and our recent summer vacation to North Carolina.

I managed to retouch some of the old images (THANK YOU PHOTOSHOP!) then loaded the into the album software that I used for clients.... and almost 40 pages later we had his gift. It just fell into place... the pictures, the layout.... and being able to see Dad at Brad's 30th birthday to give him the gift.

We had photos from my grandparents wedding, beautiful black and whites. Then some photos from his childhood, pictures of him and my Mom in their twenties... then pictures of him and our family when we were young. There was even a page of Dad's many different hairstyles (he had it long! he had it curly! he had a goatee! he had a full grown beard!)

Perhaps the best photo was one Jenna found hidden behind a framed photo of my Dad and my Uncle Bob as young children. When she took it out of the frame to scan it, she found a picture that she titled "mystery man." It was old, cracked, and faded.... but it was our Dad at about 21 with no moustache! The family joke is that my own mother wouldnt recognize Dad without a moustache because for the 30 plus years they have been together she has never once seen him without one. What a find!

I dont think I have ever been so excited about giving someone a gift before! We presented it to him before the party actually started... and as soon as he opened it and saw the wedding pictures of his parents the tears started to flow... for all of us! I've never cried when I saw someone open a gift before! That moment was one of the most beautiful moments of my entire life. His reaction was so touching. And later, he called me to tell me it was the best gift he had ever received....

I will try to post some old family pictures soon... but I wanted to share the story. I am getting goosebumps just writing this! Many thanks to Jenna and Mom for their help... I am so glad that our teamwork was able to make this birthday so special for Dad.