high note: Great Minds Think Alike

Back in October, my now fiancé and I celebrated our one year anniversary (we weren't engaged yet!). I knew I wanted to give Reed something to commemorate the first year of our relationship. I thought about doing some type of timeline or scrapbook, but after quickly realizing the astonishing amount of pictures and memories that accumulated in just one year, I thought there had to be a better idea!

After a trip to Hobby Lobby for some inspiration, I decided to do a keepsake box! I filled the box with ticket stubs, pictures, and trinkets from our first year together. I also included a few gift cards to some of his favorite places and little surprise notes. My favorite touch was the "message in a bottle" - I teared up while writing because it felt like I was writing out wedding vows.

When I finally finished putting it all together, I got "crafter's remorse" - you know, that sinking feeling you get when you've poured your heart into a special creation for someone else, only to wish that you could keep it for yourself because you love it so much? It hit me though that, more likely than not, this box would be in my possession again one day... ;)

When the time came for me to give Reed his box, I got the best surprise! For part of my gift, he had gone to Hobby Lobby as well, picked out a similar keepsake box, and even used some of the same pictures that I had used for the front of his box! We died laughing that we had thought so similarly, and I was thrilled to have my own box!

I got emotional during our gift exchange, thus the puffy face. It's amazing to think back on this night, realizing then how truly blessed we were to have had such an amazing first year together and how sure we were that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Just a few weeks later, we made it official...or at least put ourselves on the path to make it official! :) Gosh I love him.