The Best Birthday Gift

Yay for refurbished cameras!

On January 16^th, Michael gave me a card and a wrapped gift. I opened the card and saw that it was signed with many family members’ names in Michael’s handwriting.


A split second later, I realized that it was a joint gift from all those people.


And a split second after that, I started crying.

The only other time a gift made me cry was when Michael gave me my engagement ring, though the tears came not because of the gift but because he was asking me to marry him. This time, another gift made me cry, though the tears came not because of the gift, but because of how loved I felt by Michael taking the time to coordinate a gift that we didn't have the money for and because so many people that I love chipped in to make it happen.

Happy, teary eyes

Inside the box was a super nice camera (Canon Rebel T1i). I used to always covetously gripe about people who owned baby grand pianos and weren’t good enough pianists to properly enjoy them. I am now one of those people in the camera world. But, I am so excited to learn all of its ISO, aperture, and who-knows-what-else tricks!

Off I go:

zooming... aiming...

Success!

Thanks, love!

She's got the whole world on her coffee table.

Thanks, mom-in-law for cooking so much delicious, Thai birthday food!

Tea, cookies, and a candle. I love blurry backgrounds.

Thank you, Michael!
Thank you, Mom and Dad!
Thank you, Uncle Brad and Aunt Sandra!
Thank you, Danny, Erica, and Andrea!

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Swanson!

Thank you, Mom and Dad in law!

You all made my birthday so special. :)