If someone cared enough to compile a photo album of our lives together over a span of 20 years, I simply can't imagine being offended.

However, since you're worried... Will there be any text in addition to the photographs? Perhaps at the bottom of the final page you could write something like, "When this picture was taken, I thought I'd never see anyone lovelier. The years have proven me wrong. You're more beautiful today than ever."

Of course, if you use my words and don't mean them, Johnliu, a pox upon you! :)

sm

Wow. That was good! Can you write all the captions for me?

Another option I just thought of was to order the book with several blank pages at the end, where I can explain we'll mount prints of the beautiful B&W shots that I will take of her.

I agree with sm.

Don't under estimate your wife's capacity to appreciate your loving motives.

Now back on topic:
What are you planning to cook for her for her birthday? :-)

dcarch

I know I would appreciate your efforts just as what it is meant to be...a book of love. I'm sure your wife will also. So if you want to put a great looking picture of your wife as the last photo and then have blanks for future pics that would be fine. I think she will look at the book you made and just smile and be happy that you were so thoughtful. NancyLouise

Since you asked......

I think you need to end the book with a current photo. Why risk making her feel bad about how she looks today? None of us look as good as we did 20 years ago.

Very nice idea. I'd be so touched if my husband did that.

I wouldnt mind the old picture at the end if you wrote something like what steelmagnolia said; that was Good!

I like SM's idea too but I also think it would be wonderful to leave blank pages so you can add to the book each year.

What a sweet thing for you to do......she'll love it

You've got to be kidding me!! Your project and your question says volumes about you; I would say you are good to go with whatever you do.

Of course, this is coming from a wife who received a birthday card that said "happy birthday grandma" (he grabbed and paid without reading it); I was 23 at the time. Good thing my expectations in the "oh how thoughtful" department are very low as things haven't improved.

Cathy! hahahaha!!! At least it was in English, huh?

Hey, Cathy, I once got a Happy Birthday from both of us" from my ex, because he never got past "happy Birthday".

I agree with Nancy, though, if it's chronological, I think you need a current picture at the end, and then some blank pages. No one looks like they did 20 years ago and it would be to me kind of like saying I'd never look that good again...

Annie

It's your favorite picture of her, and probably hers, too. It's not saying she doesn't look good now, it's saying this is you, in my heart, forever and ever.

What steelmagnolia said.

What dcarch said.

And what sherrmann said.

Blank pages at the end is a good idea, but not necessary at all.

That's just my humble opinion.

Rusty

It sounds like a special and thoughtful gift. Since you have a great relationship worrying about inadvertent messages should be a non-issue. Go with your first impulse and make a date for a portrait session.

My ex bought a blank card and wrote his own message to go with the 9mm handgun he wanted but gave to me as a birthday gift.

My DH bought me a USED valentine's day card! Yep, it was an old Victorian card that he liked so he just scratched off the 100 year old writing & wrote his note below. (sigh).

I have a feeling this could end up becoming your wife's most treasured gift from you...it would be if I received something similar. Many (most) women are sentimental. Don't worry about the pix. The blanks are a good idea, IMO, 'cause they also say that you want her around as part of your life going forward.

barnmom, a hand gun?! Yikes!

/tricia

Can you snap a few shots today? It only takes a moment to upload. I am guessing you are doing one of the shutterfly type books. Your gift is a lovely one, but I agree, end with a current one. If it is one of the shutterfly type books, leaving extra blank pages won't entirely work because they will look so different. It is possible to save the project and add to it later.
Hope your wife has a wonderful birthday.

What the rusty one said!

I'd love it :-)

Don't change a thing John! I think you're putting far too much importance on the last page. She'll probably take one look at the cover and nearly burst into tears, then rush off to tell all of her friends what a thoughtful thing you did for her. It really is the thought that counts, and she's going to love it!

Chrissy

I would end the book with a blank page that will hold a new picture of both of you. Take her out to lunch or dinner and then visit a good photographer for a current shot of you together. You could even make it a tradition to be photographed together every year and add a new picture every year at her birthday.

I think you're OK either way. SM nailed it. A sweet & sentimental quote covers it.
I would be honored and touched to receive a gift like that.

And all you people who got inappropriate cards.......quit yer complainin'.......at least you GOT one! (GRIN).
I usually don't. Lucky to get a "Happy Birthday" wish.
We sort of have an agreement that every day is special, not just a birthday, anniversary or holiday. We just don't "do" those! But I'd be fine with a 9mm IF it was something I wanted, not something he thought I should have.
I'm pretty practical!

Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thread johnliu!

Deanna

"I'd be fine with a 9mm IF it was something I wanted, not something he thought I should have.
I'm pretty practical!"

It was something HE wanted. I am also practical though. I'm not sure how a handgun fits into the "practical" category unless one is a police officer or armored car driver. I am neither! Grins.

John: I think it is a beautiful gift. I'm a wee bit "jeals" as my kid would say!

John,

She will never be upset with you no matter what.

A husband who enjoys cooking?

dcarch :-)

John, what a beautiful person you are to put this together for her. I hope she knows how lucky she is.

I would definitely use a recent picture or else go to the photographer and have one made. Then, like the others have said, it would be nice to leave some blank pages for the future.

Good luck, I hope the rest of it goes well for you.

Beverly

John please promise to come back and tell us what you decided to do and how much she loved it.

...and as far the forum rules, we're pretty darn easy going around here and this thread has made me smile. No apology required.

Thanks everyone!

You've all been too kind to point out that I'm in this pickle because I haven't taken enough real pictures of her in recent years.

Lots of digital snapshots, sure, but not real pictures, shot with real feeling on real film and printed on real paper by my own hands.

I shot the kids, friends, still lifes, landscapes, abstracts. But I had already the shot of her that captured her spirit, that entranced me whenever I saw it, that I could be buried with, that I thought I'd never need another.

And that is the real moral of this story. Never stop taking pictures of the people you love, because you never have enough.

What a sweet wonderful husband you are. I would leave some pages at the end of your book. Maybe next year you can have a professional do an oil painting of your wife using that picture you love so much. Happy dancing!

My DS made me a book for Mother's Day. It had so many wonderful shots of our son, me, DS. I never noticed what he ended or started with. I was just overwhelmed and look at it often. Great job, John!

John - I think you should leave the photo in and add the caption steelmagnolia provided.

I think your wife will burst into tears when she sees the pic and reads the caption!

Teresa

" shot of her that captured her spirit, that entranced me whenever I saw it, that I could be buried with "

That says it all!

Put that pic on the cover!!!

Or on the last page with that quote.

Rita

Use the picture you love at the end and then leave blank pages to represent your future together.

Wow are you a good guy! Your gift is so loving. Sigh.

My ex's worst gift for me was a bottle of Tigress perfume (toilet water -- not real perfume). He obviously had grabbed it from a drugstore shelf on his way home (late) on the night of my birthday. It smelled like tiger pee.

I'm not surprised to see varying opinions. In fact, you really know your wife best and would know if it would bother her seeing that as the last picture or not. IMO, the very fact that you are asking here makes me think that there's at least an inkling of a chance she might not like it. And even if 100% of us say do it, if she doesn't like it, our opinions won't matter.

For me, I'd rather see that picture in the middle, where it belongs chronologically. And on THAT page you could put a caption about it being your favorite picture of her and the reasons. And if you don't have a great picture of her today, I don't see why you couldn't leave the last page blank with a caption that says, "the best is yet to come" or some such, and then explain that you want to do a great photograph of her as she is today and put that in the book to complete it.

I like lowsparks idea. However, it sounds like you hve everything already put together except for the last page. In that case, put the picture you love in and go with the blank pages and a note that says something like "the best is yet to come." Great idea May. Then insist you take a picture of her that very day and put it in so she knows you mean business.

chase: ''tell us what you decided to do and how much she loved it''

I finished laying out the photobook last night.

It starts with my favorite picture on the cover. Then there are paired pictures of she and me, placed side-by-side, as if I were looking at her. These sets of paired pictures are arranged chronologically, at several-year intervals. They show how, as I grew older, each time I looked, I saw an ever more beautiful woman beside me. Between those paired pictures are images of her, which represent the major events in our lives - we met, courted, married, had a daughter, traveled around the world, had a son, and raised (are raising) a family.

''Through my eyes'' is the recurring theme in the book. What I saw the first time I looked at her, and each time after that, as we traveled through life together. The the most recent pair of pictures are recent. Then my favorite picture re-appears as the beginning of a section of ''portraits'' , with several blank pages and a vow to never stop photographing her. It works because that image is genuinely a portrait, while the others have more of a ''candids'' character.

I had expected that composing the text would be difficult, but after a week contemplating 20 years of images, by late last night the words were already there. I had some great music on last night - ''Loverman'' by Charlie Parker, ''Gravity'' by John Mayer - which helped. The gift of all of your thoughts, and those of my friends on the KF, also helped. So much, and much more than you can imagine.

This photobook will probably be one of the best gifts I've ever made. I believe she will like it very much. But if I'm sleeping on the couch in a few weeks from now, I'll certainly let you know that too.

I've taken up a lot of your time on a non-cooking topic, but it was for a good reason. As Becker and Fagen sang, ''I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.'' (Steely Dan, Aja, ''Deacon Blues''.)

You MUST come back and give us her reaction.

You are such a kind and thoughtful husband.

This reminds me of the first Christmas after my Daddy died. He died that August.

That Christmas morning I opened a box that had a framed 8x10 of me and my Daddy that DH had searched high and low to find and have blown up. The only picture of just the 2 of us that exists.

I burst into tears. It was the most touching thing anyone had ever done for me.

Being the Baby and "Daddy's Girl", DH knew what this would mean to me.

And you have the same loving heart that my DH has.

Your wife is Blessed indeed!

Betty

John, you have brought tears to my eyes. What wonderful, loving sentiments. SWMBO is a very, very lucky lady.

PS: Do you realize how much poop the husbands of this forum are in now!

I just saw this but would have said either end it with your favorite or put that one at the beginning. I really like that you started with it. I think it's a wonderful idea and gift. I hope all of her birthday is that nice.

How about.........So far - so wonderful.