While unpacking one of the last boxes in my home I came across my journal from college. It is one of my most precious possessions because it chronicles the time I started at BYU, met and married my husband, and our first year of wedded bliss.

I’ve saved old ticket stubs, cards, photos, and other little trinkets from that timeframe. I occasionally will continue to stuff special things inside the journal because it’s a safe of sorts.

I opened it up and started reading a few entries, traveling back in time, and smiling at the memories I otherwise would have forgotten. Notes my boyfriend at the time wrote to me, things I wanted to tell him, what I thought about him when we were getting to know each other and falling in love.

It didn’t take long, a couple of weeks to be exact. And a few months later we were engaged.

I flipped through the pages and read about emails sent just because, phone calls that drug on for hours. Late nights staying up and talking until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore and dreams of our future kids. I looked at photos we took together in a photo booth before we had kids, camera phones, or such things as “selfies.” I showed the photos to my daughter and asked her who those people were.

“Is that you and daddy?” She asked me. Wasn’t it obvious?

“Does it look like is?” I probed.

“Yes!” She giggled at the pictures in her hand. My hubs came in and saw the pictures and had a totally different reaction.

“WOW! I look totally different.” He said. “I had so much more hair!”

“Yea, I pretty much look the same,” I said with a chuckle. He knew it would be better to just go along with it.

I dug through more of my journal picking out other items I’ve saved through the years, more recently a sparkly pink card. A few years ago I tucked away a Hallmark card that my husband got for me from my daughter for my birthday. You know it’s a special one when you save it. I’m not one of those people who save her cards year after year. Christmas cards are an exception. I’ll use them to decorate during the holidays. But birthday cards, thank-you cards, and whatnot, I just can’t keep them all. But this one was the trifecta of a perfect card: pink, and flattering, with thoughtful words personally written inside.

My husband isn’t the most romantic guy on earth, but he still manages to surprise me from time to time. And romance isn’t what made me fall in love with him. It was his hilarious personality, his dedication to the people he loves, and his passions, the way he listens to me, and always knows just what to say. His big heart, and kindness. All of which are qualities he’s only strengthened through the years.

It wasn’t like I had forgotten why I fell in love, but sometimes it’s just fun to have a refresher about the way it happened.

Since having kids, creative gifts and romance has become less of a priority for us, but my special journal filled with memories from our lifetime before reminds me of how fun and crazy we once were (now we’re boring old farts).

For the last several years my journal has been here on my blog and I’m STILL not up to date on printing it out. That needs to be a priority this year, and maybe even starting another physical journal. Typing pages is so much easier but there’s something special about flipping through these dated pages and deciphering my sloppy handwriting. And something fascinating about having a place to store special notes and “just because” cards from the ones I love.

Do you or did you keep a journal? Where do you save your favorite cards or letters?

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As you know I’m passionate about making and saving memories, I’m partnering with Hallmark to share some of my life’s special moments and occasions. All opinions are and will always be my own.

Next time you’re out getting a special card for someone you love, remember you can earn rewards by documenting your purchase. You can choose whatever you want: gift cards, discounts, or other fun prizes for every 5 cards you buy. (You don’t have to get the card from a Hallmark store, it can me from anywhere!) Just sign up (it’s free!). Click here for more information.

Tags: family, hallmark, journaling