Shutterfly Albums

I don't know about you but I take a lot of photos. Digital cameras are fantastic in that you can typically view your photo instantly to make sure no one was blinking but I feel like many of the photos tend to just sit on the computer (or cell phone), tucked away in a file that will rarely be seen or shared outside the digital world of facebook or instagram. I love looking through my family's old photo albums and I wanted something physical for Robbie and I to have so our kids would get the same experience.

Then I discovered Shutterfly. For the past 5 years, I have used this excellent website to create a photo album with all our favorite memories from each year. It has the artistic and creative qualities of scrapbooking but there's no mess and, in my experience, is much cheaper!

The hardcover 8x8 books have 20 pages and are usually $30 but I wait until they are having a sale (sometimes 50% off) or I can find a groupon for $10. Shipping is typically $8 but they frequently have deals for free shipping if you spend $39 or more. They have some beautiful products other than the photo books, too, so if you plan ahead and get some of your Christmas shopping out of the way it's easier to hit that $39 mark.

Here's the first album I ever made! It's definitely more simple than my subsequent albums but every time I make one, I get more comfortable with the design program and discover new ways to spruce up the pages.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Start your own Shutterfly Photo Book today.

Here are a few of my favorite pages from the other books.

Part of this tradition is picking a Bible verse that reflects our overall experiences of that year. This is probably the most meaningful part of the albums for me because it gives me the opportunity to reflect on what God has been teaching us and the experiences He has brought us through. When I read these verses it instantly brings back the memories from that year, the obstacles we faced together, and the many ways God provided for our needs. 

First two years: "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'" -Genesis 2:18

Certainly the defining experience of these years was that we were newly married! God truly new exactly what He was doing in bringing Robbie and I together!

2012: "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand." -Psalm 27:23-24

In December of 2011 we found out Robbie had been accepted into Dental School. This verse reminds me of the comfort and reassurance God gave us in 2012 that we had made the right decision and the way He showed us each step we needed to take. It also reminds me of the way God "held our hand" through our move to a new city and Robbie starting school.

2013:"I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place." -Psalm 31:7-8 

Anyone going through Dental School will understand the trouble and adversities of 2nd year. And every time it felt like Robbie or I was being stretched to our breaking point, God would provide the breather we needed whether that was through a vacation, an encouraging time with friends, etc. I also was able to get a job at the Dental School which enabled Robbie and I to have more time together. This verse simply reminds me that God got us through the 2nd year of Dental School!

2014: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." -James 1:2-3

This verse reminds me that God uses the challenges we face to teach us to trust Him more. For us, I feel like the 3rd year of school felt a lot like when you're running a race and you're 3/4 of the way through and you just need to tap into that endurance. I got pregnant in the fall of 2014 and was horribly nauseous that whole semester so that definitely felt like a trial that tested my faith!

2015: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Our daughter, Jubilee, was born in May of this year and the lack of sleep we experienced certainly made me connect with the "wasting away" part. In all seriousness though, this verse has wonderful significance for us! First, it reminds me that the difficulties of Dental School and having a little baby truly are "light and momentary troubles" whose end results have great eternal value. Robbie's Dental education will open up many opportunities for Him to meet the needs of others. Investing our love, attention, and energy into our daughter daily weeds out selfishness in our own hearts and displays Christ's love toward her in very practical ways. Additionally, this verse reminds me to not lose sight of the fact that we are only here on this earth for a short while. Instead of getting caught up in my experiences of the moment, it opens my eyes to see that in the grand scheme of eternity, Dental School is less than the blink of an eye.