What is "Beauty and the Bud"?

"Beauty and the Bud" is the birthday gift I gave Kathy last year.  But before I tell you about that, let me give you a little history.

Last year was our first year together with birthdays - Kathy's in July and mine in May.  For my birthday, Kathy completely thought out an incredible day for me.  The entire day was a surprise except for two things.  I knew that she was coming to my house at 9:30 to make breakfast for me and that we were going to a graduation party for a friend of mine at 4:00.  Other than that, I knew nothing about the day.

The whole day was filled with surprises for me and it was a huge blessing.  So, for Kathy's birthday, I wanted to do something very special for her.  We did several special things that day like going hiking at Swallow Falls and then bike riding with another couple on the trail from Masontown to Morgantown. 

While we were having our picnic, I gave Kathy a 'book' that I wrote entitled "Beauty and the Bud."  It is in a binder with a picture that I created for the cover (see below).  I wrote to Kathy in a storytelling tone about 'my side' of our relationship - how we met, what was happening in me, etc.  It covered the time from when we first met until we first started dating. 

This past Christmas, I gave her part two of the book which was about our time in dating and courtship (up to our engagement).  So, now you know what "Beauty and the Bud" is all about.  Here is the picture that I designed for the cover: