Surprise Christmas Project

This is the big project I've worked on and off through the summer and fall....A family tree book of my children's fathers family for their Christmas present!   The past month I have uploaded 277 pictures.... I've researched both Jerome's (kids father) mother and father's sides of his family.  Thank goodness for Family Tree software and Ancestry.com!
 What a journey/task this was...but also so interesting.  Dawn and Darrin are each getting a book and the pages are identical.  I also have some memorabilia I've saved that I put in some nice cases for each of them.  I've saved report cards, wedding invitations, birth announcements, notes from my daughter...even my son's letter from the Marines releasing him from service because he broke vertebra in his back.  I know he will be shocked I kept that!  I have a letter my daughter wrote me in '84 when she went off to college!  So sweet!

Each book is organized starting with their dad's info/birth/schooling/etc.  Pages/sections are uploaded with pictures of his younger days, followed by our wedding, being a father, a hairdresser and then printouts of each side of his family tree starting with his father's side then his mother's side.

My daughter's front album cover

My son's front cover

Each page is on scrapbook paper that I decorated with little items purchased.  I had to make sure I purchased two of everything - remember each book is identical!  Talk about a production line!!!  But I am good at organization!  HA

Younger days

I found newspaper  clippings and his yearbook pics - he won a beard contest in 1960 when he was in college and won a shaver!  

Hairdresser days!

Being a father - I had 3 pages of pictures of Jerome with the  kids and I

Another page of being a dad

Some of my son's pages

Some of my daughter's pages

Just an example of one of the family tree info

This was quite a journey for me as well.  Looking back on Jerome's life, our life and the kids gave me time to reflect on life itself.  Jerome passed away in 2000 but he is still part of the kids life.  He and I remained friends after our divorce and I know that is what contributed to our kids being the great adults/parent/aunt they are today. We've always respected each other and we'll never forget "J".....