Home

merry, merry christmas.

we got a christmas gift
a little early this year.


our little L started crawling.
and he hasn’t stopped since.
B and i are in absolute awe
and so is L’s PT.
L has never started doing something new 
and progressed this quickly.
never.
ever.
and until now, 
he has preferred to go backwards first.
but not this time. 

God is so good.
all the time.
He is so, so good.

and while we have been praying that he walk by christmas,
we will oh-so-gladly 
take and be grateful for this gift.

and besides, K recently told me 
that God spoke to her heart 
and said that He hadn’t decided 
if L would walk by christmas or not.

and here is a photo of some snow
(or just dust floating 
through the sun shining in our house)


i will be taking a blogging break for all of next week 
but will be celebrating my blogoversary on january 2nd!
have a very merry christmas 
and may you celebrate the greatest gift 
we could ever be given.
a baby born in a manger 
who would save us all.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and 
found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search carefully for the child. 
As soon as you find him, report to me, 
so that I too may go and worship him.”
Matthew 2:7-8

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, 
and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them 
until it stopped over the place where the child was. 
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Matthew 2:9-10

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, 
and they bowed down and worshiped him. 
Then they opened their treasures and presented him 
with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

1706. perfect little gifts
1707. lunch out
1708. too much laughter at meals
1709. a fabulous new OT
1710. the gift of a Savior

this is not my life.

well, this photo actually is my life.


K and i were finally washing and drying
the last few dishes from a work-related party
we hosted over the weekend.
and it was tuesday.
i just couldn’t muster the energy 
to tackle it on monday.

the part that is not my 
(usual) 
life 
is that i got to visit
all by myself.
(that means: without any children).

it was so incredible that i got to go there at all.
and even more incredible that i was there
before i was completely worn out 
(think next week).
i usually don’t stop until i get so run down 
that i have a cold and am forced to stop.
you know how that goes, i’m sure.

i put L to bed and then left the big kids with B 
and headed to the spa.
i got to take two showers within two hours,
where i was not:
interrupted.
interrupted even briefly.
interrupted even for a half of a second.

i had a treatment called 
where i was put in a cocoon of loveliness.
i literally was.
the therapist gave me a massage 
and wrapped me up in 
eucalyptus leaves and hot towels.
and then i got to rest.
i didn’t do a thing.
other than breathe.

and get this:
i started and finished thoughts.
it was really refreshing.
and definitely not my 
(usual) 
life.

when i came home
with freshly blow-dried hair
(that i dried at 9pm at night
where i didn’t wake even one sleeping child up)
B said that i looked five years younger.
and you know what?
i felt it.
and i still do.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,
and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all
the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law,
he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied,
“for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.
Matthew 2:3-6

1701. going to the spa
1702. clearly seeing the answer 
to a decision that needed to be made
1703. the cutest little gingerbread cookies
made by one of our favorite friends
1704. a peaceful day
1705. something really grand i’m posting about tomorrow


wild, wild weekend.

we had a wild, 
wild weekend
(hence the lack of a blog post yesterday).

it was 
filled to the brim and flowing over. 
but it was good.
just very, very busy.

and i am very happy 
that it is no longer the weekend anymore.
and that my big kids don’t have school this week.
and that we have just a few things here 
and a few things there on the calendar.

this week is going to fly by.
i just know it.
but i don’t want it to be 
filled to the brim and flowing over 
with things to do and see.
i want it to be 
filled to the brim and flowing over 
with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
as we prepare our hearts and minds 
to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

May the God of hope 
fill you with all joy and peace 
as you trust in him, 
so that you may overflow with hope 
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13


and this little nugget of frost 
was collected from our backyard last week
and currently sits safely in our freezer door.

The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:20

1691. when God allows things to come together beautifully
1692. a great, great PT session
1693. paint all over my table
1694. receiving christmas cards
1695. Jesus Calling

my big, little man.

he’s 6!


and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:7

1686. half-birthdays
1687. doing something i have been meaning to do since september
1688. face time with my sis
1689. listening to lots of birthday messages
1690. someone choosing to obey

this family.

i got to do a little shoot for 
this completely
adorable 
family.


and i loved it.
and not just because 
i didn’t have even one 
of my own children hanging off of me
during the shoot.



or the fact that the weather was 
unbelievably gorgeous for a december day.


but it was simply because this family
was so comfortable in front of the camera. 


the way that these easy-going parents
interacted with their children 
was inspiring.


both of the children

have stolen my heart.


and this little girl warmed up to me in no time

and loved the camera.
which made the shoot even more fantastic.


In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree 
that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 
And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, 
to Bethlehem the town of David, 
because he belonged to the house and line of David.
Luke 2:1-4

1676. very understanding family members
1677. not having to pick up D from school in the rain
1678. a shopping date with my girl
1679. cold soda on the road
1680. a snowman drawing

ten on ten.december



1- 5 sweet stockings
2 – blocks
3 – dancing because he beat me getting dressed
4 – B picking the perfect tree
(like always)
5 – merry christmas
6 – tree hangings
7 – our reading machine
8 – yummy, yummy
9 – “snow flakes” in our backyard
10 – our tree

When Joseph woke up, 
he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him 
and took Mary home as his wife.
But he did not consummate their marriage 
until she gave birth to a son. 
And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:24-25

1671. falling asleep on the couch
1672. seeing christmas lights with the kids
1673. two little ones who sleep the same way in the car
1674. birthday festivities
1675. the Judd’s christmas album

ten on ten button

that night.

remember when i posted about thanksgiving?
well… here are some of the the details.


my sister made the most amazing appetizer 
they are a must.
a must, i tell you!
i am still thinking about how delicious they were.



who doesn’t love cranberries doused in syrup and sugar?
now i sound like Buddy the Elf.


yum.
yum.
yum.


and this little man dressed himself.
just as delicious, right?


my other boys.
(and somehow i didn’t snap a shot of K or me.)


the busy bakers.


and don’t you just love the piano bench seating?
love.


the other fun of thanksgiving was that my parents’ dishwasher broke.
yes. 
it was broken for the thanksgiving dinner.
and there were lots and lots and lots of dishes to be done.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 
to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.” 
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Luke 1:53-56

1656. the most thoughtful UPS man
1657. a delivery of the perfect DVD for date night
1658. a much needed date night
1659. christmas performances
1670. talking about the nutcracker

a bicycle built for two.and two.

this past weekend
we got to go to a 
fabulous 
engagement party
for my sister
and my brother.
i know.
confusing, right?
and no, they aren’t marrying each other.


my brother and the soon to be Auntie E.


my sister and the soon to be Uncle B.


this is one of my favorite spots to take my kids’ photos.


L and his little mommy.


this was D’s lovely 
“i don’t want to be taking these photos”
face.


and what is a party without Auntie B and Uncle J.
seriously, people.


my little man.


our walking fanatic.
(he cries when we stop walking he loves it so)


and Grammy got to come along for the fun.
(thank you for that adorable face, K)


meeting Mr. Mallard
and inviting him to the party.


my little dude.


watching the ducks from a safe distance.


L and his Uncle J.


oh, and those adorable faces continued throughout the night.


my non-twins.


talking to the ducks.


one of the brides-to-be
(and her lovely friend A whom i just finally met).


and you remember these lovely people from this post, right?
well, baby makes three.



lights, lights everywhere.

we all had a splendid time 
and left the party 
much, 
much 
later than had planned.
the food was incredible 
(of course)
and the location was supreme.

very much looking forward to more of these fun events.
very much so.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Luke 1:39-45

1646. lotion that makes me think of my grandmother
1647. shooting an incredibly fun family over the weekend
1648. mail finally arriving
1649. christmas decor
1650. finding two things
Scroll to Top