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this season last season.

it’s {embrace} the camera day!









as i get 
more and more
excited about the beginning of this advent season, the
more and more
my mind goes.
goes to last Christmas season. 

last year, we were on track to have a wonderful couple of weeks
preparing our minds and our hearts
for Christ’s birth into the world. 

and then,
we were thrown into one of the most horrible
experiences we have ever experienced. 
in no time, B and i found ourselves 
handing the bigs off to my parents 
(yet again),
sleeping at the hospital 
(yet again)
and not knowing when we would be back 
(yet again). 

everything about this season takes me back.
our advent wreath
(which we didn’t get to finish lighting last year),
putting up Christmas decorations
(which we didn’t get to enjoy),
baking sugar cookies
(which we didn’t get to eat),
driving around looking at Christmas lights
(which we didn’t get to do),
sending out Christmas cards 
(which i did while at L’s bedside in the PICU),
our Christmas eve service at church
(which we missed),
and putting the kids to bed on Christmas eve
(which we didn’t get to do).


as i can’t help but think about last year,
the fear begins to slowly seep in
until it has gripped me and has total control over me.
then, the joy is completely lost. 


“Do not be afraid… your prayer has been heard.”
Luke 1:13


but everything about the anticipation of this season 
also takes me back to the comfort and faithfulness of God.

although we didn’t experience
a typical Christmas morning at home,
we felt God’s comfort and experienced His faithfulness
the entire time L was in the hospital.
and even more so when he was released.

which did happen.
much earlier than doctors expected.

that’s right, bright and early on Christmas morning, 
B, L and i got to come home.
and boy was that joyful.


i am savoring every moment i can this Christmas season. 




“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…”
Joel 2:25

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516. being with all of my babies
517. lighting the advent wreath
518. putting up Christmas decorations
519. baking sugar cookies
520. God’s faithfulness

pressing letters.

Auntie B and i visited my sister at 
a letterpress class she is taking this semester.
yes, she is an architect by day and a creative mastermind by night.



and how freaking cute is my sister?
so freaking cute.
as my mother-in-law says,
“she could make a garbage bag look good.”
she could.



i was amazed at the trays and trays and trays filled with different fonts.
it was glorious.
here are some gigantic wooden letters.



you just couldn’t help but be inspired to create something.
anything.



my sis does about nineteen things at once
to make one lovely letterpress card. 



and who knew you would add color to the entire machine?
it’s called frosting the cake.
i know.
so perfect. 



and how cute is this red stool?
so cute.
i’ll take six, thank you very much.



my sis taught us the little dance that you must do 
with your feet in order to pull the lever smoothly. 



you really must be a good problem solver in order to do letterpress.
there is a lot of adjusting and tweaking and fixing.
to make things just perfectly right.


“thanks” for letting us come, Aunt WW!

and check out her adorable graphic design etsy shop.


This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: 
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph,
but before they came together,
she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 
Matthew 1:18


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511. being inspired
512. chick-fil-a
513. letterpress
514. staying out past my bedtime
(that’s morning guy’s problem)
515. hanging with my girls

wait until your mother comes.

there are so many fun things to do at Grammy’s house.

D loves inventing new things with these tubulation things. 
i believe this is a sprinkler head type thing 
that would allow Grammy to water her garden with ease.

the headache i got from taking this shot was totally worth it.

K has been singing one of the songs she has learned at CBS
over and
over and
over again. 
her favorite part the song is
“wait until your mother comes, 
wait until your mother comes!”
but she doesn’t really sing it. 
instead, she demands you to 
“wait until your mother comes.”

she loved adding the loud piano keys at Grammy’s house
to her already noisy performances. 
and yes, we are loving K’s new outfit,
if you can’t tell.
(thanks Great Grammy!)

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506. new toys at Grammy’s
507. phone calls with Gramma Pink
508. a morning retreat
509. coming home
510. listening to the rain falling

nearly a vacation.

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a little while ago, B and i got to go on an incredible adventure.
without any children.
i know.
it was nearly a vacation.
seriously. 
i felt like i was on a trip. 
it was that great. 

we found ourselves out on the open sea



with the best skipper in town
(Uncle J)
and his lovely first mate
(Auntie B). 

nothing was going to stop us. 
B was even armed with a motion sickness bracelet.

we were taught all about 
booms, 
the furl, 
the helm,
rigs and
tacking.

and i am still not sure if i could use any of those terms correctly,
but i do know that this is called a winch,
and it is not to be confused with a wench.
let’s be honest here, remember when i said it was like being on vacation?
well, that tells you how much work i really did. 

a rare shot of just B and me.
and don’t we look so relaxed?
we were.


just like Beth Moore prays to see God’s creation, 
Auntie B prayed that we would see dolphins.
and guess what?


we sure did!
it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. 
seriously.

they were just cruising right next to our boat!

these three guys hung around for a long while.

it didn’t lessen how incredible it was. 

not one bit. 

B even tried to have one touch his foot. 
it came within a couple of inches. 

Auntie B, me and a little friend on the right.

and then there were tons. 

this was my first time sailing.
and i now love sailing.

my handsome beau. 

the sail!


our skipper in action.

being the skipper is serious business. 
i was really nervous to be at the helm.
(see, am i using that term correctly?)
not sure. 

Auntie B took great care of us.

one of my new favorite photos of him.
he never likes to have his photo taken. 
i’m so glad that the children don’t feel the same way. 

the setting sun.

our view coming back into the harbor.

we had such a lovely time.
such a lovely time.

B and i also got to experience the green flash at sunset.
remarkable. 


501. dolphins
502. dear friends
503. pretend vacations
504. wind
505. witnessing the sunset

top heavy.

i hope that you all stuffed yourselves silly with turkey yesterday!
we sure did.
my mother-in-law is an incredible cook and 
we thoroughly enjoyed eating every single thing that she made from scratch.


don’t worry, i helped.
i provided the homemade rolls
(first time ever making them) 
and three children.
see? i brought essential elements to the feast.

and here’s my update on the number of gifts that i have wrapped: 0
so yeah, i’m making great progress.
not really, but hopefully i will (start and) complete all of the wrapping
by the end of next week, which is when we have our first Christmas celebration.
i know. 
it’s way early to celebrate Christmas 
we usually have around eight celebrations because we have a lot of family.
and no, you’re not confused, we don’t celebrate hanukkah. 
it’s more like a month-long Christmas.



and here is K, all bundled up to play outside a few evenings ago. 
she was nice and cozy but unfortunately 
was a bit too top-heavy and fell over fifteen seconds 
after she headed out the door and immediately came back inside. 
i can’t imagine how all of you moms feel when this happens for 
those who actually get snowy weather.

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496. turkey
497. my favorite stuffing
498. more homemade fudge
499. sleeping in B’s childhood room
500. wild times with the cousins

giving thanks.

happy, happy thanksgiving!


i am thankful to God that i am not in charge of this life.

that He knows how many hairs are on my head.
that He knows my heart.
that He knows all of my days.
that He gives me just what i need.
that i do not know it all.
for my family.
for my friends.
for His comfort.
for His joy.
for life.
for Jesus’ death.
for His blessings.
for the trials.
for His comfort.
the growth.
the change.
laughter.
tears.
sorrow.
grief.

for His love.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15




happy, happy thanksgiving!

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wonderful + sad.

we went to a party over the weekend that was both 
deliciously wonderful and 
terribly sad.

we had to say goodbye to some 
sweet, sweet friends

and their darling daughter.
(hubby was unfortunately too sick to make it to the party.)


that’s the super lame thing about where we live.
people are always moving away. 

the house where the party was held was so completely lovely.
i told B that i would be more than willing to move right in.
if we ever get a place of our own, 
i might have CM come and do it up right. 
because her house felt like such a welcoming home. 

Auntie B gave my arms a rest while she held L.

and mr. J,
(who is the adorably curious son of one of my dear friends, KP)
was fun to watch as he got into everything.
even the pretend fireplace.

we hung out on the guest bedroom bed and chatted the afternoon away,
until our husbands reminded us that the party was supposed to be over at 5pm. 
and that it was well past 5pm.
but like i said, the house was so welcoming, 
it was hard to pull ourselves away.

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491. finishing up my christmas shopping
492. having big goals 
(like desiring to finish all of my wrapping – which i haven’t even started – by thanksgiving)
493. that D refers to himself as an “artist”
494. almost seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for B’s novel
495. pink roses delivered by the bigs

he cracks me up.

we went to a party for some dear friends over the weekend
(more on that tomorrow)

and D found this mustache sticker. 

i love it when he gets the giggles and can’t stop laughing. 
i am so thankful for D who always cracks me up.

i am only now wondering why i didn’t put it on L.
maybe i didn’t think of it because he already looks like a middle-aged man. 
without the ‘stache.


happy life made lovely monday!


Photobucket


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486. being protected from the rain storm
487. being able to worship with D at church
488. fun parties with friends
489. babies who fall back to sleep on their own
490. a new (old) art table

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