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Yearly Archives: 2012

If I were to utter those words, it would be a lack of gratitude and still I whisper them inside. I would… if only… one more thing…

She beams and gushes, stumbling over the words, tucking greying whisps beneath her veil. “I would be SO grateful, if they, for them, to find, jobs, here, America.”  She tells of school now and a hard life then. Iraq, she says, does not have what we do. “No jobs. Not school.”

She can’t believe I will take her picture. “For free? For me? How do I look?” she asks. Beautiful I tell her, so beautiful. She blushes and apologizes for teeth and veils, tries to explain dentists and traditions with gestures and words few between.

How can I tell her how beautiful her smile is, how much her beauty has blessed me. Beauty full of hope after years of hardship – what could be more ravishing? Gratitude expressed for what might be  – I hope with her and am taught by her . . .

This post is part of my We the Grateful Photo Project.

He is come. and so quickly I forget.

How does life ever get mundane, how do the  fears, doubt and strife intrude ugly again after that night? The eve of lights and magic so thick you can embrace it, holding us all around in wonder. But they do, they come a torrent with the days marching on in the new year hoping for more.

Again I forget – He came in ugliness and squalor, soon to be running, evil hot on their heels. He came to live IN THIS world. He came to die. I snatch up my life, my comforts, like brightly colored packages. A child crying after too much sugar and too good of a time.

But that one night we slip into mystery and time stands still and we Remember.   He comes.   He comes into our mess unafraid.   He dawns new every morning.   He sweeps away the dirt and breaks through the rock and stretches out his hand with a whisper and . . .

waits.   always waits.   for us.   He beckons, we must come – lay aside the mess and come.   Light the candles, bow our hearts, reach out our hands, and Come to His grace. Every moment a new choice to draw near or pull away.   and yet He holds us close, strong weathered hand of a grandfather on his child’s shoulder, every star in the universe encircling our waist.

We lay it all down and welcome Him. Oh God let me live in light of this night.

Remind me the truth that it’s never too late for Christmas Eve.

and amidst the sacred Christmas story read, there’s Jello, Jimmy Stewart, stockings filled and cookies left  . . .

and it was to all a VERY good night!

12-24-11 . 85mm

Yes I am 33 years old and I wore a tutu to The Nutcracker ballet this year. They were on sale at LuluLemon, and it just seemed like the thing to do.

Can you tell which child is really really excited about attending The Nutcracker this year? And can you tell which child is not?! And then there is the child wondering what his family is up to this time.

David came back filled to the brim with magic. This is him showing off his reindeer socks and imitating his nutcracker. Also he insisted on a picture of his new nutcracker next to my tutu. He knows how to make a gal feel good!

Aaron  not so much on the filled with magic thing . He did take a break from watching the show to go out in the lobby (sweetly holding my hand) to buy a little nutcracker. Be still my  heart! I think he secretly enjoyed the whole thing, (donning the bowties was in fact his idea)but he sure kept his poker face on.

Baby man was just glad to get back to the all important task of attempting to assemble the automatic cookie icing contraption. He is very serious about working on it for awhile until it’s time for the pieces to be strewn about the house.

And of course, no good night is really complete in David’s eyes without a Dance Party . . .

After an all out dancethon with Mom and wrestling match between all the men, big and little – the baby man tried on Dad’s bowtie. Then he decided he needed a few more…

and then and only then, did we call it a night.

12-22-11 . 85mm?

These photos don’t really fully portray how freaking epic this cookie decorating session was! I give most of the credit to the battery operated cookie decorating tool. It was super rad. And of course my men pitched in with copious amounts of mayhem and crazy creativity. I am still finding frosting on the walls . . .

12-21-11 . 24-70

We made an entire battalion of Christmas cupcakes to give to our neighbors. Thankfully baby man saved a few for them!

12-12-11 . 24-70

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