Christmas Through My Lens

 

Christmas Eve

 

Twas' the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, except for Mom stuffing stockings and snapping photos of the quiet before the storm.

 

Stockings

 

Gifts

 

Breakfast & Play

 

Dinner with The Folks

 

Gifts With The Folks

Ask - Scripture & A Snapshot #2

 

This may seem like an odd verse for this photo but for our family the snow in this photo is an answered prayer. My children have spent most of their lives in the midwest, where a white Christmas is expected. I can only remember one Christmas of the nine we spent there, when we did not have a white Christmas. Now that we are back in the south my children miss many things about Iowa, especially having a white Christmas. My oldest son has been praying for weeks for a white Christmas. I did not discourage his prayer, but I thought it highly unlikely that we would have a white Christmas, I spent 28 Christmases here and never remember a single one being white! Yes, I had little faith, not too mention I am not so fond of snow...saw all I wanted to see the 9 winters I spent in Iowa. My son asked in faith and God who is faithful gave him the white Christmas he so desired.

Thank you Father for the good gift you bestowed on my children and the testimony of your sovereignty, goodness and faithfulness.

Christmas Wishes

 

My children are praying for a white Christmas, just like the ones in Iowa.

(Taken with my new 35mm 1.8 Nikor Lens that my husband suprised me with.)

Baking Day

 

Today I'm making the above, along with this and these. Off to the kitchen to work some magic.

Thankful Thursday

 

I must admit that I started the day out feeling mopey and having a pity party, not much time for that as I had to move full speed ahead pulling recipes and making a grocery list, preparing breakfast, caring for baby......then I remembered that today is Thursday and I really NEED to stop and remember the Lord's blessings in my life and for this reason I put everything else on hold while I type out this post and participate in Thankful Thursday.

1."Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15
This verse says it all! What more could I want than the gift God gave me of His Son allowing me to become a daughter of the Most High. I am also thankful for the many other blessings evident in my life today.

2. Health: All 9 of us are healthy. I can remember one Christmas we all had the stomach flu and I spent Christmas Eve on the sofa with a very sick 2 year old.

3. Family: We spent several hollidays without extended family when we lived in the midwest. Thankful to have both my brother's near, my grandmother, parents and mother in law all here to celebrate Christmas.

4. Provision: God has provided my husband with a wonderful job that provides for our needs and many of our wants and allows us to give to those we love.

5. Sun: It's shining brightly today, warming the air and reminding me of God's goodness and how His SON lights our way and warms our heart. Its visible presence also means that it will be nice enough for my kids to get outside and run some energy off.

6. Children: God uses them to illuminate our weaknesses, forcing us to draw near and depend upon Him. They also bring a fresh perspective and enthusiasm to what could become mundane. Holidays are always exciting when experienced with the joy and excitment of a child.

7. Sleep: Something I get very little of but am thankful for every bit I do get.

8. Legos: Sure I step on them all the time but the hours of creative play that my children are engaged in makes the sore feet worth it.

9. Clean Kitchen: Knowing the kitchen is done, helps me feel a little less overwhelmed at all I want to accomplish today and tomorrow.

10. Christmas Carols: I love listening to them and singing them with my children.

"Joy to the world the Lord has come..."

Admitting Defeat

I had two goals for today, get the Christmas cards in the mail and bake some biscotti to give as Christmas gifts. Those were the main goals but I also have to get the house clean and ready for company that's arriving tomorrow and plan and prepare for a company breakfast. After multitasking last night by holding baby and addressing envelopes at the same time I had most of the cards ready to go so I dived into the baking only to discover that a key ingredient had been mistakenly sent over to my mothers to hide with the gifts. Now I had to make an emergency run to the grocery store before I could proceed with this goal, and since the grocery store is across the street from the post office I decided to go ahead and get the cards in the mail so that I could mark off that goal.
What I didn't take into account was:
a. the crowds
b. the unpredictability of a newborn
c. how long it takes to do everything with a newborn

I hit the store first armed with my list from couponmom of sale items(if I'm at the store I need to make it count since I'll not try this again this week). I did have a victory at the store as baby slept and I saved $53.00 just on sale items, with no coupons. We hit the post office next...baby was crying but I put him in my wrap and headed in to weigh cards and address an envelope. I stepped up to the automated station to weigh the cards and baby started screaming and I mean screaming at the top of his lungs. The post office was packed and everyone was wishing that baby would hush. I realized that my cards weighed too much for normal postage and that I was going to have to weigh them all and print out additional postage, UGH!!! So I stepped aside and let the nice lady with a single envelope proceed. I attempted to address a couple of envelopes(no pen in the car, had to use the one in the post office)but as baby's cry escalated and it was now lunch hour and the line at the post office was increasing by the second I did what was best for us all, I admitted defeat, headed to the car, called my husband to express my frustration and drove the 2 miles back to the house where I am now sitting, comfortably nursing my babe. At least now I can proceed with my baking this afternoon...who knows when the cards will get out.

Scripture and A Snapshot 1

 

Part of the following challenges:

Scripture & Snapshot
Giving God Glory Through our Photographs
and
Straight out of the Camera Sunday