{early bird}

Don't consider this late........but instead, your very first Christmas card of 2010!!!

Okay, so the fall/Christmas rush about did me in this year!




The saddest thing of all.....check your mailbox as I can't bear not to send them!

{ouch}

who in the world thought it would be a good idea to have the braces put on before two days before christmas?

stupid me.

motrin. tylenol. motrin. tylenol.

{christmas morning}

{smile}







i know that i am way more excited than them every year! it just gets better!

{happy birthday sweet jesus!}

what a great day! and, the real reason for the season.......and a little party from us to Him! :)

{christmas eve lunch}

with david, angie, syd, walker and wiles....mimi and poppie

{we're ready!}

a white christmas! sooooo excited!

the boys have opened their new pj's, and a single gift tonight.

we spent the afternoon at my angie and david's home. sweet time. yummy food despite the braces. :(

tearful, beautiful candlelight service at church.

inside a warm home all snuggled up with my three dearest.

and, as happy as i am....my heart is very prayerful for those who are without those they incrediably love and have lost. in my thankfulness, i have not forgotten you....

{a forever memory}

copy and paste these links to your browser one at a time.....

make certain your little ones are not around

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/72c80131845bb40a7eb8cbb3b9593dd5

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/593d7d9df37c52d43c24d0d4c7f3af25


it will take about 7-10 minutes per child to set up. i will never forget the look in their eyes. it was more magical than last year. evan even got teary! which made me get teary too!

and, definitely upload the pictures if you can.

at one point i heard evan mutter......"thank you for this moment". his eyes were as big as i've ever seen them.

i used my cell phone and called our home phone. in front of the boys i acted as though it was a call from the north pole and somehow they had not received letters from the boys this year. they were very concerned as they had always received them in the years past. BUT...it was too late to send another one. she asked for our email address. i hung up the phone and explained it more to the boys. they were almost distraught.

i had minimized the screens for each one and while they were minimized, i pulled up my email where they could see that and then i pulled up one of the screens and they had no clue they had not come from my email. you probably actually get an email that links - but, i wanted to make certain i didn't fumble around.

it was priceless. and, i will say - even i can't figure out how they do all of it!!! it MUST be christmas magic. :)

and, tonight i've somewhat gone through the motions as my heart is so sad over jill. and, in a weird way in the middle of the "guilt" that i am here healthy with my family......it is such a big reminder that every moment counts. so, i started making new memories with my precious boys.

to set up your own go to: http://portablenorthpole.tv/home

{tis the season!}

{reflection}

before completely diving back into the very fast-paced, hectic week that is in wait, I wanted to remember......

*although Thanksgiving was very different for us this year, it was very sweet for the four of us. Pretty perfect actually.
*we actually had Thanksgiving dinner today. Just the four of us.
*the decorations are pretty much "there" and I love them more than I did last year. Very cozy.
*i am drinking mocha-mint something coffee out of a precious coffee cup and sweet, sweet friend gave me. it makes it even better.
*listening to faith belt out the hymns. all.day.long.
*listening to scott snoring - but, faith is winning out, barely. scott had some rough moments over the weekend, but, overall - we managed. ;)
*love my boys!!!!!! so incredibly thankful.
*had some great quality puppy time this weekend! she is such a great addition to our family. never thought I would have an inside dog - but, she couldn't be better. and, you want to talk about stopping traffic. wowzers! she draws a crowd. i even had to stop for a picture from a stranger on an elevator this weekend, and believe me, I am sure i was NOT in the picture. sweet, sweet molly!
*am loving our slowed-down feel to Christmas this year. savoring it!
*missed our family members that are no longer with us. the pain is still so fresh whether it's been 22 years or 4 months.
*elmer, our elf returned! he even waited for us outside until we got home. evan made a tearful confession that he has worried for the past year that his magic would be gone and he wouldn't be able to return because he had climbed a shelf last year and touched him. poor thing! a year of worry! :(

{wooooooooo-hooooooooo!!!!}

MY.TREE.IS.UP!!!!!!!!

That is in the midst of a sick child, a husband who spent much of the afternoon at the MD's office putting the aforementioned sick child and myself in the car. Major work to do. Major editing to do. Major ordering to do.

But, it is up!


p.s. that's what happens when you purchase the display tree. {wink, wink}


It is not decorated, but, that is not a concern at the moment. It is up, up, up!!!!!

{torn}

does anyone else struggle with putting up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving? Ugh, what to do?

To be honest, I just finished my fall. Terrible I know. Maybe just the tree?

What do you guys do?

{ideal christmas}

not perfect....but, what i want for my family....

it is just a little over six weeks away. the last several years have been a blur for me at christmas time - three years ago, i was by my sweet grandfather's side in his last days with his passing just a mere 3 days before Christmas. then, in my heartbroken daze, i was whisked away to NWA for almost three weeks for the trial of the century. it was terrible.

then, the last two have been consumed with late-schedule photo shoots, orders, packaging, delivery, work.....you get the picture {pun intended}

this year i wanted different. i needed different. my family needed me. there is no re-do button to give my children those memories. so, early on, i set my session deadline for oct 30th....with the exceptio of family and friends and the make-ups that i could fit in. well, then the rains hit and the flu for my clients and then....for us. so, i have a few more sessions to fit in and take - but, those are not stressful at all - looking forward to them.

so, tonight as i am working late.....i decided to make my christmas plan. this is all i want for christmas....

*christ-centered
*joyful
*reverent
*fun
*relaxed
*non-rushed
*kid-centered
*cozy

{didn't we just celebrate that?}

i wasn't too terribly shocked when i was in HL two weeks ago and saw they had their fall stuff out. but, i thought my eyes were realllllllllly blurry when i rounded an aisle and was in a winter wonderland of christmas ribbon/candles/decor.

seriously, Christmas in may?

{share: i LOVE this}

here is a share for the day.....i love this idea!!!!

Santa Letters

Can you imagine getting this when you were 4 or 7? And, the best part is that it includes the "real story." Her dedicated website is not yet up, but she does go ahead and post her email link.

Hmmm......will definitely have to get in on this one. And, it helps support a family with adoption expenses. A double sweet!