(parts of) December

This is just a few pictures from our December so far. December is always a crazy month for us... due to the insane amount of hours Frank works and the stress that winter weather brings to his job. (Not to mention the added mental confusion because we all love winter weather in spite of the stress, ha!) This holiday season for just a few different reasons, I have done a very poor job of getting anything done. Incidentally, if you haven't had your wisdom teeth pulled yet, I recommend doing it at a different time of year. That being said, on this wintery morning I can't help but feel incredibly blessed and thankful for everything.



So, here's just a few pictures from our month.



Your standard blogger holiday picture. I couldn't resist. :-)
An incredible sunrise out my kitchen window one morning this month. I've been drinking my coffee on my front porch a lot lately too... so very weird. Normally people would do that in the summer, but I always get disgustingly hot and freaked out over black widow spiders when I do that, so I prefer my summer coffee in the air conditioning. I've been enjoying going out into the cold with my coffee and watching the snow fall while I get warmed up from the inside out. (Admittedly, with all the snow we've been getting, it really hasn't been that cold--stuck right around freezing. I might feel a little differently if it was 15 degrees (F) out.) Reaching up for a Light Saber.

Her exact sobbing words when I took this picture... "Mother! My nose is full of mucus!"

Her exact words when I took this picture... "Check out my light saber momma!!"

The whole back of my house is icicles, some of them so long they are at my eye-level when I'm standing on the ground. I have taken to calling it my "Ice Curtain". Knocking it down is quite strictly forbidden. The ones in the front get knocked down for safety reasons, but these ones are all mine-mine-mine, and they are staying right where they chose to form until they fall. Amen.

The cool pictures of ice you can end up with on a very gray day, with snow falling. I could play with editing these for hours, which makes no sense considering the pics all are a shades of gray, white and black. Somehow the starkness of it is so much fun. It took an unspeakable amount of pictures to get one where a drop was falling how I wanted it to. (Yes, Frank. I deleted them.)

I know, that's a lot of similar icicle pics. I'm not currently mentally equipped to make choices with regards to pictures I'm loving. Thank you for bearing with me.

About once a year I buy a new pack of clothespins for shutting bags of rice, chips, and my delightfully large collection of Bob's Red Mill grains... (if you do this, get them in the laundry section, NOT the craft section--$3.50 for 25 in the craft section, $1.99 for 50 in the laundry section of the store.) This year I spray-painted them all glossy red. Talk about cheering a girl's kitchen up! It's the little things in life.

And, just a shot I took while I was playing with different settings on my camera... because this song has been in my head...

because this verse has been on my heart...

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder. And

His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His

government and peace, there will be no end.

Isaiah 9: 6,7

While all year long we focus on the death of Jesus (as we should) it's neat to focus on his birth as well this time of year... as a parent I can't help but be amazed by everything about it...

By God's perfect plan and execution thereof...

By Joseph's love and grace and care with Mary and Jesus. (when really, in any other case you would expect hurt, rage, nasty words and some quick running in a different direction...)

By Mary's accepting spirit, humbleness and love. As a mother it's both easiest and hardest to relate to her I think. I look at my kids, and I think how fiercely I love them, and how I would do anything to protect them, and how instinctive it is to correct them... how strange it must have been to feel all that for a perfect child, and yet know that he was first of all God's Son, here for a purpose far beyond anything she could fathom, and the unspeakable hurt she would feel as she was to watch him suffer for the sins of every human ever born, whether they chose to accept His gift or not. Beyond our Savior of course, she really is number one on the list of people I cannot wait to meet in heaven someday.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, full of love and joy and thankfulness!