Christmas

Been On my mind a lot lately.. How can I make Christmas .. about Christ.
Not about things.

I know a lot of people say " keep Christ in Christmas" with shaking fist.
all angry about buying gifts for people and the comericalism of it all.

I get that. But lets not be scroogy.

Nonetheless ( coolest word ever )

Christ is the reason for the season. (cringing using that saying) it is truth though.

SO how can we with a 8 month old keep Christ at the center.
Someone said lils wont remember this Christmas so who cares...
Guess what? I do!

How can I show lils love? Carl Love? Christ's love.

Maybe instead of thinking of giving gifts as such a burden or such.. we can see it as like showing love to others ...

Jesus was a gift to us...
Jesus is love
So giving ...is love..

That is as far as my theology goes. ( I can not stand theology separates people instead of bringing them together)

ANYHOO I know random thoughts. Just been on my mind a lot lately how much we need keep Jesus the center of our lives not only all the time but especially now when the hustle and bustle of the season begins.

Advent Calendar

Guess who is getting crafty! 

Attempting to make OUR OWN advent Calendar! 

WHAT ! 

I know exciting! 

Thanks and light room and more thanks

SO here I sit listening to Carl read aloud Horton hears a who to lils in the bath.
Several things.

I feel so old today.
On thanksgiving I biffed it hard at the chases. I KNEW I should have just stayed in bed! ;) Im still paying for it. I landed on my right arm. and I still can not lift it over my head and yes it is still throbbing.

Moving on. I refuse to talk about things that make me feel old for too long.

We have the treadmill!
Have yet to get on it.
due to Turkey day coma.
BUT hence this shall change!

Thanksgiving was really good.
As of late my sisters and I have been getting a long really really well!
Its really made the holidays wonderful.
I was thinking a lot about it today.
I think it has a lot to due with me growing up a lot this last year. AND none of us are pregnant anymore. ;)
I am super thankful for this. super. thankful.

Carl bought me a early christmas present.
Adobe Photoshop Light room 4
I am so excited to learn! GEEK!

Last night Lils slept awful. I was up with her till about 1:30 am then again at 5.
Thankful for the break today though. Carls little sister took lils while he was at work. I slept and caught up on Downtown abby! Goodness I am a sucker for that show.

Trying to book some play dates this week and christmasy stuff like zoo lights.
Who wants to go to zoo Lights?

Emotions running everywhere

BLAH!
Sometimes I really dislike being a woman.

Emotions suck.

But.. Its even worse for me... I feel things 10x what others do.
And I show it.
Its a curse.

I should not be stressed. I find myself stressed.

BUT
We are picking up a treadmill today! One of the ways we are revamping our healthiness in our family! Hoping it will help with this seasonal moodiness.

Trying to remember things to be thankful for and to enjoy time with family :)
Glad were just going to one house this thanksgiving. I like to enjoy the holidays instead of feeling rushed and overwhelmed.

Cousins

I am so thankful that these three are so close in age! Going to make for some fun play dates! Crazy!

Mornings and new toys

 My friend kori gave lilly this penguin. It never falls down. Hence ..endless entertainment.

I am really REALLY enjoying this book :) 4 chapters left!

Health

I am going to be blunt.
My health has been better.

Im frustrated by the weather.
I WAS exercising better when the weather was good and I could walk for a couple hours outside.
So I am in a stand still.
Trying to eat healthy while going through the holiday season is probably one of the hardest things ever.. SO What do I do
I need to re-amp
I need to prioritize.
I really miss being sore.

Im really discouraged today cause I realize I have quit a lot of my fall activities.
Blast.
I am stil going to mops though and my motherhood book group Both of which I love

I love Washington so much. During this season It sure is a Love hate relationship though.

How the heck do I get back on board. ( shaking fist in the air )

If it is really worth it to you .. you will make time... if it is not you will make excuses.

Blast.

Hold your head high, Heavy heart.

This is not a sad post.
This is a weighted post.

This morning I woke with a heavy heart. More than usual.
I have always been one to over feel. One to over think.
Can I easily hide what I am thinking? or can I easily close my mouth when I feel words need to be said.

These things that attribute to who I really am have also attributed to my downfall.

I have lately ( with the election ) really been trying to find out where I stand on issues.
In the past I have spoken with such confidence in matters that I know nothing about. I never wrestled with why I belief this or that. I usually landed where my parents taught me. To this day I still do on a lot of matters.

But
My heart has be tackling matters of just heaviness.
( Darn you election ) #onlyeveryfouryears

I am thankful for the Lord who is so graceful in my human thinking and how I work through things and come to conclusions.
I do not know the all the "right" answers.
He does.
So thankful that I can openly talk to him about my conflicted mind and heavy heart.
{Praise}

Baking and puzzles

 I made a delicious Pumpkin cheesecake recipe ( hana did most of it ) it was lis nap time :)

 Carl teaching lils the piano :)

 We are into puzzles right now.. it seems every year at this time we take out our puzzles

I just LOVE this picture

stuck.

Need curtain Ideas ... where to buy what color .. where to get the rod... I am so frazzled by the size of our windows.. I might need a someone to really walk me through doing this.. Ideas?

Choosing to be Joyful

Today I am choosing to be Joyful even when sadness lingers. I have so much to be thankful for and I feel so blessed. I forget sometimes.. With Christ we have no condemnation and we have instead salvation and grace. I have been growing up. Finally. @27. I still have much to learn and mature in. I never think I will fully understand everything.
I  found myself really sad and just heart broken after the election.
Granted I have never been a fan of Mitt. Ever.
But republicans everywhere lost ...
Carl and I laid in bed that night after the elections and just prayed for our country.
I have to remember this world is not our home.
That we are and will be with Jesus.
I have found that I have to remember that my heart and my life belong to Jesus Christ. That sometimes I get caught up in the world. We must remember the word. Cling to it really. Things are changing all around us but Jesus never changes.
Even though hope is sometimes really hard to find we must Fight to find it.

New Cameras!

We recently have been able to purchase ( with insurance money ) A new camera body and 2 lenses so now we have a total of 2 cameras and 3 lenses! What a blessing!
We are still looking at purchasing a flash and possibly so photography workshops! If we can budget that in :) I am hoping!

I got to spend some time recently with a close friend and her son and tried out the camera! I KNOW amazing huh!
Were excited to get to start booking some more photo-shoots!

Lils is now 7 months old! People always say " they grow up so fast" I did not believe that with the endless nights and long days of adjusting to being a stay at home mom. Now though, yes... I do believe it !

One Month

7 Months!