After anticipating Tredway Christmas all day, the grandkids made quick work of unwrapping and then put some gifts to good use. Kitty robe, on. Art supplies, out. Canvas, colored. I wouldn’t mind late-night art being a new Christmas Eve tradition, especially if it means us adults can drink something hot and have a conversation with complete sentences.

My other competing DPP shots for the day included sunbeams from various angles in the car (because THE SUN WAS SHINING, WHAT?!), thumbprint Christmas cookies baked this afternoon, and slightly blurry candles beautifully lighting Redeemer Church at the Christmas Eve service.

My eyes are tired tonight, but my soul is full and content. The babe born of Mary, God became man and dwelt among us. How beautiful to remember His birth with candlelight and carols, gift-giving and eating together.

Much love to you, my friends. And Merry Christmas.

Look who handed me my white mocha this afternoon! MADDIE!!! It was honestly the brightest moment in my day. Barista Maddie in the window—my first time seeing her at Starbucks—holding a warm beverage of happiness. It was just the ray of sunlight I needed.

Photography lessons learned from my DPP shoot today:

1) White dogs aren’t always photogenic. In fact, you can hardly see them sometimes.
2) It’s always a good idea to experiment with shooting from various angles—for sure you should try moving around when you’re working. However, candy canes in silver buckets do not look that interesting from the bottom side. Go figure.
3) When shooting glassware, make sure it’s clean.

The end. And you’re welcome.

The Redeemer Christmas party is always a fun time. Lots of yummy food, great people, and a white elephant gift exchange that is always hilarious.

Tonight I am very tired, but will go to bed laughing. Laughing on the inside. External laughing would require too much energy. Goodnight!

Today is my birthday. And I hardly picked up my camera because I was way too busy relaxing and being spoiled.

Here’s to 37. May it be a good year indeed.

Despite the fact there has been very little gender-stereotyping in this household, our daughter loves pink. It’s her self-proclaimed favorite color at the moment and she just can’t get enough of it. Requested: a pink heart-shaped birthday cake with red ladybugs on top. Delivered: a pink heart-shaped birthday cake with red ladybugs on top.

May is a month that takes me by surprise every single year. I’m starting to at least attempt to watch out for it with all its celebrations, and yet, still I am stunned by the madness. When you only have one child for ten years, her birthday becomes something of an intense time. Oh forget it, anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy celebrating birthdays. Even if I had five kids I bet I’d still make a big deal out of them! So there’s Liv’s birthday followed very quickly by Mother’s Day. We have lots of beloved mothers around here, including Livia’s birthmom and birthgrandma. I recently learned the Saturday before Mother’s Day Sunday is called Birthmother’s Day, but really? I can’t compete in all this. It’s so much! Because we love Liv’s first family we’ve always send them photos this time of year anyhow—see, celebrated! And then there’s Mother’s Day. And then there’s the Monday after Mother’s Day which is…

Silence.

Ah.

School is still in session. I can get out my bible and sit in the quiet of the morning, all by myself. Eventually I move on to the computer and the dog and the gerbils and greet my husband, too. Monday after Mother’s Day? I like you a lot.

May you have even a portion of the joy of a nine year old girl with a $9.99 bear from Target.

Love to you all, from the Tredway family.

Today we wake up with a child eager to open the presents under the tree. We watch her and claim her excitement as our own. We help tear the gifts from their boxes, cut tags, unwind cords to she can play with the things we’ve given her. We wear silly hats, rush out to the last dregs of snow in the yard to make snowballs with the new snowball maker. We take pictures and smile and then lay on the couch for a Christmas nap. We look forward to ham and potatoes, green beans and another celebration yet to come.

Jesus’s birthday. God incarnate, God come to earth as a tiny baby boy, prepared for an eventual death to free mankind from their sins. This is the reason why our family celebrates of a day of gifts and good food. Jesus! Behind the physical manifestations of a party is this supernatural reason for the party—eternal life with our God, made possible by the perfect life and sacrificial death in our place. Today we celebrate with joy the birth of our Savior knowing full well that we’ll celebrate with grief in a few month’s time his death on our behalf. It’s all more than a little mind-boggling. And it requires faith to see what we cannot see and to listen to God’s whisperings in our hearts.

Praise be to God for the gift of Jesus today. We are grateful. We long for the day we see him again face to face and faith becomes sight.

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

Revelation 21:1-5

Silent night, holy night,
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin
mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Today involved shopping. Which then required something to keep up my stamina. You know how that goes.