Excellent post over on TwentySomeone regarding the Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas debaucle this season. [To all of my friends out there, happy holidays, by the way! I say this simply because I hope you all have had wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or Hanukkah celebrations and will have a great New Year’s as well.]

While I’m referring folks to TwentySomeone, I’ll make a plug for their book. We purchased it for my sister-in-law and her boyfriend this Christmas and I hope they really enjoy reading it. Doug stood up at our wedding and we feel like we’re getting to know Craig (whose-wife-bowls-at-Christmas) a bit these days, too. So there ya go… Buy the book!

I need help understanding podcasts. In particular, I’m having difficulty finding podcasts I’d want to listen to… like Tim Keller sermons, or Stu’s for that matter. Can anyone point me in the right direction??

**Thanks to my fantastic siblings, today I purchased Patty Griffin’s Impossible Dream (a la Haley’s recommendation) and the soundtrack to Walk the Line via iTunes. Thanks, guys!

My intent for today (my final day of the December Photo Project, I might add) was to shoot some sort of picture that could signify Jesus’ birth, the entry of the Almighty God into this earth in human form. And yet, how in the world could I take a photograph that could carry that much weight? I even re-lit the advent wreath at church in order to take a serene candle shot. It made a nice enough picture, but was trumped big time by the one I got this evening, the one you see above. Considering the difficulty of photographing a symbol of the birth of Christ, I’m thrilled that I caught this hilarious moment during gift-opening with the Lawtons.

It’s been a long day and I’m beat. So let me end this by saying, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Hietbrink! It was a lovely evening for a wedding, and Jenny’s was absolutely beautiful. In this photo we have four reasons why I earned a bachelor’s degree in Middle School Education—their names are Caitlin, Karen, Jenny and Bethany. I was 19 when I first became friends with these girls; they were bouncing off the walls at youth group and I was one of their youth leaders. They witnessed the falling-in-love days of Jeremy and me, as well as our wedding vows a year and a half later. I can hardly express what a joy it is has been to see two in this group walk down the aisle this past year (and to see the other two happily dating, I might add). All four are a testament to what a blessing it is to grow in Christ in one big church family. I love each of them dearly.

Here is one, a red bow. And guess what? All of them are staying put (Pottery Barn expectations be damned!).

We are having the most unbelievable weather today. It’s 52 degrees outside and, though admittedly very unChristmas-like, it feels awesome. I’m a girl who loves to feel sunshine on her skin; my black fleece was literally absorbing the rays outside and I’d love to sit in a warm spot all afternoon, perhpas with a good book in my hands. Yet, here we are, three days before Christmas and my “to do” list looks something like this: wrap all presents (which means I have to find them first), plan side dishes for Christmas dinner, go grocery shopping, and clean, clean, clean. The cleaning aspect is nothing new, but I’ve fallen tragically behind in the level of tidiness of almost every room in the house and it’s high time I get organized.

Other topics for the day include:

• Today is my parents’ anniversary. Happy 34 years, Mom and Dad!
• Tomorrow my little brother comes home for a few days. He’s a real working man now, so it’ll be great to have him around for a little while.
• Livia’s finally feeling better from the nasty bug she experienced Tuesday. I’m hoping she’s operating at 100% for the festivities that begin Saturday night with Jeremy’s folks.
• To all my blogging buddies, keep posting over the holidays! We’ll all need those quiet, introverted moments where we slink off to the computer. Give me something to read… : )

There is something to be said for a beautiful entryway, a door that reminds you of an English cottage, warm and welcoming.

Perhaps this is why I’m wondering whether I should remove the large, slightly tacky, bright red bows from my front porch. My Pottery Barn expectations are highly unsuited to my reality…

Sunday I forgot about the December Photo Project. Sorry, DPP, my mind was consumed with other things. Other things like, “Why can’t the Tredways ever leave on time?” and “Will Livia take a nap at home after sleeping in the car for an hour?” (The answers to those questions are: I have no clue. And yes, she will.) We had a nice time eating soup and opening presents in David City on that day… Christmas is offically here, my friends. Fortunately, Livia knows exactly what to do with a wrapped gift, and now I know that I shouldn’t place anymore wrapped gifts under the tree.

Livia’s Guide to Opening Presents:

1) Pretend like you’re watching television and simply hold wrapped gift long enough so that Mommy thinks you’re content just holding it.

2) Stick one little hand underneath the tape.

3) Rip and shred the paper! Woohoo!

4) Check and see if unwrapped gift passes the taste test. And then say thank you for the fun gift (thanks Carol, Jerry & Julie!).

Potential Titles:

What Happens When You Pretend Your Fluffy Sesame Street Chair is a Rocking Chair

or

Shoulda Listened to Mama