Though I missed running into Tanya H. and Tara M. and their respective families at the store this morning, I still managed to shop alongside Renae, Joie and Brook AND run into my high school psychology teacher (Mr. Mac for fellow LSE friends). Yes, Target is the place to be on New Year’s Eve.

I put a few items back on the shelf after deciding they weren’t really necessary, but also picked up some evergreen garland for 75% off. I loves me a good bargain and I think my house will benefit from a little extra pizzazz next Christmas. Livia, who loves to curl up in my cart thereby forcing all groceries to crowd off to the sides or be delegated to the bottom of the cart, became covered in the garland, but for some inexplicable reason didn’t mind. Turns out a fellow shopper thought I was talking myself through the aisles because she couldn’t see Liv under my purchases. It was funny… but maybe you had to be there.

I shot this photo during the DPP. Renae usually wears bright outerwear that always looked cheery. I love these gloves and I love it that Renae is always willing to drive us to Target. Because, I must admit, I make an excellent passenger. : )

Cinderella paid a visit to my kitchen recently. She wears the most glamorous shoes, a darling blue dress and a hat that sparkles in the sun. Cinderella was a bit shorter than I had expected, but every bit as lovely as she appears on film.

While I’m definitely experiencing some post-Christmas weariness, the DPP routine is hard to shake! I found myself in front of my computer last night, wondering which photo to post for DPP Day 26. Though I knew the project was over—and believe me, those 25 days were enough of a challenge—I still felt oddly compelled to upload a picture. I resisted the temptation, ate a piece of chocolate, opened a book and called it a day.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the awesome participants of the December Photo Project! We had an amazing and unexpected number of bloggers join up this year and I’ve really enjoyed viewing the month through your eyes. I’ve made some new blogging connections, added a few to my mental blogroll (very different from the actual one because I’m so lazy in updating it) and thoroughly enjoyed the photos I’ve seen.

I’ll leave the DPP roster up for a few more days and then, much like my Christmas tree, the blog will be cleaned up and I’ll head into a new year with a clean slate. If I don’t hear much from you in the next 11 months, that’s cool. But make sure to join us again next year for December Photo Project 2009!

Happy birthday, Jesus. We wanted to bake you a cake, really we did, but at the end of the day a piece of divinity (no pun intended) made by Renae will have to suffice.

I’ve decided that wrapping my mind around the Incarnation, the way God became man to rescue us from sin and depravity, is far too much to understand in the one small day of December 25—or the entire Advent season for that matter. Praising God is a 365 day kind of thing. So tomorrow I’ll wake up and continue to ponder the treasure of Jesus in my heart. This Christmas season has given me a lot to ponder. There have been wonderful meals shared with parents and siblings, sweet plates of goodies from neighbors, communion and Christmas choruses with Redeemer and Zion, funny and charming new Livia moments, thoughtful presents and loving actions from my husband, and even a letter to the editor (the first one) in today’s paper that brought tears to my eyes. The birth of our Savior and the generosity found in this season of gift-giving have meshed together in something resembling joy and peace—and for that I am grateful on this holy night.

When my two year old niece starts reading my blog (next year perhaps?), then I won’t talk about her Christmas presents in a public forum. Until then…

You would not believe how difficult it is to find a decent Noah’s Ark book! I picked up a cute Little People Noah’s Ark set for my niece and decided to find a book to accompany it. First stop, a locally owned bookstore—no luck. Next stop, the dreaded Christian book store (I dread it, but seriously, it does have plenty of lovely books, and Jesus bookmarks, and Jesus bumper stickers, and Jesus pencils). No go. I found cheesy, cheeseball, terrible little books that were either ridiculous or totally gloom-and-doom. Next up was Barnes and Noble where I actually ordered a book by Sally Lloyd Jones who wrote the aforementioned and highly recommended Jesus Storybook Bible. The book makes up in a memorable, sing-song way what it lacks in retelling the actual biblical story, but it’s fun and really cute—and too expensive for my purposes. Fortunately B&N doesn’t make you purchase what you order if you don’t want it. Enter Walmart and their rack of Golden Books. I had given up on the book idea when I spied the one in the photo.

One trip to Walmart: $98.67 and a headache
One Golden Book: $2.50
A decent Noah’s Art story for my beautiful niece who likes to read: priceless.

Well, now we know why professional photos of teapots don’t show tea leaves.

Although the leaves look kind of gross, the actual drink is anything but. Might I recommend a spot of Bourbon Street Vanilla Rooibos Tea? It’s good. While I’m recommending items, I have to say I love this pretty little glass tea pot with its built-in infuser. Jeremy and Livia gave it to me for Mother’s Day last year and it’s perfect for both looking cute and brewing tea.

Look at these cute young kids! Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad.

I went back and forth between a close-up of glittery ornaments and a picture that would forever remind of me Christmas 2008. You can tell which one won out. My brother Andrew arrived in town today and my parents welcomed the entire fam over for pot roast (yum). I really enjoyed the time spent with my family. As each year passes I think I enjoy their company more and more. I appreciate the time to connect with Adam and Kristin—even though we live an hour away, the distance feels greater sometimes. I love seeing my niece Madeleine in action; as always listening to her two year old vocabulary is hilarious and cute. Liv and Madeleine make quite a pair. Though they both confess great love for each other, tonight didn’t see great amount of love (or toys) shared. Enter reality, eh? The photo shows what it’s like when you wind up two girls and toss them on a large bed (sorry, Mom, I forgot the beds were antiques!), and then Uncle Andrew commences with the wrestling. We all enjoy having Andrew around… What is there to say? He’s a fun guy and livens up the whole house. My folks are really great hosts—I try to emulate them when I have people over. Their food is always delicious, their home is always clean, and I feel like I can be myself there. The grandchildren get crazy and make messes, we kids get pretty competitive when a game is at stake, but Mom and Dad seem to take it in stride.

The night together came to a close when the little girls were extra sleepy and the drives home loomed before us. Now even our own house is quiet as Liv is tucked under a multitude of covers in an attempt to stay warm as temps slide below 0. It’s Christmas time. Family is nearby. Gifts, wrapped and unwrapped, are strewn about the living room. Visions of sugar plums—or a ham, as it’s what I’m preparing for a holiday dinner—are beginning their dance.