The sun begins to set so early these days. It’s time for indoor exercise with loud music, stretchy pants and commitment to the promised endorphin rush. It’s time for candles and Christmas lights to warm up a room. It’s time for hot tea and hot chocolate and decaf coffee with lots of cream. It’s time for Koselig cooking once more. Pork Shoulder Ragu, One Pot Bolognese and Chicken Soup for my sore throated family members.
There’s comfort to be found. Even in dark hours we can snuggle up at home and take life slowly, savoring tastes and smells and goodness indoors while it’s cold outside.
The story goes like this:
Boy loves girl.
Girl loves boy. And peppermint ice cream.
But only one ice cream—and boy—has her heart.
Boy orders the most perfect of perfect peppermint ice creams.
Ice cream flies through the air.
Ice cream is still frozen upon delivery.
Girl loves boy even more.
The end.
#dpp2016
#birthday
#truestory
Sometimes my love for her feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest. I want to give her all the ice cream cones in the world—even the ones that fall apart like this one—and wrap her in clouds and tuck her in a treasure chest to keep her safe and close to me forever. That’s what I’m feeling the most, these days that are fleeting. Sixth grade will turn into 9th will turn into 12th. I know enough to know that these years will sweep by. And then there are the moments that are so aggravating you want to rip out your hair. Thank the Lord they’re mixed up with this crazy huge parental love. It leaves me breathless, all the feelings.
I’m so grateful to be this person’s mom. Like I tell her, she is my heart. And then she reminds me, “Isn’t Dad your heart, too?” Yes, yes he is. That’s how being a family works—we are each other’s hearts.
December is finally here!! I awoke to a note on our kitchen chalkboard wishing me a happy early birthday and that kind of nailed it in terms of my love for this month. I start out anticipating both my birthday and Jesus’ (um, you really can’t ask for more than that) and the entire month feels celebratory. Love it.
This year I am super indecisive about a theme for my DPP shots. My general desire is to not carry my professional camera around town with me, but I also really love shooting with it (even though it’s got focus issues that will not get fixed to due to its age). So for now, I’m going to post iPhone documentary-style photography on my Instagram feed—and push them through to Facebook. And I’ll post Nikon D2x images here, just because I want to. When that gets overwhelming, as I imagine it will, I’ll shoot just one image and post it somewhere. There, that’s my plan.
Happy December, friends!
Are you wondering what in the world I’m talking about? Head over to the December Photo Project page and read a little bit more. And then sign up for the DPP. It’s a good challenge!
Merry Christmas from Livia, Jeremy and Rebecca!
December Photo Project. The End. See you in 2016, friends!
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light,
Radiant beams from
Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
I’m so grateful for a Christmas Eve Service that takes us out of the hustle and bustle of the present-prep and cookie-baking to let us pause and think about Jesus’ birth.
After the Christmas Eve Service at Redeemer I left my camera at my in-laws’ house, thus the lateness in posting my DPPs.
December Photo Project, day 24.
It’s the 23rd day of the December Photo Project and I’m limping to the finish line. I humbly submit photographic evidence that Jeremy and I went on a date and watched the latest Star Wars movie. Sure, the image was shot on my iPhone 5s, in the dark with no flash, and then messed with extensively in Photoshop, but it’s what I’ve got. And frankly, it’s what I want to remember most about today.
Two more days, DPP friends! Let’s do this thing!
I am thrilled to have this woman back in Lincoln, Nebraska… and I took the opportunity to sneak up on her a bit at Grace Chapel this morning. Brook. Life is better with her in it.
What a sweet night at Redeemer. We welcomed the Moyers into membership at church and their kiddos were baptized.
December Photo Project, day 20.