a Christmas walk...very cold, sweet cheeks to kiss,
lights hanging,
we spotted this sign on our walk,
boys in plaid,
and a home sewn monkey, yet to be named.

I have to make a correction. We don't have seven hundred little lights on our tree, but rather eight hundred...(we don't have to use any other lights in the room when the tree is plugged in.)

There is just something cozy about sitting next to a Christmas tree sipping a warm beverage and watching the snow fall down.

I am not sure the perfect tree exists after our search for one last Saturday. We found many tall trees that were beautiful, but they were much too tall. We found many small trees that were cute but they were much too small. I think the fun in cutting your own tree is the anticipation and adventure of finding the perfect tree. After an hour of searching we settled on one we had spotted at the beginning of our search. When Michael cut the chosen one he could hold it above his head with one hand. My point being is not that Michael is really strong but rather our tree is a bit on the empty side. It does reach our ceiling though and has been able to maintain the abundance of lights wrapped around its thin little branches. As it stands in our living room with its seven hundred lights (yes 700!) it is beginning to grow on me.

The landscape was so beautiful covered in a fresh layer of snow. Chael was so funny dressed in his many layers. Some what stiff, he reminded me of the scene in the movie "A Christmas Story."

A memorable day!

I am so completely blessed! We took some family photos on Saturday and here are a few that turned out (we had many, many, out takes). Using a tripod and the self timer was definitely a work out for me but I am happy to have photos with all three of us!

My heart is full, and am looking forward to giving thanks tonight with my church family to the One who made us all. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 118:1

The lack of posts lately have been due to two reasons.

1. The site I use for my blog has been having issues.
2. Our household has been is sick.

On a positive side the website is now working great and has some wonderful features that were definitely worth the week or so I could not upload anything. I use yola.

Me and my husband have both been sick from this stupid flu bug. It isn't a 24 or even 48 hour bug. No, it is like a week long, coughing, sore throat, head exploding, fever, throwing up, awful bug! Today I am actually feeling a little relief. My ears still have a ton of pressure but the body aches have decreased. So for a positive note on the flu Chael has not gotten sick...yet. I am praying he is spared from this. It is quite concerning to think of him catching a bug this severe. He has been real sweet through all of this by coming up to me as I lye on the couch and resting his head next to mine.  Sometimes he will pat my head or try to share his cheerios. It really has been the best thing. I love him so. And I can't wait till I feel like I am over this so I can kiss his sweet cheeks!  

Kim (from the photos below) brought us homemade chicken soup and some ginger root for a hot bath. We were so blessed by this. Thank you friend!

I have let my laundry go too long. It is taller than me! I don't have time to be writing this I need to go get to work.

I am horrible in the art of letter writing. Some people are just so gifted in remembering every birthday, anniversary, etc... and would never think of missing a thank you note. I am one of those who loves to get thoughtful things in the mail but have a much harder time reciprocating the gesture. I love the idea of it but when it comes to writing I never know what to say. So when I received a letter from a dear friend a week ago I was determined to not let the opportunity to work on my writing skills pass by.

Not only in the area of letter writing but in general my thoughtfulness and love towards others desperately needs to be improved on. The Lord has really been showing me that I need to prayerfully seek how to improve this area of my life. It is so easy for me to just do my thing and completely loose sight of the needs of my family, friends, church. To reach out sometimes feels as though I am going fall of a cliff, down a waterfall, and never return. But the the Lord says to us in Romans 12:9-13

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."

I know that the Lord will give me the strength to reach out to those he has called me to. I just need to have faith and press on, push though, and know he is not going to let me drop off that cliff but gently guide me as I serve Him.

So this letter I wrote to my friend is a step in the direction of having genuine love. It was a fun project that I found here. I did not use the day planner template but just folded and 8.5 X 11 piece of paper into the book. I used burlap from a recent thrifting find and added some photos from one of Chael and my photo walks.

I have been busy proofing these photos I got to take of a very dear family. This family is gorgeous! I had so much fun playing photographer and capturing their interactions. I have to say though that the day ended quite suddenly when Kim got stung by a bee. This isn't too startling but the fact that she is deathly allergic and has only fifteen minutes to get a shot or get to the hospital is. Thankfully there was an eppy pen in their vehicle. I held her hand and prayed for her as her husband, Paul, jabbed an inch long needle into her leg. Oh I hurt for her but am so glad to say that Kim is still breathing and will get to enjoy these pictures of her sweet family.

I just found this photo and it makes me smile so much I had to post it.

I am not sure who taught Chael how to kiss but it is a passionate one indeed. Mouth open, tongue out, and drool droolin, he has got all elements covered. For sure Mike and I kiss around him but this...this...we did not teach him this. It is funny too because he prefaces his kisses with the proper lip smack, squeezing his cheeks in and puckering his lips. As he leans in he has it right you are thinking, "okay I am going to get a sweet little peck," but at the last moment he seems to realize that that is not enough and all passion is released. Needless to say you need to use your sleeve after a kiss from Chael.
 
Also he is sporting his new yellow dump truck. A gift from his Little Daddy and Mema (I am not sure how we spell that)