DPP // Day 28

{family bus ride}

DPP // Day 27

{the way home}

{jiaozi prep}

I went to a new part of town today, checking out apartment complexes for the move that will happen sometime this summer when our school relocates to a new campus. Another move on the horizon, but walking the streets helped somewhat to picture it and imagine that, with time, this can be a good thing.

DPP // Day 26

{playtime}

{folding laundry time}

DPP // Day 25

{coupon christmas}

gifts from the kids... "stop washing the dishes"

{she's so purdy}

{cuddled on the couch}

{adult style}

{kid gifts}

from her brother... a homemade lego kit with instructions

DPP // Day 24 & 24

{alone}

a quick bite to eat, sweet potato roasted over a barrel, on a shopping trip just before Christmas

{together}

My boy plays his first accompaniment during our Christmas Eve carol sing

DPP // Day 21 & 22

{last lesson}

final chinese class before the break. exchanging gifts and adulations and smiles and baby kisses

{first morning}

the christmas break begins with dominoes and pajamas til noon and togetherness

DPP // Day 20

{i got spirit}

played in the staff vs student bball game today

DPP // Day 18 and 19

{the end : read}

A little Jan Brett (Scandanavian artwork that will make you want to jump into the beautiful winter scenes) read by the eldest before bed.

{the end : eat}

lettuce wraps at the end of a long day. party for 80, done. 2 days until the break!

DPP // Day 16 & 17

{mama's turn}

cookies and goodies coming out of my ears...

{package arrival}

my sister sent "hot chocolate and s'mores night in a box"!

DPP // Day 12-15 Ah!!

The past couple days my evening time to update the blog has been waylaid by VPN issues. 

And I won't say I didn't forget to take a picture one day.

Day 12

{my brood}

outtakes from my photo session with the kids. This one had a few issues but I do love the faces.

{pistachio prep}

much much chopping and baking going on for an 80+ guest party next week

{nativity}

watching my baby snatch at this scene all day long, and thinking about how God humbled himself to become like this little child, so that we could be with him someday in all his glory. 

The tragedies I read about online, the children murdered in Connecticut, and the children terrorized by a knife attack in China, are echoes in a way of the senseless tragedy many centuries ago that also lay a dark, evil cloud over the birth of the Savior- the slaughter of the babies in Bethlehem. 

...Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.

We weep and refuse to be comforted.

It is only the LORD who can and will turn our mourning into joy.

We wait for Him.

DPP // Day 10... and 11

{a dozen here and a dozen there}

{evening}

{juzi season is here!}

{menu planning}

DPP // Day 9

{shmoggy shmoochin}

{made me laugh}

*took some pictures in the park today for a Christmas card that will hopefully, just maybe, get in the mail this year.

DPP // Day 8

{wrapped in light}

*When you are a kid and you are a kid who goes to church, you hear the Christmas story A LOT. Inevitably, you hear how most good Jews knew there was a Messiah coming and knew a lot of the prophecies concerning him. But then the virgin conceived, and a baby was born in a cow stall, and he grew up in Nazareth, and was the son of a carpenter. This threw everyone off. Way off. 

I have heard about how it was all so "unexpected" and not how anyone had envisioned it, and it caused a lot of people to doubt, or at least struggle to believe that this was the plan and this was the man.

This year, it has occurred to me that I woud probably be lined up with those doubters. So I am all the more intrigued and impressed by Mary's response, by Joseph's bravery, by Simeon's faith, by Anna's endurance, and all the little players throughout the whole of the story who looked at a crazy situation and didn't turn away but believed.

DPP // Day 7

{morning work}

{afternoon work}

DPP // Day 6

{fuzzy wuzzy slippas}

because with no central heating, the floors are just soooo cold!

DPP // Day 5

{after dinner}

{山楂}

hawthorns, our chinese substitute for cranberries

{teeth again}

some thoughts from today

*It is difficult to decorate large spaces like a school auditorium with a large baby strapped to your chest. Sometimes a babysitter is required.

*When you feel most discouraged or dismayed by life circumstances, it is the easiest thing to doubt God and feel very lackluster in faith. The hard but best thing to do is to trudge on and do just what makes one's faith stronger, which is to be faithful. 

*Chicken pot pie is so delicious and full of buttery goodness but deceitfully shored up with vegetables so that the entire family usually cleans out the entire dish. I think there was at least four sticks of butter in that thing.

*I find that people are hard. I think I must make others feel that way too. I wish I didn't feel this way about people so often. I wish I was a little more happy go lucky about stuff. I don't even like balloons. What kind of person must I be if I don't like balloons? 

*My friend made me another mug on her spinning wheel. She molds these beautiful vessels with her fingers and then gives them to me and I feel like I need to take a class on how to give good gifts to people. She is amazing.

December Photo Project 2012 {better late}

The Advent calendar was put up four days late, 

so why not the same for the December Photo Project 2012?

 

December 1 {subway ride} 

christmas shopping with the girls

Decebmer 2 {for the love of an 8 year old boy}

birthday party in action

December 3 {Advent countdown}

hanging the bags... better late than never

December 4 {tree treats}

garland good enough to eat