December Daily: Week One

December 1:  today we hung out at home while daddy did an awesome wedding, went to celebrate a wonderful young lady's birthday (i.e. Kenna), Ian rode his bike with daddy, Eli cooed with mommy, received our gifts for others' in the mail! and hung out with Miss Kaylee Eakins :) nice low-key day (the tree was decorated a couple of days ago so nothing Christmasy today)

December 2: A rough Sunday with Tracy's passing, great support from friends & family and an awesome small group once again. What I wrote on facebook: Bittersweet day, as is every day...walked into church not knowing Tracy had passed but people were looking at me slightly different (didn't notice)...the realization hitting during worship...literally she gets to run to God! Had a great afternoon with my boys and my Love, then ran from our house on one end of town to our church on the other - 4.5 miles. LOVED IT! Praising God for her life all of the way. :) It's hard to be away and not realizing how things affect you. Let her life be a reminder to all of us that 1) life is short 2) love people, 3) be right with our heavenly Father 4) don't bicker about stupid things 5) be the most healthy person you can

December 3: Worked a long day and loved being with family.

December 4: Oh brotherly love, Grandma Price was here while daddy was away. We have a pretty good night!

December 5: We just hung out as a family and FINALLY got pictures of the 4 of us!! Even if Ian was pretty rambunctious!

December 6: The only picture I got was from a baby shower at work and man do they do awesome baby showers! We ate Chinese and just hung out. I love these gals!  Hayley is in the picture below. I LOVE HER! :)  That day though I did get a full-fledge migraine that kept me in bed when I got home from work until the morning and it still lingered!

December 7: No picture today - well here. Not flattering but a work week done: this was a wonderful, rough, good, emotional, exhausting, exhilarating week and I'm glad it's done... :)

December Daily - Life & Expectations

This year with everything going I'm opting to make our December daily pictures & traditions more simple and small.

We've been traveling a lot, Ian is growing up so much and although I have not exercised once since November 17th, I am somehow still able to fit into my clothes which is a blessing.

I'm having to become a list-maker again and needing to refocus life and expectations. Disappointment has been a running theme this past year in some areas of our life and yet other areas have been blessed. I'm seeing how as each year goes by that people truly do become wiser and have more opportunity to turn from their wicked, fleshly, selfish ways. New creations and renewed minds...have taken on new meanings to me. I'm no longer the teenager or 20-something who makes my mistakes over & over and then wonders why I struggle so much and there are consequences. However, I'm also not the 30-something yet who understands that quicker repentance leads to quicker restoration...or that more cautious & wise preparation leads to more wise choices.

How did I not get all of this before? I read about it, but it doesn't register until life experience fulfills it. I guess I'm more human than I think and more inclined to sin and mess up and go back to my old ways than I think I am. What foolish thinking on my part.

Allowing myself to understand...to give myself grace...to better use my time and gifts...and to keep moving...AND to reconnect with God in a new, humbling way.

My Resolve....

It always seems that once I set my mind on something that my resolve at some point is tested. I know this is what all people face at some point, but it is different when it is you, yourself.

I have a resolve to remain fit throughout the winter season and have a plan...my plan has to be flexible and I'm work 8-10 hour days at the hospital this week so fitting in time to exercise is hard and demanding. I did 5:15 this morning and worked until 5:30pm. I am spent. How do full-time peope do it?

I have a resolve to keep doing the "December Daily" pictures and photo collages but am quite behind on this project - alas but I'm still taking notable pictures so it's a matter of downloading, picking out pictures and placing them into collages.

I have a resolve of making Christmas simpler, though am finding myself crunched for time...time for wrapping, time for sending out letters or packages...

It will get done, it's just a matter of when and how.

December Daily - 5th

This week will be a busy one so I want to get the 5th collage up.
I am between these two collages for this day (beautiful & solemn center or fun toes center)...


December 5th
Stories: sick & solemn, bubbles in juice, watching for daddy, SNOW!, watch Thomas the Train with the pillow


December 5th
Stories: sick & solemn, bubbles in juice, watching for daddy, SNOW!, watch Thomas the Train with the pillow

FINAL VOTE result done on facebook will be noted here.

December Daily 3rd & 4th

December 3rd

"sick, cuddly, some fun, wrapping, invitations & conversations with a kitty"

This day started out with Ian having a 101 fever and then going in and out of "feverness". He stayed home with mom & dad and really laid around most of the day but you can still see that he was somewhat himself with those faces and poses. :) We got his birthday invitations around and I stayed up late wrapping the majority of gifts we are giving.


December 4th
Tannenbaum Days with friend Jill & making chocolate-dipped pretzels! This day was most fun with finding new discoveries and new shops in our town. Poor Ian was still sick but enjoyed the company we had and did the best he could.