a taste of november... in pictures

i'm dreaming of a white christmas...

i really am dreaming of a white christmas.
not dreaming about driving in it... but dreaming of being cozy in my living room and watching the flakes float down.

these last couple of days chandler (one of my 2 kittens) has been really interested in what is outside of our house. when i get home i open the front door to get the mail, and the last couple of days he has stopped what he's been doing and bolts over to try and get out of the door. So, yesterday i picked him up and stood outside with him while i got the mail. it was pretty chilly so i think the 30 seconds was enough to satisfy him for the rest of the "winter", not to mention when the snow actually flies!

i officially started my christmas shopping on tuesday, altho i only bought 2 things, and only spent 5 bucks... but still! it's a start. I really do need to get on that.

i love giving gifts. i love dreaming of what to get for people, what to make them. What would really show them that they are special to me, and not just another name on my list of people to buy for. i'm really bad at opening gifts, because i never know what to say when i open them. but i love opening a gift that i KNOW was chosen very specifically for me. i wonder if i could find a job that would allow me to spend all day finding, buying, making gifts for people. that would be the best!

anyway, christmas is so soon, and well the christmas gift i'm looking forward to most is one week sooner than that!!

i bought a new christmas cd at starbucks the other day, and it is quite the mix. there is a version of "favorite things" that i just love to bop around to, and it makes michael just shake his head and laugh at me :) but i like to listen to it and think about all of my favorite things

family, being married, singing, worshiping Jesus, being at the lake, big snowflakes, peppermint mochas, my many wonderful friends, being cozy, reading, snuggling, hot hot baths, writing letters, receiving letters, my 2 kitties, christmas music, louis armstrong, game shows (hehe, i can just picture michael rolling his eyes at that one)... and so many more

raindrops on roses...

deliver me

Deliver me out of the sadness
Deliver me from all the madness
Deliver me courage to guide me
Deliver me Your strength inside me

CHORUS:
All of my life
I've been in hiding
Wishing there was someone just like You
Now that You're here
Now that I've found You
I know that You're the One to pull me through

Deliver me loving and caring
Deliver me giving and sharing
Deliver me this cross that I'm bearing

Oh, deliver me, deliver me.... deliver me

Jesus, Jesus how I trust You
How I've proved You o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
Deliver me
Come and pull me through
Come pull me through

----

this song has been playing in my head since we had a practice for our last worship night. this song has resonated in my soul for the past 16 months, and this song resonates in me today.

one of my dearest friends just told me some very hard news about her family, and my heart is aching for her. in situations like this we don't know what to pray, or how to pray. and i feel like all i can ask is for Jesus to deliver her. deliver her family. come and pull her through. JESUS JESUS! how we have trusted you, and how we have proved you over and over! Jesus, deliver her.

my dear friend, i love you so much. and will be holding you up to Jesus the way you have helped hold me up especially in the last 16 months. praying for Jesus's strength to be your strength especially now.

when love came down...

christmas is so close, and this year i am more excited than i've been for a long time

christmas used to hold so much anticipation and excitement. the lights, the music, the snow
the tree, the presents, the family gatherings, snowmobiling, laughing, fresh lemon buns in the morning

then as i got older i always wondered why it didn't "feel" like christmas some years. i think i got caught up in past memories and emotions rather than anticipating the true meaning of christmas and all the new and exciting things each year. the last few years i feel like i've come back to the anticipation and excitement

celebrating advent, remembering and being thankful for "His indescribable gift" (2nd Corinthians 9:15b) . family, laughter, more family, church services and the fun of picking out gifts very specifically for people.

i just really love christmas. the Reason, the season, the music, the lights, the gift giving (and receiving.. i'll admit!), the time with family. it is all kind of magical.

last night i found my "christmas mix 2007" and have been playing that in the car. i love driving around in the car belting out christmas songs! Today a guy drove up beside me and gave me a look like "she is CRAZY" because I was singing and bopping, yes bopping around in my car.

this christmas is going to be very different than last christmas, and we are going to have a little bundle of joy with us. a little babe with chubby cheeks that this auntie can't wait to snuggle and kiss!!!

my goal this year is to also include at least 1 homemade gift for each person that I'm giving a gift too... we shall see how that turns out.

time to go back to my day, humming christmas tunes the whole way thru!

christmas eve... 2 am...

creativity

my photography class is done
9 weeks later, and what have i taken away from it?
tons! things i never knew you could do, features on my camera i was always too scared to use
i even spent time in a dark room today developing a picture!
i've spent more time with my camera
my eye sees things that i never took the time to notice

we were supposed to bring in one of the pictures that we've taken (not just in the last 9 weeks) that was one of our favorites

i looked thru a bunch of my picture folders on my computer, and i continued to settle on the same photo. i've already posted it on here, but i'm going to post it again, and tell you why i love it.
this picture is of my sister, and she is beautiful. this picture is about new life. this picture speaks to me of hope, and beauty and anticipation. it's a reminder that i'm an auntie, for the 2nd time! it's a reminder of someone who takes care of herself, everything that she does, she puts the baby first.
the picture is simple, it is blown out, but to me it looks perfect. i've never seen a pregnant belly quite like leah's, and i love it! Leah, you are beautiful! i don't think this picture is good because of any skill that i have, or anything that i have learned. but i am glad i can take credit for it! :)

i'm so excited to continue to learn about photography, about my camera, and to continue seeing the world thru a new creative lens! God, thank you for creativity! for blessing us with beauty all around us, and within us, and for every time that we discover it anew.

oh how do I love thee... let me count thy ways...

yesterday was a very special day for my little family... it was Michael's birthday!
he was quite excited about this one, he's been looking forward to being 21.
when people ask him why he's so excited about being 21, well he's not really sure, he just is excited!

i wrapped his gifts on monday and he's been wanting to open them ever since. i love how excited he gets about gifts, he's probably my favorite person to buy for. even if he has a list, he still is surprised when he gets the gifts! and this birthday he pretty much got everything he wanted.

so our plan yesterday was to go to the keg with our gift certificate and spoil ourselves on their delicious steaks and twice baked potatoes. mmm mouth watering good. however, he ended up needing to work a little late, so by the time he came home we decided it would be more fun to have a night in. so we ordered our regular: 2 dinner for 1's both with chicken balls, and an order of consomme soup. when we got our food we did our usual trade, 2 of my chicken balls for his spring roll, and we settled in to enjoy our food and conversation. then in true "grown up" fashion, we settled in with a dreamworks movie: over the hedge, and laughed thru it.
i think we'll probably go to the keg on friday and enjoy the food then, but last night was just a stay in kind of night.

i'm very thankful for my wonderful husband. he is my best friend, the love of my life! i think he is so funny, caring, strong, thoughtful, genuine, servanthearted, musically talented, smart, creative, crazy, attractive, loving and all around the best guy I could ever ask for. i am more in love with him than i was on his last birthday, and i'm already excited about how much more I will love him by the next one!! happy birthday sweetie, this spoofler loves you & always will.

day by day

again it has been a LONG time since I've written on here... not sure how that happens
sometimes because I think i don't have anything interesting to say
and sometimes because of being busy.

things have gone into a pretty natural routine around our house, and i like that
mike & i work well together, and it is just really fun to live with him! some nights we are falling asleep on the couch by nine, and other nights we're up till 1 am talking about anything and everything.

we've been talking a lot lately about the future, about job dreams, financial worries and following our passions. i find that its easy to say "i'm trusting God with the future", but it's very different to actually trust! especially when it comes down to how money plays into everything. it is also very good to be content where we are in the mean time.

we've also been talking a lot about how our lives will change in 45 days. as we will be auntie ashley & uncle mikey for the second time. my heart actually begins to beat faster when i think about it. i can't wait to meet this little one, and i'm so thankful for all the little kicks and pushes i've felt so far. i'm thankful leah doesn't mind me holding her belly all the time, because this auntie sure loves those moments.

it seems like our lives have moved into a nice pattern, but at the same time there is so much transition and anticipation underlying everything! anticipating the sale of my parents house, the start of the retreat house build, the first cry of the newest addition to our family! transition in continuing to learn to live together, trusting and waiting on decisions about jobs & school, transitions in our families, still learning to live each day missing Jay.

i wonder if other people have this much going on, or if they don't, if they are bored? i don't think i'll ever know!

*** Also! today, I want to wish a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend:

ELLEN HOPE PAULLEY!!!!

i am very thankful for you, and for all the times we've had together! living together, talking, laughing, crying, knitting, watching friends, going to HAWAII. you will always be one of my favorite people, and i hope you have a wonderful day and an even more wonderful year. you are creative, inspiring, adventurous, wise, funny, thoughtful & compassionate. and simply fabulous!