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Monday, December 27

Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.

And it did...





Jack loved the snow.
Loved sledding.
Loved the mountain house.

Getting away &
 being together is always
the best part of the holidays.

Hoping you & your family had a peaceful, fun Christmas.

Tuesday, December 21

Finally Finished!

I finally finished all of my Christmas orders,
packaged them up, and shipped out them just in time.


I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who ordered art for Christmas.
I'm honestly so filled with gratitude that I get to make art
and that people buy it and are
 so gracious & generous & kind.


Here are 2 commissioned paintings I created for Annamaria.


Thank you, Annamaria!


And one for little Lyla.


I finally mailed our Christmas cards.


And now we are on vacation in the mountains.


This is my very favorite part.



Saturday, December 11

The real meaning of Christmas...



Thank you for all of your sweet thoughts & encouragement
about our new family member.
Just for clarification,
we don't know that it's a girl,
we're just hoping.
I'll let you know!


So, here's another funny story.
Commercial Christmas is all about Santa & Rudolph & presents.
So I really want to make an effort to let
Jack know what Christmas is really about:
the birth of our Savior.


Magellan Traders Nativity Scene from Peru

But I've never done this before with a 2 year old,
and honestly, I feel a little silly.
So in my wisdom I tell Jack,
Baby Jesus is coming on Christmas.
(Which is just so confusing in so many ways.)

Handmade Nativity Set from El Salvador

And how do you think that went over?
considering Jack's love for babies at the moment?

Handmade Felt Nativity Set from Kyrgyzstan

"No Baby Jesus!"
"I do not like Baby Jesus!"
"Make the baby go away!"



I was trying so hard not to bust out laughing.
Way to give him a solid spirittual foundation.:)
Handmade Folk Art Nativity Scene from Bangledesh

So my new strategy is to order this:

Melissa & Doug Nativity Set

and these








and not to mention baby and Jesus
 in the same sentence again for a while.
Any other suggestions from those of you with little ones?




Handmade Nativity Set from Indonesia

I love all of these Nativity Sets from around the world.
I've decided to get one each year.
My problem is, I can't choose just one.









Sunday, December 5

Big news!

I have been absent from blogging,
 pretty much since I went back to work full time,
but lately I have had  good reason...


Here she is. Meet our little snowman.
I'm 11 weeks pregnant!
I'm due on June 23.
Of course, we are thrilled over here.
 Excited beyond words.
Um, let me rephrase, Darryl & I are thrilled.
Jack is not.
Jack totally gets it, and he wants no part of it.
This is his typical reaction....



He's so sincere.
It's really hard not to laugh.
Things are going to change around here...

I am asleep by 7:00 pm just about every single night.
Hopefully I will get some energy back in my 2nd trimester.

Thursday, November 25

Happy Giving Thanks


I love my student's art work.
I love how each piece is so uniquely them.
How I don't even have to see the name to know who created which one.


I've been feeling kinda stuck in my art.
Kinda frozen and unoriginal.


It feels like the longer I go without painting,
the harder it seems to start again.



And my students are such a great example to me.
They are all artists.
They just go for it.
They don't overthink.
And when they get frustrated,
they, too, push through,
and keep going.


I just need to spend some precious time in the studio.
With my paint and my music.


But not today.


Today we are watching the parade& lots of football,
drinking coffee, playing wiffle ball, playing Scrabble,
finishing last minute side dishes
and taking naps today.
And that's before the feast.


Thank you for all of your encouragement
with our family photos. 
Seriously encouraging.


I've been doing well with eating.
And I feel way better.
Just being intentional about what I
put in my body, drinking water,
sticking to the program.
Today doesn't count, of course.


I hope you all have a fun day of giving thanks with your families.

Saturday, November 13

Scared Straight




We finally did it.



 We took real, professional family pictures
with our friend, Jason Ward, earlier this week.




 I love these of Jack.


 He pulled through for us.
Smiled, laughed and performed.



And I am scared straight.
There's nothing like a good photo shoot
to give you a good dose of reality
and a swift kick in the booty.




Yikes.
No more excuses.
No more...
 reasons why I can't.
 I'll start tomorrow.
I'm too busy.
I'm too tired.
I don't feel like it.
and the list goes on...




Back to saying no.
Back to counting calories.
Back to actually using the
gym membership I pay for.
Back to drinking water.