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Just a simple little story. Even the small stories, the reflections of the season contribute to the Christmas memories.
Digital Products: Ali Edwards
Struggling through some health issues and still dealing with personal issues but the season is much more tranquil, calming, and peaceful.
I'm slowly plugging away at this December stories album. With 'day' 10, or story #10 complete I only have 15 more to go and there are still plenty I have on my list to tell about. Keeping my digital pages simple has been so freeing and I see actually completing this album. Of the four years or so I've done December Daily I've only ever completed one and partials of others. But, I actually see myself finishing this album and I'm so excited about that.
Traditional Santa hats worn by the boys (only they're not really boys anymore). And Joan's tree skirt she brought with her when she moved in with us last year around the tree for the second Christmas. This year, because our tree is so small Jeff had to build a box for the tree and tree stand to set on. The skirt wraps nicely around both. Makes watering the tree easier too.
Digital Products: Ali Edwards
An amazingly simple page and another Christmas story about my favorite ornament. As I mentioned at the start this years December Daily, for me, is about the stories of Christmas and not any particular 'day'. While some of the stories may have a 'day' attached to them, this is one that does not. A favorite ornament and the story behind.
Digital Products: Ali Edwards and One Little Bird
Our December stories include everyday life. Final exams, semesters ending, receiving grade reports, and playing board games when I come home from work. With no school work we enjoyed filling our time with a few hours of fun and laughter.
Digital Products: Ali Edwards and Paislee Press
This story has nothing to do with Christmas.
This story is about giving.
Christmas is all about giving.
John, spreading a little 'love' around.
This story did happen in December, and therefore is, a December story.
Digital Products: Ali Edwards, Sahlin Studios, One Little Bird
This story does my heart good! Giving truly is better than receiving. We were giddy giving this stack of books, something to read, to a young couples' 5 adopted kids (4 brothers and 1 sister) who we've befriended over this past year. They've called us family. We are going to miss them when they move at the end of the year for a military change of station.
It really was wonderful watching the kids open their individual stack of books, ooh and aah, and so excited we got the youngest, Caiden, on camera, hugging his books with such gusto and - joy!
Digital Products: Ali Edwards
Just a simple little story of our wrapping paper. No, seriously! From brown paper (read: bags) of the past few years to brilliant silver and turquoise blues wrapping paper. Love it!
Digital Products: Sahlin Studio, Ali Edwards, Paislee Press.
This story is not finished.
I so want to dig into our photo files and pull out the earliest photos we have, that very first time we visited Brewers Tree Farm, when John and Jarrod were so little, wearing Jeff's work gloves that were too big, and Elizabeth and Ashley were still at home, in high school...and John and Jarrod had to drag the tree (with a bit of help from Jeff)...oh yes! A then and now story has got to be told!!!!
It was interesting finding a tree this year. Jeff had spoke to Mr. Brewers this morning and heard of the disappointment at the slim pickings of Virginia pines this year. But, we headed out anyway and resolved to find a tree, no matter the size, because we just didn't want to have to buy one in town - just not the same.
John was tip toeing through the Cyprus trees with a meager little Virginia Pine tree like the Grinch was stealing Christmas. Jeff caught me laughing while we were driving home - couldn't pass up an unsolicited photo of me.
Exclusively digital using Sahlin Studios, Ali Edwards, and Paislee Press.
I am still putting together my 30 Days of Thankful album with all of my thankful thoughts and things. Less time on the computer in November meant I had to scrape together time to actually put the pages together but, hopefully, now that I have my laptop back I can catch up.
While most of my thankfulness has corresponding photos to go with the journaling some do not. I am very ok with this and I think it'll will look great in the album with those pages scattered throughout. Because, it is about the words anyways.
Thankful 9 peeked into my heart as I've been serving in this ministry for more than a year and I've received sweet words here and there from those folks I'm serving with and just feeling the love and appreciation. And, the best part is we are serving together as a family.
This blessing has been huge for us, for John and Jarrod, but for us as a family. The boys are getting their first taste of college while still in high school. The double blessing is that these classes are free!
I saved our gift receipt and took a picture of the Gospel for Asia Christmas catalog that we excitedly perused before deciding on our Jesus gift this Christmas season.
The 4 x 6 journal card has the journaling for this day: As we approach the Christmas season we get so excited, giddy even, to browse through the Gospel for Asia Christmas catalog, then praying over our Jesus gift from the 'gifts from the stable' section. This year we gave a coop full of chickens, a yard of goats, and a pen of pigs. We love how these gifts keep on giving throughout the year for families to enjoy as well as provides income for needy families in Asia.
I 'stamped' the really big title on the GFA catalog. I've got a mix of product from Sahlin Studios, Ali Edwards, One Little Bird, and Paislee Press templates (modified).
For this side I used our online gift receipt. I love that 100% of our giving goes to the field. And that's our Jesus gift!