December Daily

A couple of my friends put together their own "December Daily" (This is Robin's so very cute version) and I am regretting that I did not do the same. Looking over the past 31 days there has been many moments in our life worth remembering (at least to me). But I guess the girl who can only put two posts on her blog in December is certainly not equipped to document everyday in a month, and then put it in a cute little scrapbook.

But since I haven't been a faithful blogger, or scrapbooker, this month I am taking a cue from my friend Stephanie's blog and doing a recap of my December before 2011 rolls in....

We prepared for Christmas with the usual traditions. Every year we venture out to cut down our own tree. Every year, I have to take a "Christmas card" photo. But for the past three or four years I have failed to send out the cards.

Regardless, year after year, this outing continues to be one of my favorite times to take pictures of my family.

And this year, by balancing my camera on a tree stump, setting the timer, and running like a crazy woman, we accomplished the rare (with everyone looking forward, and no one crying or pouting) family photo. Although I wrote out a group of cards, and ordered the pictures, I have yet to get them to the mail box. Maybe planning to, but not sending Christmas cards is a new tradition of mine.

Later in the month we continued with another tradition and had an evening of homemade egg nog, ornaments, and something new...Connor next to the camera clicking off a photo every 5 seconds. At first I thought a dumb idea to take 100 or more pictures of the backs of us, or none of us, decorating the tree. But actually it turned out to be a a great set of photos, and the family deciding it is proof that I am a control freak when it comes to decorating the tree, and that I put on (or rearrange) the most ornaments thoughout the night.

There were cookies to be made. Hundreds of the same cookies for a gift exchange. And the plan to make cut outs with the kids that disappointedly never happened.

There were other disappointments this month, Connor's phone was stolen, Kelly's swim coach quit, and I wouldn't allow Delaney to be, oh so pretty, on Christmas Eve, by putting the kibosh on her wearing a spring dress that is a size too small, that she "really, really" wanted to wear. But that is life as usual.

Actually, most of December was life as usual...school, sports, church, laundry, cooking, work...this year, like every other year, I feel as if I fall short of remembering, and teaching my children what this month is all about. I feel the secular activities and the business override the religious meaning of the season. Then I dig a little deeper and find that it is all tied together. And this year especially gave me some usual moments that reminded me of how blessed I am, and how Jesus is a part of my life.

There was the usual time spent at work with "my old lady". There is nothing like taking care of, and spending time with someone near the end of their life that can bring you closer to God and feel his presence.

And the usual tradtion of exchanging gifts this year has its meaning. It included excuses to have conversations with my mother-in-law that have been far too infrequent lately. And the moments of some precious time spent with my favorite two guys in the dust and dirt, while preparing our basement for the TV my parents were giving the family. Without the excuse to plan a space to hang the TV, I would have miss some great conversations over lunch, and some devotional prayers at dinner that included my dad and husband.

So that is my December Daily. The daily, hectic life of a family of six, with all its disfunction, but also all its blessings, it certainly includes the presence of Jesus.