Candid Christmas Snapshots

This holiday was pretty much a total photo fail for me.

I had great intentions, but I only brought my camera out about twice.

Yes… part of my goals for this year is to use my DSLR more and I fully intend on following through there.

But this time around, most of the amazing memories that I made with my family this Christmas will just have to live on in my heart forever and always… and honestly that is OK with me.

Glass half full moment: Luckily I DID take my camera out twice, so I DID snap a few photos while my side of the family was lounging around this amazing lodge my mom found through airbnb. It was pretty much the perfecting size and setting for us. 6 bedrooms with their own kitchenette and bathroom… One amazing lounge living room in the middle with a fire place and Christmas tree already setup for us… A long table that sat us perfectly… One humble kitchen off of the main lounge area… and a hot tub on the back porch. I am pretty sure they custom built it for us. I wouldn’t know how else to explain the perfection…

There was also a semi-creepy but also semi-quaint cafe that stayed open for about 2 hours on weekend days right across the street on our desolate farm house road…

We’re still not really sure what the story is there, but they served us cold beer and offered us a change of scenery, so I am going to just leave it at that and say thank you.

For 3 days we got to sit and be together… Hold each other’s children, exchange gifts, take turns making large meals to serve the whole crew, made music, played charades, then drank too much coffee just to stay awake longer and maximize our time together… It was really magical. I met and fell in love with my new niece Harpin for the first time. I got to see my godson toddle around and dance to anything and everything even remotely resembling music. I got to see my niece show off her mad skills of sitting up on her own

As I think back on it now… I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but this holiday was just… good. Starting the journey of introducing the next generation of kids into our family traditions and memories is just almost to joyful to even bare. Spending time with family who simply knows you inside and out is just… good. Getting a foot massage from your sister at 8 months pregnant… now THAT was REALLY good.

Here are a few candid moments from the week….

And now… I’m off to start a new generation of my own.

Any day now our little guy will be entering into the world (whoops… queue the tears) and we get to introduce him to this family that loves and cherishes the things that matter most… in the most beautiful and genuine way.

I couldn’t feel more blessed to add another sweet little character to the story that God is writing with these good folks.