Days Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four and Twenty-Five

Day 23 - A simple picture and handwritten journalling on the back of the day 22 hand-sewn page protector.

Day 24 - Christmas Eve is all about Jesus for us - all about waiting for Him, for hearing Him, for being with Him. We spent the evening with our church family; a family that we have chosen to love and to be loved by. I included a transparency over this picture, just to make the waiting for Day 24 a little longer (and because I love these transparencies...)

The actual photo of Eden holding one of the candles that we all get and light at the end of the night...

...and the journalling of Christmas Eve on a photo of a part of the display at church.

And Christmas Day - I LOVE this picture of the girls opening gifts on Christmas morning. They were in the middle of opening gifts from each other and gave each other a hug for the presents they received. It gives such a sense of movement, and captures our Christmas morning perfectly.

Here is the journalling:

Today was one of those days that I would love to wrap up and have for days when I need a reminder of how good life really is. We began the day opening presents, being so very grateful for all that we had been given, spent the day exploring our gifts - the girls playing mostly with Polly Pockets, Ephraim putting together (and taking apart again and again) his new puzzles, and Mike and I reading the great books we had received - and ended the day at Diane’s place, remembering how very blessed we are to have good food and great wine and wonderful friends. But most of all, I realized this Christmas season the joy and peace that comes from just being - being present with others, being present with God and being present with myself. And that has definitely been the best gift of all.

I also included a 'fold-out' picture of the kids checking out their stockings...

And the back side of the whole layout...

I am also including an envelope on the last page to include a few things that didn't really fit anywhere - the wrapping paper the kids decorated for my birthday, the cards that the girls made for us, a newspaper clipping of being the coldest place in NA - made from a die-cut from my local sb store with some of the paper I have left over.

And it's done! I finished my first December Daily, and am so happy with it. My goal for this album was to help me become more intentional about our December and our Christmas celebrations, and it definitely did that. I loved the process of planning and putting it together, I loved choosing the pictures to go into the album and I loved telling some of the stories behind the pictures and what was going on - not just the details, but what was really going on.

Truthfully, it took a lot longer each day than I thought (and I didn't actually do it every day either, just in case you are wondering...), but I have learned a few tricks that will make it easier next time. Will there be a next time? Definitely...