A few more Christmas pictures

Bald Eagle

I'd never seen a bald eagle in the wild before. On our way over to Eureka Springs on Monday, Robb spotted this amazing bird from the road. I was so happy to have had my camera on hand to capture it!

Rapture

We are being sucked up into the arms of Jesus.

Either that, or my sister just has a funny tradition of jumping in her travel pictures.

Merry Christmas

Eureka Springs

The Tacky Christmas Sweater Party-The Best New Tradition

 

Do you have any idea how hard it was to find these tacky sweaters? I wonder if these parties will be this hot next year? I'll be stocking my etsy store with them!

Just in Case You Have no Christmas Joy

You never know when St. Bobb may appear and make it a Festivas for the rest of us.

Get 'Em At The Heartwood Gallery

I snapped a few pictures before I took this batch of goodies down the Heartwood Gallery. As you can see, they hadn't completely dried, but as fast as these mini-bouquets go, I needed to get a picture before they were gone. This wasn't all I made last week, but it's the time of year for secrets!

I love them.

Creepy.

Detroit.

Where else?

Overheard

Vin: I'm only a like a two pack. I should loose some weight. Mattie, What's Justice? He's like a 9 pack, or 12?

Mattie: (embarrassed) I don't know. But my friend Audry is his neighbor and she said he's at least a 6 pack.

Vin: No...he's like a 12 pack.

Mattie: You're like a marshmallow.

Vin: I wonder what Dad is?

Charleigh: (piping up suddenly) I'm a GOOGLE PACK!

Something Beautiful

I made things today. This was one of the things I made. It's called, a mess. It was kind of awesome. I wore my leg-warmers and my favorite old shirt of Robb's that is now my art-shirt. At one point I kept feeling my teeth and they felt weird. I went the bathroom and saw a schmear of black grout across my two front teeth. And then I tried to cut a shard while holding it in my mouth because my hands were full and I cut my lip. And my friend Annie brought me lunch and watched me cut up plates and let me work and talk at the same time. It was awesome. Now, if only I had something finished to show for it....The only thing that is done...is this day. Time for a comfy chair, a glass of wine, a chic tv show....and some lip balm. ouchie.

Defiant Hope

It's been a rough year for the Ryerse family. Started a year ago when my Father in law lost his teaching job in a private school because of the economy. Which sent my Mother in law looking for a new job because, who wants to teach at a place that fired your husband? Then the whirlwind of the birth of Emilee and the emotional roller coaster resulting in her being returned to her birth family after more than three months as a part of THIS family. Our hearts broke with Matt and Karen's. We tried to trudge on, only to lose Kevin. Numb and raw, we waited for a phone call that would tell us this year of misery was over and Karen and Matt would have a baby in their arms by Christmas. But the birth-mom changed her mind. That little one was born a week and a half ago and they just found out yesterday. It seems too cruel that they are unpacking their car today which they had packed with such hopeful expectation.

And that's just Robb's side of the family. Mine didn't fair that much better.

It is tempting to say, Screw Christmas this year. Let's sit in our sweatpants, do whatever we have to do and just get through it. What is there to celebrate, anyway? Friends have lost jobs. Money is squeaky tight. Our family circle is broken. Nothing will ever be the same again. Don't even get me started on global warming. War. Infidelity. Illness. Pain.

But there is another option. And I opted for it yesterday. I decorated for Christmas. I put up lights. Because more than ever, we need light. We need warmth. We need hope. We need peace. We need Jesus. When he came to earth, everything changed. We caught of glimpse of the way things could be. We heard an echo of his idea of how things ought to be. He lit a little candle inside of us in a way he hadn't before. Someday it will be all right. Someday, His goodness really will swallow all the bad and extinguish the frustration of being human and broken. And while we wait, I will act as though the end turns out ok. I will not be overwhelmed. I can trust Him to work it out. I can love and live and hope and have joy. It is a purposeful celebration. The smells and the textures and the sparkle of this time of year are not just a production that has to be put on. It's a defiant act of hope.

Paint = Magic

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