9 years of Christmas pics

Mmmm. . . I love Christmas pictures.  I remember getting the mail as a child and carefully feeling along the edge hoping for a picture inside. 

Our online-driven society has made real photos you can hold in your hands a thing of the past.  The last time I printed photos was. . . um . . . last Christmas.  Yes.  That's bad.  Anyway, I stubbornly insist on sending real Christmas pictures every year maybe just because I enjoy receiving them so much. 

Today's advent activity for the kids was helping with Christmas cards. 

We have about 220 to do. 

We finished 8. 

I will be up all night. 

I started thinking about all the previous Christmas pictures. . . how life changes. . .

I just snapped pictures of pictures below.  You'll definitely be able to tell when we go digital.  (Seriously, the subtitle of my blog should be you aren't here for the photography.)

 

2003

stars in our eyes. 

 

 

 

 

2004

 

we had just discovered that jd was on the way.

if we look a little shell shocked. . . well, we were shocked.  wow.  obviously he turned out to be the best shock ever. :)

 



 

Mmm.  oh.  I guess this wasn't a Christmas picture.  Well anyway, I'm a sucker for dress blues and he's mine!  Wow, how lucky can a girl get?

2005

 

Aww, it's 3 of us.  It was snowing and we begged our neighbor Jenny to take our picture.  Daniel bought me that coat as a gift, and I loved it.  I also loved the curtains in the window of our little love nest that we were quickly outgrowing.  That was such a happy year.  I remember working together, making Jacob wooden blocks for Christmas.  Oh the sweet joys of being young penniless parents.  :)

 



 

 

This is 2006.

 

The 'year of the boat' as we like to call it.

Grandpa wanted his boat kept in the family;  it was our turn that year. 

I bet he had lots of laughs looking down from Heaven at us and our friends and our boating escapades. 



2007

 

 

This is not the picture we sent out that year, but I can't find the real one.  Here is where our sweet girl joined us.  I love her little bow!  I think JD is sucking on a piece of candy from the parade we had just attended.

 

 



2008

 

I can't find the real 08 picture.  This will do.

 

Apparently I was still into tying green bows on Cambria's head.  :) This was taken at Gettysburg when we were on the East Coast for my friend Lisa's wedding.

 

Here's another one from that time frame, early 2009, in Oregon for Daniel's younger sister's wedding. 

 



Love love love the Pacific Ocean!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009

 

{this is just a random funny one I pulled from the folder of the Christmas 09)

 

My friend Rebecca started taking our pictures here.  Gabe is a little twinkle in my tummy here. . .

Sweet smiles unaware that our lives would be shattered in the next year with his birth, life and death.

 

 



 

2010

 

Sweet little Gabe. . . he changed our lives forever.  Miss him every.single.day.

 



I will never, as long as I live, forget the darkness of that year.  Christmas was unbearable.  That year has forever changed how I view the holidays and brought an awareness that it's not always the happiest time of the year for everyone.

 

2011

 

Healing

Grace.

Still an empty chair.

Eli David.

Tears.

Gratefulness.

Thankful.

 

 

Next up 2012!