Caution: Writer has prego-brain. Expect spelling/ grammar errors.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas there's always a bit of a "hush" on the blogosphere, and understandably so. I know that I have been preoccupied with getting ready for the holiday... I wish I could say I was doing so in a spiritual sense, but I can't. I think--no, I KNOW--my priorities have been in the wrong places. But the beauty of it is that there is still time. Every day is a new chance to scrape myself up off the ground and to start anew. To focus, to re-prioritize.

Here is our tree. V. is enjoying it, as it is about her height. She likes to poke the ornaments gently and stare at the angel on top of the tree. We didn't have an angel for the top when we first decorated it, so this past week V. and Job went on a "special mission" to the store to go find one. I was hoping they'd return with something a little more colorful and contemporary (or iconic?), but it's okay. They found the "crystalline" flute-playing angel at the dollar store.

Our dear friend Heather took our family Christmas photographs last week! They turned out beautifully. It's so much more fun to go to a park and play and have a talented friend sneak gorgeous candid photos than it is to sit in a stuffy department store portrait studio with a cranky kid in a huge, taffeta dress. NOT that it isn't nice to have the traditional studio portrait once in a while, it's just more fun the other way. :) Check out Heather's new photography website!

In other news, V. is getting to be such a big girl. She is a big fan of ketchup (make ours organic, please!) and any kind of bite-sized meat giblets to dip into it. Or pancakes. Whatev. Today after church we took our goddaughter and her brother out to lunch for their joint-names day (they both have the names of Old Testament saints), where plenty of ketchup was had by all. It was great to spend time with them, and it went considerably well considering we had three kids under the age of five in one booth (their mom was with us too, so we did have three-on-three defenses).

Job got his wisdom teeth taken out on Friday. He's also fighting a little cold. He's doing remarkably well, though! I hope he got enough rest this weekend for his work-week... He's so industrious!

As for me? This week will be spent celebrating a birthday (mine! Yes, I'll toot my own horn :D), then my dad's b-day (two family b-days in one week!), sending out Christmas cards, making wrapping paper (tempera paint on craft paper... a prospective "art project" with V.? who knows), hopefully scheduling and going to confession, spending time with my sister who is in town for a week (yay!), a midwife appointment, and continuing the seemingly hopeless search for a great, non-toxic, made in America, age-appropriate, budget-friendly, spectacular gift for our dear little girl. I saw a cute wooden coffee maker at Pottery Barn Kids... but guess how much it was? $50! I don't even know if it met my above requirements, but it was at least wooden. But $50? Too bad, so sad.

May your remaining Nativity preparations be accomplished with a light, blessed and S.A.D.-free heart :)