Merry Birthday. Happy Christmas.

In case you hadn't noticed, things around our place are a bit of a mess. This holds especially true around the holidays... something we've come to blame on Hailey. It all started twenty years ago when she was selfishly born on Christmas day, stealing the holiday thunder away from Jesus and his commercial sidekick Santa Claus.

Because she neither saved us from our sins nor delivers things from The Apple Store, Hailey's celebration is the one that gets moved. She is a good sport about it though... even though we all know she's been robbed.

It's hard to believe she's twenty. I know she feels ready to move out and move on... But to be honest, the urgency just isn't there for me. Yet...

A few things from the Christmas/Birthday weekend:

Hailey opened her presents on Christmas Eve.
Everyone did their best to focus on the task at hand.




Christmas Dinner: Prime Rib. Creamy Carrot Soup.
Five hours to make. Five minutes to eat.


Tracy brandishing her gift from Evan... A homemade holiday RPG.

A new Christmas tradition... Pokemon Stadium on the N64.

This picture isn't holiday related, it just confirms how smart I am.

It was nice to have everyone here.
I suspect those moments will soon become a rarity.

Thanks Canon.

Okay, so I bought this new camera... and if our car doesn't break down or the basement flood in the next 90 days, (All hail Costco's return policy) I'm going to keep it. So now more than ever, I take pictures...

In the kitchen.
The light is decent and there's always someone around.




At the Christmas tree lot...
I shoot the trees that won't fit in the living room.

And the ones that will.



At choir performances...
from a distance... in the dark.
Something impossible before now.




Clearly, the photos aren't all good, but the upsides to owning a better camera are becoming obvious. The downside to owning a better camera? No one wants me around anymore. Meh... I can live with that.

Reluctant Return.

Eden is back.

I don't mean back from India, she's been home for almost two weeks.
I mean back to normal...

She's no longer sending me SOS texts from class.
She's finally agreed to make a Christmas list.
Her room is a once again a stunning disaster.

A return to normalcy is understandable... even necessary I suppose.
School. Choir. Homework. Lacrosse. All demand attention.
You just hate to see the routine replace the radical so soon.

It's okay though... appearances can be deceiving.
The henna may have faded, but I think India was indelible.

She posted a ton of photos on Flickr.
You can see them all here.