Monday, December 5, 2016

December 5-on-5: Ornament Making

I can barely believe it is December and that our 5-on-5 circle is having its last post for 2016.  Where on earth has the year gone?  I don't know about you, but I am so very thankful that there was a little extra time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That means that I have the chance to give myself a little break between the two and get my head ready for Christmas.

As we are gearing up for weekends of tree hunting and decorating and cookie baking and all the other holiday things, I am softly reminded that this time is simply going much too fast.  I look over these pictures and I am know that they only stay the size the are (little, medium, or not so medium) for so long.  I want to remember it all.  And I want my girl to have memories of me being a part.  So, I set my camera on the counter, focused on my girl, and used my remote to get in a frame.

 Like every other Mom I know, I am not the biggest fan of being in pictures.  I could tell you a million things wrong with me.  I don't think my girl would tell me though.  I think she would recall this time as lovely, so that's the way I want to see it when I look back too.

 Oh those little hands.  And little tiptoes to reach up to see inside that bowl.  Lots and lots of hard work went into this process.

  I love this girl so much.  She is just the right balance of her silly papa and her cautious mama.  My vision for our ornaments was the star, but my girl begged for the tree.  At a dollar per cookie cutter, can you really say no to that face?
 
 It is HARD work to make those ornaments the right thickness, but our girl was BOUND and determined to help.  Eventually, we worked on them together with a rolling pin, but it was SO much more fun to watch her try on her own.

While these are not the finished product (there is drying time and painting time required), I still love the way they came out.  Bonus, my house might smell a little more Christmas-y this weekend.

My favorite part of the circle is, well, making the rounds.  Our group has such talented photographers telling their story every month and for many, this is their one time they share personal stories.  I hope you take the few minutes to make it through and comment on their work - while we don't necessarily have anything against crickets, we much prefer to know that our story was seen and had an impact.  So, next in the circle is my dear friend Jenny Bowers, a Southern Michigan Documentary Photographer.  Make sure to give her some love.

Until next time,