day 25: christmas.

as i lounge by the fire after a fun-filled day of snowmobiling, present un-wrapping, and christmas movie watching, i find myself content and cozy. there is nothing sweeter than spending the holidays with your nearest and dearest. for me, it's an opportunity to gather and enjoy life together, to celebrate Christ's birth, and to reflect on the year bygone. often i find myself simply in awe of what an amazing family i have, and i am acutely reminded of there greatness during the holidays. and i am ever so grateful for my extended family of close friends who bless me in incredible ways and who make my life that much more enjoyable. 'tis the season to be jolly indeed.

and of course, christmas day marks my twenty-fifth day of bloggin'. wow. i made it. i often found myself dreading sitting down and posting, but in the end it was always rewarding. it took disciple, and i had to carve out time in my schedule to make it happen. it forced me to take my camera along all the time and thereby afforded an opportunity to create some images i would not have otherwise shot. it also forced to me to think and to reflect and to process. i sure hope you enjoyed the twenty-five days of bloggin' and that in some way you were encouraged, challenged or at least entertained. now, i will not be blogging every day in the new year, but i do plan on keeping it up with greater frequency. i have quite enjoyed the conversations that have taken place since i started doing this, and i hope to continue them in 2010. thank you for taking part and for encouraging me along the way. you are best blog readers.

and i leave you with a few pictures from our family snowmobiling outing...

we ate lunch in the "shack" up on bald mountain. and we laughed a lot. i'll tell you why when you're older. haha. (photo by my mama).

our desperate attempt at a family self portrait. fail. but i thought it's still worth sharing,

my dad took this shot of me just making a snow-angel. or perhaps this moment may or may not have been after i fell off my sled. whoops.

and finally, the 'rents and me in our snowmobiling apparel.

i hope you find yourself cozy and content today and that you are enjoying the company of good friends and family. be blessed today, and in the new year. may you continue to grasp how wide and how deep is the love of Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS friends!