17 GB Later

A window popped up on my screen. It read, "You are dangerously low on memory please delete unnecessary programs/files to create more space."
YIKES. I kind of freaked.

My first stop was "My Pictures". There it was - 34GB of pictures.
Time to purge. Problem was - I didn't purge, I just moved 17GB to an external hard drive. I really do have a problem. Too many pictures. Not organized. Can't get rid of stuff. Is there a 12 step program for this?

While I wait for that 12 step program to start I'm left with another 500 pictures from this past week - yep, 5 HUNDRED. We just do too many cool things and I have this desire to capture the moments and make art out them.

Moments like this: Skating at the market. Downtown London is so picturesque in the winter.
*if you want to see the picture collage bigger click on it and then use your back button to go back to the blog post


And how about gift giving? You can't miss the gift giving moments.
I have to say that my favourite moment this Christmas was shopping with Justin. I took him to the dollar section at Michaels and let him pick out a gift for everyone in the family. I had arranged with the cashier that he would just hand her what he wanted to buy without me seeing and then I would come up and pay for it when he was done.

It didn't take him long. I payed $12 for his bag of treasures. Once we got home I gave him the wrapping paper, scissors, tape and labels. It took him almost an hour to wrap his gifts! They were beautiful. But the most fun was seeing him literally jumping for joy as he gave his gifts on Christmas eve - the best of course being the gift labeled "To Justin From Justin"!

Eden was very methodical and generous in her gift giving. She made a list back in November of everyone she wanted to buy for, what they might like and how much money she would need out of the bank to purchase it. She has a gift for gift giving.

And Karis - well, let me say that on Christmas Eve at 7:30pm as we drove home from church she exclaimed, "Oh no - I forgot to go Christmas shopping!" Good thing she had already made gifts for everyone - she took a minute to wrap them when we got home and her gifts were GREATLY appreciated.

Then there's the food at Christmas. You can't miss taking photos of the food. The preparation of the food. The parties. The aftermath of parties. The edible crafts. So many parties. So much food. I believe we will have leftovers until February!
Every year I like to take a walk around the house and photograph the details of Christmas. The nativity playmobile set (with grown-up Jesus over seeing the whole thing!); our Jesse Tree; the Christmas tree; the gathering of decorations I love to hate; my pretty corner; the nut crackers; the candy; the flowers; the partridge in a pear tree; the naughty meter; the cards; the stockings; the clothes; Santa stuck in the fireplace; and yet again more food.

Speaking of food. As we gathered at my parent's home with almost 30 of the Zietsma gang on Christmas day we certainly did enjoy a lot of food. Singing carols old and new with harmonica and guitar. Shuelbuck (I have no clue how to spell it!). And lots and lots of card games.

Maybe I sound like I'm rationalizing. Maybe I'm trying to prove once and for all that I don't have a problem (cause I don't!). Maybe, just maybe, it's ok have 34GB of photos.

But the truth is, whether or not I have the pictures of the moments - we have once again enjoyed a beautiful Christmas - loving one another as we remember the love of our God in the birth of his son Jesus Christ!