December Daily project finish line

When I started my very first December Daily album I had no idea that my kids would take such an active part in the daily journaling and documenting.

I also had no idea that December would include my dad suffering a stroke and passing away 3 days before Christmas. I had no idea that I would be gone and leave my December Daily album behind expecting several pages to be empty when I returned. What a surprise to see that my beautiful children had delved into the basket of journaling boxes while I was away and filled the empty pages with notes, scribbles, drawings, thoughts and prayers...

the bottom entry on this day says, "Opa's doing worse! Everyone is sad. :("

i flew down to sunny southern california to be with my dad before he passed away. it was hard for me to even process that it was Christmas. when my eldest daughter called me on my cell phone and asked where i put the cookie cutters, it took me a bit by surprise -- why does she need cookie cutters?....oh yah, it's Christmas...

the girls used a picture from the Gingerbread House Kit box for this page.

i didn't take any photos from the stroke unit.....just memories....

but i will include these photos in our december daily album - photos of my 3 girls and a prince holding down the fort while i was gone:

december daily album project...finish line. time to print a few more pictures, add them to the book and close this until next year. How will our hearts feel when we unpack this album next December? will my heart still be breaking in memory of my father? will i have had some healing? will our lives be radically different? will we hold ourselves together through the bonding of sugar cookie cut outs, frosting, and joy? what surprises jumped out of your December Daily album this December? i would love to hear - we are on this scrapbooking journey together.