I'm so happy about Christmas I want to start CRYING.

I'll let you ponder that one on your own.  But despite the obvious - I am just so stinking happy.  Which is crazy, since my family won't be together this year... and more than ever.  But things feel right despite that.  Even though our holiday airfare required an elaborate coordination and calendar this year -- I'm so happy!! I'm happy that we're all darting here and there to be with those we love in unique and exciting new ways.  Kristin flew home from Berkeley yesterday and I got to spend her birthday with her, a fun tradition we got the pleasure of repeating this year.  Jason returned home from Israel on Tuesday, and while in one regard that means little to us here in Seattle, it means everything to my sister Kimberly, which translates to meaning everything to us here as well. (To clarify, his safety back home from an amazing trip means quite a lot to me - but in one regard he is either away, or away from us, so his nearness or farness means less in the day to day - but for Kimberly... ) I can imagine her holiday happiness from across the country and it just ignites mine too! It felt like too much - having one sister return home and a brother-in-law return safely to the states and home to his wifey - it feels like Christmas!  And now, I have one more day of work and a few hours and then John and I get to start packing for our own trip - a flight to Boise for our first married Christmas!  And hours after we hit those long-holiday-security lines, my parents will follow on their own adventure - off to Georgia and then to Christmas with Kim & Jason in their own sweet home!

And that is where I get all teary.  There has been so many exciting things in our family these past couple years - law school, a life-dream trip, home renovations, marriage, Berkeley! All of them have had their trials and troubles at moments, but they are all remarkable feats to look back on and celebrate, and I love the newness of this Christmas.  That is what I am choosing to celebrate this year - the hope of continual newness and the celebration of change.  As the 'tradition' nazi - I am of course also hoping to discover opportunities to cherish all we hold dear and do not want to lose. Little things. Old things. Special things.

I live life a little overwhelmed most days - have for almost two years - but right now, I'm doing my best to just let it all melt into gratefulness and thoughtful appreciation. Which of course - kind of makes me want to cry.

Merry Christmas you guys!!  Celebrate the new - cherish the old! Choose to be okay with things being different than they've always been - it's hope that life isn't locked - it is still being created, day by day. You won't lose what you love, but you will gain more of what you take time to appreciate.

Morning.  It is Christmas Eve's Eve and what a busy weekend it was.  I am and always will be a little obsessive about Christmas and traditions. Yesterday, I let myself get all overwhelmed and bent out of shape - there is still so much to do!  And then today, I read this, and I remember again what is important.  Love.  And Trust.  

Saturday, we got to be a part of extending an opportunity to our friends to love an amazing family.  We were able to extend love, with our actions, ourselves.

If you haven't yet, please consider giving to the Jorgensen's.  And whether you give cash or don't - please pray for them. As you can hear below - they are pure gold.  I have only met them once or twice on visits to Nashville, but over the past years I've heard them in dozens and dozens of stories.  "Dana's helping Jason with the roof this week." "Julie and I are heading away for a girls weekend." They have been there for my sister and brother across the states, to support and strengthen them through their hurts and trials, their house troubles, their tired days.  I want to help take care of them, because they've always taken care of the people I love and can't always reach. 

I want to help take care of them because I feel this is the heart of a Christian - to love and trust.  With your actions.  With your money.  With your time.  With your words and your prayer and your devotion.  Love one another. 

In all that is happening around - I have never been more sure that Christ is Supreme.  He is in control. All we have to do is give everything to love and trust Him. 

Noel. 
God with us. 



December 14, 2013 - Dana Jorgensen:

Hey friends. I'm not one for using Facebook to post these things but I don't have enough time in my day to respond to everyone. If you have called or left a message, thank you for your kind words. Please know that I have received your message. I will post as much as I know right now. 
A couple of weeks ago Julie found a mass under her left arm. Two weeks ago we went in for a biopsy, and this past week we found out the mass is metastatic melanoma.

To say the least, we are devastated. Right now we are waiting for our first appointment at Vanderbilt which will be December 23rd. Julie will undergo many tests and surgery to remove the mass. Please pray. Pray that the cancer hasn't spread, and specifically to her organs. Now, Let me be clear.... as much as I hurt for my wife, I choose to believe this promise - Jesus loves Julie and she belongs to him. Julie was bought at a price. Regardless of the results, that does not change His love for her. God is the same as he was before the diagnosis and he will be the same when this is over. As a man who likes to fix stuff, I wish I could take this or fix it, but I can't. So as we enter into the Christmas season, Julie, Kai and I will be trusting in the one who came to earth and laid down his life for us. We believe that he is with us in the lowest places of our lives, carrying us when we struggle to take the next step.


December 18, 2013 - Julie Jorgensen:

I'm never one to post much about my life on Facebook but here's a little update: My doctor's appointment is booked for Monday, December 30 @ 8 am. I will meet with a surgical oncologist that specializes in melanoma and he will decide what tests I will need and hopefully I will get those appointments quickly and then I am assuming surgery will be scheduled following those results. I will have a much better idea of what's going to happen after that appointment. Right now a lot is unknown. Obviously the biggest unknown is whether the cancer has spread anywhere else. Please continue to pray that it hasn't and that god would heal me from this. Thank you for praying. It means so much to me that there are hundreds of people all across the world praying for my healing around the clock. So many people have said they are praying all day and god is waking people up at night to pray for me even as I sleep. I am seeing what it really means to be a part of the body of Christ because i do not feel alone in this and your prayers are not futile. It's not just hopeful thinking; there is so much power in your prayers. I am seeing god answer prayers and take care of us in the many hard details that are coming up these days. Just when I need something specific and tangible, he provides it for me that day. Over and over this is happening. And He has given me a peace that truly does pass all understanding right now. The peace I feel does not make sense and so I know it is from god alone. It is not that I am in denial of how serious this is and what the outcome could be and it's not that I haven't sobbed over my disappointment for what could be coming for us; I have. But god pulls me out of it and sets my feet on a rock in a way that I could not do for myself. I am not a strong person. I have said many times "I could never do that" when someone seems at peace in a horrific situation. But god really does give you the grace you need on the days you need it so that you can get through more than you thought you could. 
Thank you for all of your prayers and support in other ways. I am so grateful. I will post updates as I get more information in the next couple weeks. 

I just can't focus today at work - 

Because I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!! 

carolling  present participle of car·ol (Verb) 

Verb Sing Christmas songs or hymns, esp. in a group: "we caroled from door to door". Sing or say (something) happily: "she was cheerfully caroling the words of the song".

I feel like I've missed Christmas.  Already.  I have no lights on our tree, no real decorations.  I haven't done one Christmas craft of all the fun things I've seen and imagined.  I've yet to get to do many "christmasy" things with the people I love (with the exception of a quick run for a tree with Meg and my Christmas date with my Mom).  The Christmas season is half over.  I have one week left until Meg & John both go home.  :(  I don't like this.  Not one bit.  This girl, who goes by "Christmas Spirit" among family members... has yet to really enjoy the Christmas season.  And she's starting to get worried she'll miss it entirely.  [Breaks into Where Are You Christmas?]

What we do on Christmas Holiday... 

Puzzles. (which I don't love.  somehow that gene missed me.)

Games.

Lots of games.

And movies.







And laugh at Jason.

Day after Christmas - Family Book Day

A couple years ago my parents gave us a 'family gift.' As our final Christmas present we each got to pick out a book at Barnes and Noble. To a family of bibliophiles, this was a great gift. The day after Christmas we drove over and spread out around the store, each quietly wandering until we found our perfect read. This year, we did it again, only we decided to head to the Elliott Bay Book Co. on Capitol Hill. I'm pretty sure we all found our books a lot quicker this year, which some could hold the smaller size of the store accountable for. I however believe it was due to the excellent display of the books. I added 10 books to me iPhone "book list."

After, we stopped at Oddfellows Cafe for a quick brunch. None of my family had been there, and I feel a bit poorly that their first taste was of lunch (which turned out to be only okay) rather than the delicious breakfast they're known for.

Christmas with the Kellys

& Keiths

(This might be the first full-family shot, ever?  
At least first in two years) 

The Kelly Sisters. 

A. Same color 

Our hair is all almost the same color for the first time...maybe ever. 

B. Same Sassy. 

C. Same Silly.

D. Same three girls as always 

(same sick tradition that amounts 

to picking on the 'little one'!!)

Oddly enough, now that we're all in our mid 20's - early 30's and used to not looking anything alike... we finally look like sisters. 

 (Turns out our parents might have been telling the truth all along.)

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families and loved ones.  Hope you had as many laughs as we've been having, as many delicious treats, and as many wonderful moments.  (And perhaps even as many un-shared photos restricted to your hard drive as there are to mine.)  Love you all!  

It's been a while since I've had a really productive "pre-work" morning.  But it turns out I'm still five and the closer it gets to Christmas the less I can sleep.  By 6something, I decided to get out of bed.  I listed to classic jazzy Christmas music, brewed coffee, did laundry, cleaned my room, drove over to Woodinville and took the puppy I'm co-sitting (with Rames) for a little jog, returned some DVDs and still made it in to work 20 minutes early.  Can I just say, I love a traffic-free Seattle?  And I love Christmas.  And I love that my sister and brother are on a plane somewhere closer to Seattle than Denver right now!

No more counting days, it's today!! And Christmas might as well be today too!!

Hope today is the start of a wonderful holiday for all of you, and you find yourself surrounded by those you love. 

(OH! And it's Friday! Latte-Friday!)

Today is also the last day I can appropriately wear my 'snowflake sweater'  : )
That's right.  And I'm proud of it.

Christmas Spirit?

Bring it!

I am the self-elected Christmas Spirit for my family. They refer to me as the Tradition Nazi. (offensive? Yes, kind of. Sorry.) All I have to say is, I've been behind, busy, stretched across the board and kind of in my own world the past few weeks, but now, I'm ready!!! I'm not actually ready, I'm just emotionally and mentally ready.  My eyes on the ball.  My heads in the game.  (All these analogies would be way funnier to you if you knew some family background stories about me, dad and pre-game visualization.) 

Tuesday night I spent Christmas shopping, watching Holiday Inn and wrapping presents. Wednesday, mom and I spent the evening making presents, wrapping presents, and watching countless cheesy TV-Holiday Movies. (Mom gets the holiday spirit, and I love it! No Grinch inclinations there.) This year we're even more excited than most, because Kim and Jason are coming - and they'll be here tomorrow!! I can't wait. I'm still very unready, with half-made presents, let alone unwrapped presents, a messy room, a full dirty laundry basket and lots more! I haven't even come up with a good spin for the dinner table (which usually I get to do, but lately my mom's been reclaiming the task)! So much to do, and so little time.... but I don't really mind. The worst that could happen is we'll all be together, and I'll be living in my sweats not by choice but by necessity, and that's not so terrible after all. :) Still, I must admit, I'm tempted to skip work tomorrow to stay home and clean, craft, wrap, sip coffee and count the minutes until Kim & Jason walk in the front door!!!!!

I love my family, and my hearts getting pretty stinking excited to all be together for the first time in 2 years!  Not to mention, I've got a GREAT book for those moments when we all cuddle up in the family room with a fire and drinks and get lost together in our own worlds.

Confession:  I used to blow up Santas as a child.

:/

What?!

It's whatcha get.

I also told the girl down the street that there was no Santa about 5 minutes after my dad had informed me.  He didn't like us believing in Santa.  And I somehow adopted his feelings, and added a whole lot more intensity in a very little body.  

I don't really know how my dad handled the phone call he received shortly after Kiersten and I had our little chat.  I get the feeling they hadn't hoped for her to find out... yet.

2 Days 'til These 2!

The end to last night...

"You're easy to dance with" 

Christmas much?

How is it already less than a week until Christmas?! Too many things left to do/make before then!