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	<title>The Grateful Mama &#187; Christmas</title>
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	<description>Discovering wisdom and beauty in the nose-wiping, grape-slicing, tummy-tickling, bottom-washing, breast-feeding, cheek-smooching reality of motherhood.</description>
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		<title>A Conspiracy of Love</title>
		<link>http://thegratefulmama.com/archives/1252</link>
		<comments>http://thegratefulmama.com/archives/1252#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taking Risks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feelings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas wish lists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grateful mama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gratitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mindful mothering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photo-shoot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Santa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wisdom]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">&#8220;Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.&#8221;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">- Hamilton Wright Mabi</p>
<p>Now that I have an opportunity to write, I&#8217;m realizing that I really missed my daily postings last week!  It reminds me of when I moved away from home to go to the University of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>&#8220;Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.&#8221;</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>- Hamilton Wright Mabi</em></strong></p>
<p>Now that I have an opportunity to write, I&#8217;m realizing that I really missed my daily postings last week!  It reminds me of when I moved away from home to go to the University of Alberta and my sister didn&#8217;t shed a tear when I left, but she bawled like a baby when I returned home for the Christmas holiday.</p>
<p>Sometimes you don&#8217;t realize how much you&#8217;ve missed your  love, until you are reacquainted.</p>
<p>I have four ideas for posts today, but I&#8217;m going to write about my first Santa-photo-shoot because I&#8217;m just so excited about the entire experience.  Not only was the actual &#8217;shoot&#8217; fun and exciting, but the processing and packaging was fulfilling as well.  As I slipped each photo into a greeting card  I imagined how the parents would react when they opened the envelopes and saw their little beauties on Santa&#8217;s lap.  Some images were hilarious, some were sweet, and, as I prepared each photo, I learned that just the idea of providing parents with a lasting image of a precious moment in time really rocks my world!!!   My next photo-shoot isn&#8217;t until next Saturday, and already I cannot wait to get back at it!!!  It&#8217;s a good sign.</p>
<p>What I really want to write about is Timothy.  He showed up after the shoot was over and Santa had left the building, (with a very happy-looking Mrs. Claus I might add,)</p>
<p>&#8220;Is Santa gone?&#8221; he asked.</p>
<p>&#8220;Yes, I&#8217;m afraid so.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Will he be here tomorrow?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;No, but he&#8217;ll be here next Saturday,&#8221;  I said as I packed up my equipment.</p>
<p>&#8220;Oh.  I won&#8217;t be able to come next Saturday.  Do you take the pictures of Santa?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Can you give him my list?&#8221;</p>
<p>Timothy reached into his pocket and pulled out his carefully written Christmas list.  Now, I had anticipated that I would have a good time taking photos of kids, I suspected that I would enjoy watching the magical exchange between Santa and each child he conversed with, but I didn&#8217;t expect that a child would consider me a part of that magic.  Timothy surprised me by assuming that I had a direct line to Santa.</p>
<p>&#8220;Of course,&#8221; I said, checking the list, &#8220;is your name on it?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Nope; my name&#8217;s Timothy.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Okay Timothy.&#8221;</p>
<p>I have the list in my camera bag and will most definitely give it to Santa, along with some special-secret- signal.  With any luck, Timothy will make it to the mall one Saturday before Christmas, and wouldn&#8217;t it be grand if Santa pulled Timothy&#8217;s list out from his pocket?</p>
<div id="attachment_1253" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 512px"><img class="size-large wp-image-1253" title="happy Clauses" src="http://thegratefulmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/happy-Clauses-1024x681.jpg" alt="happy Clauses" width="502" height="334" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Happy Clauses</p></div>
<p style="text-align: center;">
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