Merry Snowy Christmas!
Merry merry Christmas! I know we don't all celebrate Christmas, but I hope everyone gets to experience this as some time-
Joyful surprise! Whether it's a gift from family or friends or the universe (new job, good news), I hope you are showered with moments like this. I hope we are all abundant today with love :)
Ian asked for this stuffed cat for weeks. Holding a dream is precious :).
Even Tiger got gifts! And he is the lesson in finding unexpected bounty. A discarded box is his castle. Yay Tiger :)
I put out extra goodies for the birds this year. Which was awesome when the drenching rain turned to snow. The juncos busily gobbled up good seeds.
The kids, of course, loved the snow! We don't get snow that often on Christmas day, so Anika happy-danced in her pajamas!
Snow is magical.
She taught Ian how to catch snowflakes on your tongue. He saw her as quite the expert. Very cute :)
The snow stuck enough to scoop slushy snowballs together. Watch out!
Inside we lit a fire and spread snacks all along the counter. Crackers and cheese and chips and dip and bread and sardines (our Dutch and Czech influence). My husband had to work yesterday and today. Luckily he was here for the morning. But the kids and I are inventing new traditions. Yesterday we made gourmet hot cocoa with tiny marshmellows, whipped cream, chocolate powder, and cinnamon. We popped popcorn and added Chex to make reindeer chow.
Each change is an opportunity. For new stories. New surprises. This time of year can be rough (and yesterday was challenging for me- to keep up with their excitement, my husband's expectations, and my own borderline health). I am better than I was, but still not where I like to be, health-wise. Yet complaining (sharing) this time of year feels petty and small. I rise up until I crash.
So deep breathing. And I appreciate today. Staying-home. Playing Lord of the Rings Lego with Ian and Anika. My husband's job so we don't have unemployment-stress. The love. The family. The magic. I love our stories.
I send big wishes for kindness and joy for you and your family today however you celebrate togetherness. Here's to our stories! Cheers!
