Oh – happy things to write about … yay. My last real post came on a difficult day, so I feel compelled to let you know that I am okay. Our days are challenging but we are having sweet moments.

Sawing down the tree together

I love Christmas. I mean I really love Christmas. We went to a Christmas tree farm Saturday and traipsed all over looking for the perfect tree to cut down ourselves. It is so sweet to continue (start) family traditions perfected in my childhood. They even had a tree shaker and netting machine, which my sisters and I tried on multiple occasions to put each other through as children. We found the tree, eventually, after a major wipe-out, Hollywood level drama, and band-aids. Of course.

Wee Man along for the ride

We decorated the tree together that night, placing each ornament one by one. I love that I can tell J who gave us each ornament, what it represents, and where it comes from (237). I love that every time I decorate our Christmas tree I think about sisters, sisters-in-law, aunts, sweet grandmothers, and loved ones that we honor or remember (238).

We already have an Original J. angel on our tree. Now we have a Bug angel too.

Some more things I love: (And a few new things I learned this year!)

1. I love sharing the gospel with J – it permeates every part of the season (239).

2. If I am going to make pumpkin/chocolate bread to share with neighbors, I must deliver to neighbors immediately or we will eat it.

3. I love pumpkin/chocolate bread (240).

4. I only made it three days before I made only the best Christmas fudge EVER.

5. I love fudge (241). Best recipe ever.

6. I love taking J to the Nutcracker every December (242). For days we dance and twirl and leap and spin. This year I bought the album and she knew the soundtrack immediately.

7. I secretly get bored after about one hour of ballet. Still love taking J.

8. Popcorn/cranberry garlands are REALLY time consuming to make. They seem all warm and fuzzy and fun family activity-ish but what really happens is the four year old is interested for about 32 seconds, then starts eating the popcorn out of the bowl. In between stringing popcorn and cranberries onto fishing line with a sewing needle, you have to wrestle the 100lb lab away from the garland in progress because he too enjoys popcorn but knows enough to stay away from the bowl. Garland is fair game though. At the end, all you have to show for yourself is a thumb that looks like hamburger meat and a garland that ends right before your tree does, giving it a lovely lopsided Becky-Home-Ecky twist.   The best part of the whole episode? P was the popcorn/cranberry stringer. More proof of how much he loves me.

9. I love Christmas countdown/advent calendars (243). We currently have three, plus countdown blocks. Overkill? I think not.

10. About 12 days before Christmas, especially when I am doing any permutation of homemade Christmas, the countdown blocks cease to be fun and start to stare at me accusingly from the bookshelf.

11. I love using advent calendars to teach J how to give more (244). 

12. I love trying to figure out each year how to teach J to give more, to want less.

13. I am treasuring each moment we spend as a family – I love that we are together (245). Odds are high that won’t be the case next year.

There is so much more, for now, enjoy the pictures.

She accessorized herself

Don’t look at me!

Is this it?? …. Not yet!

Found it!!

Onward!!

~M.