december, part one

Hurray for Christmas vacation! Phew…  So much has happened this month that I can’t even remember what I did yesterday. Numerous holiday activities, soccer season wrapping up, hosting a birthday sleepover for six boys, and my own school finals… to name a few. But for the first time in ages, I have no plans today or for the next two weeks! I’m hoping to take some time to catch up with all of you now that I can breath again.

We went to get our tree last weekend and kept in our Juneau tradition of cutting it down ourselves. The tree hunt is one of my favorite holiday activities. Filling the thermos up with hot tea, bringing along some peppermint, everybody bundled up with hats and mittens. It’s just so darn Christmas classic! We found the perfect little spruce this year. Little for a spruce, but big for our living room!

The kids had a blast picking the tree out but they especially enjoyed going through all of the handmade ornaments from years gone by. I love that we’ve kept the tradition of making our own ornaments. It’s awesome to see how much the kids’ imaginations expand and their talents refine from year to year.

This year, we made paper ornaments to hang from the ceiling and in the windows. Just as I was trying to capture them, our bird feeder outside was visited by a Steller’s Jay and a Bald Eagle landed right in the tree below. I’ll take it.

As much as I love decking the halls, the best visual treat has been happening out there, outside our decorated windows. Snow! Weighing down trees, gathering on the rooftops and just making everything clean and bright. Yesterday, the sun was golden on the snow and it was so cold and dry that the air was glittery. Pure magic! I think there were bells ringing on the wind, too.

I have to admit, I’ve not always been the biggest fan of Christmas. I get so overwhelmed by the consumerism and crazy amount of things to do. But this year, I’m really enjoying doing the simple things with the kids that make this time of year so special. Gingerbread cookies, night sledding on our street under the glow of the moon and holiday lights, new hats and mittens… There is nothing like a winter wonderland and little children to make the holiday cheer come alive. I hope you’re all experiencing some of this same holiday joy.