Christmas

Our dear Far. He works quite hard. Six days a week, nine and a half hours each day for as many years as we have had children. Most days I try and be thankful for all his hard work and dedication but there are those times he comes home on a Sunday to me feeling that he should have been here. It takes me a bit to climb out of that hole, knowing how much he loves us and works so hard for us. We are all so very eager to see him at the end of each long day.
He gets us dirty, grumpy, hungry... We are always so grateful for his presence and energy at the end of the day.

We need him more then he understands and likely more than he can give... And that is okay, it is all about balance and we all need to work on that, don't we?
But that brings me to our Solstice and Christmas celebrations. It is a special time of year. A time of year Soren needs to negotiate with his employees who can stay and who can go away to their families. Every other year we stay here. How perfect that our first year in our forever home we will be here to celebrate this beautiful time in Winter in our spot.
The Friday after Thanksgiving we found a tree.

 Decorated it for Solstice and Christmas...

 We had friends over for a Solstice bonfire and exchange of handmade gifts.

 Magnus got a mama-made "Waldorf" doll that looks just like him, I am kind of in love with it! The doll on the left is a doll I made for a special little friend who lives far away in Pittsburgh. I greatly miss her mama and needed to make something to honor her little girl who I cannot wait to meet. AnaSofia knitted Maggie the hat for his doll. Oh my word, I am a lucky mama...

Next the cat (and the rest of us) waited for Christmas...

 The sweet cat in all the photos on all those days? This is what she looks like from the other side... Always one eye open for danger...

 

Can you guess which one scares her the most?

  Finally Christmas Eve arrives, a giant cookie is made and a carrot is placed by its side.

 Santa comes.

 And friends come too. A beautiful gathering of special souls who have held us through this year and seen us along the way to where we now stand. So grateful for friends and the love they give...

And their sweet kids, outside with our own in their shirtsleeves, no snow, playing to their heart's content.

 Our hearts are so full. Blessings and love to you and yours at this special time of year.