Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours we wish you a most wonderfully magical Christmas Day!  May the memories you make today be ones that you carry with you forever! xoxo

Christmas Eve

We wish you all the most magical of nights tonight and the most magical day of days tomorrow! May all your Christmas wishes come true! 

Sunday Smiles::Christmas Eve Eve

Our Sunday began earlier than normal since Grace needed to be at the church about an hour before the service for one final choir rehearsal.  The sanctuary was basically empty, except for the two choirs of children who were there for the final run through.  The sunlight streaming through the windows was just begging for me to take pictures and I gladly answered the call.  The beauty and peace that was present in that sanctuary is one that I am glad I was able to capture.  After all, it's not often that we're there when the sanctuary is so empty!  The choirs all sang beautifully and the service was lovely.  Two days till Christmas and I think we are more than ready!

Celebrating Solstice

The night before Solstice Emma had fallen asleep earlier than expected so Grace and I got to do a little bit of elving by ourselves.  Together we made this lovely Solstice Sun Tree Topper.  I had seen this project in the winter edition of Rhythm of the Home and had planned to buy wool felt and make it.  Somehow time managed to slip by and no felt had been bought.  Not wanting to wait until next year I decided we'd make it out of construction paper. I cut the shapes and Grace glued them. Not having shown her the picture before hand I was pleasantly surprised that she added a second row of rays all on her own.  "It looks more like a sun this way, mama."  And indeed it does.  When it was finished we agreed it was beautiful and that yes, we'd be ordering wool felt (two shades of yellow!) to make a more permanent one for next year.

After I tucked Grace in that night, I got to work making some Solstice crowns for them for the next morning.  I wanted there to be some kind of surprised awaiting them (especially Grace who helped with our lovely tree topper).  Emma was super surprised to see the sun on top of our tree on Solstice Day, and both were super surprised to see sun crowns just like the topper!

Our Solstice was rainy and chilly out.  We would have much prefered snow, of course but that is not what Mother Nature had on the agenda for us.  With that in mind we offered to hang with my friend Sarah's boys while she ran some errands in that very yucky weather.  When they arrived we mixed up the batter for some Solstice sun cupcakes like we make each year. 

While the cupcakes were baking, guinea pigs were held, toys were played with and new games created.  And while the cupcakes were cooling I got the gift of having a baby fall asleep in my arms.  It has been a long time since that happened and oh, how lovely it was!  Shortly after he fell asleep, Sarah returned and lunch was made.  Good friends and good food helped to round out a lovely Solstice Day.  Once lunch was done and the cupcakes were perfectly cooled we got to work frosting them. 

And yes, they were as delicious as they look!  Not needing two dozen cupcakes we sent some home with our friends so they could share a bit of Solstice sweetness with the rest of their family. It was an absolutely delightful day! Winter Solstice has become one of my most favorite holidays to celebrate.  For us, Solstice is not about giving gifts to each other, though I do believe that when I get a little better at knitting it will be when each person receives their mittens/gloves and hat for that year.  For us, Solstice is about celebrating the Earth, the arrival of a new season and the animals that inhibit this place we call home. And while we have yet to make our bird feeders (they are on today's agenda) the chance to celebrate with friends and share a simple meal of soup and bread made Solstice Day even more special. In this day and age where life moves by at such a fast pace, and Christmas has become so commercial and harried, the chance to celebrate simply is so necessary and so appreciated.  We hope that each of you had a lovely Solstice Day and that this new season brings with it much peace and love. 

Happy Winter Solstice!

May the quiet of this night and the beauty of the world all around us be a blessing to you all! Pictures of our Solstice Celebration will be up tomorrow.  Until then, I leave you with a beautiful Solstice blessing written by my friend Carri Brellis:  

May the light of your heart touch those that you love.  

May you release all that no longer suits you to make room for renewal and rebirth. 

May Father Sun warm your days and remind you of his return. 

May Mother Earth grant you continued sustenance and provisions. 

May Grandmother Moon and the Star People guide you through the night. 

May compassion, gratitude and forgiveness be in every breathe throughout your days. 

The Stockings Were Hung

This year the stockings have found a new home.  In the past we've hung them on our lovely bookshelves, but in all honesty that never seemed quite right.  I had been wanting to find a new location for them but until yesterday I had no idea where to relocate them to.  Thanks to this post on Amanda Soule's blog a new home was finally found for our very fancy stockings.  While Dave was reading to the girls in last night I quietly moved the stockings.  He came downstairs and was really quite impressed with their new location. "Wow! I like that a lot better!" he said.  And I have to agree.  It really is a very perfect location for these stockings of ours.  That Soule Mama sure is one smart cookie! 

Wordless Wednesday::A Girl Of Many Seasons