Merry Christmas to all...

It always happens so fast.  This rush of holiday, the relentless push to prepare and travel and do all the festive things, tying ribbon and baking cookies and running over and over the list of gifts in my mind, busy every moment and flying high on the adrenaline of anticipation...

And then-snap!- we are on the other side.  Trash bags are piled high with cardboard and wrapping and the living room is cluttered with boxes of toys, scarves, treasures and trinkets and the counters are piled with dishes and only a few broken cookies remain.  

It is one week and one day since we got out of school and we have been eating and drinking and breathing Christmas every moment and I've been trying so hard to soak it up.  The gifts!  The family time!  The hugs and toasts and the eating of rich, wonderful food.  I am exhausted and overwhelmed with the goodness of it all.

And still, I am surprised to find myself here, so soon.  Christmas, over again for another year.  A year's worth of magic, of warm-lit windows and gathered family, of red and green and sparkle and ribbon, wrapping and baking and playing on the rug, squeezed into one week of Norman Rockwell-ian beauty almost to wonderful to stand.  

We were blessed abundantly this Christmas, indeed.

A little picture-post recap to store up the magic for another year. 

Rewinding two weeks...  On December 13 we started our holiday season by focusing on giving to others.  In November, during my daily perusing of Facebook, I happened across a little article about a mom in California had decided to do something about the refugee crisis.  The war in Syria, and the refugees from that war, had been on my mind most of the fall, in that "back burner" sort of way.  But the terrorist attacks in Paris, and the ensuing fear/hate response from Americans towards any person of Middle Eastern heritage, brought it all to the front for me.  Enter "Carry the Future," a grassroots movement to get baby carriers to the refugees entering Greece by the thousands, carrying their babies and toddlers in arms across the sea and for hundreds of miles by foot.  A real, tangible, life-changing and life saving way to help.  A way to share the message that love is stronger than fear, that not all Americans are close-minded and scared.  

So I joined up.  A neighbor and I joined forces and began to take up our own collection. Meanwhile, Carry the Future grew from a few hundred volunteers in California to a few thousand worldwide.  Moms and dads and grandmothers and aunts, just normal people all brought together by the simple notion that all people deserve safety and love and that we can work together to help people carry their burden.

It's magical and hope-giving work.  

Here are Ivy and Riley with our 33 carriers, gifts from neighbors and friends and complete strangers called to give what they can. All used already to carry loved little ones here at home, now packed to ship to families oversea, families who have lost everything, who are living in fear and insecurity.  We hope that these carriers will hold babies close to their mama's hearts, and a little bit of our love will linger there too, and help carry them to safety. 

Later that same week...

Our one day of winter for the season so far!  We had this little, rather unexpected snowfall, just heavy enough to coat the Heights for about 36 hours.

We went sledding.

 Deck the Hall at Stan Hywet...

A slight chill was still in the air on Sunday when we spontaneously decided to go down to Stan Hywet a day earlier than planned.  Us and the rest of the population of Northeast Ohio.  It was madness. We were parked in the 3rd overflow lot (the kids loved the shuttle ride!) and we were all set to regret our decision...
But we needn't have feared.  As could be expected, it was absolute splendor and magic once we went through the gates, and the crowds were merry and festive instead of oppressive (except in the line for hot chocolate.  That was brutal).

 I just love this place.  It always feels a little bit like coming home to be here.  The home of my dreams, anyways...

 The kids really got into the house tour. Of course, who wouldn't?  It was stunning in there, all decked out in impossible finery layered on top of the everyday opulence.  SO many tiny villages!  So much greenery.  In the music room, as the nonstop crowd moved slowly through, we were entertained by this fabulous jazz group and it really felt like we were milling about at one of the Seiberling's famous parties instead of being herded along in a large group tour.

 Plus, we got to experience it all with some of our favorite people.

Can't get much better than that.

  Christmas, part 1-- at Becca's house.
Bec hosted our Ohio family gift exchange and brunch in her own lavishly decorated Christmas wonderland.

Let the spoiling and hugging and eating of rich food begin! Two joyful spaniels added to the mix and there was a lot of love to go around.  :)

Then, off to New York...

We arrived on December 22nd and picked up Vovo at the airport.  The next day we spent the morning at Mackenzie Childs...

The friendliest of sheep.  This one ran after us when we went to leave.  A running sheep is quite possibly the cutest thing ever.

We have seen a startling number of these things recently-- a dress or robe split open to reveal a scene...  first at Stan Hywet, now here.  So incredibly strange...

 ... and the afternoon playing outdoors in the 60 degree weather.  Look at this lovely house...

 A walk on the lakefront property

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... and a trip to Ithaca to meet up with Jamie and Casey.

Christmas eve:  Dinner with Uncle Randy and our cousins.... complete with sunset cocktails on the porch.  Is is summer vacation???

The kids are growing up-- in place of toys and running and shrieking, they now gather to share new favorite computer games...

But some things don't change, like Ivy's undying love for David...

 Look at my little niece Lauren!  A sophomore at Cornell, tall, confident and brilliant, she heads off on a singing trip to Costa Rica next week.  She's fabulous!

 These 5!  Such a great crew.  They play so well together.  The triplets are so kind and well-spoken, and so caring to their little cousins.  It's beautiful to watch.

 After a lovely church service, home to put out cookies for Santa...  When I asked it they wanted to leave a note, Jack said dismissively, "Oh, I know its just you and dad who eat them..."  But a little while later he shows up with this pink post-it:

(He also very consciously selected the pink chicken plate for Santa.  I love him so much. )

Opening the first present! (slippers for Jack, a new sparkly dress for Ivy)

Then off to bed.  Jack read Night Before Christmas to us!   Incredible.

My favorite part.

 ... and the reaction that makes all the work so *completely* worth it.

 Stockings! Mia was incredibly happy with her rawhide...Her cuteness made us forgive her for waking us all up at 5am...

 ... and the kids loved their matching, strange little Creepers...

 We have really enjoyed this simple sticker Advent calendar given to us by a friend.  The kids carefully alternated turns with placing stickers all month, and didn't forget once.  Here, they are carefully collaborating to place the tree in the center, on Christmas morning...

Breakfast before tree presents... making the morning last...

 Present time.

Ivy's gift for Jack-- a hand made and decorated house for his Minecraft minifigures.  He was so gracious and complimentary of her work.  I was so proud of them both.

One of the favorite gifts of the season-- Nat's compilation of his summer's work on Estelle's slides.  Treasured by each recipient.

 Christmas Day.  65 degree sunshine.  Unreal.

 Christmas Dinner at Aunt Betsey's house.

Ivy and Izzy slipped back into friendship.  Ivy also wants a DS now.

Lauren orchestrated presents with professional aplomb.

 Here Izzy is teaching Ivy how to use her new rubber band loom.  Ivy loves it. So does Jack.  He even offered to trade use of his new Kindle fire to get a turn with the loom.  Ivy is convinced she is going to sell each bracelet for $2.  She is a girl on a mission.

 The kids table.  Love this crew.

A very Merry Christmas indeed. We are so blessed to be surrounded with this beautiful family, living a life of such abundance and love and light.

Merry Christmas to all....

...and to all a good night.