2020 has been a lot of things, hasn't it? Never a dull moment, and full of unexpected surprises. Like the picture-perfect Christmas we managed to have in the midst of a global pandemic. A well-timed winter storm, combined with our great blessings of abundance, many candles, cookies galore, and an extreme amount of wrapping paper and ribbon... and you've got yourself a Rockwellian level of magic. Couldn't have asked for more. We are grateful for the gift of this holiday.
Keeping busy during the countdown:
In the midst of wrapping, baking and cleaning, Ivy and I spent a day entertaining this little sweetie. Ellie has decided that Ivy is Empress's "god-sister," and Ivy is totally ok with that.
So much love between these two.
It's pretty special to watch your baby share one of her favorite books from babyhood with another little one... Ivy is so gentle and patient with babies.
A balmy, breezy day on the 23rd called for a lake visit.
Sadly we lost our nice day by the time we met our cousins downtown to see the lights... in the gale force winds and sleet. Silver lining: the wet pavement made for magical reflections! And bonus of wearing masks-- they keep you nice and cozy.
And then it was Christmas Eve! Got some errands done in the morning, ahead of the storm, then we snuggled in. Gram arrived for her stay midafternoon, and we passed the time crafting a gingerbread house.
I love Sunny's attentive pose in this picture. Kitty's first Christmas and she was curious about *everything!*
By the time the house was done, the snow had arrived and the world was awash in white. A perfect time to dress up as Santa and spread some cheer!
Our walk around the block was one of the most joyful half- hours I've had in a while. So much honking and waving and smiling. And so much SNOW!
Dinner was turkey, asparagus, sweet potatoes, rolls and salad. Simple and delicious.
Christmas Eve services were a little different this year, that's for sure. But the music was lovely and we lit no less than 25 candles and our living room looked cozy and lovely on the Zoom screen and we were together.
The Advent wreath was lit, and we sang Silent Night in the soft light, and it was lovely.
Snugged everyone in and then it was time to work the magic.
My favorite night of the year, right here.
I'm always the first one awake on Christmas morning. This year even the littlest one slept til 8 so I had plenty of time to soak up this view...
Time to get this show on the road!
Our boy woke up feeling a little woozy but happily he rallied quickly and felt better after a little breakfast.
This little girl was feeling just fine, though.
Winter had a great time until she unwrapped this rawhide and then she had to spend the rest of the day guarding it in her crate. She kind of has a problem with rawhide. It pretty much breaks her.
Kitty was a bit overwhelmed. She got ome catnip mice and things got wild for a while. Then she fell asleep in an empty box.
Then she got her new bed and Ivy put her in it and she spent the rest of the day like this.
The aftermath. All that work and preparation and magic... all for this! It's insanity, this Christmas thing, isn't it? And I would do it a million times over.
Happy boy in his jazzy new desk space. He let me play a round of Forza with his new wheel and I have to admit it was pretty fun.
After lunch we spent quite a while digging ourselves out of a good 18 inches of snow.
All so we could head to our Christmas day movie.
Snuggled in to our private theater with our besties and a Harry Potter movie on the big screen.
It was pretty fun, and we'll probably do it again.
A movie doesn't give you a ton of time to talk with the friends you miss, though. These three wistfully wished for a chance to go back to each other's houses and hang out more. Someday soon, sweeties.
