our christmas butterfly

born under our counter top she flitted around our kitchen for a couple days playing a quiet game of eye spy with interested participants.

from the floor of the party

up above children run and laugh finding entertainment in each other 
and scattering toys behind as they go. 

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balloons bounce from person to person gently finding a resting spot until the next game of 'don't let it touch the floor.'
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 ice rattles in drinking glasses and paper dinner plates crackle in the wood stove.
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a song is sung, a gift unwrapped, and frosting is eagerly licked from candle bottoms.
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and in it all a child is treasured and celebrated,
 another year passed and many more to come.

gone with the wind

for our family ski season starts tomorrow.

i'm excited.
 

excited to wrestle the gear into the car, balance it all carefully across the icy parking lot, squeeze each foot perfectly into our cold hard boots and hit the slopes.


our chilly bottoms on the cold lift, the winter air whipping against our exposed skin, our burning thigh muscles working harder than they have in months, i'm looking forward to it all.

but more than anything i'm looking forward to the grand finale, the part when i let go and SPEED down the mountain, all my worries and woes scattering away behind me.

jammie time

good things come in small packages

little people grow quickly. 
we must keep our eyes and our hearts open and never forget to listen carefully, 
the wisdom they share can too easily be missed. 
the moments can never be regained.

a transition of time

the new year brings a clean slate, a celebrated opportunity to forgive last years mistakes, to learn from them, let them go, and prepare to make new ones. 

this year i wish for the strength to stand by my decisions, the courage to try harder, the humility to step back, and the presence to experience every moment.

finding the light

in this dark season, the light is coming from mysterious places: my neighbor's glowing snowflake, my daughter's sparkling eyes, a reflection of the christmas tree in the flat screen tv, and as pictured above glow-in-the-dark bocce balls. i'll take whatever i can get; it all fills me with warmth these days.

sugar and salt and cellophane

happy holidays!

exploring our differences

the kids were curious. the adults were happy. and the cold, dark night was brightened and warmed by our open hearts and ripples of laughter.

pure joy

joy: i swear she can see it in places i've lost sight of, feel it in places i can't reach, and live it in ways i strive to discover. so today i will look deep into her eyes and let her sparkle infuse me.

tis the season...

reasons i love the holidays:

the tree! 

what an adventure to find the perfect tree: the car ride full of anticipation, the trek through rows and rows of trees and suddenly, it's there, "how could no one else have picked this one, it's perfect!" a thank you to mother earth and a fresh cut, and it falls gently into our holiday celebration. tie it to the top or squish it inside between the kids and the whole ride home smells of evergreen and childhood memories. "welcome home tree, now let's embellish you." every ornament has a memory, every ornament has a story and every ornament fills the room with a little more cheer.

the cards! 

the cards are seemingly more and more special every year as post mail slips further and further from our daily lives. to receive and to send this tangible greeting makes me happy, truly happy!

the gifts! 

what a lovely thing to think about every person on your list and thank them for being such a special part of your life; to find (or make) just the right token of your appreciation and imagine that they will treasure it the way you treasure them.

the food! 
i love food! i love food all year long, but during the holidays when a few extra pounds is part of the package, i really enjoy the tasty morsels that reward every step of the holiday process. neighbors open up to each other with lovely holiday concoctions, friends share new favorite recipes, gatherings and dinners are full of decadent rich treasures that fill us up for the cold winter ahead. inevitably, no matter what you celebrate or don't, during this holiday season you are bound to run into something delicious, something that makes your day a little brighter.

the magic! 

for me the magic is everywhere. it's in the houses decorated with light and cheer; it's in the sticky gingerbread decorating fingers; it's in the holiday music and performance. the magic fills the air. 

and santa! in our house santa represents the mystery of life, the idea that some things appear to you from what feels like thin air. if we open ourselves up to the universe, we will be rewarded. if we give, we will receive. if we believe, magic can and does exist. we are fortunate!

so the holidays come with stress, and lists, and to-dos, but they also bring a deep sense of accomplishment, they facilitate friends helping friends, and families coming together. this time of year can even help us learn where to let go, help us recognize what is important and what can wait. to bring the magic of the season, we have to work a little harder, manage a little stress, but most good things in life come with a price, holiday or no holiday.

when it's all said and done, the holidays can be a source of light and warmth. you can let them bring you down or pick you up... your choice!

lighter

good friends make the work feel lighter.

ice or no ice...

the ice never came last night. there was a part of me that was disappointed. a lazy school-delay morning with my girls would have been nice, would have been special. and so i wonder, 'if i'm disappointed it never came, there must be a part of me that needed it,' 
so why not grant myself a lazy school-delay morning with my girls, ice or no ice...

hidden

hidden quietly among other things, the best gifts lay waiting to be discovered. when i open myself up, that's when i usually find them.

traditions

now that's why i love the holidays! sugar and spice and everything nice!

complete?

her name was to be lucca. instead, a girl she was and for that everyday I am grateful. how do you know when you're done? is there ever a last puzzle piece? or do you look back at some point a realize 

the puzzle was complete all along?

so many reasons to love the bath tub...

in the still of the night

when i come downstairs in the middle of the night i am overwhelmed with gratitude. in the stillness everything rests peacefully, my life feels abundant, luxurious, sometimes even excessive. i'm trying to grasp hold of that feeling now, trying to let it guide me through the sea of to-dos, want-tos and shoulds that lies ahead.

welcome baby

the post birth moments in which parents explore and treasure their new and precious babies are some of the most magical i have ever been witness to. 

efficiency

so much of my life has been dedicated to efficiency: paying bills on time, keeping up with the laundry, responding to emails as the arrive. i hardly ever missed the boat, and when i did, i had a good reason. i could understand logically that this was hard for other people, but personally i didn't get it. "just do it" and move on, that's how i rolled. well as life fills and stirs, i'm starting to understand better, 
i'm looking back and realizing what a luxury my efficiency really was.