darling duckie

christmas card 2011

Photo by Ashley Karras

Card Designed by Amber Bowen

merry christmas from us to you

Are you all ready? We had a few hiccups here and when it was all done, I didn't feel much like celebrating. But now that the house is clean and the parties are underway, it feels like Christmas.

savor

I read this post from the Shutter Sisters today and thought it adequately describes what I am trying desperately to remember. Savoring the moments: the warmth, the love, the fun, the excitement of the holiday season... and really, just savoring life. Last weekend, on Thanksgiving, I was running around the house trying to get things clean. I love having a nice clean home to come home to after a little vacation but I was just stressing out. It was a blessing that we were going out of town, not only to see our family, but to force me into leaving that incessant list that I am forever adding to and so seldom checking off. It forced me to relax and enjoy. We were only gone for a couple of days but upon our return, I exerted much effort in keeping "relaxed Alicia" here. And it was well worth the effort. We slept and ate and played and watched movies and ate and played downtown. I tried not to worry about parking or walking or bothering other people with a baby who had "found her loud voice" as my friend put it. We went to a museum and saw the Christmas lights and ate at a cafe I have been thinking about for months. I tried to take small, slow bites of the lovely strawberry napolean and really let the flavors settle in my mouth. I held Billy's hand and we talked and enjoyed ourselves even though it was cold and crowded and hard to find a parking spot.

And you know what? In the end, we even had time to get somethings done. We finished putting up the new bookcases and put the Christmas decorations up and Billy fixed the vacuum and the computer.

It was worth it to savor the tastes and sights and sounds. I really should try it more often.

So here's to savoring the yummy little moments of life.

danke danke danke

I feel as though I should write something that I am grateful for. Not because of outside pressure but because I have so much. There are all the things that I am obviously grateful for (my Billy, my baby, my house, the Gospel) but there are so many small things that I feel so happy are in my life. So here is a list, off the top of my head:

our down comforter with a newly washed duvet

that feeling when I go outside to unplug our lights late at night and it is so cold and windy that, when I jump back inside our living room, I am immediately surrounded in warmth and comfort and safety

Steamers from 7-Eleven (I have yet to find a better one)

colorful walls

talented friends and people I don't even know personally who continute to inspire me

books to read and bookstores to peruse

savings

our sleeping garden

artwork that livens up our home

new bookshelves

a baby that crawls with her butt sticking up in the air

 the plants on our kitchen table

YOU, who read and support and make me feel that what I have to write and share is important to you

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

All Hallows Eve

We love Halloween. I would say that it is the most wonderful time of the year. And every year we go to the family Halloween party. Everyone dresses up. Adults and kids. Everyone. And this year my family did a theme... Harry Potter. I was Miss Luna Lovegood while Billy was Professor Snape and Little Miss Millie was the Sorting Hat, of course.

Then there was Professor McGonagall and Mad Eye Moody:

And Ginny and Harry:

And Nymphadora Tonks:

With Belatrix Lestrange and Nearly Headless Nick:

christmas 2010

 I hope you had a wonderful, cozy little Christmas weekend. We spent ours up in Logan. It felt good to be back in our beloved Logan and take pictures of everything.

 

merry christmas... to you!

 

a very merry

Are you ready?

monday

I should have written something between the last post and this one, since they are very similar. But this time, since I have nothing nice to say (let's just say I am more than looking forward to having this child (in March) and maybe feeling comfortable for the first time in many many months), I am not going to write anything at all but I will post some holiday pictures.

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Merry Christmas!

'tis the {clementine} season

Mmmm, my favorite time of year...

yum!