Happy Holidays! We are in full cozy-mode around here. I don’t know about all of you but I seem to fluctuate daily between experiencing pure joy this Christmas season and also being totally overwhelmed about all the things a parent needs to do and be during the holidays. These feelings seemed to be heightened depending on whether I am drinking wine or coffee, so maybe if I just started drinking, like, water, my feelings would level off. Maybe I should also join the kids in the blanket fort and take a long winter’s nap!
(Or ask Joe to cuddle me the way he cuddles Zuzu… Isn’t that dog clever about getting around the “no dogs on couch” rule?)
Anyway, here are a few of the things our family has been up to these past couple months! Or at least the things I managed to take a few photos of.
In November, we attended a few birthday parties! One for our cousin Violet’s 1st birthday and also for our friend Maddie’s 5th! It was nice to get out and be social, and even better to do it in the warmth of the indoors. Happy birthday once more, lovely ladies!
We also went to Cece’s 2nd and 3rd grade concert where we were so moved by the lovely singing and impressed by the musical skills of these sweet kids.
Thanksgiving was spent quietly at our own home. Rosie told me our simple meal was “too fancy” because I put their milk in goblets. And Ares didn’t really like anything besides corn and cranberry sauce. Tough crowd. Next year, I’m ordering Chinese food. As for Thanksgiving weekend, we traveled up to see Joe’s family in St. Cloud where we infected everyone with a stomach virus. I am still sorry for this!
December rolled in and so did some snow. The kids have enjoyed sledding with our neighbors when possible. There was even a day when Cece went sledding before school!
At the beginning of December we did the usual festive family things… visiting Santa, making gingerbread houses, decorating the house, etc. We also visited Santa and his critters in downtown Hudson. This year there were no reindeer… but there was a camel? Like the wisemen rode? I’ll take it.
We got our trees up just a little earlier this year (before Thanksgiving) and enjoyed extra time in a holly jolly house.
I sort of wish we could always have Christmas decorations up since it makes our house about 100x cozier. Whenever I am home, I am wrapped in a fleece blanket with Christmas music playing and scented candles burning with the fireplace on. It’s basic, but joyful and I’m ok with that!
Speak of joy, my sister came in for a short visit just last week! The highlight of our trip was visiting our bro at Lat 14 and eating our way through a myriad of delicious dishes. If you haven’t gone yet, I’m telling you… GO!
I also attended a couple of cookie baking nights! One was with my college girlfriends. The other was on a Sunday morning with my little daughter friends. Can you tell which cookies are from which bakers?
That’s about all around these parts! Ending on a selfie I took on a break during my holiday mini sessions. Even though the weather turned December-y, I’ve still been busy with photos. I shot several holiday mini sessions and also a Make-A-Wish event this month. I still have a few more shoots before 2018 wraps up and I couldn’t be more thankful for the steady flow of business all year!
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Also, I want to say thank you to all for the kindness expressed to our family after I published my last post about our miscarriage. I feel hugged and loved and steadied. I have good days and bad days (and days with wine and pizza after the kids are in bed!), but we are doing ok and we are looking to the future with hope, grateful for all that we have!
If I don’t post again until after Christmas, happy holidays to you and yours from me and mine!
xoxo,
rachel