snow and christmas

two weeks ago we were covered with this beautiful blanket of snow. i am always in awe of the way snow can make the simplest things transform into this magical world. it is a real gift here... we usually get one snowfall per year... in a lucky year we may get more... but some years we get none at all. 

peace.

"it does not mean to be in a place

where there is no noise, trouble,

or hard work. it means to be in 

the midst of those things and still

be calm in your heart."

(unknown)

inside the house i have been intentionally pairing red and green in every little nook that i can. our pace has switched from steady to very fast and we are doing our best to keep up. there are always so many more things that i want to do this time of year... and with so much less time... there is always a point where i must stop, sigh, and say "maybe next year."

gathering with friends and family is such an important thing this time of year. we felt so fortunate to have a visit from the sweet couple above (all the way from the land down under) and even though it had been five years since our last visit it felt as though hardly any time had passed at all. we were so happy to be a stop on their journey.

my mom, sisters, and nephew also made a visit in hopes to revive an old tradition that belonged to my mom and one of her sisters... wreath making. i remember each year my mom would make wreaths and centerpieces out of a vast array of greenery and most years my aunt and cousins would join in on the fun. we had such a wonderful time and my sweet mom spent so much time helping my little girls make their own swags for their own rooms... they were absolutely thrilled.

then we finally got our tree and that decorating began. i put up the lights and then the kids hung every ornament we had. i was quite impressed with how well they did. in the beginning all of the ornaments were at the bottom front of the tree and i was thinking i may need to adjust a few things... but then... they started adjusting on their own and we came out with a fairly balanced and definitely beautiful tree. i think that the imperfections are what makes it so perfect.

i know that i said an ornament tutorial would be on the way and i am sorry that it hasn't come... i didn't expect things to get quite so busy. we definitely have been getting the elving spirit the last few days especially... so it's still possible... but not likely before christmas. 

i have been so inspired by the making here (alicia) and here (amanda)... goodness those women are brilliant. maybe some new ideas for next year.