Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Well, hello there New Year. Welcome! Come and stay a while, or at least for eleven and a half months when you have to leave to make room for your replacement. I'm glad to see you. Didn't mind at all saying goodbye to your predecessor, Mr. 2013. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the worst year ever or filled with all manner of terrible but there are more than a few things from last year that I am happy to be finished with. I'm looking at you multiple lice infestations and burst water pipe in our sub floor. In truth 2013 was really sweet in many other ways and it sure did end well.

The holidays were some of my favorites so far. And truth be told I don't always anticipate them with tidings of great joy. I do love both Thanksgiving and Christmas so very much. But in the past I've held onto hopes that they'd be something they never could possibly be. Knowing we wouldn't see family I missed so much made me believe disappointment was inevitable. I used to spend time being sad for what the holidays wouldn't be before they were anything at all. But this year it was just time for me to sort of stop waiting for someone else to make our holidays wonderful and instead just make them wonderful myself.

So we did it. We made the holidays intimate and lovely and ours. Our very own. I recognized (for the first time) how precious it is to just be us. Instead of missing everyone we love (and we did and continue to) Yet this time I saw the joy in being our comfortable, tried and true foursome. The joy in not having to navigate around other schedules, palettes, styles, and expectations. And I savored every moment. I truly did. Not once did I long for more. My heart is so very full.

The house was festive for weeks and of course looked that picked up for about three minutes during those 21 days. But they were glorious minutes to be sure! And the girlies, in all their tiny-ness. Ahh, to be little at Christmas is the very best thing to be.



It turns out I have a precious little family. Our little foursome is a force. The girls are getting so big. Growing up more each day. The Ainsley love lost her first tooth and it seemed impossible to believe she was old enough for this milestone.


I promise not to look too far into you, 2014. To enjoy each day of you and really be here. In the moment.

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