wabi sabi christmas

wabi sabi- the beauty and appreciation of the imperfect, incomplete and impermanent.

a brief snippets post since december's activities make a writing cohesive narrative difficult. 

we had our ward christmas party. it was yet another santa claus free christmas party. it was fine. i love jesus, i also don't think santa claus is the devil. the funeral potatoes were good. i was hoping for baked macaroni and cheese. i made an ugly yet delicious christmas tree cake at the children's behest. scarlett was an angel in the nativity production. reagan was a wise man. somehow at the last minute, athena blythe and her little friend finagled parts as angels too.

 we did a low key christmas fondue.i'm trying to make christmas traditions about fun and togetherness and not necessarily the same traditions each year. some are just not always doable and some traditions need to die.

 herschel had his MUCH anticipated christmas program at his preschool. he practiced his songs for months. nothing invites the spirit of the season like, "all aboard the christmas express, toot toot". that was not me, that's part of the song.

we tried to make gingerbread cookies. no one likes gingerbread cookies that much anyway.

we had friends over to watch the BYU potato bowl game. we ate pulled pork on baked potatoes and played the dreidel game with hershey kisses.

 we also lit a bunch of candles and called it a menorah because athena blythe was really into judaism this year. 

 three cheers for me because i skipped my big workout of the week and took the kids for doughnuts. the fitness industry would have you believe that you can never miss a day or you're a failure, but i'll tell you what, they are wrong. also, can we stop saying, "werk, grind, slay all day, and swaaat". thanks. i don't even like doughnut. i'd like more drive-thru brownie places.

we drove over to bethlehem, georgia to watch their live nativity. this is something that i would like to attempt to do every year. 

a sister from church made this for ME. asian, quilting, wall art. i didn't know she knew me that well. but this is going in a place of honor for the rest of my life. i didn't know i had a thing for handmade gifts until i realized that some of my favorite things are fabric art. a cross stitch made by my sister in law sarah when reagan was born, a quilt made by my dearest friend jessica when athena blythe was born and now this!

christmas eve. it was low key. we read scriptures. we snuggled. i actually had a bunch of wrapping paper this year so there were no panicked last minute drives to the store and i went small on the gift giving this year so there wasn't much wrapping. i like doing it this way. 

we got a new 9 foot tree and i let the kids hang the ornaments however they wanted. note the one lone ribbon hanging off the edge that herschel hadn't finished pulling off yet. that's our look this year. wabi sabi christmas- the beauty and appreciation of the imperfect, incomplete and impermanent. being laid back is a-okay. except for kitchen organization. but now i can say, "remember when i let everyone decorate how they wanted? then put everything away in the kitchen exactly how i like."

 i just love this view. we have no more couch throw pillows because of various spills and illnesses, we have a million toys under the couch, the ceiling fan always has dust but it's almost always on so it's hard to notice, we have a picture of jesus on the table. wabi sabi!

the future of america, ladies and gentlemen:

 note from santa about getting a dog. we already discussed how that went. wah wah. cue the price is right loser music.

reagan always asks for an addition to his puppet collection and this year he wanted a snake puppet. he named him snake claus. 

 i found this 1983 herschel walker sports illustrated magazine at a thrift store for a $1. it's torn so it has no "value" on the antique market but the tear means nothing to me when it can still be displayed as art. i framed it for thomas. thomas and i have bonded over art in our advanced years.

 reagan, wearing a muppet shirt, holding a muppet shirt. best quote of the morning, "i love it when the presents are for me." saying what we're all thinking.

a french beret for our fancy french girl. athena blythe also really wanted some a nutcracker doll for christmas. she's read several versions of the nutcracker this season and wanted one of her own. i bought her 3 small christmas ornament sized nutcrackers. she opened them with glee and exclaimed, "now i can build my army!" which i do not doubt in the least. 

we now have 4 scooters and we can all scooter together. that's the secret to parenting: no sharing.

 after christmas i scrambled to think of fun, outdoorsy, safe for all ages, inexpensive things to do. the first day was a bust because everything was closed at this tiny outdoor shopping and skating area. 

 but this was an unexpected surprise in the middle of rural georgia:

you don't see plaques quoting the book of mormon every day in the bible belt. i bet most people think mosiah is isaiah's younger, more obscure brother. 

again, so cute! so closed!

singing the december 26th blues

the following saturday we all went to monroe, georgia for the day. we ate at chik fil a, by request, but we explored this darling little town. this is our second year coming here at the holiday's and it's a fun tradition. one day i will come alone because it is a treasure trove of antiques and collectibles. good stuff. not just kinda old stuff, roughed up by an amateur to make it look old. someday i want to explore long enough to find a complete 70s china set for every day use. WHY NOT!?

our favorite book shop. the fun parent was there so books were purchased while i stood back and furrowed my brow and thought, "the library is free!" unless you have $40 in fines. stop it. i don't know how it happens. okay i do know. kids lose everything!

i've tried twice now and i cannot get an image that will do justice to this "the lion, the witch and the wardrobe" closet to story time secret passage room. 

hard cider in the hobbit house

athena blythe was done participating and read her new book at every stop from hereon out.

everywhere we went people asked if we were the babysitters! i imagine it's because i was so calm and collected and rested looking the whole time. 

full disclosure in tiny print, i used a filter on this photo.

 we ate ice cream. i trapped thomas in a small art museum for way longer than anyone wanted to be there.

we drove home. i fell asleep watching the college football playoff semi-final. i wish i could have slept through the national championship game and put myself out of my misery but i was wide awake and full of coaching and player critiques like the dedicated, loving super fan that i am.