We're back

Back from our internet hiatus and back from a fantastic vacation north to visit my Godmother, both of which we really enjoyed.  In years past our vacations have given us great blog fodder thanks to an abundance of youthful energy, but for some reason (could it be we are getting older, or is it just the toddler sapping all of our strength?) this year we relished an entire week of just lounging.  Really just lounging.  We spent a little time out on the town (we really love Petoskey), a little time cooking dinners (trying out our favorite recipes on family is always fun), and a little time playing in the snow, and all of it was fantastically relaxing and the perfect way to start the new year off right.

More pictures from the trip can be found in the Merry Christmas (2008) album.  Happy new year!

5 days: our yule log is here early

Snow and cold, that's what winter is all about.  The flip-side of that coin, of course, is the hot chocolate, cozy blankets, and brilliant fires that keep us warm inside.  Yesterday we shovelled, today we played in the snow (for over an hour), and tonight we sit in front of a warming fire made ever more charming by the scent of pine and the glow of Christmas lights that garnish the room.  Five days are left until Christmas; all of our shopping is done; all of our wrapping is done; we've read the T'was the Night Before Christmas to Calvin more times than we can count; tonight (and perhaps all the others, too) we are sitting back and enjoying the warmth of the season.  We hope you are doing the same!

6 days: hindsight is 20/20

We never should have used the words "snowed in" those few days ago.  Sure, the snow was pretty, and yes, it required shoveling, and not just the usual wait-for-the-sun-to-melt-it-technique but real true shoveling, but by using those particular words "snowed in" we jinxed ourselves and this morning we woke up to a winter onslaught of snow and ice that left us with over 1 foot of new snow to shovel after lunch.  Really, this isn't a problem for us–we love snow, and hope this means we will be blessed with the coveted white Christmas–but today we really were snowed in; the plow visited our neighborhood several times before the snow stopped around one o'clock, but he didn't plow out our little cul-de-sac, and the foot plus of snow combined with the throw from the plow made our off-shoot impassable in the true meaning of the word. But no worries; we had dinner supplies and plenty to do, especially with the fun that the snow itself supplies.  Shoveling took nearly two hours, the majority of which, I'm sure, was devoted to throwing snow balls, sledding the driveway, and climbing snow mountains.  Oh, and shoveling the lawn so our seven pound dachshund can make it out to potty.

8 days: up to our you know whats

If we were aiming for a white Christmas our decoration arrived a week too early.  We watched the snow falling last night and woke up to a true winter wonderland this morning.  It's always more enjoyable when there's no place you have to go, and even more so for Calvin, who doesn't have to shovel it.  If we are lucky it will stick around long enough to brighten our Christmas day, but we won't hold our breath; we've celebrated Michigan Christmases long enough to know better.

Have you lost the magic?

Shopping.  Cooking.  Stress over company, wrapping, cleaning, and correspondence.  Is this what the holidays become as we grow older?  I love Christmas and have fought what many see as the inevitable loss of the magic even as I have gained in years what I have lost in innocence (there were possibly a few touchy moments in more recent years where the exactitude of the occasion began to overtake the sweetness of the event) but nothing has done more for my holding onto that magic than having a child.  All week we planned to attend tonight's ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree in downtown Dexter, but when today arrived with its blustery cold (only 18 degrees at noon), the affair looked far less inviting.  Not so to Calvin, though, and we found ourselves bundling up as best as we could, grumbling a bit under our freezing breath about the absurdity of the situation.  But it's hard to grumble on when faced with the shining stars of curiosity in your child's eyes at the site of the crowds, the warmth of the fires, and the beauty of the large tree.  Even more overwhelming to my heart was his wonder and excitement at exploring the dreamily lit, child friendly (i.e. ride on) manger scene;  he tried out all the camels, the donkey, the sheep, and then spent long moments gazing into the eyes of Mary, the kings, and even Baby Jesus.  Be still my fluttering heart, THIS is the magic of Christmas.

More pictures in the Dec 2008 album.