Christmas 2018

It's been a very difficult and bittersweet holiday this year. I've been a bit reluctant to share pictures from our Christmas this year since it was scattered with worry and stress throughout (my dad scared us with another hospital stint right before Christmas)...the pictures don’t show that I know, but in looking at them and experiencing this Christmas in particular I’m reminded that life is so very often a mix of joy and sorrow both. Wonderment and fear. That it’s okay to feel and acknowledge it all. I’m thankful we were able to carve out this time to experience the comfort that is family. That my heart was able to get there for it.

One thing at a time.

For Christmas this year I am so very thankful for church. It was our first time attending the Christmas church service at the Episcopal church that I started attending this past summer. It was beautiful. I can't quite explain it, but my chest actually expands every single time I attend. I leave this community feeling clear headed and with purpose. Like I can breathe again. This place of worship has become so important to me over this past year. It was just what I needed before heading home to celebrate our family Christmas.

Zoey is in dire need of new dress clothes, so for the church service she actually had to borrow clothes from me to wear. Kind of hit me how very crazy it is that I have a daughter that can wear my clothes. 

Santa came!

On Christmas Eve we realized that our baby Jesus for the Jesse Tree this year was a cyclopes Jesus...

I made a tasty egg bake with spinach, cheese, onions, peppers, and ham for our Christmas morning breakfast along with some cinnamon rolls.

Zoey and I were very ambitious this year with our cookies that we baked...I was thinking of my 109 pound dad the whole time baking and how he would hopefully get to enjoy them over the holidays.

It is pretty cool that Santa still thinks of Zoey as a kid...one of her most favorite gifts actually was this teddy bear from him.

and this tambourine...