it's hard to believe, but it's only one day till Christmas~

here in minnesota we have a layer of beautiful

white snow and we are heading to the north woods

to celebrate.


I don't think I have one more gift to wrap, or food item to prep,
 and now my hope is that after all the carrying on and
preparing, that I can sit back and soak in my family~ together
at our home away from home for Christmas.
i started this blog post yesterday and now while i wait for
lars to get home from work so we can head north, i will finish it.

some of my extended family have been sharing favorite
memories of Christmas's and
i read them and it takes me back too. when you are little
it seems like about 3 years between each Christmas, but now
it hardly seems worth it to decorate and undecorate.
it's January~then you blink and it's time to hang lights on the tree again! ha
why does time speed up so fast as we get older? i've often thought we have this all backwards.
i think time should fly when you're young and foolish, and slow down
when you're old so you can just hang out, sleep in and take in all you've learned,
count your blessing (very slowly) &
watch your grandchildren grow up.
am i making any sense?

I just think it would be great if we were retired from age 20-40 when we have strong bodies,
energy and then people could raise their own kids and travel etc.
   then we could start jobs and work from ages 40-65 when we're bored and the kids are gone.

: )
i think i'm on to something friends.

last week i got to spend 2 days at my daughter's.

(i'm trying not to use her name anymore because when anyone

puts her unusual name in a search engine my blog comes up and she likes her privacy
~~ & i don't blame her).

she and her hubbie have settled in at their house on the lake and she's decorating like

a grown up girl this year. they got their first beautiful fresh tree and she's

bought a few new things, plus inherited some family things to decorate with.

i'm going to share some photos from their place with y'all.

they are birders like us and they have a bank of windows in their living room

that make for great bird watching.

it was one of those bitterly cold spells when i was there and the birds

puff up their feathers to stay warm.

"hello puffy red cardinal".

it's always a thrill to see a pileated woodpecker. if i had to guess i'd say their flying

wingspan is about 3 feet!

fluffy new snow coated everything and it was so beautiful.

(it's snowing here right now too and i love it. love winter, love snow).

i stopped at a nursery that I've been eyeing since the kids moved and decided to

buy some fresh flowers and make her a Christmasy bouquet.

i got a a clippers and walked around their yard and cut the pine that i used and

took some pictures to show you how easy it is to make your own bouquets.

start with a block of wet floral foam that you purchase where you get fresh flowers.

i wanted a low bowl and used a clear one from the kitchen.

next start adding your greens. i like to mostly cover the foam and

then start adding in my flowers.

then just have fun adding in whatever flowers or berries you have.

one tip i'll share is that if you push a flower into the foam and decide you didn't want

it in that far, don't just pull it out a ways. that creates an air pocket and

the stem won't get any water. instead completely pull the flower out and re-insert it

in a new spot.

just loved their tall fraser fir tree~

and the gift wrap they chose.

from where i sat watching the birds, this ornament from long ago was shining at me.

kenz, so stinking cute in a scarf. she always crosses her front

paws like this. none of our dogs have ever done that, do you think

it's a girl thing since we have always had male dogs?

these pottery critters were made by an old family friend. i love

how a. used them all in her winter vinyette.

*there's a raccoon and hippo along with the puffin, penguin and walrus.

sparkly trees in the guest bath~

a big lighted star in a vintage metal box was perfect in the sunporch

i loved seeing they used this very old ceramic santa figurine that belonged to

a.'s grandma. look how pretty the row of snow capped evergreens look out the

kitchen window.

lars and i bought this wooden card box in maine 29 years ago and had

it shipped home. i have loved it well, but was ready to pass it on now.

and yep- i brought more cookies to their house and threw some haphazard

frosting on them. we're all trying to eat less sugar so i went to bed feeling like

i should be on the naughty list.

hi kenzie, i'll see you in a few hours when we all get to the lodge!

there's so many repetitious sentiments at Christmas, but i just want to

say, that if i could, i would wave a magic wand of protection over each of you.

i'd wish for good health (because if you have your health you have EVERYTHING...
or at the very least can figure all the rest out, and secondly,

i'd wish for peace in our hearts.

mine, my big sweeties (lars'),

my precious children and their loves...

my dear family and treasured friends and

anyone else reading this.

our youngest was born on Christmas day.

happy birthday cole,

as he knows so well, we consider him the best gift we've ever received at Christmas.

there was a major snowstorm that Christmas 28 year ago and
i only had one visitor because there was no travel advised.
it was beautiful and peaceful and perfect.

now lets go have a Merry Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

God Bless!
beth