Resting. Reflecting. And counting down.
I’ve had a good month of rest and reflection in regards to photography, and I’m very excited to share some new direction for 2013, but right now is for other things.
Now is for family. Friends. Our children.
It’s a time for nesting and settling, going to bed early and waking up naturally as the sun starts to peek through our windows. A time for flannel jammies, hot cocoa, and telling our boys about their Pa’s most favorite cookie in the whole world, the snickerdoodle, all to marvel at how they eat their own.
A time to unpack our own most favorite things, our little family’s traditions, like the day we venture into the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. It starts with a breakfast stop along the way,
And wraps up with the hunt. This year was very different from the past decade; there was no snow.
Instead, there was a Colorado bluebird sky, crunching as we hiked in, and treasures of charred branches and quartz rocks. It was odd without that unique quiet of snow, but part of our December none-the-less.
The tree passed the inspection of Todd Helton the Cat.
Although it fell over about 12 times over the next several days. The best we could get for a while was a pretty decent sideways lean until Hank shimmed it and drilled it into place. Poor thing was too dry.
We really are ending our evenings early, listening to quiet stories being read by older brother to younger brother. Even though the boys no longer have to share a room, they still sleep in each other’s room, dragging a sleeping bag from one floor to the next.
And one of my favorite sounds?
Their deep, rhythmic breathing after once again counting down the days until Christmas.
Amen to that.
