Christmas Time

It's Christmas Eve. Soup is on the stove. I'm in a pair of sweat pants and my Mom's old sweater from Connecticut. I conveniently stole it right before we moved to Germany, in anticipation of nights like this. I'll await a Skype call from Canada, so Babcia can see us "on tv." And we'll be all too happy to see the faces we're missing very much this night.

Aside from a certain amount of homesickness, there has been a very nice lead up to Christmas this year. No real travel stress, or present stress, or festive meal stress. We really got to enjoy the season. Yes, we jumped the gun and bought our tree too early. It is so dead right now that a hearty sneeze would blow off all of the needles. And so our handblown ornaments remain in a box, lest the tree give up its branches under their feather-light weight. 

We watched the snow fall on French rooftops, and met old friends on the bank of the Siene. We did crafts that were full of nostalgia and listened to the girls sing Oh Tannenbaum like they meant it. We had popcorn, and watched Elf. Eloise even fell asleep on the couch in my arms, while new baby reminded me with soft kicks that she was there too.

Near the Black Forest, our first snow sighting in almost two years.

I would tend to agree with this.

At the Christmas market in Dusseldorf.

Round and round ...

I hope that everyone has a moment or two this Christmas that just feels special, or is important to them. Maybe it's your child's first Christmas concert, or the first time they've said "ho ho ho". Maybe you realize the strength in the smallest of hands. Or the knowledge that someone, somewhere is thinking of you and wishing they could tell you Merry Christmas.

xo
Tara and Family