life, as we know it: love/hate

winter solstice. that was yesterday. and here's the thing about winter solstice. i love it and i hate it. hate it: it's the shortest day of sunshine in the whole year. that's tough for me. i need sunshine. i thrive on sunshine. sunshine is my air. love it: the days only get longer from here, AND only 4 days until that blessed christmas day. i could not be any more excited.

i still have so much to do it's unreal. december has been insane. so much so that at times i am literally living from 10 minutes to 10 minutes. work has been nuts and christmas has crept up on me so quickly that i am way behind and still have shopping to do. and wrapping. ahhh! picked up beth's last gift at the wonderful clothes pony yesterday. (super excited about that one..) the town was a-buzz with shoppers and skaters amidst christmas carols playing in the background. it was very jolly.

and tell me, in what other town do you see this?

c'mon, how rad is that? where else have you ever seen painted pianos just out in the town for anyone to play? i love fort collins. notice the little kid playing... totally busted out jingle bells, right off the top of his head. it was awesome. very jolly. and helped me keep my mind off the fact that it got dark at 4:22pm.

hank and i put beth down and wrapped her presents tonight while we watched charlie brown's christmas and home alone. i know, old school, but great holiday movies. we were totally cracking up. and when we got done, i looked at my tree and just felt so.... blessed. i am so lucky. we are so lucky. we have such a good, comfortable life and have so much when there are so many that have so little. i love that i get to spend time with my family. i love the different spirit in the air. i love that we have all been healthy. i love that we have get to celebrate the birth of our Jesus Christ. and i am so grateful.

but i have also learned that toys are hard to wrap. they're all weird shapes and uncooperative and awkward... so they're not pretty, but they're wrapped. this one is my favorite. both wrapped and unwrapped. can't wait for her to open this one. yes, it is what it looks like-ish. but now you'll have to wait and see it after beth does. but it's awesome.

and notice the troll wrapping paper, gifted to me by a good friend who thought i might appreciate it. and she was right, i love it! how original is it. and it's like 30 years old to boot. love it! (thanks annette!)