Tilden carousel

One of our Christmas traditions. 

This year we went after Christmas, in daylight, and visited the nearby farm, too.

Giving thanks before Christmas

With only a few minutes to spare before Christmas, I'm posting some of my favorite pics from our Thanksgiving trip to visit Chris's brother. The highlights include a visit to Chris's old little league field in Auburn, a meadow of black oak leaves and a rope swing, and a bow and arrow made with Papa from bamboo and dried blackberry stalks. We also enjoyed a walk with the dog and goats along the canal and lots of crafting. Gorgeous and fun. I am thankful.

Homemade

I have started officially worrying about getting ready for the holidays. Particularly, getting homemade gifts ready. Last year we gave auntie Sue and grandma Mary a couple of loose photos -- lame! -- because the frame crafting project I had in mind never matetialized. This year it's the first thing the kids and I did. I had low expectations for some reason, but ended up loving how these turned out. The flowers we collected and pressed a couple years ago. They look magical to me and carry memories of walks and trips to the park from years gone by. 

Halina dancing

Halina had her last ballet class for the fall session today, which included a performance in various costumes of Nutcracker-inspired dances. Her best friend, who also took the class, didn't want to go today. Halina still did it, without her support person, and with a smile on her face.