Holiday fun!

Around the holidays, we get extra crafty and make gifts for our friends and family.  Soap-making has become a holiday tradition since before the girls were born.  Not only is it easy to do, it makes lovely gifts that people enjoy.  We don't make the soap from scratch (maybe one year) but use great quality "melt and pour" glycerine soap from K & W Specialties that is sodium lauryl sulfate, paraben and propylene glycol-free.  We simply add our own essential oils, shea butter, flower petals, and our gingerbread man soap gets ground oatmeal and fresh cinnamon sprinkled in.

        This year, I found toy soldiers that just needed a coat of paint. I had as much fun, if not more, than Esmé painting these little guys.

Jonah's parent's "Charlie-Brown Christmas tree".  Every year his dad finds a tree at the cottage and brings it home.  I was hoping to cut down our own tree this year but it just didn't work out.
Perhaps next year this tradition can begin…  

Anja is full of smiles.  

She has such a great sense of humour and loves to make those around her laugh.

 Jonah and I even had some time to reconnect.  We went for a long walk after the ice storm and enjoyed scenery that reminded us of a Japanese wood block print which we coveted in Kyoto many years ago.

Needless to say, we had a great holiday.  Not only did we close the clinic for two weeks, we spent most of the time at Jonah's parent's house which allowed us to come and go as we please.  The girls played happily with their cousins and we shared many late nights with his family.   It was the most restful holiday we have had in a long time.  

I hope everyone can look back at their holiday from 2013 with hearts (and bellies) as full as ours.