This time of year always ushers in a season of hibernation for me on the good ol’ blog. From Thanksgiving to the end of January, our family has one celebration after another. Depending on my outlook, I can be found either coasting through each day calm, sane, and enjoying the season of immense celebration or frazzled on the brink of watching a tornado rummage through my soul. Usually the emotions alternate depending on the day, or the hour. This year, I am most thankful that the former has ruled in my heart more than the later. There were definitely sacrifices made and things I chose to let go (i.e. no birthday party for Brennan, no cake balls for Aunt Julie). Also, the state of my mind still being freshly “baby-brained” gave way for me to unintentionally forget some things all together until the very last minute (who knew I had teacher gifts to get this first year of Brennan’s preschool? Not I!). 

This has been one of the sweetest Christmases of my life. It was slow, simple, intentional, celebratory, scattered with new family traditions, and treasured. This has been my favorite Christmas with Brennan, who is growing in his understanding of and excitement for the season. Most of what occurred these last six weeks has been written out in my personal journal and will remain tucked in my heart for the duration of my life to ponder and hold dear. 

Sandwiched between our new family celebration of St. Nicholas night (December 6th) and Christmas, Matt and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. It was a gift that my momma came up the week before for Brennan’s first ever school Christmas program and stayed the evening to let us have an early anniversary date night, because our anniversary proper was filled with more bodily fluids expunged than the sum total of what we’ve encountered from accidents the last week of potty training! 

Now that we’re through Christmas and New Years, we have a little man-child’s third birthday in a week and a half to celebrate, as well as a much older man’s thirty-fourth birthday! Plus, after a few months delay in getting to meet Kensington for the first time because of Ed’s heart attacks, we are most excited that Matt’s parents will finally get to lay their eyes and hands on our girl!

Alas, good and right reasons for my hibernation.

For the time being, I want to leave you with a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson called In Memoriam—Ring Out, Wild Bells. I came across it for the first time earlier this week and love it for the New Year.

Until I meet you here again, dear friends, Happy New Year from my family to yours!

In Memoriam—Ring Out, Wild Bells

By: Alfred Lord Tennyson

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Simply trusting,