Anderson Christmas

We were enveloped in winter dreaminess at the lake this year, where we joined Neal's family for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebration.

The snow started falling Christmas Eve, and it fell, and it fell, and it fell.

With the living room nestled between 3 sides of windows to the lake, the scene was more picturesque and magical than any "dreaming" I had been doing, as far as "white Christmases" go.

Over traditional Christmas Eve fondue (Neal's parents had fondue their first holidays together as a young married couple, and the rest is history), we went around the table sharing "memorable Christmas" stories.

I have a feeling that years down the road, this white Christmas at the lake will come to mind next time someone asks.

"Well, there was this one Christmas when we were in our 20's and had been married a few years.  We lived in downtown Chicago and came down to Lake Bloomington to spend Christmas.  It snowed a foot that Christmas Eve, such that we could hardly make it to the Christmas Eve church service.  Snow covered the frozen lake in drifts, swirled and fell magically around the frosty windows that surrounded us, and coated the wooded drive of trees like icing.  Inside we watched movies, ate cookies, opened lots of wonderful gifts, and sat around the holiday table.  If ever there was a Christmas spent in true winter wonderland fashion, it was that one."

Depending on who asks, I might also tell you that the utterly grandness of the snowfall soothed our hearts that had been bruised by a difficult year that was still bumping up against us with its troubles. 

I might tell you that the ability to take such joy in the snow was pure victory,

because it proved one of the ways I had grown the most this year:

to live fully and find joy in the midst of pain, rather than wait it out in fetal position, which is what one often feels like doing in such stretches of time.

Or is that just me?

A few pictures to remember the whitest of Christmases.

1. Gifts for my sweet nieces, Halie and Addie.  You can find the tutorial for the wrapping here

2. I found these pink converse shoes for them and couldn't resist

3 & 4. Auntie Ash and Uncle Neal with the twins

1. Christmas Eve

2. All the Anderson girls

3 & 4. Christmas coziness

Christmas morning
I'll never forget opening up my DSLR camera!!

 

Snow, snow, snow!