hot cocoa walk.

initiated last year in an attempt to christmas-fy anything and everything after making the decision to not be up north.

wagon completely bedecked with lights and garland and filled with festive babies, we set out, blaring our christmas music, knocking on doors, passing out cups of hot cocoa to neighbors.

lainey had marshmallow duty but i think she ate most of them herself.

i love traditions, and i love that our friends became a part of ours this year.

i wasn’t going to post, but no one is waking up in this house and i’m two cups o’ coffee in, tip-toeing around trying to keep quiet and, well…tapping a keyboard is a quiet task indeed.

and i just wanted to make it known that i am truly thankful i’ve made it ’til december 23 without hearing that awful drive-your-car-off-a-bridge song about the little boy and the shoes and his mama wanting to look pretty when she meets jesus on christmas eve. whoever wrote that song must have certainly been doing some sort of social experiment on suicide rates during the holidays.

seriously, i picture a bunch of college musicians and a bet over who could write the saddest christmas song. they each take their turn to perform, the others sarcastically bent over in pretend sobs while it’s played and at the end, some applause. then, the last guy goes. hugh martin…i looked him up. and hugh sings…”it’s christmas eve and these shoes are just her size…” and the other guys are gaping. and crying…for real. and like searching for nooses and stuff. and then at the end, the other guys just reach out of their pockets a wad of cash and throw it at hugh. because he so won.

hugh, why’d you write that song? why?

in much happier christmas festivities…

we’re just doing christmasy stuff. and homey stuff. and kitchen stuff. and family stuff.

…and we were so happy to enjoy brett’s little sister here with us for a short trip…

…and happy to have grandma krissy arriving today…for more christmasy stuff. and home stuff. and kitchen stuff. and family stuff.

…enjoying the happy things. ~k

we’ll be busy here the next several days, and there will tons to post later…

but for now, here’s a few from our walk with latte yesterday…yes, yesterday as in middle-of-december. sunny skies and beautiful weather. it’s still so strange to me this time of year. someone, please enjoy the snow for me. i miss it.

(i so would have trimmed her hair weeks ago, but we’re gunna see where this not cutting it thing goes this time. two french braids is where i’m headin’. maybe by her fifth birthday?)

merry almost-christmas things!