Our Makings

I love this time of year for the excuse to make and create and bake for others. Getting a little more creative, taking extra time and care. It's a joy. Little hands often make it a messy joy but the lesson is there to be learned and the gifts are in need of being shared.

I wonder often, this year, in this somewhat cookie cutter land we now call home, if a sideways look we will receive. A certain bread winner in this family has already earned the title of tree hugger at work which is in itself something to chuckle at. And I, well it's frequent I receive a sideways look when others find out not only is our child adorning cloth diapers but she's wiped with terry cloth also. (No, I'm not a freak.) We're country kids trying to make our way in the city style of life here. And, most of the time we're doing okay. And even more of the time, we're loving it.

So I question whether these gifts will be received with gratitude for time taken to caringly create, or if they'll be received with a question mark like-look of 'why wouldn't you simply buy something'. Either way, they are wrapped and ready to go. And, there's one certain four year old - in the throws of it all - who cannot wait to pass around the love.

{peppermint bark...a second batch nearly necessary, no thanks to the nibbling along the way}

{a new granola this year...equally as delicious as it's partnered gift above}

{several of these skirts made it out the door and what a joy to see her wearing them...finally}

{what a privilege to sew more of these sweet things than i ever imagined...aren't they lovely?}

Of course this year is super crazy extra special for many families, ours included. Yesterday, we were gifted with another piece of Makeda's puzzle which makes the journey more full, more complete, more heart wrenching - the reminder of the reason for her (most) adoptions brought to the very forefront.

Yet, another piece to her. Her life. Her beginnings. A gift more weighted than we could describe. And for that, we are oh so very grateful. And I ache to go back. A feeling suppressed often...daily...prevailed yesterday. More raw than in recent weeks, we hugged her a little tighter and held her a little closer and looked a little deeper into those dark brown eyes of hers while putting her to bed. The people, friends, kindred spirits met along this journey...it's inexplicably divine, I will admit. Not to be dramatic.

And so, this year we celebrate with many edibles and enjoyables comprising our gifts. Wee ones will open a little more, we make sure of that. We'll celebrate the true reason for the joy of this season. We'll rejoice in five...As Five. We'll be grateful for that which we have, all that we have. We'll look ahead with great anticipation - knowing the year behind was full of mountains and great challenge and reward, and praying the next will be as such. Well, perhaps slightly less so.

We will continue to be. As Five.

With joy and gratitude in our midst and shrieks of delight, we will continue to be, as five.