no. 11: our first christmas

it is somewhat difficult to explain our christmas celebration in an entry read by family, friends, & perhaps, strangers. on christmas eve we survived a two-feet deep flood on an arkansas highway, luke came down with strep throat, & i had to miss two days of work because the drive back to missouri is far too long for only me to drive.

but before said events occured, we experienced the most peaceful of moments tucked away in our tiny attic apartment with the lights low, the tree glistening, the candles lit, the stockings stuffed, the presents wrapped, & a bottle of wine opened & enjoyed.

we exchanged gifts slowly, enjoying every second of the quiet hum of christmas music in the background. we thanked one another for the gifts made by hand & our appreciation for the many hours spent creating.

luke loved the metal cups i found at the local thrift shop & the bundle of cinnamon sticks to be used in our next pot of apple cider.

he was so excited about his new scarf & how warm he will be on his next bicycle ride out into the freezing temperatures of missouri.

i was so surprised at his thoughtfulness & noticing of my love for chamomile & lavender. he made chamomile tea, a pillow pouch, and bath scents for me from fresh herbs.

he also spent many hours in the kitchen melting down wax, applying wicks, & mixing lavender oils with candle wax to make the most beautiful candles.

most of all, we were so thankful for the quiet evening spent with eachother. the best gift of all: quality time.

thank you all for reading!

-natalie & Luke

ps. next sunday, we plan to review our new year's resolutions from this year & make new ones for the year ahead. but- we'd like to include you! even if this is your first time to read our blog, or if you have been reading for awhile but haven't commented, we'd still love to hear from you!
please just comment with your name, your location, & your new year's resolution!
we look forward to hearing from you.