Peace and Joy...

Happy Christmas to you all! 

Love, The Boyds

Jingle all the way

Around these parts we've been getting ready for Christmas in all the usual ways: holiday baking, tree and home decorating, present wrapping, and lots of Christmas story book reading. Last week we even braved the mall to get our turn with Santa... twice! 

We got ready Saturday morning nice and early and headed out to the closest mall, only to be greeted with a long line up of eager kids and wary parents. 'Five minutes per family' the kindly Santa Helpers promised, except that we were about 50 families back, so we soon abandoned that attempt and tried our luck again the next morning at a mall farther outside of the city. Sure enough there were far less people and we were the third family in line.

I was excited! The outfits were picked out, shirts all neatly ironed. Last year when Jake was just 9 months old he sat dutifully by our side as we all huddled up to Santa for a family photo.  The Santa Helper jingled her bells and like magic a perfect dimpled smile appeared on my boy's face.

Family Christmas photo 2010

I thought this year might be different, considering he is older and less easily fooled, but he's been enthusiastic about Santa so far and bounced in my arms when he caught a peek of the magical Father Christmas from our place in the line, so I remiained optimistic. I should have known better. As soon as we took our places on the big chair Jake started crying.  No bell jingling or candy cane bribing would console him.

So this year's family photo yielded a slightly different result:

Although, if you really use your imagination it kind of looks like it could be a smile, right?

 

 Nevertheless, Merry Christmas Everyone!


Love, the Boyds

Three years and counting

And oh, what a perfect day it was.



Happy Anniversary, Husband.

Raining Christmas

I'm biased I know, but this is my new favorite song:

Raining Christmas by MaffewBoyd

It's been stuck in my head for days. I'm lovin' it, and the guy who sings it too.

'Tis the season everyone! enjoy.

Jake getting his groove on.

Side note: it hasn't actually been raining much hear, in fact it has been quite perfect. Clear, crisp and beautiful.

Samichlaus Tag

It's December 6th, and in my neck of the woods this is a very special day for two reasons. One, it is Grandpa Boyd's birthday, and since we all love Grandpa Boyd very much and he is a very special man for a great many reasons, this is definitely a day worth celebrating. Secondly, it is Samichlaus Tag, also known as the feast day of St. Nicholas, which is a holiday vastly celebrated in the part of Switzerland where my parents are from.

Every year growing up I have looked forward to this day.  Digging out our special Christmas bags, hanging them on the front door nob, anxiously waiting all day for that moment after dinner when we got to check to see if Samichlaus had made it to our house to fill our bags with sweet mandarin oranges, sugar dipped ginger cookies, whole peanuts and Swiss chocolates.

It's an old European tradition, one most of my friends growing up never even heard of, a sweet tale of an old Saint who came to children's homes on the evening of December 6th and filled waiting shoes or bags with special winter treats. My parents continued the tradition on all through our childhood, much of our adulthood, and now for their grandchildren. It is a special day, made even more special by the look on my nephew's face as he pulls open the creaky old front door of my parents' place to check the bags, and the gleam in Jake's eyes as he pours out a bag full of nuts, fruit and chocolate meant just for him.

I hope one day it will be my grandchildren opening my door checking to see if Samichlaus has made it to see them.

My sister made these.  I love them.

Happy Samichlaus day to you all!