Christmas ~ Ski & Sky

December 27, 2011

Christmas is a three day celebration for our family. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Unless of course we spend Christmas with both sides of our families, which extends quite a few days. But that doesn't happen too often considering the distance between us - many, many miles.

This year was just my parents and our family.

We ate a lot of good food. We played games (of the computer variety). We opened presents. We read books. We watched movies. We played with new toys. We skied.

It was a fabulous three days and I'm going to spread out the goodness of this celebration in three different posts.

Today's theme is ski and sky.

My heart is full to bursting with the natural beauty of where we live. The pinky sunrises, the winter sunsets, and the inky blue star studded night sky. And all the moments in between.

And the snow! Snow to ski right out our door. Snow to bundle up for. And melted snow that drips off our clothes near the woodstove when we come back indoors.

I have not known this kind of house happiness before - to feel so much peace right where you live.

To be so warm in winter when the cold winds blow outside (thanks to the woodstove). To have the physical environment you live in - the indescribable beauty of nature and small house living - express your core values.

But this is supposed to be about Christmas.

I'm so thankful my parents are the active sort and were as gung-ho as we were to get out and fun in the snow, exercise, have fun in the snow every day of the holiday.

Yesterday (Boxing Day) we took a ski/snowshoe to a local waterfall. A new friend, our neighbor actually who we met caroling on Christmas Eve, led the way. Breaktaking does not describe skiing through the winter woods with sun slanting through the cedars, balsam and hemlock trees.

My personal favorite skiing time is early to mid afternoon. I like to go out when the sun is already low in the sky, casting bluing shadows across the snow.

When I come back in the door, heart happy and muscle tired, the sun has set over the surrounding hills. But not before I've admired the yellow winter glow through the trees.

Ski and sky. Gifts of living in this chalet and definitely a theme from this Christmas.

Tomorrow's post is not about Christmas. It's part two of my personality series (yes, it's turned into a bit of series). But I'll be back with more holiday memories and photos of the crafting and making variety on Thursday.

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