When I went to start this blog post, it made me chuckle to open up my blog and realize the last time I put up a post was December 2021 - and that it was actually about Christmas. Unlike today, where I am going to put together a post about Christmas cookies - from Christmas - in July. If you have had the chance to spend time with us in the last few years, you'll know that things haven't quite returned to normal for us - although we are significantly closer than we were a couple of years ago. This means that I often need to live life day by day. Most days are ok, but honestly, my heart is still healing from a rough few years. Recently, I considered just quietly letting my blog end (and for those that are curious, I am still unsure about my business quietly ending). This week, though, it occurred to me that I often find great joy writing these posts. And my girl loves them. And I am literally creating a time capsule for my family. So, here I am, posting us making Christmas cookies from December, in July.
As I look at my messy kitchen and my family in their everyday digs, I can't help but smile. This IS my kitchen and my people - in all its beautiful chaos. I once took pictures in a friend's kitchen and she proudly proclaimed to me that she had cleaned her counters before I came over. It was lovely, but totally foreign to me in the pictures. Her kitchen, like so many of us, typically had used counters. Maybe one day I will be able to keep my counters clean. In the mean time, I embrace the clutter. It certainly doesn't stop us from knocking out some yummy Christmas cookies - starting with my girl and her favorites: sugar cookies. Secretly, I think she likes those the best because she gets to decorate them. It's certainly a labor of love to get those things from start to finish.
And the final sugar cookie creation. I have to laugh at the backwards (NEW & made by my son) logo. Evidently when you flip a picture, Lightroom likes to give you away in the print templates. Ha! Oh well. Here's to embracing the chaos!