Merry Christmas from our home to yours

Hello dear ones and Merry Christmas! 

No matter what you are doing today, whether you have a house full of loved ones or are missing those dear to you and spending a quiet day alone, I send you all a big hug and hearty cheer from our home to yours.

I know a lot of you will be super busy preparing food and running around fixing the Christmas feast, and to you I say well done. For me, Christmas is a lot about creating tradition and memories that will stay with our children forever. As mothers, this usually requires much planning, hard work, loads of time and a heavy dose of creativity.

Not everyone notices the love and effort mothers put into Christmas, so I want to say to you dear, beautiful mamas everywhere trying to make Christmas special for your children, well done. I see you and honour all it takes for you to continue pouring into your family when you are exhausted, sleep deprived, overwhelmed and often lonely. I also want to say thank you. Thank you for doing whatever you do, big or small, to create a little bit of magic for your children.

Our large family is growing and changing rapidly. Each year brings new friendships, more people to get to know, love and welcome into the fold.  As our children become adults, their wings spread further and it’s not so easy for all of them to get home for Christmas. For today, however, they are all here and I do not take that lightly, treasuring every moment. 

Our day will be filled with all of my beautiful ones, lots of good food, graciously prepared by my culinary son, conversation, table tennis, laughter, remembrance and gratitude.

For my part, I have gone on a marshmallow frenzy, making as many failures as successes, but undeterred, pushing through to have enough for us all to gorge  enjoy. I also made rocky road (loaded with vanilla marshmallows of course), roasted macadamia nuts and real turkish delight. Yum. My heart (and soon to be stomach) is full.

I have been inspired lately to start thinking about next year. Someone asked me what my plans for 2022 were and I confess I wasn’t really sure. I know it’s crazy, but I still have a desire to celebrate my belated 50th which Covid blew a hole through in 2020. The way I see it, I think I have about five years to sneak a 50th party in!

One thing is for sure, I will be pouring a lot of love into my little blog and giving you even more delicious cupcake recipes and inspiring photos. Onward and upwards I say. 

Looking back over this year, I consider it a marked achievement to have blogged most weeks since May. That’s 27 posts. Sharing my life, love of baking and photography with you has been one of my greatest joys in 2021.

Validating my own creativity has not been an easy journey for me, but this year God gave me the courage to step back into the gifts He has given me, expressing my unique design as only I can. I have come to see that each of us is an unrepeatable gift to the world and our contribution is necessary. We each have a part to play in creating and sharing beauty.

I have many dreams for my life. Most days my head is full of them. Next year I am going to take steps towards seeing some of them realised. They will be baby steps at first, but as I walk hand in hand with the Creator, the possibilities will be endless, and I can’t wait.

And so, on this beautiful Christmas Day, enjoy those in front of you, look back at the year with gratitude and toward the new one with anticipation of good things to come.

Thank you for sharing in my journey so far.  I have been delighted getting to know some of you and humbled by those who take the time each week to meet me here. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace.

Until next week, 

Love Anna xx

 

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