I hope your holiday week has been peaceful and joy-filled. Mine has been full of family, rainy window panes, and cozy fires. It's also been full of Swiss chocolate, Belgian chocolate, Austrian chocolate and American potato chips. I've experienced a Christmas miracle in which I can eat whatever I want without repercussions. And by "experienced" I mean "imagined." Because imagination is part of the magic of Christmas.
Early in this festive week our dear childhood girlfriends, Elizabeth and Anne, came into town for a slumber party. Elizabeth and Anne are like second sisters to us. We grew up in the same cul-de-sac and even home schooled together. Most of my best childhood memories are with them.
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| Circa '94 or so. From left to right: Aaron, Marc, Me (in the back), Anne, Rebecca, and Elizabeth |
Not long after Elizabeth and Anne arrived, my brother and sister-in-law came into town, completing our Jackson crew. And then, more dear family friends, the Longs, came by for pizza and general merriment. Any weekend plan that includes Elizabeth, Anne AND the Longs is a good weekend, indeed.
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| Left to right: my beautiful sister-in-law, Natasha; my beautiful sis, Rebecca; and the beautiful Jena Long. Lots of beauty on this couch. |
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| The oldest of my two brosefs, and Grandma |
Throughout the week, we interrupted our bouts of busyness with fireside lounging and long walks in the nippy winter air.
I love walking in the Pacific Northwest. The air is clean and brisk, and the horizons are verdant and mountainous.
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| Pirouetting into a honeyed horizon. From left to right: Mom, Me and Rebecca |
One night, we all crammed in the car and headed to Peacock Lane. Peacock Lane is a street in Portland on which every house is decked out in lights. We didn't get many cool light shots, but we did snap a photo of the crew, minus dad who was home preparing his Christmas Eve service sermon:
Dad, we missed you on our outing!
We did manage to get one picture of the entire family on Christmas Eve:
We also managed to get about a thousand other pictures of Christmas festivities because my brother Aaron I have an affinity for documenting family events. Between the two of us, our pictures will have our hard drives moving at the speed of molasses any day now. (Do you picture-taking types keep your photos on external hard drives?)
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| This picture cracks me up. |
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| When I am home I have a habit of stealing my dad's sweatshirts and coats (because they are big and warm and cozy), as I have in this picture. Sorry dad. |
How lovely to have such dear friends in such a beautiful part of the country. And what a sweet end to a full week.
I hope your week has been full of pockets of sweetness, too, my friends.
Happy celebrating tonight!
-Sarah
© by scj
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