Warmth

This was a full weekend of Fall Festival, birthday parties, shopping, raking leaves, and designing our Christmas card. To say we were busy having fun would be a massive understatement, but in the midst of all the hustle we had Saturday night. We really try to take holidays one at a time, but weekends in November get a little blurry. We do a little Christmas prep so that December isn't frantic--like doing our card.

But Saturday night, we put on some carols and Daddy made a roaring fire with the sole purpose of roasting chestnuts. Clearly, you cannot possibly roast chestnuts with playing "The Christmas Song." We had gotten some from the Produce Box, and we've done them in the oven before. But this time, Daddy announced they must be roasted over the fire. He carefully cut the x in each nut:

 And then into the fire they went:

There really is something magical about listening to them pop and the slightly smoky flavor they pick up in the fire. While they were cooling, Issa asked me to play carols on the piano as she sang along. Daddy and Evan played a board game. We all snuggled in front of the fire. It felt a little Norman Rockwell. It the midst of the crazy and the bustle, these are the moments I live for and the memories I want to live in my children's childhood storybooks. Here's to a season full of them...