All Is Calm, All Is Crazy...

I think we're all getting really good at this Christmas business. 

 Despite an odd lack of snow, Donna wanted to get the tree up on her birthday. Low and behold, as soon as it was propped up on our porch, it started snowing. 

Since he'd been telling me if we'd just get our decorating game on the snow would follow, Johnny enjoyed a great big "I told you so!"

 Donna had a really sweet birthday, and all our minds were thoroughly blown by the fact that seven years have passed since her birth. 

Lots of reminiscing. 

Lots of Johnny pointing how much he's grown in seven years and how close he now is to being my height (a big accomplishment, that...*rolling eyes*) :) 

Ah, and the Christmas rush in the shops. We're getting really good at that too.

 Over sixty open orders at any given time, packaging late into the evening, customers begging expedited shipping, Johnny literally chasing the mail lady down the road to get another box in her crammed van, and big work days, especially for the wood burner and the shop dudes.

Signs and swords are the buzz this year.

The work shop is full of neat stuff in various stages of completion.

The daily fire in the shop's wood stove helps dry products faster. 

Mike's swords gluing.

 The doors on our shipping mail box rarely closed these past few weeks.

Those bulky sword and sign boxes...

 This weekend, we're finishing up the last of the orders that could possibly get to customers in time for Christmas, and, with 4 days to Christmas, our thoughts turn to our own handmade Christmas gifts. I'm not even worried (you can tell because I'm sitting here chatting with you instead of in my room sewing like a mad woman). 

Also this weekend, we lit the first fire in our rocket stove (yup, on Dec 19th!). We are a lot of people and do a lot of cooking, but I still think that's a testament to the insulation of our little natural handmade home.  

I know I moan about snow a lot on here, but not having it mid Dec was just wrong. I couldn't think about Christmas when it smelled like spring outside and I had thoughts of gardening in my mind.

Now, going to bed in a nicely chilly bedroom and waking to the sound of Dad splitting kindling to start the morning fire, feels so cozily right.

I might not be ready for Christmas in a physical sense (four days, four handmade gifts--yeesh!), but I know that the handmade Christmases always works out and I'm so ready for it in a mental sense. I feel really relaxed, snug, and ready for my slippers, hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.

Bring it winter.

Merry early Christmas readers! 

I'll be back with the results of our handmade Christmas in a few days. :)