Merry Christmas from the quiet cottage

 May your Christmas and the following 8 days of celebration be merry & bright!  

We had a quiet Christmas. No Zoom, no large meals, but we do have our own traditions that we developed since the kids have grown and gone.

Each year for Christmas we get up, make something hot, start a fire and open our stockings.

While it's simple, it gives us so much excitement in the simplicity of it.

Then we make breakfast, go to church and come home.

After declaring "comfy clothes" we get something hot to drink and settle down to open our presents. 

Each year we try to keep presents simple. Not a lot. Only 3. Like the 3 gifts of the Wise Men.

We have tried in the past to do 3 gifts with a dollar amount, but that became too stressful. 

Keep it simple.

3 gifts. 

Our stockings are also simple. I needed help years ago because the girls stockings were getting out of hand. Not to mention extended family also contributed. Then I ran across this jingle:

Stocking stuffer guidelines:

*Something to eat

*Something to read

*Something to play with

*Something you need

These have served us well, and we still use them today. My husband has several little puzzle type things on his desk, of which he uses in those meetings that aren't always attention getters ;-) 

I hope you enjoy the pictures. It has been awhile. I will post more later. But know if you are reading this, I have prayed for you, for your needs, and for God's peace to rest in your heart.

Dee

A little tree someone decorated on the trail.

A tiny little tree growing amongst those who are quiet.

A lone Christmas ball hanging on another tree.

 Fascinated at the tiny leaves with spots on them.

C and I on our Sunday walk. That hill behind us is not the one we walked. It is to the left out of the picture.