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Birthmas In Photos
Even Wildflower’s Dolly received a birthday gift (wrapped in recycled and reusable items) 
Little hands helping 
He came! 
A fossa stuffy, a highly requested item 
Birthmas part 2 
Quality time. Merry Birthmas
HayMama -
Mother of Invention
I’d be lying if I didn’t ever speak of the hard times
There have been Christmases that haven’t been easy. I’d be lying if I didn’t ever speak about the hard times. It was never because of a lack of work on either of our parts, it was simply that making ends meet involved a lot of stretching with very little wiggle room.
Lucky for us, we have both been blessed with the gift of creativity, and we’ve learned through our own experiences that “necessity is the mother of invention”. So in the past we’ve stitched and sewn, welded and painted many treasures to gift to hopeful faces. And here’s what gets me…
Those gifts were the most well-loved, happily taken care of things we’ve ever given to our children. They didn’t leave them laying around, letting them be swept up to be discarded. They didn’t lose the pieces or forget about them when they were kicked under the couch.
You see, when you make something for someone else, you gift your loved one your own energy. Throughout the creation of that lifeless thing, you become the energy source, budding with ideas and your finger tips your conduit. And then, when a child tears open the wrapping to find a special doll, made for her by her very own Mama, that doll takes on a life of her own. She is carried to picnics and parks. She travels to the coast and she climbs trees and bakes cookies. She becomes part of the family.
Now, here I sit, years later, with just a little more money than we had during those hard Christmases, not a lot by anyone else’s standards, but enough, in our eyes, for things to be easier. As I count the purchases I’ve made through clicks or debit card swipes, I can’t help but notice they don’t fill the hole that’s inside of me.
What I’ve learned is this…Christmas magic comes from the story that carries it. It comes from how hard you’ve worked to save up to buy that special toy, or how you searched until you found it in your price range. Maybe you’ve been holding onto it since March.
The magic comes from the things that arn’t so easy.
The hard Christmases taught me the most about these things, and although I wouldn’t want to go back to that kind of uncertainty, I wouldn’t trade those years and lessons for riches either because they taught me about generosity and patience, love, friendship and peace. These are lessons that many people will, never understand. They taught me to see beauty in the smallest of places and to love bigger and bolder than I ever have because that is the truest gift I have to offer.
Yuletide Blessings,
HayMama xo
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Angry Christmas Tree Day
Angry Christmas Tree Day is a tradition that began over 10 years ago when we, just a small family of three, would venture into the woods, the way I did as a child, to harvest and bring home a beautiful tree. This loving family who welcomed me in, Papa Bear and Big Brother, had already established a tradition of an artificial tree, or a store bought tree, but neither of them were partial to any tree-ventures the way I was, and so I knew I was lucky when they agreed to a winter’s tree-gathering hike.
A lovely idea isn’t it? A small family, a snowy December day, birds singing a jolly tune, and a fragrant woodsmoke enticing our noses. Together we’d hold hands and frolic. We’d agree, exactly on THE tree, cut it down with a few magical saw strokes, drag it home like a feather, and decorate it. Just like that.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…You must have known I was joking when I said hold hands and frolic?!
We have argued for 9 out of 11 tree adventures. Sometimes in the beginning, sometimes while setting up the tree (NO! I SAID TO THE LEFT!!!), and always when it comes time to decorate. There have been arguments over how big the tree should be. We’ve fought over who should carry the tree and how to best set it up…where to set it up…who was supposed to water it, and always, always who strings the lights and exactly how much of the decorating are grownups allowed/expected to partake in. Sometimes Big Brother had already set up a tree with his mom, so he wasn’t interested in taking part twice, and I can hardly say I blame him.
After all of this, somehow we’ve persevered. Unlike so many things in our lives that we’ve shed, simply because they weren’t working, we’ve held onto this one….
Perhaps because even though the struggle is real, so are all the good feels that do make their appearances…
So without any more stories …. photos from our 2 year streak, non-angry Yuletree adventure….
a beautiful story about these horses…we discovered that they actually belonged to a late friend of Papa Bear’s own Mama….serendipitous 
there she is in all her glory…thin enough for what we have planned 
No arguing this time… More to come…
XO
HayMama
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Season of Darkness
I’m really beginning to feel the power of a lack of light. I’m drawn to our wood stove the way I’m drawn to the morning sun on the back deck in the summer time. It seems my motivation left with summer’s sun. The warmth and light of the fire feed whatever strength I have left during this season of darkness, and I feel hungry for change
I’m ready for new information, for books and for studies. I feel excited about digging into my birth educator course and for the stack of reading that accompanies it. I’m looking forward to changing our rhythm here at home. There will be new activities in the winter for our kids outside of home. They’ll be choosing new jobs to help out with around our home and I’m looking at a novel to enjoy together during the weeks of January. Plenty awaits us…
But for now, the holiday season is approaching, and I can’t imagine this break coming at a better time. I anxiously await the restoration and inspiration I hope it brings. I couldn’t be more ready.
xo
HayMama
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The BEST DAY EVER!
The first good day after being sick is the BEST DAY EVER! The sickness that made its way through our home was minor in the grand scheme of things, but it served a much larger purpose in seeing how wonderful my life is everyday. It’s busier than I suspect I’ll ever be, there is more laundry than any sane person should tackle in a week, and I don’t always enjoy cooking meals and tidying the kitchen, but these things are the trade off for the opportunity to play with our children on a daily basis, for walks in the woods and for tea shared while listening to stories aloud. Sometimes a few days spent horizontally on the couch is all it takes to remember the beauty of the little things.
So what are we up to on the BEST DAY EVER you ask? Cleaning?
Nope.
Decorating…
After all, we’re a whole week behind now! So we are…
Preparing…
Enjoying…
Creating…
And finally,
Celebrating
well wishes,
HayMama
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Anticipation
Wintery mornings, when many in our home are unwell, look a lot like anticipation….
Anticipation for when we’ll feel well enough to become a team again, to join in together in our usual daily tasks.
Anticipation for workshops and get togethers postponed.
Anticipation for the return of our holiday spirit…Stay tuned,
Hay Mama
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Countdown Traditions
We’ve jumped right into our own version of chocolate advent calendars these past few days. In the past, we’ve dabbled in many variations of holiday countdown fads…we’ve added a new book each day, we’ve eaten a small treat, and we’ve opened a small gift. We’ve even used a downloadable story series with one story for each day leading up to the big HoHo’s arrival. All were great, but many of them were not repeatable (how many holiday books does one family need?), some were expensive (a small gift costing 2$ on average for 4 kids times 24 days…yikes!), and some were wonderful but limited in availability, like the downloadable stories.
Though, I think we’ve found our staple.
Each morning, the kids awake, knowing that there is an envelope hidden in our home. There are mornings where it’s discovered right away, and sometimes, Mama uses her intricate hiding places to ensure it isn’t found right away 😉 .Inside awaits a small note, explaining a Yuletide activity for us to complete together.
Sometimes we’ve made cards, cookies, or enjoyed warm mugs of cocoa, and other times we watch our favourite holiday films, meet Santa at the mall, or build our list of holiday plans together.
Some days are fancier than others, and that’s ok.
Thus far, after 2 years, we’ve had incredible success. It’s been a lovely way to create moments of togetherness each day, while making sure we tackle all of the holiday milestones that we’ve all deemed traditional.
How do you countdown to the holiday season?
xoHayMama
