Counting our blessings

I'm not going to lie. This past month has been rough. I haven't been posting much because I felt like I didn't have much of anything positive to say. Sure, the positive is always there if you can dig deep enough but when your immediate attention seems surrounded by fear it can be hard to dig far enough to find it. Since this has been our first holiday ever away from family it has been a bit more emotional. Granted, I didn't expect it to be so difficult but the financial constraints have compounded it all.

Thanks to the lovely woman at the health food store who helped me find a good St. John's Wort with Lemon Balm supplement inexpensively and to our family and friends, near and far, I am finding myself in better spirits. There are the cards and gifts that have trickled in from Florida. The tree is full of gifts for the kids from afar. There are the little things like the handmade candles my mom sent me and even better, the fed ex package I got from my friend Darla of all the candlemaking supplies I left behind. Then there are the two trees lovingly donated by locals and friends....the homemade pie, meat, and herbs our cagefree family friends brought over today along with their kind invitation to pick us up and take us to their house on Christmas day. Riki will be working a string of doubles the entire weekend so it will do us some good to get out of the house.

I would like to leave it on that note. Tomorrow night the kids and I will be watching the Grinch from netflix with some yummy organic eggnog topped with homemade whipped cream (mine with rum of course), and a candy cane on the side. Then they will each open the one gift a piece from us before the barrage of gifts from santa and family on Christmas morning. Riki will be here briefly in the morning before having to leave for work and we will spend the rest of the weekend celebrating with our new friends here in Taos.