Welcome to our December edition of ONE Blog Circle! Be sure to follow the circle all the way around until you get back here to see each beautiful image showcased this month. Up next is Samantha Covert from Nova Scotia! Click HERE to see what she has been up to!

I absolutely LOVE Christmas. I love all the traditions that come along with the Holidays, even the annoying ones like our Elf on a Shelf.  Each year, we head to a tree farm to choose our tree the day after Thanksgiving and bring it home to decorate.  After the kids are bathed and ready for bed, Rocky (our elf) shows up in the tree with pajamas and a book for each child. The squeals are so loud, you would think it was Christmas morning. I struggle daily to remember to move that darn elf (and many mornings find myself throwing him quickly in a heap somewhere different when I hear little footsteps and realize I forgot). Seeing my children wake up Every. Single. Day. over the moon excited to find him makes it so worth it.  They are just as thrilled on the days he slumps in a different corner as they are when he takes a bathin marshmallows or some other elaborate pinterest idea.

I’m not exactly known for being Suzy Homemaker over here. Yet there is something about Christmas that makes me want to bake 12 dozen cut out cookies from scratch and let my kids decorate them until they look inedible. Finding red and green sprinkles in every corner of my kitchen, sweeping up pine needles on a daily basis, listening to the same 5 Christmas songs on repeat, staying up until all hours of the night wrapping presents, and all seem warm and joyful, rather than a nuisance.

The memories that are made during the holidays stay with me long after the monotonous details of everyday life fade away. Being able to capture that magic in a photograph allows me to feel a little bit of that joy throughout the year, each time I look at the image.

Wishing you all the Holiday magic, warm fuzzies, and blessings this season! Don’t forget to check out Samantha’s beautiful image this month!