“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
-Edith Sitwell
*I know it is all of the sudden acting like SPRING (my daffodils are thoroughly confused & popping up WAY too early) — but I wanted to reflect on the winter season in this post, because, technically, it is STILL winter. So just go with me on this. 😉
During the last few months we have been enjoying lots of time indoors due to the AMAZING & much needed rainfall paired with chilly temperatures & fewer hours of daylight. It has brought me great JOY being with the girls as we have the days to get create with our time. I thought I’d share some of what our wintertime days have looked like!
In the mornings we have a routine where we cook breakfast & eat it together at the table & look at the day ahead of us. Next usually comes a dance party back & forth across the house to some peppy music to get our blood flowing (& my cup of coffee helps too) as we get dressed & clean up. I always enjoy opening up our window shades to let in the morning light because it is such a TANGIBLE way for me to welcome the new day. Each day is such a GIFT! Even if I am a zombie after being awake 3 times the night before with my wee one. Again, coffee is a wonderful thing. 😉
The early afternoon/pre-lunch hours include some preschool time where we work on letters & animals, coloring & reading. Eliana is such a sponge & SO smart. It is enjoyable for me to watch her thrive in her “school” time each day. Another common early afternoon activity during these winter days has been baking together. Grammy (Noah’s mama) got Sister the CUTEST apron to wear & it has become a daily staple. I don’t ever want to forget cooking over the stove with her in this stage of life. Her apron over her footie jammies, her hair wrap on, standing tip-toe on her stool to see into the mixing bowls & pots. Cutest. Thing. Ever. Not to mention how she says things like “oat-mo-mol”. I die.
On days where leaving the house is an option, even if it is bitterly cold, WE DO. Usually pre-nap, so that we can get the wiggles out & enjoy the peace of our neighborhood streets while most people are out at work. It is essential for us to get out, breathe some fresh air, listen to the birds songs & puddle-jump. It is one of my FAVORITE times of day.
During naps (that is, IF I can miraculously get both girls to sleep during the same time) I prioritize taking care of my well-being. Lately that has included a great yoga session ALL BY MYSELF (thanks to Morgan Day Cecil Yoga channel on YouTube), my daily Bible reading, a good cup of tea & if time, some cleaning/purging throughout the corners of my house or diving into my whatever book I’m currently reading. This is definitely another FAVORITE time of the day.
Once Noah gets home from school, the girls are usually waking up & we proceed to spend the remainder of the afternoon hanging out with each other, laughing, playing, dancing, reading, using our imaginations. Then we cook dinner as a family, eat at our table with Cora as our centerpiece. She sits in her Bumbo & gets to eat lots of yummy things like peas & winter squash. 🙂
After dinner, we clean up & Eliana has some free play time & then we get the kiddos ready for bed. Rountine is great! It brings so much peace of mind. Noah & Eliana do the “jammie dance”, jammies & hair wrap in place, brush teeth, pick two books & read out of her Bible. Snuggles & prayers in bed end the wonderful day. Currently, she also needs “one more hug & kiss” to mama/dada/Cora, another drink of water & usually “needs” to blow her nose. Oh & then its the back & forth “I LOVE YOU’s!” until the door finally closes. Cora is along for the ride during that time of night & then we get to spend some time playing with her wooden blocks on the floor until she is plum tuckered out & gets laid in her crib for the night. (Well, until she decides to wake up to nurse at least once during the quiet hours of darkness.) I am always in awe of the stillness of the night, how RESTORATIVE it is, even when I sit in the dark with our littlest feeling half awake. I am so grateful that the world was created with both day & night. There is something really special about experiencing the sweetness of the nighttime hours, adopting a quietness to partner with what it brings (PEACE) to the world around us.
I thought it would be neat to create a list of our favorite winter time activities/memories so that when I look back at it I can be reminded of the BEAUTY in this season of life.
-puddle jumping.
-baking.
-snuggling in the early morning.
-crisp & windy walks in the afternoon.
-reading books by the fire.
-flash card “games”.
-dance parties in our jammies.
-coffee, oat-mo-mol & milk.
-stickers.
-so many playtime sessions on the living room floor.
-Cora swaying to music.
-layers of socks, hats, sweaters & blankets.
-listening to the rain hit the roof in the middle of the night.
-playing in the snow.
-listening to Housefires, United Pursuit, Will Reagan, Ben Howard & Norah Jones.
-Eliana dancing with her flags.
-coloring.
-being outside, noses turning red.
-wearing our slippers.
It has been a GREAT winter & I am still enjoying it so much (even though it is all of the sudden acting like spring, I’m still pretending). I LOVE the starkness of the beauty around us, the long nights by the fire & the days reading with my little loves on my lap. I continue to thank the Lord for the rain & snow, it has been so refreshing both for the earth & for my soul. This season reminds me of how GOOD His love is. It reminds me of how comforting His arms are, how much time He has gifted us with for REST. It refreshes me, prepares me for the upcoming spring & the warmth the days will bring. It is essential for us to understand WHY there are seasons & understand what they have to offer us. I feel like I am on my way to feeling satisfied with both what I have put in as well as received from this season of winter. It has been a season of intentionally seeking balance & rest, aligning my priorities & taking care of the world around me. I am grateful for the winter.
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”
-Paul Theroux
“I pray this winter be gentle and kind–a season of rest from the wheel of the mind.”
-John Geddes
I hope that you can reflect on the last few months of your lives & discover what is has GIFTED you. Look back at what you have invested in, what you have received, if you have rested enough. Just like at the beginning of every year, most people make a list of what they want to see happen or accomplish. I think it is just as important to REFLECT on the time leading us into the season we are in, whether it is a look back over the whole last year or just this season of winter. I encourage you to make a list of the good things that winter has brought you. Think about the highlights & what you have learned. I plan on doing this throughout the course of the whole year, so as to be reminded on regular basis what our daily life has been like, what has been so RAD about the season we have experienced. I don’t want my life to go by like a vapor & not invest in myself or the world around me. I need to be reminded of what I am here for & how I can be the BEST version of me for myself, for my husband, for my kiddos.
So with that, I hope you can do the same. Invest in yourself & the world around you.
LOVE WELL. BE REFRESHED. ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE WINTER.
“How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!”
-Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Cheers,
Katie.
the jenks tribe 