christmastime is here!!!

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last friday night was our third annual sleep under the christmas tree slumber party. the perfect way to really kick off christmastime! i love these girls truly. {previous years here and here}

then, on saturday morning, the boy and i drove down the coast to rancho siempre verde, the most wonderful magical christmas tree farm right along highway 1. we stopped on the way to get some heavenly garlic artichoke bread and goat cheese in the darlingest town of pescadero. it was a rainy, muddy, foggy morning, but we found the most perfect tree to chop down, and enjoyed the ranch’s plentiful swings, and i had an awesome time making a wreath for our front door. we were in a bit of a rush to make it back to palo alto for an exciting event – the baptism of our friend james – but the drive both there and back was gorgeous and i was bubbling over with christmas joy.
{i can't believe this is my fifth year cutting down a christmas tree in the bay area! 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013}

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it’s been so fun to fill our little studio up with some christmas cheer. the tree takes up about a quarter of our bedroom!  it’s so magical - we both love it so much. every night after our prayer and before we go to sleep, we read a few pages of a christmas carol snuggled up in bed, and we leave the twinkle lights on all night long, so it’s like constantly sleeping under the christmas tree! we also strung the bistro lights from our wedding in the little outdoor space outside our front door.

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the making-a-gingerbread-house-all-from-scratch adventure was strung over several days, and as i mentioned earlier, i was totally obsessed with learning and trying the whole process. we also made molasses spice cookies (mmmmm my favourite!) and brought them around to our neighbors last sunday. so lots of ginger-cinnamon-cloves goodness in our tiny kitchen!

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^^ this was the boy’s face when i gave him the okay to start picking the candy off to eat :) our from-scratch gingerbread houses are going to get better and better each year - or at least i hope! our windows started melting and our walls started caving in and our icing was super messy. so we decided it was okay to start deconstructing a bit early!
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^^ on the morning of december 13, i woke up early and made an aebleskiver breakfast in bed for the boy, in honor of st. lucia day. i wore a white dress, but there wasn’t enough time to make the pine bough crown – next year!
^^ ^^ yesterday we decorated some sugar cookies with our friend zach.
and last night, after i played the flute, accompanying a handbell choir in a delightful christmas concert, we walked around the oakland temple grounds all glittering with christmas light:
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hooray for christmastime!!!

Comments

  1. Love that bread!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

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  2. I know you are an over-the-top kind of person - and traditions are wonderful - but I can definitely see where this wide-eyed obsession with all things Christmas would get real old real fast for "the boy".

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  3. Sickened by your need to chop down a beautiful Christmas tree for your selfish Christmas related fetish. Charity grow up!!!!! For being such an f***ing "nature lover," I can't believe you would hack a tree down for a holiday season that lasts 3 weeks. Shameful.....

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  4. The boy here. I love her Christmas spirit and the enthusiasm. Seriously, this girl is the best. You all have no idea.

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  5. To the boy: well, that is good you are recognizing Charity's greatness. Let's hope you keep your pants up this time, and not stray like you did, not too long ago.......

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  6. Are you really the boy? Anyone can say they are anyone on the internet. I'm sure she is a great girl. Just a bit over the top. While you think it's cute now - believe me, speaking as a long-married woman - cute is only cute for a little while. Then it's annoying :)

    (I'm the first anonymous not the one sickened by cutting down the tree. By the way, there is nothing wrong with cutting down a tree. Get over yourself!)

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  7. To long married woman: why are you reading the blog of a 28 year old woman.......that is a little weird.
    Charity is not a bit over the top, or "cute" as you put it. She is generous, kind hearted, with a wonderful zest for life.

    Long married woman.....if you need to "hang out" on Charity's blog because of your own deficits in life, perhaps you could either shut the hell up if you have nothing nice to say....or better yet, you could find a more age appropriate blog to troll around in. Got it!!!

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  8. I'm not the one who said the really ugly thing about the boy keeping his pants on. I made comments 2 and 6.

    There is more than one "anonymous" posting here. I'll use my first name now to avoid being lumped in with the ugly commenter(s).

    And, not sure if the last comment is still from "the boy" or not - but how do you know how old I am? Just because Charity was 28 when she got married doesn't mean someone else can't be "long married" at about the same age. GOT IT???!!!

    If it is "the boy" - better watch the profanity. Papa E reads this blog.

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  9. Charity IS over the top. That's why I happen to read and enjoy her blog. The name is over the top...Dripping With Passion"...Charity likes hyperbole and likes being over the top.

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  10. woah guys, this is a bit crazy. a couple clarifications:

    yes, i own the over-the-topness.

    comment #6 was not the boy.

    for the record, papa e definitely is less averse to profanity than the boy (they both certainly don't use it regularly, but papa leans more towards irreverence at times than the boy does).

    if you read this blog but do not know us in real life, you really can't make judgements on our commitment to each other. what you've read is a very small slice of information about the history of our relationship.

    millions of people put cut-down trees in their house this time of year. i'm sorry if you don't like that idea, but i'm not sure it makes me selfish and deserving of an f-bomb (even with asterisks!).

    happy christmastime everyone, and thanks for reading.

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  11. Good show, Charity. And I think it's hilarious that someone posed as the boy to comment here. Also really funny to try and picture Mr. Eyre stumping his toe and sputtering out some profanities. Too funny!

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  12. sorry, i meant to say that comment #7 was not the boy, but #4 is him indeed :)

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  13. Whoa! Kudos to you Charity for putting up with people's comments. Wow! Why people feel a need to pass judgement, share negative thoughts or feelings is soooo beyond me. Share the love folks. No one is forcing you to read this blog or other blogs. If it bothers you what this lovely person does in her life, don't bother to read about her life. Let people be. Be kind. Be gracious and keep your sad, negative and completely inappropriate comments to yourself. Carry on Charity, I for one enjoy your passion for life and that is why I read.

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  14. I love the lights Charity. Lights are so beautiful as they sparkle, twinkle, and glow. They are also symbolic. Which is so perfect at Christmas time, as we focus on the Light of the World, our Savior, Jesus Christ. How magical to get to have a Christmas tree right by your bed to look at as you fall asleep!
    I'm sorry Charity, I am going to hijack your blog for a minute. I have never been one who can remain silent when I see someone being treated unkindly, unfairly, and basically being cyber bullied. It's wrong.
    I have never met Charity in person, and I am also an "older" reader who enjoys reading her blog because of her zest for life. She inspires me to always look for the good. Other readers may find that "weird" but I do not.
    I love that Charity is full of excitement for the season. It is a good thing. I live in a very "nature-loving" state and we have Christmas tree farms all over the place. I think family traditions are wonderful. Some people enjoy the tradition of finding a real tree together, and others prefer to put up the artificial tree, or a paper tree on the wall...whatever your personal preference is, is just that--it's personal. Everyone has the right to live their own life and to be judged by God, not man, for their own life choices.
    Although this is not my blog, I am really appalled by the accusations made regarding "the boy." That is extremely uncalled for by Anonymous.
    Assumptions and gossip are wrong.
    Even if you think you know something horrible about another person- no matter who that person is- let me share with you what Elder Jeffrey Holland said about the importance of not reopening ancient wounds "the same wounds the Savior died trying to heal. Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve." (Remember Lot's Wife, Jan. 13, 2009).

    I know that Charity and "The Boy" do not need to answer to any of us readers...for anything. They are amazing people doing amazing things.
    I have been grateful that Charity has opened up her life and shared so much of it's beauty and adventure.
    Merry Christmas!

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  15. Wow! I am ALMOST speechless at the gall that someone has i n making such profane, unfounded, and harsh remarks!
    Why? Why do you read Charity and her family's blogs if you are just going to be haters?
    I am full of gratitude at what I have learned from reading Charity's blog.

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  16. I'm excited for our own tree. We will only put it up in the 24th which is as I believe most Germans do. We already have Christmas decoration, just not a tree.

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  17. i love you, charity! this beautiful mortal experience deserves every last ounce of our enthusiasm - and love! merry christmas, everyone!

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  18. So beautiful and SO happy to hear that you got to play your flute! That's always so fun at Christmas!

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  19. First time poster here. I never understand why some folk persist in reading blogs that they obviously dislike. I dislike green beans therefore I don't eat green beans, why would I, there are plenty of other vegetables out there that I do like, therefore I eat those. Some people could do with applying this to the blogs they read. Blogs shouldn't make you so full of hate just by reading them. Find a blog that does make you happy

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  20. well, some of these posts are just silly! i love how you embrace the season! i also love the curtain in your bedroom by the way!

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