Hello Dear Friends and Happy New Year!
Christmas time, New Years and Valentines Day are my very favorite times of the year. Well, I love every part of the year, but I especially love this season. I love the cold mixed with the excitement of family and adventure.
I wasn’t able to make it back home for Christmas this year, which my heart was longing to do, but due to many circumstances (like moving back into the city, two weeks before Christmas, to help better expand the business for Benjamin and securing two tenants to rent the two houses on our property, all the while unpacking and settling so we could enjoy Christmas!) we couldn’t make it! 
My mom and dad, who shower me and shower me with love and understanding, sent us an unbelievably full box of treats and goodies. I was in Christmas heaven when I opened it up. It did my homesick-heart well seeing my Dad’s handsome writing on the box and smelling all the familiar smells of home as I found each item.
I took a few pictures of some of the special homemade items my mom sent because they were just too pretty to not take a picture of 
I hold this bottle of homemade vanilla to my heart and have to smell it every time I open the baking cupboard.
I think I squealed when I saw a Young Living bottle, and so excited to see that it was Clary Sage. My mom continues to pass on her care and wisdom with her gift of oils to me. I couldn’t wait to look up all the benefits of Clary Sage. I’ll have to share some of what I discovered and how I am now using it in my shampoo to help my hair hehe…
Benjamin always smiles at me because of my enthusiasm and how I get excited for all the benefits of essential oils. But he sure doesn’t complain when I lather the oils all over him and he hasn’t gotten sick once so far this winter! I plan to keep it that way!
I could smell the homemade chocolate before I even opened the box. I don’t know how I will get myself to part with this chocolate and use it! I just keep it in my larder like golden treasure that I never want to spend!
These little beauties are heavenly to hold and feel. So smooth and soft. I will be brainstorming on how I shall use my precious homemade healthy chocolate and hopefully blog about it soon.
Mom you are the cream to my coffee!
You can visit her blog here, where she shares how to make healthy homemade white chocolate!
~This picture was one of many that we took on Thanksgiving day, using the timer setting on my camera. Benjamin would hit the button and rush back and smile quickly before the “click” happened. This was our clearest and nicest one! Winston was so funny and would laugh so hard every time Benjamin would rush back to pose!~
I am so excited for this New Year, so thankful to be settled once again, (moving is no fun) and unpacked! So excited to pick up this blog, dust it off and work on feeding it on a more regular basis. It does my heart well to post, and now that moving, is out of the equation for this coming year, I hope I can keep it up
Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year!
Oh Wow Sweetie…. this post is the light of my day. I am eating up every morsel. You are so sweet, and have made it all so fun for me to see the receiving end of the Christmas package. Thank you so much for showing all the pictures. The last picture is precious.
Love you so, so much,
Mom
Thank you Mom! You made our Christmas so lovely and it was so fun to share about it. I love you!
My goodness, what a busy time for you! Are you sad to not be out in the country any more…or maybe relieved?!
I’m glad you’re starting to feel settled in again; there’s such comfort in that.
What a wonderful package from a wonderful mom! The love that flows between your extended family is a beautiful thing to see.
I agree with your mom that the last picture is absolutely precious.
I loved reading your comment Davene! It has been way to long since I visited your cozy and enjoyable blog! I am excited to get back to a routine and yes, there is a lot of relief and burden that has been lifted in moving back to the city! We love our land and homes out there, but for now we are excited to be in town
Oh Elizabeth! How sweet and precious it is to get a look into your Christmas goody box! Roxy and I make our own vanilla now too and I will never go back to buying store bought again! I love all the benefits to Clary Sage. And I just love the smell, too. And who can go wrong with a homemade healthy chocolate??
Yummy!
I didn’ t know you were moving back to the city. So, what part of Florida are you in now? Do you like it better in the city or the country? Well, either way I am so happy you are settled and I hope to get to chat with you more here real soon.
I missed seeing you at your mom and dads!
You take care sweet friend!
Love You,
Amy
Amy, I must come and visit soon and maybe learn how to make homemade vanilla! Yes, we moved back for awhile and Benjamin can grow and expand the business better. We love the country life, but it was difficult to enjoy it with so much business responsibilities and having Marie and Jon in Arizona, took away a lot of the fun. We are in Jacksonville again and very happy! We moved into a different area than where we were before and are so HAPPY! Hopefully I get to see your sweet face in February! I love you!
Dear Lady Elizabeth, I have a new Label Title of your Blog. ( LIFE) as you can still write about things that fill your heart and encourage others also.
Yes, I am so glad you got a bottle of the vanilla, it is the best ingredient in baking to add some real flavor.
The picture is adorable!! That Winston is so cute!
Miss you and I will be seeing you soon I hope!
Always, Love Roxy
Roxy, I love my new label title! Yes, I will do it soon, once I settle down into a routine! And you will be seeing me very soon! February for Mom and Winston’s birthday! I can’t wait to see you Roxy! I love you!