Though we do our main gifts unwrapping on Christmas Day (as that is the day Michael always has off work) we tend to share a couple smaller gifts on Winter Solstice. This weekend we had a small Solstice gathering at our home and Michelle gave Damian the small wooden car in the picture (she also brought onsies and a hand knitted blanket for Ivy as well as an heirloom crib quilt.) Every year Michael gives me the beautiful We’Moon datebook on the Solstice and I tend to make him something by hand. This year I made him a set of juggling balls.

(Damian with the heirloom crib quilt. It has bluebirds on it.)

I bought The Return of the Light for our children. It contains 12 short stories from around the world about the return of light, perfect for the Solstice. Reading to them is very important to me and I love it when I am able to find seasonal as well as spiritual stories. Ideally, I would have given it to them for Saint Nicholas Day but it arrived several days later, so Solstice it is! (Theoretically, I will have it a little more together next year. Not surprisingly, Ivy’s birth put a bit of a hold on some holiday surprises this year.)

Of course I like receiving gifts, I adore my datebook filled with beautiful images and inspirational works, but I do not think anything makes me quite so happy as seeing the look of the faces of the people I give to. It was nice seeing Michael juggling within minutes of opening his gift (and Damian giggling with joy) it is wonderful to have Damian cuddle up beside me while I feed Ivy and read them both a story. Lasting happiness for me is in those moments more then anything else.