Little L's first Lussekatter. He enjoyed shaping his into single spirals.
Cards made by K and C
Early morning light
A Saint Lucia day treat - decaf coffee for the children
Little L being dressed up by C
C loving her special doll made by one of my dearest friends
Little L super excited over his star boy (he claims it is his beloved friend, and not himself.)
K much too engrossed in a card from our friends to look up (she studied that thing, soaking in every little detail.)
Oh, where to begin? Saint Lucia's day. One of my most favorite days of the year. Perhaps the fact that Lucia is my patron saint and who Little L is named after, has something to do with it. But really, she helped me to find my way back home to the church and for that I shall be eternally indebted to her.
We spent the day before Saint Lucia's day baking our sweets for the next day so that way the children would just have to wake up and put them on a tray. K had it all planned out ahead of time and I just went with it. She even made all the Lussekatters herself from beginning to end this year (with a new Lussekatter recipe, and it's the best one yet!) Well, she did let her siblings help shape them. We forgot to buy raisins, but we just let that go and carried on.
The children put themselves to bed early the night before so that they would get enough sleep but the excitement was just too much for them. It took them hours to fall asleep and then they woke up at midnight and then again a couple of hours later wanting to start the day. Kevin was able to talk them into going back to sleep for at least a couple more hours. It warms my heart knowing that they get more excited over the thought of waking up early, dressing as the Lucia bride and her attendants, making us coffee, gathering a tray of Lussekatters and waking us up on Lucia morning than they do over Christmas presents or even birthdays!
*Saint Lucia morning* Kevin and I were awoken by the smell of saffron, angelic little voices singing, and small lights in the sweetest Saint Lucia procession we ever saw. K was so proud of herself and her siblings - you could just see it in the way her eyes shone. It was a moment I will treasure in my heart always, but unfortunately I was not able to capture it with my camera (due to the battery operated candles not giving off enough light for my dinosaur camera. *sigh*) We spent a good hour with all five of us cozy together on our bed, munching on our buns, sipping our coffee, singing and chatting. What a magical and loving way to start the day.
Oh, did you happen to notice the Lucia and her attendants dolls in some of the photographs above? Trust me, they are so sweet you couldn't miss them! One of my very dearest friends beautifully created my children outfitted in their Saint Lucia day wear, in needle felted form. They glow with all the love put into them. Words can not say how very special these are to us. Thank you, Holly!!
Saint Lucia really did bring in the light. Not just spiritually and within our hearts, but literally as well. It has been dark and cloudy for days and days but then the sun shone bright all Saint Lucia day. What a blessed day. What did you do on Saint Lucia's day? I would love to see and/or hear about everyone's celebrations.
I almost forgot - Remember that Saint Lucia swap I was part of? Well, these are what I received in return:
So much beauty!
