Yule 2012

I woke up before the sun rose so I could greet the newborn Sun king with praise in song. Then I went inside and made a few batches of scones for my family to wake up to. The minions stockings were put at the ends of their beds and I could hear their happy giggles and exclamations of surprise as I finished preparing breakfast. We converged in the living room and ate warm bacon cheddar, blueberry and chai scones and drank spicy Mayan hot chocolate as we sat in a big circle and started to open gifts.  I will feature some of the highlights and all of the witchy gifts for sure :) The minions received alot of presents this year and Hubby and I were very spoiled as our oldest three are all working and very generous.

Yule morning

Bug opening her new bow

New B.O.S for me :)

Our main bathroom is done in an ocean theme, this was the perfect addition, from Gramma :)

New book for Moi! :)

Bugs favorite game is Little big planet she was so happy

Another new book this one was from Mom and you have no idea the impact it had opening it :) The Morrigan has been whispering to me for some time now and now she is starting to shout. Trust me I am paying attention!!

New leather bracers for Hubby

Fuzzy rainbow legwarmers and funky panda toppers for Willowtree

Some of King Connahers favorite gifts. His new hat and necklace it is a red dragons eye and he is holding a dragon skull carved out of Red Jasper.

Cerridwen stirring her cauldron she will look perfect in the spellroom

Amazing Goddess earrings from Hubby

Happy Gramma loves her gift from the Minions. It was a stone cat statue.

Epic motivational sign for Hubby

All that gift giving tired Zeddicus right out

Slouch hat for Willowtree

Zeds new composite bow and he is sporting a new slouch hat as well in rasta colors

Bugs new bow

Maiden Mother Crone tapestry from my nephew

Goddess moon phase flag from my nephew

Bugs epic new boots from Auntie

A micro brewery for The Oldest

The minions were also gifted with a Root beer making kit and passes to the West Edmonton Mall water park. Hubby and I also received a micro brewery. I am looking forward to experimenting with herbal beers this spring and summer :) We spent the day enjoying each others company. In the evening we gathered around the feast table in total darkness and gave thanks for the return of the light, a single spark ignited a flame and the light was celebrated into the night with much feasting and libation :)

Yule decorations

This year I added a few new decorations to the Yule collection. Plus I am going to show you a few of my favorites :) Our Yule decorations are very nature themed and very pagan, all four elements are represented on our tree as well as many seasonal symbols.

Yule gnome :)

Isn't he adorable :) I got this skiing gnome and a gnome ornament like him for the tree as the newest additions to my Yule decor collection.

Gnome tree ornament.

Ceramic Ptarmigans

 These were a gift from a very dear friend. They remind me of where I grew up in the North west territories.

Candy Joy

Ceramic Yule candle holder.  I love this piece!! I found it at the local second hand store I was so thrilled. It says 1972 on the bottom the year I was born.

Gold glass maple leaf. A gift from my Mom two years ago

Green glass leaf. I have multiples of these I found them on clearance at wal mart a few years ago. I couldn't believe my luck. I have them in brown and silver too

Another lucky clearance find from about four years ago Pine cones. I got six bunches at 50 cents a piece. I love to shop for Yule decorations after the season is over and everything is on clearance :)

one of the brown glass leaves

I bought these almost 20 years ago. Silver for the Goddess and Gold for the God. I bought six of each at the time and only have two of each left :(

Gold for the God. They ring like bells :)

Glittery little birds

Father Yule. Meadow keeps insisting we put an eye patch on him lol

Dragonflies

Willowtree and I made these shell ornaments when she was very little.

I just really love the word JOY

Raven reminds us of our ancestors and the darkness they feared at this time of year.

Glittery red apple. The Apple is a Goddess symbol and a very special symbol in the tradition we practice. I have alot of apple ornaments on the tree in red, green, silver and gold

Ceramic bat ornaments remind us of the darkness of this time of year

Holly ornament

Fae bells to honor the Fae

I have these in pink as well they are to represent the minions :)

Oak ornament

Yule tree 2012

Yule mantle

Evergreen and holly garlands bedeck the house inside and out and many ornamental snowflakes and icicles hang from the ceilings and doorways as we welcome back the light!

December in pictures

We started December off with a trip to the famous West Edmonton Mall. We spent most of the day in Galaxyland. Bug had her first roller coaster ride :) She screamed the whole time but said she enjoyed it afterwards lol

Bug and Zed on the Carousal at West Edmonton Mall Galaxyland

we did some shopping as well and found some cool new fruits and foods at the T&T Asian market. We brought home Rambutan, Salak AKA Snake fruit, Long Kong, Jack fruit and stocked up on Green tea ice cream a family favorite. Green tea cakes and coffee jello were also bought to try. We are big fans of trying new foods and enjoyed all of them except for the Jack fruit no one really cared for its flavor or texture. We went online and found out what countries they grew in and how they are usually prepared. It was a very fun day and we were all exhuasted at the end of it!

Willowtree learned how to make the perfect Alfredo sauce from scratch

Getting into the festive season. Zeddicus the reindeer

Bug decorated the tree herself this year but was not tall enough to put the topper on with out help :)

Working together to master a game online

Yule tree 2012

King Connaher recently decided to go vegetarian. It was a spiritual choice and we support him 100%

He was craving meatloaf and to make it easier on him I have been trying to re create some of his favorite foods as vegetarian. The meatless meatloaf was a huge success!! It was delicious really close in flavor and texture to my meatloaf.

Close up of the vegetarian meatloaf

Making snow angels

More sledding fun

We dried apples to hang on the outside trees for the birds that stay the winter

So far at our feeder we have seen Chickadees, blue jays, nuthatches and woodpeckers

We made gifts for Yule

We made melt away shower disks, sugar scrub, bath melts, incense and thieves oil. Some of these were kept for the house but most were packaged up and given away to the special people in our world for Yule.

Gramma gave us a lesson in making jewelry

For Yule Zed bought a necklace and earrings for his Aunt at the local second hand store. We decided to upcycle it and make her something unique. One of Grammas hobbies is making jewelry so she offered to give us a quick lesson. The girls watched as I made Auntie a necklace and earrings. They really enjoyed it and we will be making more in the New year.

Finished necklace for Auntie Karla

We painted the kitchen

I wanted pumpkin orange but the closest we could find was from the Sesame Street collection called Ernnnnie!!! LOL I love it tho it is exactly what I wanted :) I am going to go with a total Autumn theme in the kitchen.

Terra in my bed Yule morning, she is what my husband woke up to LOL

The whole family was home for Yule which was a wonderful surprise because we had thought our oldest would be away working in the mountains but he surprised us a few days before Yule it was so awesome!!
I woke very early Yule morning to greet the newborn sun then went in to make our traditional bacon and cheddar scones. I also so made chai and blueberry scones so the veggie eaters in the house had an alternative. We opened the gifts and spent the day together. My sister and nephews came in the early evening we had a family ritual then feasted and made merry well into the night :) Our Yule was as it should be full of abundance and light. The minions received a Root beer making kit so that is an adventure we will be undertaking very soon. Zed and Bug also received Composite bows as they have both taken a fierce interest in archery. This pleases me :) I took archery lessons as a kid and loved it and I think the whole family will get bitten by the archery bug eventually! We hope your Yule was magickal one!