One of my favorite family traditions is Christmas in July. My parents did it for us when we were children, and now I do it for my kids. This year was extra sweet because my family had been in strict isolation for four months, and we drove up to see my parents, who had also been extremely isolated. Hugging my parents was exactly the gift I needed. This year we:

Decorated a tiny Christmas tree.

Made adorable paper stockings. My mother gave us a pattern.

Mom made the cutest snowman out of cardboard boxes. The kids dressed him up.

We gave each other sweet little handmade gifts. The girls drew us pictures. Mom hollowed out a book so we could put treasures inside. Dad made cat toys so we could play with their cats. I hand-stitched up some tiny pocket bunnies.

We listened to Christmas music and baked sugar cookies. Those cookies didn’t last long enough to take pictures of. They were delicious!

Every girl received a darling little doll in her stocking. It’s tradition.

We made paper flowers, using twigs as the stems.

My soul needed this. In a time where things are scary and uncertain, this brought joy and happiness. It was a week of low-key, joyous bustle and then a day of Christmas. Merry Christmas in July to you, my friends. <3