while the days are surely getting longer and it is later in the morning when ethan exclaims "the sun is coming up, mama!" and later in the evening when he asks "is it dark outside, mama?", there is still something special about all the darkness that comes with this season. i will always remember this winter as the one we started eating our dinners (and sometimes breakfasts) by candlelight, or oil lamp-light. the one when i decided i'd better use up all those beautiful candlesticks i've been holding onto for all these years (i think i still had one pair a friend gave to me in high school!), saving for that special occasion. realizing that every meal we sit down to together as a family is special. and savoring them as much as i possibly can.
