This is Christmas …

I shared a few weeks ago about the uniqueness of this Christmas and how challenging it is for me. I’ve been trying so hard to look all around for the love and joy and Christmas in the little things.

I go from feelings of sadness to happiness to contentment to anxiety nearly every day. I’ve been feeling like the month has been leading up to one big day that will surely be full of tears and discomfort. Then I realized Christmas isn’t about a day, it’s about a season, and I’ve had a damn good one thus far. As one of my favorite seasonal movies reminded me this weekend, Love Actually is All Around Us. 

This is Christmas … 

driving around with husband looking at Christmas lights, stopping for 20 minutes at one house enamored with a timed light show

volunteering at sharing + caring, putting together christmas gifts for families in need

spending time over dinner or margaritas with family, new and old

coming home surprised to find the christmas trees up without asking

enjoying a hot cocoa bar, talks about cat books + nerf gun wars at our CG christmas party

snuggled on the couch forcing husband to watch sleepless in seattle, and happy to see him enjoy it

listening to endless amounts of christmas music while cooking dinner

shopping for the perfect gift for my perfect friends and family

caroling on the square with my team from work + crying of laughter at how bad we are

shopping for the basic needs of others (socks, protein) + recognizing how much I have and how grateful I am

watching the first snowfall of the year like a little girl

being humbled by a sermon through the eyes of the wisemen

receiving christmas cards of my beautiful friends and their families from all across the country

xo xo