Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas: Yippee!

I love this holiday season. Love it.

Thanksgiving doesn't hold as much magic for me, since it's not something I celebrated growing up. I can appreciate the symbolism of it, though, and at our church's Thanksgiving service last night, I enjoyed Pastor Peter's telling of the first Thanksgiving narrative. And I loved seeing the little kids' excitement as we closed out the service with song and ... bells! Everyone got little bells to shake for the last song.

As Nich and I walked home with jingles in our pockets and saw that some of our neighbors have Christmas decor up outside their homes, I got all excited for Christmas. There is something just generally cheerful about this season. People seem nicer, happier, more engaged. I just wish they knew that there is MORE than just the shopping, the family times, the food. I suppose that's why we do things like Operation Christmas Child and The Giving Tree. Just to remind people that Jesus loves them.

I've been itching to play Christmas music, to mail off our Christmas cards, to decorate. I've had the envelopes for our Christmas cards stuffed, addressed, labeled and stamped for over two weeks now - Yes, I'm that excited. Today, I'm putting the ones going overseas in the mail, but the rest are going to wait until after Thanksgiving. Nich had compromised and let me start playing Christmas music in the house this week (as it is Thanksgiving week, plus we heard it on the car ride home this past weekend). We're going to decorate together tomorrow morning, as my hubby is so thoughtful and is staying home from the annual men's football game so he can spend time with me (I'm working Black Friday and Saturday this weekend at Bath & Body).

Our house is finally mostly unpacked and CLEAN. There are a few odds and ends, but I finally feel like, "Ahhh, I'm home," when I walk in the door.

Come visit! :~)