Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas!

{close-up of the lights on our tree; photo by me}


Christmastime is my favorite part of the year. My personal holiday season starts with Thanksgiving and ends with my birthday (January 8th, mark your calendars!) and is filled with so many things that I love.

Thinking up gifts. Shopping for those gifts or the supplies to make them. Baking endless amounts of cookies and making peppermint bark. Wrapping everything up in pretty wrapping paper or packages. Decorating the house from top to bottom. Blasting Christmas music at all hours. Seeing the Christmas lights lit up while driving at night. Drinking hot chocolate and peppermint mochas. Wearing a Santa hat while partaking in any and all holiday activities – this includes cleaning the house for company. Planning and baking desserts with my cousin for Christmas day. Picking out cute outfits.

Most importantly, of course, is spending time with friends and family. It’s the perfect time to show my love, both through gifts/baked goods and more personal interaction. My birthday is also included here because – and here’s the only plus of a winter birthday – all of my friends are usually free to get together because people are on break. I spend most of the year making plans with friends individually, so to have everyone in the same room for a night is really special.

And last year, this time of year got even better because it was when my relationship with Erik was just beginning. (It literally spanned my whole holiday season: he asked for my number on Thanksgiving weekend and we became an official couple three days before my birthday. Coincidence? I think not.) It’s been really fun to look back on those memories and it just supplements this season with an extra something special.

Today I'm getting together with Lynds to bake for Christmas, watch a movie, and sip on wine. Tomorrow will be a party with my mom's side of the family, and as soon as I take my last bite of dessert, I'm driving to Erik's house to spend the rest of the evening and Christmas morning with him and his family. On Sunday we'll both be driving back here, then over to my aunt's for the second party with my dad's side of the family. It promises to be an exciting weekend.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful weekend.