Holiday Cheer

Day Four: Grateful for holiday cheer

Yesterday, I was delighted to find that one of our local radio stations began playing holiday music on November 1st. For those of you have known me for a long time, you know that I LOVE anything to do with Christmas any time of the year. I used to start playing Christmas music in late summer, through the fall, and well past the holiday season. I still love Christmas, but I’ve definitely learned that in order to not burn out from the same 3 renditions of every holiday song, I have to start a little bit later in the year. November 1st is a good midway point for me.

The thing is, I know some people will argue up and down, ‘not til after Thanksgiving!’ And that point is very valid. I hear you, friends! But for me, Christmas music is my happy music. Whenever I’m feeling blue or just needing a little pick-me-up, I will turn on some old jazzy Christmas, the Charlie Brown (Vince Guaraldi) Christmas album, the Elf Soundtrack, or Amy Grant’s Home for the Holidays (which reminds me of growing up because my dad used to play this every year on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning). There is just no way I can be sad when I’m listening to holiday music.

So yesterday, with the new morning view (with the sun already most of the way risen due to Daylight’s Savings), I bounced up and down in my seat and spent 45 minutes singing at the top of my lungs to Bing and Mariah and Elvis. It was grand. Please don’t be annoyed by my pre-mature holiday cheer. It brought me to my happy place ;)

Day Five: Grateful for family dinners

We live with my in-laws on the family farm, with siblings and grandparents and a great-grandmother and a little boy and dogs (and a goat!), and it works out really well to share the responsibility of cooking dinners a few nights a week. It was definitely a big lesson for me this past year to go from being scared of cooking/not knowing how to cook, to learning how to cook enough (and well!) for 9 adults, with enough for seconds, and leftovers for lunch (for just me and Neil when I am the one doing cooking). That’s a lot of food! Mostly my mother-in-law and I take turns cooking up at our house, but once in a while, Neil’s grandma Opal cooks a big family dinner and we all eat next door. She had quite a spread tonight of beef stew, roasted vegetables, peas, salad, fresh fruit, rolls, and banana pudding. I ate to my heart’s content, and though Emmett was fussily tired, and the dogs were running around, and everyone was cramped around the table, I thought to myself how sweet it is and how lucky we are to be raising our little boy around at least one side of his family. I love these gatherings of good food, dear family, and remembering how blessed we are to be surrounded by love.

What are you thankful for today?