2013

Last year, Justin and I celebrated the new year by going to Walmart and buying all our favorite snack food and setting it up on a table in the living room while we watched the NYE celebration on tv. We were by ourselves, and it was like a fun sleepover party where we watched Fergie and her hip dancing thing that we ended up imitating all year.

This year, we're doing the same thing. I'm looking forward to Fergie, and hopefully she won't disappoint. We have the best mashup of snacks and chips and salsa and stuff that will probably be way too much to eat in one night.

Right now, it's already 2014 on the east coast. We have less than an hour left in this year. This may be our last year to spend New Year's Eve at home alone, and we are making the most of it.

I hope 2014 is as promising for you as I feel it is for me. I hope it brings you magic and blessings and laughter and good even if it's sad or imperfect sometimes.

Happy 2014!

December

I love the holidays. At first, you'd think it's for the food. (It's totally for the food.) But really, when I think about it, I absolutely love the atmosphere. The energy. The ambiance. It's probably the only time of year when you can experience a windless Oklahoma night. If you're lucky, there will be snow on the ground, glistening in the mixture of moonlight and colorful Christmas lights.

There are few things I love more than sitting in my living room on a December night, under a blanket, basking in the glow of the Christmas tree. (Pinterest is probably part of this experience.) And, if I have my way, some sweet Christmas music would be softly playing in the background, and the Scentsy would be filling the room with Christmas Cottage.

This is the precious time of my life when Justin and I can spend hours together under glowing Christmas lights in the calm of midnight, interrupted only by our dog's snores. Playing loud and hilarious card games, drinking chocolate milk, and maybe indulging in the occasional midnight snack. Laughing at how much of a difference a year can make, how far we've come, and where we want to go in the future.

This time of year is significant for many reasons. I celebrate the birth of Jesus. I celebrate family. I celebrate the peace I find during this holiday in quiet moments, however long they last. But I also celebrate the beauty in an ending. The end of a year. The end of a season. We need it. We need this time to say goodbye. To celebrate a year of good and bad, of difficulty and of blessings.

The time I have now with everyone I love is invaluable. Throw in some holiday food and... Well, it's not heaven, but it just might be the next best thing.