Call me Mrs. Claus
Well here it is again...holiday time. So many of you have already started blogging about my absolute favorite time of year so I figured that I would jump right on your sleigh myself. I am such a holiday nerd (self-proclaimed...there's no shame here folks) that I am usually greeted w/ rolling eyes when I come on the scene during this time of year. My roomate wants to kill me b/c I decorate everything in sight and Christmas music has already been playing in my car/office for 2 weeks. I'm one of those people that enjoys the mall at Christmas. Truthfully. That's me. I believe in its magic. Its goodness. Its power to ignite hope and faith and love in our hearts. i am saddened that it is lost to so many and I feel grateful that the fire still burns in me so strongly.

These pics are of my sweet friend and I desperately searching for signs of Christmas in LA. When we found this tree in an outdoor mall we practically assaulted our fellow shoppers to take our picture in front of it. It's pretty clear that we are in our own private heaven. With her being so far away we have developed our own ways to cope with the distance (aka Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner, nightly phone calls, over-priced flights) but not being together during the Christmas Season is something that we still can't really come to terms with. She and I have been in Love with Christmas together for as long as I can remember. Since I was 6 years old we have watched all of our favorite holiday movies together, sipping steaming mugs of hot chocolate with big clouds of fluff perched on top. We scheduled our family tree decorating on separate nights so that we cuold be present at both and drive our parents insane together. We even made our own Christmas music video collection in 7th grade which we watch (much to the chagrin of our family and friends) every year and started carolling w/ friends door to door as we got older and realized that singing wasn't just a hobby for us. Our Christmas Season is magical and beautiful and full of Love. We've never given in to the hype and the stress and the money.

But now it's harder b/c she is far away. I absolutely adore my friends and family. Don't get me wrong. It would be fair to say that I am literally the luckiest person in the world in that department. But there's just something missing without her. And we do try to stuff it into the few days that she is home, but it's just not the same. I guess it will just make it all the more special when she is back for good.

until then my fellow bloggers, welcome to the holiday season. May we all have a sweet journey, free from all of the materialism and anxiety that now accompanies this special time...