OH The Holidays...We have a love/hate relationship!

It has hardly felt like the holiday season. We celebrated quite a non-traditional Thanksgiving, Zach's mom visiting just until Thanksgiving morning. We drove her to the airport and then had our effortless dinner at Mimi's cafe...returning home to a clean and spotless kitchen, but wishing it was filthy with dishes of all kinds, and smells melded together...stuffing and pumpkin pie. Even the movie theatre felt strangely empty when we saw Bolt later that afternoon. Needless to say, with the weather cooperating at 60 and 70 degrees (with the exception of a few days), it hardly felt like the holiday season we've had in the past....
So when we left this morning to take the kids swimming and then for our "day after Thanksgiving" tradition of finding the perfect tree, something still felt as if it were "missing." By 6:00pm, our home was covered in all our favorite Christmas decor, ornaments scattered over the dining room table, while the kids clawed to find "their" ornaments. I raced to Walmart for more lights (a bigger tree this year) and it started to snow.....my fingers automatically thumbed for Christmas music, and belting at the top of my lungs....well, ahhh, it felt like Christmas. The neighborhood is booming with lights....many neighbors hanging theirs even right after Halloween while the weather is still warm, and flipping the switch as soon as the leftovers from Thanksgiving hit the fridge....it's beautiful! Still somewhat new to all this (our third year in CO), we haven't ventured on the roof to hang lights, but boast a nice set all along the lower level...along with wreaths in every window (lower level, that is). And truly, just around the corner, there it is....Christmas. We WILL be covered with family members for THAT holiday, and we can't wait. I've too much "catching up" to do....I think I'll just start from today!