it's finally here

Bone shivering temperatures.  Hair waving winds.  Coloring leaves falling.   Turkey sales.  Thanksgiving ingredients in their specific culinary isle.  Fall parties. Hot apple cider warming the hands. Pumpkin pies topped with whip cream. Families chattering up plans of where to enjoy the big feast together.  Babies cuddled and displayed in the latest wintry get up. Toddlers trailing mom and dad in boots.  Pumpkin spice lattes.  Apple pies. The spirit of Christmas trumping Thanksgiving before it even gets here.  

Seasonal changes break up the everyday [or is it every year] mundane.  This one seams to be the one that creates the most excitement without the stress [that Christmas brings].  It's that time of year when we can all cuddle up with our favorite people and share piping hot drinks and hip widening desserts with friends. Yah, it's finally here.  This is the one year in my whole entire life, lived so far, that I actually looked forward to it.  Less dreading of the muscle tensing cold and more appreciation for the good things we're all intended to enjoy together.

Our first week of living in the rental has been nice.  The kids are just steps away from the park and friends who they've been spending more time with.  On my most loathed holiday evening [Halloween] they were roaming the neighborhoods with their teen cronies and came home stocked with cavity creating treasures...enough to make a dentist groan or smile [depending on the dentist].  Victoria and Sierra are young enough still to anticipate a church party of elementary games.  I went for the free burgers and hotdogs, the hot apple cider and socializing with other parents.

Waking up to cold winds this morning made the season official.  How could I possibly resist playing some Christmas music and starting some chicken chili in the crock pot for supper.  I already had my hand at some pumpkin cheesecake.  Because there was none left by the time I got to it, it was a puzzler trying to decide if sharing it at a Bible Study was really that good of an idea.     Oh, but it serves a perfect reason to make another.  

At last, that yummy colorful season has settled in and there are favorite people too far away to share dessert and coffee with.  You are in my thoughts and in my heart, none the less.