Let Your Heart Be Light

For as early as I started thinking about and planning for Christmas this year,

I'm honestly surprised that the past 2 weeks have been like they have.

I haven't had a spare second,

not even to show you some pics of how we've been bringing down the house with Christmas around here!

In the busyness, I miss seeing my friends more.  I miss having more relaxed time to enjoy Christmas in the city.

But then I think about the variables making me so busy like 

job applications that are time sensitive, 

a teaching trip to Cleveland, 

Neal's graduation (tomorrow!), 

house guests, 

and Christmas parties, parties, parties (we have one every single night next week, Sunday through Thursday),

and I realize that this Christmas has a lot more going on than just Christmas.

Somehow it just happened that way this year.

And all I can think of is I'm so glad I shopped early!

 The Christmas goodies I picked up on errands this week, now laying around the house waiting for their turn to shine.

My heart is feeling heavy tonight, because amidst it all, I've started feeling bad again.

Physically, I do go through seasons of better and worse, and I'm, well, sad that "worse" is hitting me right now in the midst of my favorite part of Christmas and a time when the calendar is so full.

 Not that you ever want to feel especially not good, but... especially not now, if you know what I mean.

So, tonight, I have a few pictures that make my heart feel lighter, which is part of Christmas.

Last weekend, we had a really Christmasy weekend.

Friday I spent the day shopping on Michigan Avenue with my Mom, and the lights, our laughter, our fun, our finds, made it all fit deliciously into the holiday spirit.

It was one of my favorite days I've had with my Mom in awhile.

I love you Momma, and tonight remembering our day on Michigan Ave. makes my heart light!

Anthropologie, of course.

Momma found the perfect Christmas jacket.

We were both so excited!!

And, we got the last one, making it even that much more of a find!

She bought me a couple of the latte bowls, which I'm collecting.

Now I'll always think of this day when I use the red and mustard ones.

Leave it to Anthro to have the coolest designs.

Love the mittens.

I can't decide which was more fun, Anthropologie or getting Mom outfitted with my very favorite Stila products.

Oh, Stila.  It really is my favorite.

We're so predictable.

3:30 found us at a window table in Starbucks.

It breaks my heart how much I love her!
She is so wise, so beautiful, so deep, so fun.
So loving.
It made me a teeny bit sad that of all the faces I see across tables at Starbucks, it rarely gets to be hers.
I'd take a coffee date with her any day.

 

Michigan Avenue was beautiful!  We gushed the whole way.

Love.

Let your heart be light...