it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

I'm not sure what causes it.  Perhaps the fact that it has been 70 degrees ALL week and this morning there is ice on roads.  Or it's the fact that it's December 22 and I'm starting to get out-of-office-until-after-christmas automated replies to emails at work.  Or that I finally finished all my present shopping AND got everything wrapped.  Whatever it may be, I'm finally feeling Christmas.  Before now, it still seemed kind of far off.  But now, starting to make plans with family and buying presents, I'm getting really excited.  Christmas is my absolute, hands down, favorite time of the year.  Everyone is friendly, every house/building is warm and decorated beautifully, and there just seems to be a certain magic that surrounds everything.  I just feel happier, I think mostly because of the sense of togetherness everyone has, even with perfect strangers, just because of the spirit of the season.  I see Christmas and how it makes everyone act differently, better, and it gives me hope that despite all the suckiness of this world and our current state of affairs, there is still a lot of good left.  And I think that's just what Jesus likes to see on his birthday - a whole lot of love.

I decided that I really wanted to decorate my desk for 

the holidays this year - something I neglected to do last year.  With limited resources, this is what I ended up with: 

Not too shabby, I don't think.  I stole the big red bow off a gift basket we received at the office.  And I got the little tree from the Dollar Tree.  We already had the ornaments at home so I just brought those.  I thought it added a nice touch to my desk!  (My messy, messy desk - look at all those post-its!)

This past weekend, Cory, Stephen, April and myself got together and rented one of the funniest movies that I've seen in a while.  It's called "Run Fatboy Run" and it's got the guy from "Shawn of the Dead" in it.  (If you haven't see that movie either, please do.  FUNNY!)  Simon Pegg, the main guy in both movies, is absolutely hilarious.  Here's a trailer for Fatboy:

I am super looking forward to going home.  My mom is making her famous chicken and dumplings.  Trust me, hers are the cream of the crop when it comes to chicken and dumplings, so I can't wait.  We're also going to the candlelight service at my church on Christmas Eve.  This service is SO beautiful, it makes me want to have a Christmas wedding, in the evening, and have it be a candlelight thing.  It's just so unspeakably beautiful to me to have no other lights but the flickering little flames in the hands of everyone there, the lights illuminating everyone's faces as they look around singing Christmas carols.    There is such a warmth and glow to that moment - I wouldn't miss it for the world.  

In case I don't get a chance to post again - Merry Christmas everyone!  I love you all :)