holiday favorites

54 days til CHRISTMAS!!! yesterday, the first of november, i started listening to christmas music, making my christmas shopping list, skipping around the house freaking everyone out with how ridiculously giddy i am, and dreaming of a winter wonderland.  it is one of my absolute favorite times of the year and i like to make it last as long as i can stand it. here's why:

cold weather
family
friends
kids going crazy (including me)
hoping for snow
sitting by the fire
hot chocolate
starbucks specials (gingerbread latte)
SNOW (if we're lucky in sc)
christmas LIGHTS everywhere (on houses, in the city, on the trees)
christmas trees
celebrating the birth of jesus
seeing happy faces
gift wrapping with extravagant bows
christmas MUSIC (might be my favorite)
mistletoe
eggs benedict on christmas morning
candlelight services
big red bows on the church doors
dave barnes christmas extravaganza
hallmark commercials
movies (the grinch, home alone, love actually, the holiday, it's a wonderful life, polar express...etc)
scarves and pea coats
reading the story of jesus birth in the gospels
annoying the heck out of my brothers
christmas parties
ornaments
red and gold
pointsettas
curling up with a good book
socks
christmas photo cards in the mail
the nutcracker
ice skating
caroling

i am convinced that every year the list of favorites gets bigger, but this year, there is so much more to be excited about because it will be the first time in 10 months that i have seen my family and friends (excluding the week of my best friend's wedding)!! i have loved almost every moment i have lived here in sweden, but it is time to come home to all the people i love the most! the best part is that my parents and brother will be waiting for me in new york, where we will get to spend 2 days catching up, laughing, and exploring the big apple!  i am SO so SO excited, for none of us have ever been to new york, especially at CHRISTMAS!!! it's going to be the best christmas ever, and i know i will be shedding some tears in front of that big and beautiful tree in rockefeller center!

not to be cheesy, but it is seriously "the most wonderful time of the year."
make it last, people.