christmas-ish.

poinsettia take 2.

I often get swept up in the christmas spirit early...some may say too early.

around the beginning of october, I am ready to decorate. I love that target puts out their christmas decor in july so I have plenty of time to plan my holiday festivities. each room deserves it's own christmas tree, in varying themes and colors. you can never have to many stockings. we have approximately ten (not including those for the animals.) you never know---santa might need more room and you must always be prepared. twelve days of christmas are not enough.

this year, though, something funny happened. a few weeks into november, no christmas tree in sight and with a strange feeling in my tummy, I asked myself "where is christmas?"

it was at target. the isles and isles of holiday cheer staring back into your soul. it was at lowes. the garden reindeer nodding knowingly, "you do not want us". it was on our street. the christmas light balls hanging, sighing, "you must hate christmas." all while our little house sat christmas-less.

depressed yet?

I'm not. this might be one of our best christmas' yet. in our avoidance of "christmas" (due to crammed schedules, or speeding time, or low budgets, or just plain scroogy-ness with the whole mass-marketed idea) we might actually discover what it's really all about.

instead of loading up on lots of presents, kyle and I are limiting it to one gift, and saving the money to fulfill new experiences over the next few weeks. (come on, we couldn't say no presents, that would just be ludicrous.) instead of exchanging gifts with friends, we are going out to beautiful dinners---memories that will last longer than ipods (unless you were actually going to get me an ipod and then I might reconsider the whole dinner thing).

most importantly, though, instead of the traditional one-day of holiday cheer, we are spreading out the joy of the season to be the witness to a wedding and the start of a new life together.

so, I wear my poinsettia proudly. and I am lucky enough to say, this year, I don't need a thing.