The Other Hand

Holidays are quickly approaching. Actually, that's an understatement. They are headed straight for us like a train with no brakes. On one hand, I can't wait. On the other, I feel like I'm tied to the tracks.

The One Hand (Things I can't wait for):

1. Cookies. They are just better at Christmas. It's like there's extra love in there. And people go all out with the sprinkles and careful packaging. A plate of Christmas cookies says I'm so glad to have you around and I love you enough to spend hours mixing butter and sugar and rolling out dough in my kitchen to make you this plate of goodness. Enjoy! It's time to dust off the cookie tins and break out grandma's recipe book. Let's bake.

2. Snow. That's right, snow. I know, you just spent four hours on Saturday, hair dryer in hand, weather proofing your leaky windows (so did I). It's cold out there. It's cold in here. Oh, but still, I love snow. I love the way it makes everything look clean and bright. I love to sit inside on my couch with hot tea and a fuzzy blanket and watch it fall through the light from the street lamps. With good company, it's even worth the chill to venture out, take a walk, hold hands and come home to mugs of hot chocolate.

3. Advent. It might just be my favorite season. I love the tradition, the candles, the prayers. The past few years I've been able to gather with various friends and ponder the season. We pray and talk and wonder at the fact that God sent His Son to us. Advent is the time when I most experience awe in my relationship with God and I love it.

The Other Hand (Things that keep me up at night):

Note: Um. I'm taking my boyfriend home for the holidays. I'm not sure how much more I need to line out here, but hellllllooooo weird, wonderful, stressful. It will be strange because I've never done that before - brought a man around. Which is almost exactly what makes it wonderful. I'm so excited to share it with him. I won't have to explain what it's like when Aunt (name removed to protect the guilty) has "just one more glass" or what exactly creamed onions are and why on God's green earth my mother still makes them. He's going to smell those for himself. 


1. What will my father say when he meets my boyfriend? Can you tell me? I'd like to be prepared.

2. Do I buy presents for his parents? Siblings?  I think the answer to this is a definitive yes. The real question is what to buy. Something homemade (see cookies with extra love above)? Some sort of classy ensemble of smoked salmon and wine? Blerg. I'm not so great at buying gifts. I mean, every once in a while I have a lightbulb moment, but if inspiration doesn't strike it doesn't go so well (just ask my 10 year old brother about the Make Your Own Soda kit he got from me last year).

3. What are all the expectations? What are all the questions? What will happen exactly and how will he feel about it all?

What? You can't answer all these questions for me? No predicting the future? That takes all the fun and adventure out of life you say? Hmpf. Score one for you.