slow and steady wins the race

thanksgiving this year was awesome. the food was amazing, the friends are rad, the christmas lights and tree went up (we added more this year, wahoo!), and i feel like i have so much to be grateful for this year. we've all been healthy, we have jobs that afford us a comfortable life, and most importantly, we are happy. so happy. it's amazing how far we've come from just a year ago, how much has changed, how full life seems to be, and how fast it's gone.

thanksgiving day beth finally started to crawl. slow and sort of flailing at first, with lots of faceplants. but now that she's figured it out she loves it. she LOVES that she is mobile and can get to where her little curious/mischevious mind wants to go. particularly now that the tree is up. she still faceplants it every once in a while (kind of funny, c'mon...), but that's becoming less and less and we are doing more and more chasing. her poor little knees are red and bruised from being on them so much. but she loves it - it doesn't seem to bother her at all.

i was talking to my sister yesterday, and i told her that she beat me to a post. the its-way-too-early-for-christmas-decorations-and-music-but-im-totally-eating-it-up post. right after halloween i went shopping and there was christmas stuff everywhere and carol of the bells playing. normally, i'm not one to overlook thanksgiving being that it is a holiday just for food and football. but i will tell you that this year, i was all over that music and jolliness. it got me so excited for christmas this year. SO excited. maybe because it's beth's first. probably because the feeling in the air is different, people are generally different this time of year, and it's such a great time to remember what CHRISTmas is all about. love, love, LOVE this time of year.

i made hank pull out christmas vacation and watch it with me the other night. oh man, that movie is such comedy. i don't think i'll ever get sick of the classic lines like,

"if i woke up tomorrow with my head sown to the carpet i wouldn't be more surprised than i am right now,"

or "lotta sap in here. little full, lotta sap,"

or this conversation (which has been quoted a million times in my family):

"and why is the carpet all wet todd?"

"i don't know margo!"

('member that jen?)

so many great moments and one-liners. totally classic. just added to my holiday cheer.

i've been taking beth outside to see the lights on our house and to the other houses in our neighborhood with lights. it's so cool to watch her eyes get big and just stare at them, taking it in. of course, she doesn't get it, but it's still so fun to see her take things in for the first time and watch the lights twinkle and dance, or the reindeer move. i can only imagine what goes through little heads when they see stuff like this. would kill to get in her mind sometimes.

yes friends, chirstmas is upon us. those salvation bell ringers are out in full force and by jove, it's time to be merry.

now if we could just get some snow right about december 24th....