NOVEMBER!

I love October.  I even love September.  But perhaps out of them all, I love November the most.  It's the month that I get to decorate for Christmas, and that makes me so happy that I could just cry.  There are so many things I love about this month, I thought I'd share a few. 

First, is the weather.  The cooler weather has decided to pretty much hang around and make a commitment, so I love that more often than not, I get to dress appropriately for the cold. 

I love any and all bonfires. 

I don't care if they're in the country, in a chimney thing outside, or in a fire pit bowl in our driveway in the city, like this one of ours from last night.  I love bonfires. 

I love that everywhere I go, I will see Christmas decorations or items.  Some people make it a big deal about not wanting to see that kind of thing until after Thanksgiving, but I love it.  In our home, we put our decorations up on Thanksgiving night, but I'm totally okay with seeing stuff up early.  To each his own. 

Speaking of Christmas, I love that I can finally broadcast to my family that I'm listening to Christmas music.  This year, I listened to it all year long.  ALL. YEAR. LONG.  One album, in particular, but still.  Why stop with just one month out of twelve?!  Or even two?

I love going to our annual girls retreat with the girl students in youth at our church.  This is almost always the weekend of Veteran's day, and it's something I love to do.  It's at a great campground type place nearby, and it's just a lot of fun hanging out with all the girls, and a few of my favorite adult leaders. 

I also love that this is the month we put up my dad's lights at his house.  My sister Terri is in town this week, and we are actually doing this tomorrow.  It's the earliest we have ever done it, but I'm excited.  I love this tradition.  I am sad, though, that we will be missing my sister Trish and my oldest son.  So, Daddy, if you read this, next year we would like to do it on Saturday again, when the working folks can join in. 

I love the extra kindness that people show during this month, and also the month of December.  I love that people are extra generous and more likely to display patience. 

What I have learned is this: expect delays in whatever I am doing, if shopping, or wherever I am driving, if near a shopping center or mall.  I know that people are out shopping, and if I plan on spending extra time out because of these two things, then I am much less likely to become frustrated.  It's busy and everyone is in a hurry.  I encourage you to not take out your frustrations on the sales person helping you.  It's not their fault, and they're only doing their job.  This also applies for when grocery shopping, whether Kroger or Walmart.  [I have also learned that Walmart makes me lose my mind, so I avoid that place at all cost.  If Kroger is your place that makes you crazy, avoid Kroger.]

On the flip side of things, I love being on the lookout for things that I am grateful for.  I've done this all year long, too, be intentionally grateful for simple things every single day, but this is the time of year for that. 

I love that this is the time of year when the people in my house want all the things they love to be made.  Things like chex mix.  I love doing special things like that for the ones I most love.  It's such a small thing, to make the things they like, but I love doting on them in that way.

I love having a house decorated for the seasons, and one thing I do is for the few Halloween things I had out in October [jack o lanterns, scarecrows], I put them away on the day of Halloween.  I did that yesterday.  I walked around and collected all those items, which wasn't a lot, and took them upstairs to be packed away again for another year.  When I pull out the fall stuff in September, it's really stuff that is good to be out from September until Thanksgiving.  I combine it all, and like that it makes my house festive even through Thanksgiving.  We have yard decorations, too, that Jonah will put out today in the front. 

I love reading Christmas books!  I like to start this in November.  There are a few that I'm buying that are new to me this year, ones that are a series about winter.  I know.  Book nerd alert.  [I have not really read consistently since we went on vacation to the beach.  I go through dry spells.  Netflix does not help.] 

Well.  I could keep going, but I'll stop.  I need to start the laundry.  Love to all!