I love this season

So driving home from work this evening I turned the radio to Life 107.1 and heard one of my favorite Christmas songs by Mercy Me; Joseph's Lullaby.  With the chill in the air, the wet snow we were getting at the time and the fact that it was getting dark at 4:45pm made me SO HAPPY.  I decided that I would make a pot of soup for dinner, we would start the fire, turn on the Christmas lights and enjoy our family time.  AND WE DID JUST THAT.

I know lots of people hate the snow, the cold, and for some just plain hate Iowa.  I, however, am different.  For starters this is home.  I love it here.  I even love winter (yes, I said it...I love it).  I love that living in Iowa you can rejoice in the fact that the seasons change.  You can look forward to a new season as soon as you are tired of the one you are living in.  There are things to enjoy in every season.  :-)  I love the new-ness that Spring brings.  I love Easter Egg hunts, the beginning of capri (NOT SHORT) season, beginning of baseball season, and leaving the house without a coat!!  I love Summer for the heat, pool side days, runs in the late evening, BBQ's, beers on the deck and outdoor fun.  I love Fall for the colors, the coolness and most importantly football season.  I then love Winter for the fact that the end of the Holidays are upon us.  There is something so magical about this time of year.  I love, now that I'm a parent, shopping for the kids (and my husband), watching Elf (and all our other favorite Christmas movies) a zillion times and loving every minute of it.

So this Holiday season my prayer is a prayer of blessing for everyone.  Enjoy your families, embrace your traditions, your special times and hold tight to those memories.  God has blessed us (and especially those of us in Iowa) with the rich reward of change!

Happy December 1st!