I’m starting to get excited about Christmas.

We went to a winter festival yesterday, and I really enjoyed walking through the trail of lights, colorful decorations, and cheerful music and dancing. We even stopped by an enthusiastic candy-making demonstration. The winter festival put me in a joyful mood, and it made me think about what I have to look forward to this season.

This year we’re planning to go to Michigan for Christmas. Not only will we get to spend time with family we rarely see, but I’m also looking forward to having a White Christmas–my first one in over a decade! (My favorite holiday movie happens to be White Christmas, so seeing a white blanket of snow on Christmas morning is one of my favorite sights!)

Is there anything you’re looking forward to during the holidays this year? In honor of the season, I will leave you with a few quotes:

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
― Bob Hope

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”
― Laura Ingalls Wilder

“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”
― Bob Hope