Christmas Spirit

Last night was one of the first nights where I could really feel the holiday spirit.

And not just the "running-around-need-to-get-things-done" type of spirit.
Just the relaxing, genuinely glad that it's the holidays feeling.
Although I got no real shopping done, it was nice to spend some time with these two lovely ladies:

We saw some really great sights.

Plenty of white lights,

Red ribbons,
And plenty of Christmas decorations - with lots of color
And also, some law-abiding reindeer:

The windows looked wonderful, all decorated for Christmas:
Everything looked wonderful and festive...
It definitely got me into the holiday spirit!


And to make up for the picture from Thanksgiving...

And so it begins

I just looked at my calendar and realized:

This weekend marks the yearly slide into the holiday season.

no, not that kind of slide

Every weekend, from now until Christmas, is filled with some sort of festivity...

holiday related or not.

Every weekend until December 25th, I will be traveling to and fro...

visiting friends, relatives, and the like.

I love this time of year.

It's so busy, and festive.

It's so great to meet up with friends that you haven't seen in a while.

The family parties are always a delight.

And plus - the shopping.

The malls are crowded and decorated in such a festive manner.

It's never relaxing, but all the running around is always worth it.

And with Thanksgiving thrown in the mix... it's sure to be a great time.

O holidays - how I adore thee.