Quiet

Things are so busy lately. I know all of you can relate. Life is busy, beautifully so, and Christmas adds a new sense of urgency to the mix. One minute it's Thanksgiving- we're all eating and spending time together and giving thanks for the many blessings in our lives- and the next thing you know Christmas is just days away and there's so much left to do. There's shopping to finish and gifts to wrap and cookies to bake and dinners to prepare. There are friends in town and parties to throw and go to, cards to mail and that infernal elf on the shelf to move before the baby wakes up.

I find lately that I revel in the quiet that I find once the day is done and Emmett is in bed. I can't wait to curl up in bed and read, just me and my book (ahem, Kindle app), spending a few quiet minutes before sleep takes me to another day. Sometimes I get in bed as early as 8 o'clock. My friends think I'm crazy- those evening hours are their most productive- and I get that. When there are things to do, I stay up and do them. But I've learned that I need that quiet time with nothing to do, no anxiety and no worry about the never ending to-do list.

Now that Christmas is upon us, and the work is almost done, I'm looking forward to all of the fun! I can't wait to get Emmett dressed up for Christmas Eve Mass tomorrow, and teach him about Jesus's birth. I can't wait to stuff stockings with Ray after Emmett goes to bed, basking in the beauty of our tree and the glow of our pretty red Anthropologie candle. I can't wait to wake up early Christmas morning to open presents with Emmett and share with him all of our traditions. I can't wait to spend Christmas day with my little family. But most of all, I'm looking forward to the quiet moments, the watching and waiting moments. The resting and reflecting moments that really give meaning to all that we do each Christmas season.

A little gif from our weekend! Linking up with Mary Beth from Annapolis & Co.