Ever since this morning when I opened the front door to a yard full of glistening frost, stacks of leaves outlined in white ice, and Ben aggressively scraping my windshield, I knew it would be the perfect night to make a pot of extra spicy chili, wear flannel PJs, and cuddle up for a christmas movie.
So we did just that. And found ourselves smiling at each other and tickled by our little ability to somehow get our wardrobe choice to coincide with our movie choice.
Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men's pajama department. The man says to the salesman, "I just need bottoms," and the woman says, "I just need a top." They look at each other… ~ The Holiday
A few nights ago, Ben announced he got a new album--and that I would love it (reason #98372 why I love him). It was a few hours later that I was reminded just how well he knows me when he loaded the car CD player and hit play. Instant love for track 2.
As Ben & I celebrate our FIRST CHRISTMAS as man & wife, I've figuratively grabbed this song to carry with me throughout the season. The soaring melody serves as my sweet reminder that new is okay. Revision is good. Christmas is magical. And our love wins always.
It's with happiness and a bit of heaviness that I welcome this truly "new Christmas" for Ben & myself. The reoccurring familiar is gone -- the comfort of my childhood home with the heat from the fireplace and the twinkling tree with 27 years of ornaments collected on its branches. The loud voices of children who make long lists of what they want and actually believe the man in red will see to every request. Dad's waffles and Mama's brunch egg casserole. The toy snowman that counts down the days until Christmas. All nighters where we sit on the hard wood floor and wrap gifts, always running out of tape because there are just so. many. presents. to. wrap.
But as newlyweds, it's such fun finding out our brand of Christmas and then capturing those ideals to make our very own rendition of the holidays: the Rothwell Rendition. Like spontaneously going to Walmart for sugar cookies and hot chocolate on the coldest day of the year. Forgoing redbox to instead dig through the $5 movie bin in search of a christmas movie on which we BOTH can agree. Perusing gingerbread houses, trying to decide if we want a village, or just a house. Spending too much on warm holiday drinks at Starbucks. Arguing in Hobby Lobby about colored lights vs. white lights. Rationalizing $60 being worth tickets for Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Crafting garland bunting and gift tags with scrapbook paper from Target and paint swatches from Home Depot. Planning a fancy dinner date amidst the holiday parties where we can actually dress up for each other and spend a night celebrating together. Building our own meek ornament collection.
This song says it all. It calms me. It makes me confident. I love my little life with my husband. And I love the holidays, the cold, the newness, and especially the moments that will repeat year after year in what will become known as….
our traditions.
"Snow"
Sleeping At Last
The branches have traded their leaves for white sleeves
All warm-blooded creatures make ghosts as they breathe
Scarves are wrapped tightly like gifts under trees
Christmas lights tangle in knots annually
Our families huddle closely
Betting warm against the cold
But our bruises seem to surface
Like mud beneath the snow
So we sing carols softly, as sweet as we know
A prayer that our burdens will lift as we go
Like young love still waiting under mistletoe
We'll welcome December with tireless hope
Let our bells keep on ringing
Making angels in the snow
May the melody disarm us
When the cracks begin to show
Like the petals in our pockets
May we remember who we are
Unconditionally cared for
By those who share our broken hearts
The table is set and our glasses are full
Though pieces go missing, may we still feel whole
We'll build new traditions in place of the old
'Cause life without revision will silence our souls
As gentle as feathers, the snow piles high
Our world gets rewritten and retraced every time
Like fresh plates and clean slates, our future is white
Say a man and a woman both need something to sleep in and both go to the same men's pajama department. The man says to the salesman, "I just need bottoms," and the woman says, "I just need a top." They look at each other… ~ The Holiday
