Three things I'm thankful for in January

I must say, once Christmas is over, and the first few weeks of January are past, I have this overwhelming "what now?" feeling. There's no more Christmas carols, the snow doesn't seem as fresh (and in my opinion is not as welcome either), and all of a sudden my flip flop days seem further away than ever because from now until spring there's not much to distract from the mundane. But rather than wallow in my self-pity, bemoaning the fact that my parents did not choose to raise me in the Bahamas, I have constructed a list of three things about January that make me smile. 

1. NFL football playoffs! Yes, it's true: I'm a huge football fan. This past weekend was mostly spent (much to my shame- no, that's not entirely true... a little to my shame) on the couch watching football and eating my weight in nachos. Kudos to my team though- Aaron Rogers of the Green Bay Packers was a ball throwing beast on Saturday! I love it when the team I'm rooting for not only wins, but completely dominates! 48 to 21 Go Packers!!!

2. Unexpected beauty. I think because of the bleakness of this month, the beauty that is found is treasured even more. The blues and pinks in the sky this morning were so lovely and very unexpected. 

The way today has become warm and sun-shiny was beauty unlooked for. The fact that the barista at Starbucks knew not only my name, but my drink and the type of milk I prefer was unexpected and definitely a beautiful thing my friends! (Actually, it really shouldn't be unexpected I suppose- I'm in there way too often...)

3. Fresh beginnings. I love that in January everyone gets a new start. Sure, maybe the gym memberships and lists of resolutions are a little cliche, but I think it's nice to have an official "let's begin again" time. January is a great month to schedule some hard-core self-evaluation. It's such a relief that no matter what happened last year, the coming of January is almost an official order to set the past aside and move on. *Sigh* It's like a breath of fresh air. A new year of growing, stretching, goals, dreams, laughing and living awaits us in 2011! I think there's going to be more to come on my goals and aspirations for this lovely year, but one of the things I'm changing is that my to-do lists are turning into my "TA-DA!" lists because that's what I get to say when I complete something. "TA-DA!!!" (And no, I didn't come up with this idea, although I would love to take credit for it. I'm borrowing it from singer Jason Mraz.)

So yay for football, and surprise gifts of beauty, and fresh starts! Thank you January!

And now that this post is finished- TA-DA! 

~Jazzy

On the 12th day of Christmas...

... There were presents! Ok, it's official: I'm one of the slowest blog writers ever. Yes, I do realize that it's January 13th, and I'm just now finishing up my thoughts on Christmas. However, I'm always sad to see the holiday season go, so this is my way of hanging on, and refusing to surrender my Christmas songs for another year. Anyway... here it is: on the 12th day of Christmas there were presents!
I feel like in many ways, presents symbolize the peak of the Christmas season. Weeks of planning and preparations are represented with crisp bows, shiny paper, wrapped around tightly sealed packages, and nestled under the Christmas tree. One of the most exciting parts of the Christmas season is the anticipation that builds all year and reaches it's epic climax on December 24th when you think you can hardly stand the excitement any more. The amazing thing to me about presents, is that they are magical and amazing to both the giver and the receiver! There's so much excitement both in getting the perfect gift, and in giving the perfect gift for someone else.
This Christmas I was amazed once again by the fact that I am on the receiving end of the perfect gift. I love the fact that God was delighted to give us this amazing present! After years of anticipation and preparation- Jesus came to be became our Immanuel- God with us! He's not standing off in the distance somewhere, aloof and detached. He's real, and close, and touchable. All of the presents and planning of Christmas are just a parallel to me of the ultimate gift that has already been presented to us.

He's my Immanuel this Christmas, and all year. I hope He's yours too!

~Jasmine

On the 11th day of Christmas...

... There was lots of red! Definitely one of the best parts about this time of year is that the color red is all over the place! From candy cane stripes to santa hats, tree lights to shiny bows and wrapping paper, and of course the warm red of the holiday Starbucks cups, this cheery color is everywhere!

I love the color red because it symbolizes passion. It's not a mediocre color at all. It's extreme, and warm, and intense, and enthusiastic! Why all the musing about red? Just this: Sometimes life gets so busy and overwhelming that it's easy to go into auto-pilot mode and stop approaching life with passion and zeal. But oh my goodness! I've been rescued by Jesus, and made his child! I never have to feel alone. Jesus calls me his joy! I think that's definitely something to be passionate about! The color red reminds me that there's much to be excited about in life. Whether it's the craziness of December, or the daunting start of a new year, I plan on avoiding auto pilot and instead living a life colored in red!

~Jazzy

On the 10th day of Christmas...

... there were dozens of Christmas cards! I absolutely love this time of year because it's one of the only times when the communication I get from people isn't digital. Yay for old-fashioned correspondence! Thank you Mr. Postman for the letters with holiday greetings, new year wishes, and pictures of friends that I see all too rarely. I collect and re-read these little treasures and pray for the senders at the start of the new year. So if you send me a card- it's a double treat- warm fuzzy feelings for me, and prayers for you! :) 

Anxiously waiting for the mail...

~Jazzy

On the ninth day of Christmas...

... There were snowmen! I think one of the ways I try to get myself through the cold winter weather, is to find things about this season that make me smile. One of those things is snowmen. From Frosty, to Sam the Snowman, to the little collection of figurines on my bookshelf, it's hard not to smile when you see one of these wintry faces. (For those of you who are like me, and didn't know- Sam the Snowman is the name of the omniscient narrator from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) They're just so cute! When I was growing up, our "snowmen" were really more like "mudmen". The snow was usually too thin to roll into much of a ball, so our options were: a brown speckled, medium-sized snowman with more of a square-ish body since mud doesn't really roll OR a palm sized snowman, which was usually the only way to create one that was pure white. Of course, this was all back in the day when I didn't mind getting wet and cold- it was worth it to see my snowman's face smiling back at me when I finished. These days, I'm a little lazier, and opted instead to take pictures of the snowman sitting atop my bookshelf. They're all perfectly shaped, perfectly white, and perfectly situated in my warm bedroom. It really is the best of both worlds. Cute snowmen, warm bedroom.

Quite enjoying it,

~Jazzy

On the 8th day of Christmas...

... There were home-made marshmallows! One of the best parts of cold weather is warming up with hot cocoa. And one of the best parts of hot cocoa, is the marshmallows you get to put inside! There's something absolutely delightful about a marshmallow. The fluff of pure sugar is nearly irresistible, and today I made marshmallows with my best friend! The fact that these marshmallows actually turned out is just short of miraculous. You would have to have experienced some of our previous cooking efforts to fully appreciate what a victory this is. There are many stories, but in summary: more often than not, our culinary endeavors end in disaster and smoke. Victory over the cooking block!

Here's to a year full of victory over obstacles!

~Jazzy

On the 7th day of Christmas...

... There were lots of ladies (and gentlemen) dancing! A big part of the holiday season at my house involves dance recitals and productions. At least half of the family is in a Christmas dance production every year, my holiday soundtrack always includes pieces from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and to my delight, this year I actually got to see the Nutcracker performed by the Moscow Ballet! I was also delighted that my youngest sister got to perform with the Moscow Ballet for that performance. (And when I say "delighted" here, I mean "jealous and completely green with envy")
The Nutcracker brings back so many wonderful holiday memories for me. I can remember being little, and getting dressed up to go out on a night on the town with my mom and sister. I felt so grown up to be attending a real ballet. I thought the story was completely magical, and I still do! I absolutely love the familiar music of the Sugar Plum fairy, the starched tutus, and the stage makeup. Even as I've gotten older, the theatre is still just as full of wonder and excitement for me.

Now I realize that ballet isn't for everyone, but if you've never seen a real one- this is your year! Get dressed up, give it a shot, and experience a bit of the magic!

~Jasmine