Anticipation

Advent is a nice time. I've never thought of it too intensely, but it's always festive and bright and lovely at Mass during the Christmas season, and it reminds me to prepare for Christmas in the right way.

This year, the anticipation of Christmas is doubled because, you see, shortly after Christmas another big day is coming for which we are also preparing...the wedding. I'm happy that we've decided to do a holiday wedding. The timing is nice, it will also be festive and bright, and I'll get to see many important people around an important time of year. But tally-ho are things busy around here!

I've said to my local friends a few times that I feel as if this is the first time I've really had a chance to celebrate the holidays since I began college. Every other year has been too busy and focused on things outside of the holiday season -- college, papers, project, grading, testing, etc. But this year, with a job that lets me, for the most part, leave the work at work, and with the Affianced and I having our own home (humble though our apartment may be), we've had a chance to decorate our first tree, put out my Nativity set for the first time in years, enjoy the Christmas specials on TV (along with an absurd amount of House), and it's been really nice.

So, although busy, this particular Advent season has been twice-anticipatory, and I'm getting more and more excited about both big days that are coming up!