First Holiday Season

Around Thanksgiving time, people started gushing to me and John about how this is our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. We both usually reacted with questioning glances. What's the big deal? We spent last Thanksgiving together as a couple, too, and nobody gushed over us then. We didn't host Thanksgiving this year, so it was actually quite similar to last year's holiday in that we had to work in both of our families. The only difference this year is that we went to the same house together after the festivities were over. Certainly that in and of itself is not gush-worthy.

But now as Christmas rolls around, I'm starting to understand. I am now finally excited about sharing our first holiday season together as a married couple. I think what makes the difference between now and two weeks ago is that we have decorated the house together. Even though I helped John decorate his tree last year, this year, the tree is mine, too. Thanks to Allison and her mom, we have stockings hanging up as well. And last night we went shopping for a wreath for the door and garland for the banister. We are doing Christmas cards together and we are receiving Christmas cards addressed to both of us. Even though we will still be running from house to house on Christmas Eve and Christmas day just like we did last year, we have now formed our own family unit and we have the decked out house that we both now live in to prove it. Now, I'm gushing over with the excitement that I didn't even understand two weeks ago.