things that made me smile this week

ugh. what a week. i'm glad it's over and that it ended on a much better note.

* my sister urging me to come visit her for christmas. my nephews explanations of why i should come. my bro-in-law even looking up flights for me. ultimately, i decided not to go (outrageous ticket prices), but knowing that they wanted me to come for christmas just made me feel loved and wanted. thank you.

* making christmas boughs to hang on my front door and the neighbor's door.

* christmas songs. all week long classical weta 90.9 fm has been playing the most gorgeous christmas music. (you can listen too, just click on the link to listen live.)

* thinking about my brother chris and remembering.

* good friends who reached out to me this week to make sure i'm doing okay.

* singing in church. i sang this arrangement of what child is this?

* spending time with a new friend over dinner and a movie. much needed good company and laughter.

* starbuck's salted carmel hot chocolate. sooooooo good. i'm addicted.

* taking a friend to airport, only to realize right before the exit that i was headed to the wrong aiport and that the airport she needed was clear on the other side of the city and in a different state. we had a good laugh after we got to the right airport with time to spare. MW, i love that we are always laughing, or crying, or both.

* talking on the phone with my dad.

* finding the package my mom mailed me untouched on the porch the morning after it was delivered.

* the WaPo funny papers delivered to me by a friend. i'm so looking forward to reading them.

* my roommate and i keep on having moments where people can't decide what we are. it always makes us laugh so hard afterwards.

* helping a friend with some lifting and laundry folding before she headed home for the holidays. i had so much fun hanging out with her and her daughter.

* writing christmas cards.

* some christmas shopping. i have a few things left to buy and then i'm done... or not.

* a prayer of thanksgiving that i didn't kill myself or the person in front of me while driving to work one morning.

* a blessing of comfort that truly helped to calm my mind and spirit.

* my ipod. listening to the scriptures on the morning commute.

* remembering this and writing about it.