Another Semester Complete

My loving husband pointed out the other day that it has been almost a year since I finished my undergraduate degree. That still seems unreal. Last Christmas is a blur in many ways because I walked across the stage, received a diploma, opened lots of presents, and ate tons of food, then moved all my stuff to a new city to start a new degree program and finish planning a wedding. That sentence is disgustingly long and there are several tense shifts to emphasize how crowded the holiday season was last year.
Sam and I intentionally didn't spend any holidays together before we were married, so all the big events this year are that much more special because they're the first I'm sharing with him. (We celebrated before or after the official days, but we were never together on the calendar events.) We had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to his semester ending so that I can monopolize his time for a couple weeks. Naturally, the weeks will be filled with family and festivities, and I'm almost finished Christmas shopping, so there might even be a few presents. But the things I enjoy most about the holidays are the little things like being in an overheated house and the glow I feel because the kitchen and living room are filled with people I love.
I decided I could marry Sam while watching a Christmas movie with his family. (Well, by that time I was pretty much madly in love with him, so I probably would have said yes anyway, but for the purpose of the anecdote, my previous statement stands.) Family is so important to me, and while watching a movie with his immediate family after a meal of Chinese food, I decided we could spend many holidays this way. I could see myself participating in his family's celebrations, and I could see him joining in my traditions.
So, for many reasons, this Christmas season is a special one for me. I've been married for half a year, and I'm halfway through my Master's program. But the things I'm most anticipating are eating peppermint cookies, playing overly competitive board games, and maybe even watching a Christmas movie with people I love. May your holidays be filled with joy and love as you spend time with people you hold dear.