frozen toes and fingers, too

It's happening, folks. Fall is giving way to winter. I'm not ready to say goodbye to autumn just yet, but what can a girl do, who, by choice, lives in south-east Idaho? We have four seasons here, but some of them are short-lived, and the length of each season varies (sometimes tremendously) from year to year.

I saw my first snowflakes Monday evening as I was driving to my friend Jeanna's house. And although I won't fully feel ready for snow until after Thanksgiving, I have to appreciate that the snow held off until November. So. Thank you, Idaho.

My folks woke up to a few inches in Brigham City Monday morning. Although the snow hasn't stuck yet here in Idaho Falls, it still feels very wint'ry, and the reasons are twofold:

1) Daylight Savings ended early Sunday morning. I love me that extra hour of sleep, I really do, but it hurts my soul that darkness comes so early these days. I get out of work at around 5:45 most nights, and there is no sunlight left by that point. It makes most people me want to go home and stay there for the remainder of the night, snuggled up in my jammies with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book. But stuff still happens in the evening; just because it looks and feels like midnight does not make it so. Therefore, I must be strong and not switch into pajamas, and I must try to be social when things are going on. Daylight Spending, you wicked thing!

hello darkness my old "friend"

2) It's cold. I wake up to below-freezing temperatures (anywhere between 20-30 F), and with windchill, my Weather Channel app tells me, "Hey, Gina, it's 22* outside right now, but it actually feels like 15*." And it's only November 6th...

Regardless of the cold, though, my favorite holidays are right around the corner! I've been looking forward to Thanksgiving Week since August, I do believe. I'll be spending the entire week of Thanksgiving down in Utah with my family, as has become tradition. An entire week of family. And cooking. And watching a chick-flick or two with my momma. And seeing all of my nieces and nephews. And playing games. And eating delicious homemade goodness. And listening to Christmas music. (I may or may not have listened to Mannheim Steamroller Christmas on Pandora a couple of times since Sunday. Judge not.)

they make my heart so, so happy

Then it's back to Idaho Falls and work, blink, then suddenly back to Utah to spend another awesome week with the fam. (I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping; I've never been so far ahead on this front before.)

Ah, early wintertime holidays, I love you