Day 6: Shopping

This season has a lot to do with shopping, but for some reason, I never really get the Christmas shopping bug that some people seem to have.

This year though, I was feelin' in the spirit and sprung for some decorations (along with my usual groceries). That's about the only bug I caught though. Since finals have started, I've had a hard time thinking about anything else. 

So there's my shopping list for the day. Nothing special. You'll probably get more pictures of the results of my purchases. 

I really like this notepad by the way. My grandma gave it to me for my birthday and I think it's the cutest paper ever. I use it quite often now. :) Sometimes it's the little things that make our lives better.

Gettin' in the Christmas spirit, one picture at a time... and lovin' it like crazy. 

Day 5: Today's temperature

I could tell that this morning was cold. I didn't realize it was 1 degree cold!! BRRR. At least I got a pretty sunrise through my kitchen window. You don't realize how much you appreciate certain things until you live without it for a while.

The inside temperature was way nicer than the outside temperature.  

I love my warm home and windows like crazy!

Day 4: Joyful

We went to my Aunt's house for her little guy's birthday. We played with balloons, laughed with family, and ate pizza and cake. Life is joyful when celebrating with family. And when blowing out candles. 

Days like this remind me that no matter how bad you may feel, family can always lift your spirits if you let them. No one can love you as much as family loves you. That's a huge part of Christmas for me. Love, which goes in harmony with family.

Love family and birthday parties like crazy!

Day 3: Red

December 3rd was THE FIRST DAY OF SNOW here in Provo. This photo was taken at 8 in the morning. I'm not a huge fan of the snow, but I'm getting used to it. And now it does look like it's the Christmas season, so I can't complain about that. If only it would melt before Valentine's Day...

This was taken at noon. The snowfall got progressively worse throughout the day and we ended up with a foot of snow outside. It was definitely a hot chocolate kind of day!

I don't love the cold, but I sure do love fresh white snow like crazy. The kind that looks like a soft blanket. That fun to look at... from a window, sipping hot chocolate, snuggling in a warm blanket. :)

Day 2: My favorite holiday movie

Today, I got a shot of my favorite movie. This was actually really hard, because I couldn't pick a favorite shot. 

Although there are parts that are rather crude, Christmas Vacation will always be one of my all time favorite Christmas movies. I'm not that into all the cheesy movies, I'd rather be bustin' up laughin'. I'll always think of Aunt Bethany everytime I hear the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance, I'll always remember Russ when I'm untangling the mess of Christmas lights, and I'll always be wary of squirrels in a Christmas tree that is from the outdoors. Most of all, I'll always remember the laughing of my whole family, and having a good time watching a hilarious movie with them. That's how my family bonds.

I love our christmas movie tradition like crazy!

Day 1: My view

After a long day of doing research in a basement, I walked out to view this.

It got me in the Christmas spirit. I don't know what it is about lights, but something about lighting the darkness with color is very appealing to me.

I love christmas lights like crazy! :)

December Photo Challenge!

After a very wonderful thanksgiving with my family, I'm thankful for all of God's blessings in my life. I have a wonderful husband who treats me right. I have a job I actually enjoy. I am getting an education. I have a nice apartment with a kitchen window (this is actually a big deal). I know I am loved, not only by my family, by also loved by my God.

I hope I can keep this attitude throughout the whole year and not lose the spirit in the mad rush of what I call "commercialized christmas". To try to keep the spirit, I'm doing a December photo challenge.

I'm a little behind on posting to my blog, but rest assured, I am taking the pictures! You can follow me on Instagram (@love_like_madi).

I chose this December challenge because I like the idea of capturing December. Hopefully I can also capture the spirit of Christmas too! 

Let the season of Christmas begin!