Believe

Good morning and a very merry Christmas to you!

As I sat watching the ThePolar Express yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice that this movie is far more than simply an enchanting tale about a train ride to the North Pole.

The Polar Express challenges us all – both young and old alike – to never lose our sense of awe, wonder, and fascination. For children, these things come naturally.

Josh Groban’s song, “Believe”, truly embodies this idea. It explains how as adults grow up, we forget what it was like to be a kid and believe in something magical. This loss of awe and wonder is tragic.

We were dreamers not so long ago

But one by one we all had to grow up

When it seems the magic's slipped away

We find it all again on Christmas day

This movie reminds us that Christmas isn't just about gifts, great food and a twinkling tree. It's about love. Building precious memories. Remembering those who aren't with us anymore. Staying true to our traditions, a nod to our past. But most of all, it's about family. Without family, we don't have a tangible link to the past or the future. Without family there is no magic and no wonder in Christmas.

I hope you feel a sense of magic and wonder today, as you celebrate the birth of our Christ and are surrounded by those you love. 

Happy holidays,

Let the countdown begin!

December has at last arrived, which can only mean one thing; Christmas is just around the corner!

Everything about this holiday is merry and bright.

 I will forever be captivated by the smells, the lights and decorations, the snowy weather, 
and the cheery atmosphere all around.

Yesterday was spent with my family decorating the house. We put on some holiday tunes, sipped on hot, delicious drinks and took some goofy pictures to capture just how much we love this holiday.

I present to you..
The Lee Family: Christmas Edition.

 Oh and by the way...

17 days until school is done.
22 days until Chicago.
23 days until Christmas.
57 days until Italy.

Let the countdown begin!

A Thanksgiving Photo Shoot

Good evening to you and a happy Thanksgiving!  

  With the exception of Christmas, Thanksgiving is a day I look forward to all year.

 I love it because it's pretty much an excuse to spend the entire day with family and eat a whole lot of really yummy food without feeling guilty. These are two things our culture does not do enough of!

My day began with a Starbucks run (naturally), then on to doing puzzles with grandma, eating more food than I'd like to admit, doing a little photo shoot with the sis, making a trip to the movies and ending with a little early Black Friday shopping!

Here's a little look into the shoot I did with my younger sister, Kara. 
How gorgeous is she?!

I hope your day was spent surrounded by those you love and filled with delicious food!

Good night,

P.S. Let the countdown to Christmas begin! 

The Walking In Between

This past Friday, a couple others and I took a road trip down to the cities to see an amazing Singer/Songwriter, Ben Rector, at the Varsity Theater.

This concert was just hands down incredible. From the music, to the lighting, to the funny jokes. It had it all. At times the audience would be jumping out of their seats and dancing to an upbeat song, and others it would be completely still listening to just Ben and the piano in quiet enjoyment. 

Ben genuinely cares that everyone has the best time possible and gets the audience to sing and dance and be involved. He really makes you feel like you get a sense of what a good, down to earth, funny guy he is. The way he puts on a concert makes it feel very personal and fun and like he's just a friend of yours coming to hang out.

Seeing him perform draws you into his excitement and frankly, just your own sense of pure joy. Early on in the show, he took a moment to stop and stare around the holy auditorium, which caused his audience to be drawn into the moment he was experiencing. He called for the house lights to be brought up so he could see the equally excited faces around him. 

At the end of the show, we stuck around for a while and had the opportunity to meet Ben! He was so sincere in taking the time to talk with each of us on a personal level verses just saying hello and getting an autograph. 

I leave you with one of my favorite Ben Rector lyrics. If you haven't had the chance to listen to his music, what are you waiting for?! 

 "Life is not the mountain tops, it's the walking in between."

Feeding Your Creativity

Most of us are familiar with that old tune we sang as kids , “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” It refers to that incredible spark of life burning inside each of us. I believe we need to feed this spark every now and then to keep it burning strong.

The other day, a couple of my friends and I were feeling like our creative spark needed to be fueled. So we grabbed our cameras, car keys and just started driving.

Here's a peak into our spontaneous adventure...Enjoy!

Happy Sunday!