Baby, it's cold outside.

There's a massive snowstorm coming our way. It should be hitting us around 3:00 this afternoon.

I'm so glad that we're driving all the way to Las Vegas starting around 5:00. It should be a grand adventure getting through Utah. If I didn't get carsick, I would totally just bring a book with me and a thermos of hot chocolate and read--and pretend I was just sitting in front of my fireplace, with an occasional glance at the storm. That would be excellent. As it is, I'll probably be praying we don't get blown off the road.

Before I can start thinking about that though, I still have to go to class at 12:00 (Thank you, Chemistry). And I still have an appointment at 3:00. But after that, I'm running (yes, running) home to pack and prepare for the adventure that awaits me in Las Vegas. I'm not even going to THINK about the two research papers that I still need to finish (and okay, start).

You know, I always swear I hate the cold. And most of the time, I do. But sometimes (like on Christmas morning and today) I love it. I woke up this morning, walked out the door, and got hit in the face with a cold front straight from the Arctic. It was unbelievably refreshing. It just SMELLED like winter. And winter smells like Christmas. And I absolutely love Christmas. The refreshing cold combined with the snow on the mountains and the fact that today is the last day of school before break...suddenly made me realize that yes, it's Thanksgiving. And I really am so grateful for my life. I'm grateful for my family, for my friends, for Christ, and for all the wonderful little things that make life amazing. Thanksgiving is always a wake-up call right before the most stressful part of the semester. It kind of shakes me and tells me "Whoa, wait a minute. Stop complaining. You're one of the most blessed people I know."

Bad news: I lost my debit card. Good news: I called my bank this morning and told them that...and they're mailing me a new one. Unfortunately, it won't get here for 7-10 more days. However, the good thing about checks is that I have so many of them...that it's impossible for me to lose all of them. So I WILL still be able to go Black Friday shopping.