Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

 We went to the Christmas market last Saturday night

with some friends and it was so beautiful and sooooo cold! 

Think single digit degrees cold,

seriously cold.

We kept ducking in and out of the mall across the street to

 warm up and explore some more.

Then we headed to Macy's to see their Christmas tree

and had a blast trying out this couch and that 

while enjoying good friends and good conversations.

We did get a picture of the two of us

(thanks Patience!)

but bloglovin keep turning it sideways?

Whats with that?

Does anyone know how to fix that?

Because we look kind of cute and I vainly want to show off my husband (;

xoxo,

lyss

Random

Ack! Where did that week go?!

I came down with a monster cold on Sunday

and life just kind of went into survival mode from there.

Wake up, go to work, cough cough, sneeze sneeze, run and play monster,

come home, go to bed. A cup of chamomile tea, rinse and repeat (;

Josh has been deep in the throw of finals

and is allllllmost finished.

He's finishing up his 6th semester now. 6th! Go baby go!

I know I'm becoming a broken record,
but we are so so SO excited to get down to FL for Christmas!
We had a -20 degree wind chill today
and we are so looking forward to that sunny warm
weather while celebrating the ones we love (:

Someone called me "young lady" today and it was
such a sweet nostalgic compliment.

I got a package from my GG today.
I don't think I will ever be too old to squeal over a package from GG.
Although Josh did beat me to opening it....

I found a yellow dress as Salvation Army and recognized the designer
so when I came home I looked it up and it was $288 new last year
going for $4.50 that afternoon at Salvation Army.
I didn't buy it.
Hows that for anti climactic?

Merry Christmas Season friends,
I'm glad you still read my sporadic randomness here.

xoxo,
lyss

THEY'RE ENGAGED!

So excited for you two!!

Can't wait to celebrate with you as soon as we get down there!

Chicago Anniversary

3 years ago today we drove into Chicago

and decided for better or for worse this was home.

We were SO excited to explore and get to know our new found

city and so so curious as to what it would contain for us

in lieu of lessons and adventures.

We had no idea what we were in for :P

And I'm glad we didn't.

It has been so much fun learning this city and 

we feel like this has been our "growing up" place.

I'm not sure we would have been brave enough to come and enjoy

what was here if we had known what was coming.

Ha! 

So happy anniversary Chicago! 

We're really glad you're home (:

xoxo,

lyss

Thanksgiving in black and white

because our apartment has awful light...

seriously.

We're grateful for lightbulbs? :P

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

xoxo,

lyss

Morning

Good morning,

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm sitting here smelling the warm cinnamon rolls

on top of the oven just waiting for husband to wake and eat them

while I mull over pinterest and curate places I dream of visiting some day.

I am thinking over this past year and how incredibly painful and joyful it has been.

It seems like each year just increases in both pain and joy.

The pain becomes sharper and deeper, deeper than I ever thought it would go,

but the joy always matches and supersedes the pain in a gentle quiet way.

I don't mean this to be melancholy, really I don't,

but sometimes gratitude and thanksgiving is a bit melancholy isn't it?

I know that sounds odd and maybe I'm wrong,

but when we express gratitude for what is here and what we have

aren't we quietly aware of what isn't?

And doesn't that make thanksgiving all the sweeter?

Thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude, especially to God,

so says Webster's dictionary, and I know that most of the time

I think of gratitude as very joyful but maybe it isn't always.

The pilgrims had lost many many of their people in fact MOST of their people.

They had lost babies, husbands, wives, and friends, and at the end of that season

is when they decided to have a dinner of thanksgiving.

 I'm sure they were very aware of who and what wasn't there

as the celebrated and gave thanks for who and what was there.

This morning as I look over beautiful images and mentally

make a list of places to mention to husband to add to our dream travel list,

it is strangely calming to look over this past year

and the expected joys that never came and the unexpected joys

that bring such wonder and gratitude.

Today will be quiet for us.
We are both sick with colds and feel the need for rest and simplicity.
I will finish cooking and baking all sorts of yummy things,
then we will dress up and enjoy our meal together just us,
 then we will most likely change back into
our pajamas and watch Fiddle On The Roof
(husband has never seen it!!)

We are so grateful.
So very very grateful.
For God's excessive love and grace towards us
and this day set aside to quietly express our gratitude for Him.


Happy Thanksgiving


xoxo,
Lyss & Josh 

A Time of Thanksgiving

Sometimes I look at the people I get to call friends and family

and am so humbled and astounded by what

 incredible people I am surrounded by.

This past weekend we got to see Charity and her adorable family

and also got to see some of the Szobody family.

We talked about EVERYTHING under the sun,

ranging from architecture to theology to latte art to food allergies,

and husband and I walked away feeling as if we had experienced Thanksgiving.

To eat lots and lots of good food,

have even more good conversation,

to laugh until we were crying,

 to be surrounded by people who love each other

and have that love spill out over us.

That visit will be a treasured memory 

and a hope for our future family for years to come.

And I got to meet Raphael the littlest Kizzee!

Somehow I didn't get a picture of him but he is just the cutest

cuddliest little gentleman you've ever met.

xoxo,

lyss