'Tis the Season

Almost...ish.

Today is a very chilly day here in Oklahoma. I have every intention of changing into my big puffy sweater very soon.

All I really want to do today is curl up and watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music.

I know, I know. It's only October 27. We're still a month away from when the radio stations start playing Christmas music and Rhema opens it's grounds to the wonderful beauties of lighted trees.

But you know what? I don't care. I'm feeling Christmasy. And you're supposed to keep the Christmas spirit with you year round, right?

So, why shouldn't I watch Elf and While You Were Sleeping (other than the fact that I don't actually own them)? Why shouldn't I have hot chocolate while listening to the miraculous vocal chords of Zooey Deschanel? You're right. There's no reason. There's also no reason you shouldn't be listening, too.

So, here you are.

Step Into Christmas

You know how Thanksgiving is next week?

And then it's CHRISTMAS!?!?
Do you know what's happening all over the world on Thanksgiving night?
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

If you happen to be in Utah, you can go to Temple Square for sophistication and snowflakes of light on the ground.photo courtesy of

If you're in Tulsa, OK, you can go to Utica square for the always exciting, yet slightly creepy, animatronic scenes of the nutcracker.photo courtesy of
I really wish I had a picture of those lovely vignettes for you. This video is really the closest i can get to them, just pretend the puppets are rats and ballerinas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTsRUIVv2WM&feature=related
(it wouldn't let me embed, shorry)

However, if you happen to be lucky enough to be in Broken Arrow, OK on that wonderful day, or really, any day from Thanksgiving to New Years, you really need to go to Rhema. Rhema is a church/Bible college that spans across the space of at least a square mile. At Christmas, Rhema goes crazy with their 1.8 million lights. There's a giant tree to rival Rockefeller center (although Rhema's is just lights, no actual tree), there's about 10 nativity scenes, there's a duck pond, a Noah's arc scene, a cowboy setting, a "happy birthday Jesus" train, a tunnel that makes you feel like you're walking through a time machine, lights syncopated with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, swans that will try to kill you, signs that say "thou shalt not park here," and so much more that really has become the most wonderful tradition Broken Arrow has ever established.photo courtesy ofphoto courtesy of
photo courtesy of
aerial view
photo courtesy of