Christmastime :)

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but not for the typical reasons, like recieving presents. Instead I enjoy the smells, the appearance, the atmosphere; everyone is happier, more cheerful, and nicer on a regular basis. I love how I can walk in the door of my own house and smell nothing but pine trees and cookies. The walls are full of wreaths and garland. Fake snow falls off of the shelves every time one of my siblings runs by. In the kitchen, Christmas music is playing while Lilly, the youngest, helps my mom decorate sugar cookies. In the living room, my dad and my middle sister wrestle for the remote. He wants to watch football; she wants to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Turn to the side and see our yellow lab, Buddy, lying down in front of the fireplace. He is curled up on the half rug with his head propped up on the hearth, fast asleep. It's a wonder her nose doesn't melt; it's so hot. What's that noise? Alex, the second youngest, is outside throwing snowballs at Daniel, the second oldest. He keeps missing and is hitting the glass sliding door instead. I open the door to scold him and instead get a face full of snow from Daniel. That does it. I step outside, closing the door behind me, and tackle him into the snowfort he and Alex have spent the afternoon building. It's war. Snowballs fly and children run everywhere. Screams can be heard from down the street but no one comes to see what is the matter. They know better. It's just those crazy Takita kids at the top of the hill. The screams do, however, draw our parents outside, which, of course, results in another face full of snow. Here comes dad, barreling after Daniel who prompty jumps on a sled and takes off down the hill. Monkey see, monkey do, Alex jumps on the snow tube and quickly follows. Lilly wants in so Kathleen, the middle child, picks her up and takes her down on the big sled. Just as dad hops on the last snow disk, I decide that it's too cold for me to be running around without a jacket anymore. I slip away quietly before anyone can notice and run inside to grab one. On my walk back down the hill, I slow my pace and take a few deep breaths. It's chilly, but it smells like snow. The sky is gray and hints that my olfactory senses might be correct. Suddenly the wind shifts and I get a whiff of burning fire. The smoke from our chimney makes its way up my nostrils and sends a comforting chill down my spine. It reminds me of late nights when the whole family sits by the fire with mugs of hot chocolate and watches an old black and white Christmas movie together. Dad works less, the kids are home from school, the house shines and sparkles from the lights hung outside designated to make our house appear to be made of gingerbread. There is nothing homier to me than the holidays. A scream followed by laughter jerks me back to the present and I remember that I was previously engaged in a snow war. I grab a handfull of snow and crush it into a ball. Arm cocked, I sneak down the hill, readying myself for inevitable attack...