Word on the Christmas lit street is...

I always wanted a brother growing up, even though all of my friends who had brothers said I was crazy! Now I have two, a little later in life (meaning I always wanted an older brother so I could date his friends-so much easier, or so I've dreamed) and they are definitely BOYS: basketball, skateboards, broken arms because of dares, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" jokes that make you feel like a total moron, and anything else they can think of to make me goes positively mad (and trust me they've gotten some great reactions from me).

So word on the street is my 12 year old brother, who wakes me and my ornery sister up every Christmas morning by doing a flying burrito on top of us (which always results in someone saying a word you shouldn't say on Christmas) and screaming at the top of his lungs ”GET UP!" Has a new plan this year...an AIR HORN! REALLY! THAT IS THE BIG PLAN?! Hmmm, which only means one of my parents bought him that horn!
Well they've got another thing coming, because Lindsay and I will be slipping the air horn out of his top drawer, just about the time Santa is slipping presents under the tree, oh say around 2:30 a.m. after we finish our Christmas movie, both brothers and my parents are in for the air horn of their lives to the tune of Jingle Bells!

Ah, I love Christmas, so much time to spend with the family and such great memories!

Christmas Traditions

Besides the fun cookie plates for friends and neighbors, decorating the tree, Christmas movies, scones and eggnog at Winder dairy, one of my favorite Christmas traditions is getting together with the Simons family. Our moms were best friends, growing up in Texas together and if there are any two people alike on this planet it is Cindy and Joy! So once again we met at the christus statue at Temple Square, caught up on our year, strolled around the lights, and headed back to my new condo about three blocks away.

The tradition is homemade cinnomon rolls, hot chocolate, queso dip, spinach dip, and tons more. We eat until we're sick, and laugh at our dramatic mothers, and how crazy life is. Though there are four new little additions, Rachel is in college now, Austin is getting his drivers license, and most of us are still clinging to the singles scene, it seems we all go back to the moment in time when the "country mice" from Payson come up to visit the "city mice" in Salt Lake and we would primp and go to the mall, or to a singles dance, laugh until we cried the whole night, discussed who had dibs on what boys, and usually hit up a Denny's to discuss everything in detail after.

The Simons are the type of people that you might not see for a few months, but as soon as you get together you pick up where you left off like it's only been a day, and every Christmas season I am grateful for that.