As we enter into this new year, let us reflect a moment on how things were. No, not the obvious modifications of life such as lack of leisurely time, increases in financial responsibilities and alterations in social behavior that comes with growing up. We're talking about specific instances, which only reveal themselves once a person has endured, experienced and reflected on them. Although seemingly small, each of the subsequent examples prove an important piece of the "growing old" puzzle.
The anticipation of Christmas as a child is unmatched. Each day begins with a countdown of the hours--until that glorious moment when all the year's dreams come true. What will I get? Will I see Santa? Will it be the exact color, size, brand, toy (or any of the millions of other adjectives associated with an item) I wanted? Don't even get me started on Christmas Eve--what an unbearable night of curiosity, excitement and self-control. Finally, at seven in the morning, the culmination of an entire year's worth of good behavior is met with reward! Although a few disappointments have been endured, for the most part, Christmas was always the best day of the year!
Imagine my surprise, just this year, when I was awakened by the sound of Colleen tapping on the window...at 7:00 am....in order to open our presents. No, there weren't any kids. Just my adult siblings and parents. Really, 7:00? Now, I'm not insinuating that Christmas isn't a magical time, filled with family, service and love for our Savior. It has, however, developed into something.....well, different. I surely didn't call ALL my friends to inform them of my bounty and question their loot. I didn't play outside ALL day long with the toys that Santa delivered (only to abandon them shortly after the new year). I didn't devour the contents of my stocking before noon and I certainly didn't fall into a solid slumber in the early afternoon, content with my goodies and eager to show off my new gear at school the following week. No, none of that occurred. What DID occur was a greater appreciation for my family, a better understanding of Christmas traditions and their meanings, an increased joy of giving and profound respect for my Savior's sacrifice for me. What was once a tally of presents received has morphed into gratitude for my blessings and family. Funny how things change.....
Another experience that changed from when I was younger is running errands. Last week, I went to the grocery store in an effort to retrieve a weekend's worth of food. Ricky and Morgan were due to visit and I wanted to be prepared! Much to my chagrin,
Albertsons was lacking a few of the key ingredients I needed. Ugh. In my younger years, I wouldn't have been annoyed in the least--what did I care? I mean, I could crank up my radio and enjoy the ride (I wasn't paying for gas and my time was my own!). Now, however, I found myself irked by the fact that I had to load up all my groceries, buckle
Kavella in, drive across town (gas money), unpack
Kavella (time) and search in a different grocery store for the missing ingredient. That's so weird how I wouldn't just enjoy the time and ability that I have to do such a task, huh? It's interesting how my focus went from enjoying music, driving and socializing to worrying about spending more money, using more time and exerting more energy. I should work on that. Funny how things change....
Last, when we were kids, my brothers and sisters and I used to love going to arcades with my dad! There was one in Tulsa that afforded all the usual token-eating fun--
skeeball, mini basketball, horse races, Wheel of Fortune, car races, etc. Even though the manner of currency has changed (to preloaded cards, which suites me well considering how disgusting those tokens made your hands smell), the rides have remained relatively the same. Having received a bunch of "tokens" from Dustin's work, Ricky, Morgan and I trekked down to Dave and Busters for an evening of adult arcades! For the first time in my life, I didn't worry or even think about how many games I could play, tokens I had left or time I had to use them! As a kid, we would keep careful track of how many tokens we had left. "
Hmmm, is this game really worth 4 tokens?" we'd wonder. Beyond that, we'd map out the entire room, the quality of each game, the cost of each game and calculate the allotted time in which to expend our glorious tokens. It was a science that could only be mastered with generosity from our Dad, wisdom of my older siblings and word-of-mouth affirmations of the quality of each game. The disappointment of a wasted token was almost unbearable. At Dave and Busters, we went on ANY game we wanted to, played each game multiple times, spent a goodly amount of time in the gift shop and never once thought about tokens or time! It was quite enjoyable! Funny how things change....
I love my sisters and Mother! Aren't they beautiful? Well, beyond their outer appeal is an array of positive aspects such as a good senses of humor, outgoing personalities, peak physical capabilities and fierce loyalty. I enjoy every minute we spend together and wish I could live closer to them. I love you guys! 
It takes about an hour to get up there, so we spent our time posing for the camera--obviously, the above picture is our "sexy" pose. Obviously. Pretty sure we could have all been professional models, what with the natural seduction we exude, along with the flawless, almost porcelain-like faces we have. Or not.
Grandma and Grampa's cabin is awesome! First of all, there is purple shag carpet upstairs. Second, there is a fake round fireplace, which serves as a centerpiece of sorts. Third, there is red shag carpet downstairs. Last, it is full of cozy, fun cabin things to do, such as snowmobile, sled, four-wheel and cook! 
Dad starting a real fire in the fireplace downstairs. 
I am absolutely, totally in love with my baby girl! It was a slightly arduous having her play at the cabin because it was basically a death trap for her, but she sure looked cute all bundled up! 
We decided to take a few pictures while the spinach-artichoke dip was baking. I love that dip on a toasted baguette. Seriously, I could consume an entire dish by myself. It would be better if I were exaggerating, but just last week, while Dustin was out of town, I went ahead and did just that. Two days, one entire pan of artichoke dip. I don't even feel guilty. 
Grandma, Mom, Me and Kavella. 
My Dad is awesome and so is my Grandpa! He's 76 and still cruising on the snowmobile! What a champ!
Isn't this four-wheeler rad? Mom went on a little ride with Dad, which was shocking to us all! I think she had fun!
All the kids (sans Grant). I sure love my siblings...and their spouses! 
Aunt Katy and Aunt Stacy! Thanks for lending everyone snowboarding gear! They were stoked to play on the mountain!
This is a big wooden giraffe that Grandma and Grandpa brought back from one of their missions in Mozambique. 
We knew Kavella was sleepy because she actually laid her head on my shoulder. It was the best 46 seconds of my life. Snuggling is awesome. 
Uncle Ronny and Dustin
Bryce and I played a few games of 007 on the Nintendo 64. It would have been fun but I just kept beating him....over and over and over again. Or something close to that.....:)
Merry Christmas, Choco Buddy! 
