Friday Five: Christmas Time Is Here

There is nothing in this world I love more than my family, and Christmas is the perfect holiday for family. With me in D.C. and my little brother in Hawaii, it's not easy getting us all together, so this is the first time in four years we've all been home for the holidays. This Friday Five is dedicated to the five members of my family and what I love about them loving Christmas:

My dad is like a little kid when it comes to bubble lights. I don't understand why he gets so excited about them (probably some childhood attachment, the same reason I love colored lights instead of plain white ones), but every year when he puts those strands on the tree and watches as they start bubbling for the first time all year, his face lights up with glee.

Like my dad and bubble lights, my mom can't get enough Nativity scenes. She loves collecting them and displaying them, and finding something unique about each one she gets. She has plush ones for little hands to play with, hand painted ones older than me, and special ones brought to her from all around the world. I think she likes being surrounded by reminders of why we celebrate this holiday season.

Music has always been a big part of our lives, with early exposure to everything from Wager to the Beatles and an abundance of music lessons and concerts and stereo systems. But it's my little brother who fills our home with the sounds of the season. The way he can play anything he picks up leaves me in awe (a talent my sister shares), and I can't think of a better sound in the world then him tuning up a guitar.

Holidays and food go hand in hand, but Christmas at home means a little something more when my sister bakes the pies. I don't have a picture of it, but she makes the most amazing egg nog pie that I look forward to every Christmas and desperately miss when I'm away. And the way she laughs with these little hiccups and quotes While You Were Sleeping at just the right moment makes her the best dinner companion in the world.

Tom may be a relatively new addition to our family, but he's certainly become an irreplaceable addition to the holiday season. He shares my love for games, so we've started our own little tradition of driving my sister crazy with our friendly competition. Whether I win or lose, I can't even tell you how much fun it is to play with him.

I hope all of you will be able to spend the holidays with those you love most. And if not, may you be able to be with them soon. Merry Christmas!