My family tends to run a bit on the noisy side. I guess that makes sense because there are a lot of us--add a brother-in-law, two nephews, and a niece since this picture was taken--and we tend to dwell in small places (one day I may relate the story of living in a 16x20 Alaskan cabin with 10 people and a wheelbarrow bathtub). Whatever the case, when we get together there is a lot of. . . background noise. To those who come from small families that might sound kind of stressful, but it's really not. I've been missing that noise of late. Thankfully, a good portion of my siblings somehow ended up here in Provo, or close by, and the rest of my family flew down here for Christmas. We've been gathering at my sister's house, a house designed for small families, and thankfully, the noise is back.
Last night was typical. My brother (who seems has sprouted since this picture) and I got our guitars and started singing some songs, occasionally joined by two of my younger sisters. One of my brothers-in-law was lobbying hard to get some sort of game going, Hoopla or something, while the other was occupied by making intelligent and witty wisecracks about random people in the room while trying to keep his rambunctious and vocal young son in line. My other nephew started out in his high chair, covered in his dinner, and then spent the rest of the night entertaining his grandma and drooling over everything. My dad was doing a crossword puzzle on the internet, hardly a quiet activity. My niece generally ran around being quite adorable while three of my sisters sat on the couch and talked about boys, or clothes, dating, me not dating, or other similar topics.
All in all, the decibel level is quite high when we all get together. It's chaotic, but as my father likes to say it is a "happy chaos." There is a warmth in the air, an ambiance that is comfortable and pleasing. We are happy together.
Anyway, I love my family and there isn't any other group of people that I would have chosen to spend this life with. The end.
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