Christmas

bad: so many feet to step on my toes
Good: so many arms to hug me

bad: the endless racket of twenty-nine voices
Good: no fighting in all that noise

bad: the mess after cooking who-knows-how-many dozens of cookies
Good: sharing those cookies with family and friends

bad: when the gingerbread-house roof collapses the walls
Good: fixing them better than new

bad: Royal icing after snitching several spoonfuls
Good: chocolates as a welcome change

bad: fainting in Gran's kitchen
Good: fainting into one of my handsome cousin's arms

bad: not being able to see Narnia with every member of the family before some leave
Good: taking up a whole row in the theatre with the ones that are left

Good: watching three hours of Hogan's Heroes

Good: demolishing the gingerbread house with all my cousins

Good: not participating in the Airsoft games

Good: watching a German Opera

Good: catching up on Gran's Reader's Digests

Good: Gran, Uncle Larry, Aunt Julie, Uncle Kenny, Aunt Sandy, Papa, Mama, Jason, Elisabeth, Josh, Candy, David, Michael, Caleb, Kathryn, Emily, Josiah, Caroline, Sarah, John, Julia, Daniel, Stephen, John Eric, Jeremiah, Gracie, baby Josh