A storywrite Family Christmas

"it's a holly jolly christmas. Its the best time of the year..." 1

The current song on my radio as I was driving home from the store with the store-bought pumpkin pie. Wow did I love Christmas. All the lawns decorated with lit reindeers, and christmas trees. Christmas music was my favorite type of music. It just made me feel all giddy inside. 2

When I pulled into the driveway at my Azaradelle (aka: mom's) house, my sister Lizzy and her husband, Roland, of a year, and their 6 year old daughter were walking up to the front door. I couldn't help but giggle when my sister stole a kiss from him underneath the mistletoe that was hanging above them. Ebony, their daughter was jumping around like a little penguin on the doormat that played "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer".3

The door opened, and My 7 year old nephew, Mark stood in front of the door guarding it. 4

"What's the magic word?" He taunted.
"Booger!" Lizzy giggled.
"NOPE!" He laughed.
"Mark, We have your presents." Presented Roland.
"YAY!" Mark cheered. He let Lizzy and Roland in, but held up a piece of mistletoe above his head.
"You have to give me a kiss, otherwise you'll be scorned with badluck EBONY!" He taunted.
"EWWWW!" Ebony shrieked, and pushed past him. She grabbed onto her daddy's leg and didn't let go. Mark stood in the door way pouting when I came up. 5

"Aww what's the matter, booger." I cooed.
"Nobody will kiss me." He sniffled.
"Aww... but I have presents for you."
"All I want for christmas is a kiss." He sniffled once more.
"Here's your present." I gave my nephew a kiss on the cheek. He lit up like Rudolph's nose, and pranced away. He almost ran into his mother's legs, if she didn't jump out of the way. 6

"Do I want to know why my son is as red as a rose." Asked, My sister Rachel.
"He wanted a kiss, so I gave him one on the cheek." I smiled. She grinned as well and we hugged each other.
"It's so good to see you Rachel." I said.
"I know. I've missed you Nikki. You and your crazy club promoting butt." Rachel replied.
"Well you've got the crazy kid behind." I joked. I slipped a small silver box into her leather jacket pocket. She dug it out, and almost undid the bow. Until I slapped her hand.
"OW!" She said.
"Don't open yet." I snapped.
"Like I'm really going to listen to you." She stuck her tongue out at me. She undid the bow, and opened the box. Revealing a beautiful "Journey Diamond" Necklace. She immediately started to tear up.
"Aww I love it!" She wiped a stray tear from her eyes. I smiled in acknowledgement.
Just then we heard rapping, coming from the den. We turned the corner, and saw great old uncle Matt and Mark rapping to Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer. 7

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDY! Rudolph Rudolph yea yea... He was the famous Red nosed reindeer. his nose shone so bright, it lighted Santa's entire way around the whole wide world."
" But if Santa sashay's that way... then Santa's Daughter must sashay this way." I laughed as my dance partner, and boyfriend of five months, Jared, grabbed my hips swung them right and left then lifted me over his shoulder's to do a perfect backwards cartwheel. Rachel and Matt laughed as Mark freaked out as Jared and I kissed underneath the twinkling lights my mom had put up. 8

"Aww you two are the cutest." Jasmine cooed. Jared giggled and gave my sister a hug.
"AHH!" I screamed as I saw my lovely sister Jasmine. Once she got done ogling my boyfriend she broke apart from him and huggled me to death.
"So how is miss 'I walk into the club and I'm suddenly a man magnet.'" Jasmine asked.
"Um no honey, that's you. remember I snagged him at my dance competition." I giggled.
"Oh whatever you still snatched him when you were on the dance floor." She laughed.
"And how is miss 'I love working in a tattoo parlor, I get to see hot men daily.'"
"Do you even need to ask that."
"Probably not, considering you're not pregnant (YET!)" I grinned.
"But I did bring my friend Keli and her girlfriend to Christmas." Jasmine pointed to a heavily tattooed woman drawing in green marker on Mark's back.
"There you go buddy.. You are now officially the Grinch." Keli replied and hugged Mark.
"MOMMY!!!!" Mark screeched. "I'm the grinch!" he lifted up his shirt and flashed his crayola-washable-marker back tattoo. Rachel started to freak until I whispered into her ear that it was in marker.
"NO! I wont go fish YOU GO FISH!" Ryan, my step-brother yelled.
"Ryan we're not playing go fish. We're playing Poker." Matt explained.
"Oh well then fold em' boys cause I got four aces." Ryan grinned. Shameful grunts came from the poker table as Ryan collected his winnings.
"Guess who is here." Mom shouted as she greeted her longtime friend, Kenny.
"And I brought cookies." He announced.
"Well I brought a pumpkin pie." I announced.
"Your pumpkin pie can't upstage my cookies." Kenny stuck his tongue out at me.
"Oh are you sure about that?" I asked.
"Very sure!" He tried intimidating me.
"Then let the judge see." he said.
"MARKY MARK!" I called.
"I am now the grinch!" Mark announced.
"GRINCH get your bah-humbug butt over here." Rachel called.
"yes mommy." He announced, front and center.
"Taste one of each. My cookies or the store-bought pumpkin pie." Kenny teased. Marky mark took one cookie and scooped up a piece of the pumpkin pie.
"I say both!" He announced. Everyone started laughing, that is until the pumpkin pie was smashed in my face, by my ever exuberant cousin Melli.
"MELLI!" I screamed and spilled eggnog ontop of her head.
"HEY!!!" She yelped.
"hay is for horses." Mark replied. A food fight broke out. and well needless to say all the food that was prepared ended up on our clothes rather than in our mouths. Good times with this big ol' family of mine. 9

____EPILOGUE_____10

After cleaning up and changing from my nice white sweater to a black and blue Juicy Couture hoodie, Jared and I headed outside.
"It's freezing out here." I whined.
"I know, but it'll be worth it." He said.
"What will be worth it?" I asked. He pointed upward and snow was falling gracefully from the sky.
"And I hope this will be worth it too." He said. He had my close my eyes and lift up my hair. He placed something heavy and cold around my neck.
"Open." He said. In front of me was a small, cosmetic mirror reflecting the beautiful crystal, choker around my neck.
"Jared." I gasped. "It's beautiful."
I leaped into his arms, as he swung me around. He set me back down on the ground and we shared that amazing Christmas kiss. The one where everything is just perfect, your arms around his neck and his arms around your waist, and when its over both of you are left completely breathless. It's that perfect kiss that makes the month long holiday stress all worthwhile