The weather outside is frightful.

I have been stuck in Stephanie's house for three days. It was by choice; we decided that if we were all going to be stuck in a house, it would be better for us to be stuck in the same house. It has felt like home for the past few days. Despite our complaints that we are growing tired of each other, we are happy to be together. If the weather permitted, we might have left three days ago, but we would have missed many shared experiences. As I am writing this, Lori got up and put on an old Christmas record. The rest of the gang-Laura, Stephanie, Mitchell, and Carson-are playing a card game at the kitchen table. The Brucher House is a working farmhouse. The manner in which we were welcomed into their residence is a clear statement that people, not order or possessions, are the most important thing in their home. That is the way it should be. Today we were informed that we could stay as long as we want to. However, we all have famillies at our houses that hopefully have noticed our absences and Christmas Eve is only a few days away. In the meantime, we have been forced to be especially creative and resourceful with the time we have together in order to stay busy. Nonetheless, the absence of business has been the greatest gift for each of us in these days before Christmas. Last night we had a bonfire in the snow and Stephanie and I went in the hot tub in shorts and t-shirts. Yesterday was the fourth Sunday of Advent, so we all participated in the famillies' tradition of lighting Advent candles. To celebrate Advent, they write cards for each other that they read on Advent Sundays. As a part of the family, we made cards for each other too. On one side we wrote a Christmas gift that we would give each other if money or feasibilty wasn't an issue. On the flipside we wrote one thing we appreciate about each other. Laura said she would give me a warm climate all year round and an endless supply of fresh fruit. Mitchell said he would give me the gift of more free time. Laura said she appreciated my creativity and Mitchell said he appreciated that we always do what I want to do. I appreciate his honesty. Sunday night stretched into the early morning with a healthy dose of pillow talk, as Laura called it. The important thing was not that we got a lot of sleep, it was that we laughed a lot. We laughed about awkward moments, embarrassing moments, and past crushes. We laughed about memories of growing up together; some of them were together, but more recently, they were memories apart from each other because growing up has also meant finding our own way in the world. Steph just asked us to help her knock snow off of the fruit tree branches so they don't break. It should be fun, because we are together.