As the time approaches and the anticipation of Christmas break is right around the corner, I think everyone is ready for a little downtime. Christmas break is a time to spend time with friends and family, catch up on some much needed rest and relaxation, and to some people, the perfect time to take a little trip. My Christmas break looks different every year but there are some things that I look forward to each and every year.
Christmas baking is one of my favorite things to do with my Grandma Bonnie and my mom. We take a whole day and make goodies the entire time. This is something I look forward to every year, but this year might look a little different. My Grandma Bonnie recently broke her arm, so our baking day isn’t going to be quite as extravagant as it usually is. My mom and I will still go to her house and make it as “normal” as we can. Even though it may look different, it is still a tradition that I look forward to each and every year.
Another thing I plan to do on Christmas break is spend time with my friends and family. My cousin Skyler will be having a baby right before Christmas break, so I plan to spend as much time with her as I can. Weslie Redman will make her appearance on December 9, 2023, and my family and I could not be more excited! It is always special to bring a new face to the crew, but Skyler is like a sister to me, so this one is even more special. I also plan to spend time with my friends. I see a lot of friends at school, but it is always nice to be able to spend time with each other outside of a school setting.
I also plan to spend some time with my 4-H friends. I am part of a group called the Junior Leaders in 4-H. We are a group of older 4-H members who plan and promote activities throughout the year. This year, we plan on meeting up and going bowling as a group. I am so excited for this because these are friends that are from different schools, and some of them will be coming home from college, so we will all get to spend time together.
Other than Christmas baking and spending time with friends, I always try to do something fun over Christmas break. Whether it be shopping, a concert, or a ball game, I am always excited to plan some sort of activity while I am on break. This year we are going to an Illini Basketball game at the end of December. Shh. Don’t tell my dad Clint. The plan is to surprise him on Christmas with the exciting news! Even though we may not have the best seats in the house, this is a trip we will get to take as a family, and nothing compares to that.
Christmas baking, spending time with friends and family, and traveling to a basketball game are all exciting and fun things to do, but I am really looking forward to spending some much needed time at home. After the crazy year we have all had, I think that a little down time is something that everyone could benefit from this year. I will spend most of my days taking naps, sleeping in, and enjoying a few days of freedom before the last semester of senior year.
