Every Christmas, since this monstrous house was built, I go there along with my family. Most of the time my aunt an uncle are there along with their three daughters, My other aunt and uncle are there, with their dog. Then of course my Grandmother, and my Grandfather, the owners of the place. They built this house specifically for holidays.
As we pull up to the toll booth type thing. But it more of a phone that you call the house and they open the gate for you (So that people don’t get into the resort they don't want.) They have this long driveway because they live on this fenced off resort for people to go to when retired. When you go in you start to packing up all the stuff around you everything you used to entertain your self on the ride there.
As I am walking up to the door I hear the fountains rhythmic drip drop. The door was about 10 feet tall, when I knocked. Their big dog scared our dog. They opened the door and the dogs said, “HI” to one another while running in circles. The first thing I saw was the 17.5 foot tree in their front room. Decorated with so many ornaments that I was in a world of color and light. Dancing around me enveloping me in their world of blue’s red’s and yellow’s. I was broken buy what looked like thousands of gifts. Holding onto all those colors like a ocean right before a sunset filled with colors you never thought existed. All of this in front of the 10 foot tall windows revealing the outline of the mountains behind it. Like beautiful creatures looming over you with an ere feeling to them.
We gave our round of hugs and found out that we had beaten our cousins which made us happy. ( We got our choice of room this way.) I usually slept on my parents floor because the floors are heated during the winter. So I set up. Went into the kitchen to the walk in pantry. Looked in. Then walked away. Grabbing just a small snack and some water then putting the cool New Mexican water to my lips. Thinking to my self, “This tastes different then Colorado water.”
I love that house I love it a lot. It holds my family. I can see them all at once.
“Hey Madison, do you wanna go exploring with us?” my uncle asked in a very melancholy voice, as he was getting ready.
“Sure!” I replied more excitement then they thought I would have.
We all put on our jackets, and walked out the front door. The big door swinging open then closed like nothing had even happened. We walked a way that all ways scared me. It looked like a never ending ditch of rock, and bush. But that nervousness gave me an adrenalin rush. It was only my youngest cousin, the middle cousin, my uncle his wife, and their dog.
Not that big of a crowd considering my family. We walked until we heard water. Then we put a bit of hop in our step. The water was cold like the air around us. Making an atmosphere around my palm of ice as it slowly turned numb.
We pushed on. Working our way slowly through the heavily lain bush and snow. The cacti was getting bad so we made sure to avoid those. We found this path around the river made of rocks. We followed them apprehensive to the whereabouts to the ending of the “trail”.
We found it as we walked up to this pond that was inlaid with bugs and algae. As everyone else walked away I stayed. Mesmerized by the moving water the sound of it the look of it. No one said it was a silent hike but it was. As far as voices were concerned. You would hear an occasional branch braking. This is what broke me of my state. I eventually caught up to the group.

This house is meant for family. On Christmas morning I woke up smelling my mothers famous cinnamon roles, Getting on my orange fuzzy pajamas, I brought them just for this day, rushing out to the tree. To find twice as many gifts as the previous few days. Not forgetting the reason I came out here, I ran to the kitchen and found my aunt my grandmother and my mom all drinking coffee in their robes talking with food in the ovens. We got everyone to the tree eventually. With the snow strewn mountains behind it my uncle had to take a picture being a photographer and all. So we casually waited.
My uncle is “Santa” he passes out the gifts from child to child. We go from younger to older, I am the youngest of the whole family, which all ways disappointed me except for on this wonderful day of family. We do the biggest gifts last so as not to distract people from the other gifts they might be getting. But first they let us lose to our stockings.
They are over flowing with small goodies. Candy, Slippers, movies, fun things that were nice.
As my mom’s cinnamon roles start to make the hole house smell amazing, We all get up and get a plate and feed our self's, not only with cinnamon rolls but sausage and cheese puffs eat and the grownup get more coffee.
As we start to finish up they floor covered in colorful wrapping paper, We walk over to thank someone, or get help as to be able to play with our new and extravagant “toys”. With the dogs laying there with there puffy toys out and laying down, and gone into their happy little wold.
That is a house I will remember for the rest of my life and beyond.