The Colder Half Of The Year

For some reason winter always makes me so happy and brings back all these great feelings. Ironically I can't stand being cold, but I love winter. I wanna say partly for the clothes but mostly for this..,Winter means more baking and cooking at my parents. Now my mom is always cooking, but for some reason at winter my dad eats more. She'll make tamales, bunelos, capirotada (HU-HUCK) menudo, posole,atole, and I can keep going but I won't. It's funny because they love coffee, but all you hear from my dad at winter is, "asme un chocolate Luz". My mom and I have the same name but my dad calls her "Luz". He nicknamed me too, but no one will ever hear it. Every year my mom tells me the same thing. She tells me to pay extra close attention and get these recipes down for when she's not with me anymore. I tell her I don't want to. My moms kitchen just feels so, I don't know I can't describe it but it's great. They have this big wood table that my dad made that seats eight,they have had it since I can remember. My dad always sits at the head of the table and watches my mom and I cook and bake. He always says to me, " a que chula cochinera", grrrr. Whatever we are making or baking he has a plate ready to have some as it comes out. It has always been just me and my mom, my other sisters never care to join us. Is it selfish of me that I like it that way, just me and my mom?

Everyone sees one another more at winter time at my moms. Those eight chairs actually get filled all over again. My parents love it, they love feeding everyone and having everyone there. Sometimes when we all sit there I try and imagine what my parents feel. How it feels to see us all grown up. If they ever picture us little again and think back to how we had meals together. God is amazing and great and wonderful, how He loves us so much, and how He places us with just the right families, and exactly where He wants us.