Tour De Christmas - Part 2

I am slowly making my way through Christmas pictures in an attempt to get up to speed on the here-and-now.

For today's installment, I bring you family amazingness with a side of dysfunction and hilarity.

Another family tradition at Christmas time is to go to the Indianapolis Symphony's Yuletide Celebration. In other words: Christmas on steroids. Music, decorations, larger than life people dressed up as various Christmas characters. Yes, please.

Every year, we try to get a family picture, and every year, it takes us 142 tries to get one that is acceptable. With the knowledge that I will not be there to participate in such family bonding moments next year, it was all the more important to get a good one. And, surprisingly, everyone was on his or her best behavior in order to see it happen.

After the program, we always go to Arby's for dinner. I'm not sure how this tradition started, but I love it. We are ALWAYS the only ones there, we ALWAYS are louder than the employees would like, and someone ALWAYS has to ring the bell that says "Ring the Bell if you got quality service." This year, true to form, I rang the bell when we walked in the door, sort of as a way to say, "We're here. Get ready to live."

As we were leaving the Yuletide, someone was standing outside handing out brochures for Yeh-Shen (or something like that). It seems to be a high-flying, kung-fu production. It has nothing to do with Christmas, or the symphony. And we will not be going. This is Bryan's girlfriend, Rachel, holding up the brochure. I think her "thumbs up" says it all.

Santa came too. And got crushed. Poor Santa.

Me, Mariah (Aaron's girlfriend), and Aaron. See why it's so hard to get pictures that are good? And this is super mild. He's not normal, but he's my brother. And I love him.