With Christmas around the corner, I am getting excited for the season. Every year our parents host dinner at their home, and this means all our sisters and their kids will gather to celebrate the holiday. There will be over 18 people in the house and it will be noisy and chaotic, however our parents undoubtedly appreciate it. They appreciate having their grandkids running throughout the house on Christmas afternoon and they like it when all of us light the fireplace and rest around it while we watch the kids open their gifts. Sitting by the fireplace has become a yearly tradition for us, and it is something that all of us all look forward to. I like hearing the crackling of the flames and I appreciate the warm and cozy feeling I get while sitting in front of it. It’s a wood burning fireplace, so our sisters and father make sure that it is clean before they light it. And truthfully, our parents rarely use the fireplace when they are home. They use it twice per year, once for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas. So, the fireplace is not filthy or filled with soot or buildup, however they like to be safe, and will clean it out before and after each use. They also check the chimney and the cap to make sure neither of them have any issues. Once they are done checking, they will light the fireplace so that all of us can enjoy it. While the fireplace adds ambiance to the home, it is also a source for heat. When we have it lit, we constantly adjust the temperature on the thermostat. I am looking forward to sitting around the fireplace again this year.