Driving into Salt Lake City Monday evening for a screening of the new “A Christmas Carol” movie, I couldn’t help but notice how dark the sky was. Daylight Savings Time had ended and it was as if sunlight was now being rationed out.

Still, I couldn’t help but be in a good mood. Flipping through radio stations, I wondered where the Christmas music was. I generally don’t believe it should be played more than a week before Thanksgiving, but I was in that frame of mind to hear some holiday tunes.

See, I’m kind of strange. I like this time of year — early dark nights and all. Once November starts, with the holiday season upon us, I’m almost constantly in a pleasant state — with the exception of holiday shopping of course.

This year might even be a bit better. I have been with my fiancé Brooks for one year and seven months, as of yesterday, and during that time my parents have never met my future mother-in-law. Colleen doesn’t live far away — just one valley over in Salt Lake — yet neither Brooks nor I have taken the time to get them together.

Through a series of unfortunate events that include a terrible tick bite in New Jersey, which lead to Lyme disease, and a misstep while jumping on a stair, which lead to a fractured knee, Colleen has a difficult time getting around. Since she won’t be able to walk without crutches until at least the middle of the month, I thought Thanksgiving would be the perfect time for her to meet my parents.

Of course my parental units, as I call them, are thrilled. They’ve known my sister Lindsay’s in-laws since she and her now-husband Luke began dating in 2006, yet Brooks and I have just never had a reason to get our parents together.

With Lindsay and Luke now residing in Pittsburgh, Pa., they have chosen to spend Thanksgiving there and Christmas here — which I am ecstatic about because I haven’t seen my older sister in nearly four months. Not wanting to have to choose between leaving my parents to cook for themselves this Thanksgiving and making Colleen cook while injured, why not throw the two together? This way, Brooks doesn’t upset his mom and I don’t upset my parents.

I’ve seen enough movies about the holidays to know that things could go wrong. Combing two families isn’t always easy with each side going through life with their own set ways. Lindsay and Luke were able to do it from a Protestant and Jewish angle; Brooks and I should be able to do with an LDS and Protestant situation.

OK, so this all does sound like a movie, but I’m hoping things go smoothly.

Once we cross the hurdle of the parentals meeting, then Brooks and I can really start to enjoy our first holiday season as a betrothed couple. Lindsay, I’m sure, will be more excited to help plan our wedding — since she hasn’t been around to do that yet — than to celebrate Christmas.

The holiday season is supposed to be about family. Because the majority of mine lives at least 1,000 miles away or more, having my sister and brother-in-law home and few new future in-laws will definitely add merriment to this holiday’s festivities.

Missy Thompson: missy@tooeletranscript.com