Two particular events made me laugh this christmas and made me glad to be in the family I'm in.

The first story happened during dinner prayer. Quite often my grandpa falls asleep wherever he happens to be sitting at the time. In his wheel chair wheeled up to the table he looked as if he would fall over from exhaustion. My dad began to pray. My nephew, Sam who just turned 2, doesn't quite understand that he has to be quiet for prayer. He begins his 2 year old squawking right as dad begins to pray. I open the corner of my eye just in time to catch my sister in law, Michelle, looking at me. I start to hear a light grumble. Not sure where it's coming from, I look at Michelle who looks at me. We look over at my grandpa. He has proceeded to slump over in his chair and lets out a big ol' fat snore. In the middle of prayer. Apparently no one else hears it or they are concentrating on the prayer but Michelle and I lose it. We being to laugh uncontrollably. Which sends my Sam into a laughing spell as well. The prayer ends and Michelle and I look like we've been crying and nobody quite understands why. I quietly poke Grandpa who wakes up and wants to eat.

The other event happened after dinner. Grandma, Michelle, Sam, and I were all in the family room. I had brought over a book to read just in case we had some down time. It was laying on the sofa next to grandma. She picks it up and begins to read it. Doesn't sound like a problem huh? Well in my family, you don't do anything "unchrisitan". You don't read, listen to, watch anything that isn't clean. This book, well, it's not exactly what I would call clean. It's not trashy but not up for my grandma's eyes. She begins to read it and I start to panic. I motion to Michelle and try to explain to her what's happening. We get the giggles again. Grandma then asks whose book it is. I own up to her that its mine. She looks down at me with an Oh really expression on her face. I start fiddling with Sam avoiding all eye contact with Grandma. She then looks up at me, looks at the book, and throws it down in disgust. Not able to say another word about it.

Those are the christmas memories I made this year.. what about you?