Favorite Christmas Memories

Christmas is the time for memories, right? Oh, I have so, so many good ones. I can think back to when I was a child and remember the feeling of waiting for Santa to come. I think of the Christmas plays my nieces , nephews, and my own children have played in. Christmas in Kansas City come to mind with more cousins and the Nutcracker. Such good memories fill my mind this time of year.

But then it wouldn't be Christmas without those other memories, too. You know what I'm talking about. Taking the Christmas card photo, dealing with ALL the family at once, screaming over-tired sugar induced children, pictures with Santa......Wait!! Pictures with Santa.....Maybe some of those crazy memories are funnier than I realized.

Get comfortable, grab your cocoa and let me tell you one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Last year we met my sister and her family at a restaurant near her house. We were celebrating Mae's birthday with a birthday dinner. After dinner we all thought it would be so fun to go and see Santa. Why not! It's always fun, right? Well this mall had it's own store sight just for Santa and getting your picture made with him. Mrs. Claus was there as well. My sister and my niece Elizabeth and nephew Joseph joined us for the fun. Even though they were a little to old to sit on dear Santa's knee they wanted to see their cousins tell ol' Saint Nick what they wanted for Christmas. There was a small line that weaved in and out of those silly belt like divider things. Joseph, being 13, got rather bored while watching the kids wait in line. While I was looking over the ridiculous price lists for pictures he proceeded to play with one of the belts. Well, as Mrs. Claus was mingling with all her guests he slipped one of the belts off the pole it was attached to. The belt came reeling back with the speed of lightening making a horrible racket and causing Mrs. Claus to scream in shock! He was then directed by his mother out of the line to stand by the windows in the front of the store. Getting bored again, like any 13 year old would at this point, he decides to do a little drumming on the windows. The girl at the desk taking the million dollars that the pictures cost stated, "Is it raining already?" He was then directed over to the bench by a lovely reindeer made of pine. ( I know it sounds crazy, and I wish I had a picture, but imagine a Christmas tree reindeer complete with lights) We were finished with our Santa pic at this point and as we made our way to the door we thought it would make a wonderful picture to have all the kids sit on the bench with the reindeer tree thing. So as we tried to arrange all the kids on the bench Joseph simply touched one of the lights on our reindeer friend and POOF all of the lights went out! My sister wanted to wring his neck, and Rusty and I could hardly contain our laughter. I'm still laughing about it actually. I can hardly type this post!

Leave it the children in our life to bring us back to reality....and always with laughter!

This is what Christmas is all about!