A Christmas Miracle...

After a grueling 12-ish hour drive, I made it to the place of my nativity just in time for the family Christmas Eve dinner.  It was with much trepidation that I piled from my Mustang into my mom's Mustang (we're ridiculous like that.  Side note--the ONLY REASON I have a Mustang is because Mom and Dad gave me a SCREAMING deal with low monthly payments) and headed out to the town of my dad's birth.  

The trepidation was short-lived and misplaced.  I had a WONDERFUL dinner with the family (grandparents included)!  After a short church service this morning (one hour instead of the regular three), I trekked back to my parents' house and heated up some tamales for breakfast.  I insisted that we sit around the table like people (my snarky brother insisted that we sit around the table like animals--I ignored him) and we kind of ate breakfast together.  It strikes me as funny that we don't know how to do this...

Anyway, after opening presents, my brother suggested we play a game of Hearts.  We actually got the parentals to agree!  We played a game of hearts (and I lost spectacularly) and then I taught the fam how to play MY favorite card game.  

"Pounce!" is a game one of my dearest friends taught me how to play. When we were roommates in college, we played it.  When I moved from a Junior College to an actual University, I took the game with me in my heart and shared it with the people I loved there.  We had HUGE "Pounce!" nights every Sunday one year and more than one marriage resulted from those times.  So, it was such a great feeling to share that with my family.  

Christmas usually consists of everyone eating breakfast on his or her own terms, my mom cleaning up all of our dishes, everyone ripping open presents and then disappearing into various nooks of the house.  Sometimes we go out to a movie together.  I'm so happy this year that we did normal family things!  I may be struggling with the whole spiritual aspect of my life right now, but I find great comfort and happiness in having family time.  We haven't ever really been united as a family.  Even on Christmas.  I'm grateful for progress and hold out hope that it will spill over into other areas...