What is your favorite winter holiday memory?

The first thing I saw was my sisters round face. She was bent over and had tilted her head to look me directly in the eyes as I awoke. Her hair was strewn about her face and was hanging off of her head in a frizzy deluge of reddish blonde. She had the biggest smile on her face that I had only moments to enjoy before she ensured I was awake and bolted out of my room. The rule had always been that no presents could be opened before everyone was awake. So naturally in her eight year old mind the most logical course of action was to wake the entire house at six in the morning. I did not dwell on this however as my initial disgruntlement at being awoken at such and hour was expelled by the liberation of the Christmas anticipation that had been growing for a month prior. I struggled my way out of twisted bed clothes and raced after my sister. As I reached the bottom of the staircase my nostrils were assaulted by the smell of pine needles. I followed this odor to the living room where a vibrantly decorated tree stood as a centerpiece framing a scene out of a holiday movie. My mother and father sat together on a love seat, my fathers arm around my mother, watching my sister opening the largest present adorned with her name. As I entered the room both of my parents greeted me with a "merry Christmas" and my sister ran to me handing me a present before darting back to the tree to deliver one to each of my parents. I sat upon the floor and I slowly peeled back the wrapping paper. I uncovered a small white box. My intrigue turned to excitement as I began to realize what it was. I tore off the remaining paper and flipped the small box to reveal a clear plastic cover. Beneath the plastic was a silver i-pod nano. Clutching the box in my hand I ran to my mother now kneeling in front of a still wrapped present and hugged her tight. My father wrapped his arms around us and my sister wiggled her way in between my mother and father. It was the ultimate Christmas feeling.