We were a military family and never near family for Christmas. I remember one year driving around Virginia Beach searching for a place to eat Christmas dinner with my husband and three young children and feeling sad that we didn't have the traditional Christmas dinner of my youth with extended family. We finally found an Irish pub near the oceanfront serving dinner with a big roaring fire inside with many others who didn't have a place to go. My husband told us all to order whatever we wanted on the menu and we had a wonderful dinner as a family. It was a Christmas we would never forget!
Moderator's Note: Isn't it funny how those times can become a special "remember when" and a sad time turns into something even better?