Christmas memories

Christmas is a time for love - understanding - giving - family - helping - shopping - driving - hustling - spending too much - eating too much - asking "What should I get them?" -stress - sending packages on time - decorating - looking at lights - baking cookies - making chocolates - shopping - listening to Christmas music - wrapping presents - waiting for the snow - cooking  and Christ.

When I was a kid - it was always easy to get into the spirit and to feel the spirit.  Excitement as to what I was going to get along with the thought that maybe this year I would be old enough to keep a secret.  I would spent time shopping with my Mom for my brothers and get so excited as I wrapped those presents.  I would just tell myself  "this year I will not tell them what I was giving them" but I do believe I was a teenager before I actually made it to Christmas without telling my brothers what I got them.  To this day, a Christmas doesn't go by without my Dad saying those famous words "And I got you a DJ game".  Teasing me again.  But Christmas was a time to really show our love for each other.  Presents were personal and worked for.  I remember buying my brother Tom a pocket watch.  He  wanted one and well, I wanted to be the one to get it for him.  I went to the jewelers and basically put that watch on layaway.  I went every week for two months putting money down on that watch.  I think I was more excited than Tom when he opened that present.  Tom gave me my guitar - I still have it.

When I got older - teenager years - I think it was more the Music and baking all the cookies that brought the Christmas spirit to me.  I also learned that I preferred snow in December.  I lived in California my teenage years and we didn't have snow.  I hated that - and at times I would drive up to the mountains just to feel the cold and see the snow.  I remember one very lean Christmas as a teenager.  Dad had just purchased a house and a business and there wasn't any money for Christmas.  In fact - I think I was the only one who bought presents that year.  We were watching something on TV and when a commercial came on I made everyone go into the living room for presents - we were done and back to the TV before the commercial break was over.  But that year was great - we were all together and had a day of games and good eats! 

Getting married brought more adjustments.  Now I had two families to go to.  How do you choose who's house to eat at and when to see which parent?  I know every new couple has to go through this but it was not my most favorite thing.  But then it got easier because I moved away from family and didn't have to worry about that anymore.  So I started my own family traditions with my own little family of 5 children.  I was always very grateful to my father who always made sure I had enough money to have a nice Christmas.  My Dad is a great man.  Christmas when the kids were little was fun.  The main thing was that I had to make sure everyone had the same number of presents.  Didn't matter how much money was spent - just that they each got the same number.  This caused a problem because it always seemed that each year it was easy to buy for one kid and really hard to figure out what another needed or wanted.  My favorite time was on Christmas Eve when the kids were little and we would act out the Christmas story.  Darren - my baby - got to be baby Jesus twice.  But as the kids grew we did that less and less.  We had a couple of years of adopting a family or getting names off a helping tree.  Those times were special - placing gifts on a porch and running.  Picking out a present for - a boy , age 9, - wrapping it and bringing it back to the tree.  I just wish we did that every year - made that the main tradition at Christmas.  Regrets are hard.

Christmas was always hectic.  I had to do all the shopping and decorating and cooking and wrapping and......  Well, you get the picture.  But even through all the craziness I could always find the Spirit sooner or later.  Sometimes it wasn't until the Sunday before Christmas at church.  Listening to the choir, hearing the Christmas story "And there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed"
I could find my peace and feel the spirit.  Then on Christmas morning all the kids would unwrap their presents.  I would make them unwrap them one at a time - everyone had to watch and I remember that one year it took almost 3 hours to unwrap all the presents that way.  Thank-you and hugs had to be given out and you had to love what ever you got for at least one hour.  Then when the hour was up you could come and tell me  that shirt was gross and you would like to exchange it.  I also hated waisting money and didn't want anything to just rot in the closet.  I remember one year I didn't put any tags on the presents - just wrapped each kids' present in their own paper.  Thought this would stop them from handling the presents - didn't work.  They knew which presents were theirs - I only gave them a puzzle to solve - and they solved it.

As my children grew -  things changed.  Christmas has always been a day of games and a puzzle but the first year we were one child short was different.  We looked forward to a long distant phone call instead of presents.  Presents and food were there but the conversation was about that missing child and what he told us and what we forgot to ask him.   Those that went off to college always seemed to make it home for Christmas.  That was and is great.  Then came the first marriage.  Flash backs of when I first got married and being torn as to which parents house should I go to - haunted me.  So I have always just told my kids to plan some time with me and I will be happy.  I have always been happy with the time I have had with my kids - their spouses - and my grandchildren.

Now most of my children live on the wrong side of the Mississippi River.  My parents live across the street and Christmas is still a juggling act.  Parents who have a hard time being around very active great grandchildren but want to see them - gives me a new challenge.  But we figure it all out and spend what time we have together.  Christmas this year was quiet.  I still had a lot of cooking  and cleaning to do.  But it only took two dishwasher loads to get everything clean instead of the usual 3 or 4.   Activities are more centered around my parents who are 85 and 83 years old, instead of kids who are 8 or 3 years old.  Things are different but different is good - nice!  Christmas with service - love - understanding - even forgiveness.  I think I may finally be getting this Christmas thing right - Christ first.

So this year Darren came home from school.  Mandy and her family live here - at least I have some grandchildren close.  We all had breakfast together and opened presents.  I didn't get any pictures but I did take a few special shots during the week.  Here they are -     

 Gibson found one of my dolls and was even feeding it pancakes - it was very sweet but I missed the picture and got this one.

 Darren learning how to make chocolate covered caramel. 

    Uncle Darren is the greatest.  This is Mandy's house

Well, Christmas is over - Darren is back to school and I have actually cleaned up my house.  Now I get to work on my new hobby - quilting.  More on that later  -  Love to all.