Nostalgic

There is something about Christmas that brings back so many childhood memories.

I had a great childhood. Wouldn't change it for the world, but there were times when it was tough, epecially around Christmas time. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, which we as kids never seemed to care (I think because we just didn't know any better) until around Christmas time. Hearing other kids from school talk about ALL the many toys they had recieved, ALL the money they had recieved, and ALL the newest electronics they had gotten as well. We did get gifts but they were simple, like new pajammas, socks etc...stuff we needed, and usually one big gift each.

My grandparents came to our house every year, that is until they were too elderly to travel. One of my favorite things about Christmas was waking up early, before the sun, with my Grandfather to make coffee. Neither of us had any idea how to work the coffee pot, so it was pretty much comical trial and error trying ot figure it out. Then we would scramble to try and clean the mess before Mom and Dad woke up...My Grandpa always made me laugh. Then once my parents woke up, Mom would get started on baking something for breakfast and Dad would make hot chocolate that he'd put into this carafe (sp?) that kept it warm with a burning candle. Then eventually my brothers and sister would wake and we'd open gifts. Then the rest of the day was spent with my Mom and Grandma in the kitchen preparing the dinner and us kids in the living room playing with everything we had gotten while Dad and Grandpa sat drinking thier coffee and watching us.

I think the best Christmas memory I have as a child is the Christmas when things were extra tight. My Mom with tears in her eyes telling her children that there wouldn't be any gifts under the tree this year. We were a little sad, mostly because we knew it was hurting my Mom so. I remember waking that morning, my grandparents didn't make it out that year either. Dad was in the kitchen making breakfast. Bisquits and gravy, sausage, bacon and eggs. He made the best breakfast! So after we feasted on the yummy food we all got dressed and went outside. It had snowed that year. The first and last white Christmas I've ever had. It was beautiful. The whole neighborhood was out. We of course started to make snow angels and snowmen and of course a snowball fight. Then our friends came over from down the street (our house was always filled with friends and visitors, our door was pretty much open all the time) and we got out trash bags and lids and went sliding down the small hill across the street. Pretty soon more friends and neighbors were at our house and everyone hoped in their cars and headed to Eagle Hill. The big hill in the neighborhood where all the kids rode their bikes. It was covered in snow, so we hiked to the top and slid down on trash bags and trash can lids....we had so much fun. I remember I was soaked!! We stayed and played for hours. A great time was had by all. We got home, dryed off and sipped on hot cocoa and played games the rest of the day. Nothing spectacular just family and fun. It was simple, it was easy and it was great! Still my favorite Chritmas ever!


The pic is of my brothers and my sister. It was probably the year 1976. Funny how that one picture brought back so many memories. This is defiantly one to scrapbook!

Here's to making more special Chirstmas memories...