Christmas memories...

Ya gotta love this teamwork!

This ad says, "Merry Christmas, Grandma...we came in our new Plymouth!"

(Can you tell I'm a Norman Rockwell fan??)

I have many treasured Christmas memories.  

• Reciting the Christmas story as a family.
  
• Antique ornaments on Grandmother's tree.
  
• A six-foot tall stocking one year.
  
• New bikes hidden in the garage.
  
• Pizza for Christmas dinner (yea for no dishes!!).
  
• Stockings stitched shut with yarn...hmmmm...wonder why??
  
• Gravy from KFC.
  
• Season one of I Love Lucy from Bob.
  
• Working and wishing I was home.
  
• Mom buying an ornament for each of us each year so we would have some for our own trees someday--some of those are hanging on my tree now.
  
• Biggest regret: dropping Mom's treasured Nativity set with real gold paint on the wise men's gifts.  I can still hear the thud and feel a sick feeling in my stomach as the pieces broke beyond repair.
  
• A tree with homemade and keepsake ornaments.
  
• Our first year in Troy where we had a house big enough for a tall tree--we got two of them, one for the kitchen and one for the living room.
  
• Presents with Elise and B&B last year--our first year to have our own "family" on Christmas morning.
  
• Dad dragging in a big box after we thought all the gifts were opened.
  
• Shopping all year for the perfect gift.
  
• "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."
  
• Bob's parents adding another piece to my Precious Moments nativity each year--they gave me Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus the year we got engaged.
  
• Trying to hold back tears so I could talk to my family in New Guinea--a twice a year treat. overseas calls were very expensive and internet and cell phones weren't even thought of yet.
  
• Spending Christmas in Grenada with Grandma and Grandpa.
  
• Being awakened by a Grenadian steel band rolling by my window in the back of a dump truck at 6 am on Christmas morning....but I needed to get up for the early morning service anyway!
  
• Carolling for miles and miles WALKING! in Gouyave Grenada and being served sorelle (sp).
  
• Drive through light displays.
  
• Mountains of presents under a little tree.
  
• A packed house but always room for more.
  
• Monopoly, jigsaw puzzles and philosophical discussions all night long.
  
• Grandma's State of the Family address.
  
• Christmas and recital pieces.
  
• Little cousins helping pass out the presents.
  
• Long visits with friends and family.
  
• Kenny G instrumental Christmas CD's.
  
• Mariah Carey's song, "All I Want for Christmas is YOU!"--having a Honey to sing it to.
  
• A Dixie cup ornament covered with glittered, a bell inside and a yarn in the top-made in Story Hour in 1977 when Cheryl Mahan was my teacher.
  
• A clay Santa ornament made by Bob when he was in Kindergarten or so.
  
• Engagement announcements.
  
• Quiet evenings with hot apple cider and Christmas music--while we play Scrabble on the floor by the tree.
  
• Ham and turkey.
  
• Old time radio.
  
• Working all day and driving all night to get home for Christmas.
  
• Granddaddy's carmel popcorn. 
  
• The nativity scene on the front porch.
  
• Lavonna's drummer boy in the window.
  
• Bags of candy after the chuurch program.
  
• Christmas Eve candlelight service.
  
• Christmas cards and pictures in the mail.
• Exquisite handpainted ornaments.
  
• "Christmas Sunday" each year in Troy--Sunday School program and cantata in the am, carry-in dinner,  caroling in the evening, followed by snacks and maybe some games.
  
• Reflecting on the names of Jesus, the Christmas story, the perspectives of the people involved, and the incredible meaning of Christmas.

This year, let's create some new fond memories.  It doesn't take a lot of money or have to be perfect or fancy.  Just slow down a bit and soak in the sights and sounds and smells and feeling of Christmas.  Have a very merry and blessed Christmas!