jojo

This time of year can be many things to many people. Too often it is filled with stress and anxiety. How about sharing a wonderful Christmas moment from our pasts - either as a child or an adult. I'll start.

I've always been a Christmas person. This is MY holiday. Even when I have been sad or lonely, I LOVE CHRISTMAS. The tree lights, the smells, baking cookies, the hustle bustle, driving around at night to see how everyone has decorated their homes, shopping til you drop, wrapping until you don't think you can stand up one more minute, watching children watch Santa Claus at the mall, red birds in the snow, etc. As you can tell, I could go on and on. I REFUSE TO LET CIRCUMSTANCES DEPRIVE ME OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. My family teases me about being the biggest kid in the family - and that includes my 9 year old granddaughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Several years ago my ex and I were visiting my daughter and her family from another state for Christmas. They had a small place so we stayed in a motel. I had a hard time sleeping because I was excited so we were up early and in the car and arrived at my daughters at 5:30 am and woke everyone up to tell them that Santa had come and it was time to get up. My son in law wasn't very happy with me but the kids sure were!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that I live close to them and spend the night Christmas Eve, instead of them telling the kids that they can't wake them up before 7:00 am, they say, "Now, Grandma, remember that you can't wake the kids until 7:00!" (I'm sitting here giggling. What a goof!)

Anyone want to join in and share a happy or funny Christmas memory?

Big Christmas hugs to all, Jo

JessicaNAJ

My happiest Christmas memory is seeing the kids eyes light up when they see all the presents under the tree Christmas morning. It is sooo funny to see my son, trying to look uninterested, while looking for what gift might be his.

That's my favorite part!!! Christmas morning with my babies (i know...they're 10 and 4)

equus

I remember a christmas when the wind had blown ice crystals onto one side of everything, every twig and branch of every tree. It was more beautiful than snow.

I went to work christmas morning so happy to be around the stables and sounds of horses, happy to work, happy to feel frozen air on work heated skin.

It had been iced over for a few days and my own horse Willy (bought for meat money as a nut case!) had been stuck indoors, just a baby he was getting impatient but it was too slippy to ride. After my mucking out I booted him up and took a long line so I could take him for a walk on foot down the back tracks of the neighbouring farm.

Me and Willy had become great friends by then, he had a heart of gold and wasn't looking for a fight with anyone but got over awed by people when they looked for a fight with him. I'd had him for a while and trusted him. A 3 yr old thoroughbred couped up for days gets all dizzy, I needed my long line!!

We set off and he would rear high with small bucking explosions! But he never pulled or went to run from the line, it's length meant I could stand well out of harms way until he returned to the ground impishly half apologetic! And so we went, him trying to conatin himself, sometimes gently jogging on the spot, me relaxed knowing he was just young but very mindful of the line and me on the end of it. And we went - we started walking and agreed it would be good to carry on - we went for hours. Being on the ground the horses head is next to you, you can communicate, get nuzzled, get offered an ear to be gently, gently pulled; you can play nudge, get nudged, tickle a forehead, and laugh something rotten as your baby horse gets all excited over a distant pheasant.

It was christmas - I'd be late for dinner but so what? Mucking out done I didn't have to get back for work. We had all the time in the world - a beautiful frozen world spent with a new friend, a time to admire the horse I bought as an ugly duckling labelled insane, time to notice how finely he was growing up and at the same time offer him the allowance to be a baby. In return he offered something which he never withdrew - his trust and respect.

Yep - that's my number one christmas moment!

dollydo

The last Christmas my grandparents were alive, they raised me until I was 7 yrs old. They taught me the right way to live, they loved me and showed it everyday.

We all got together at my uncles house, the whole family, my grandfather made the dinner toast, my grandmother smiled, her eyes danced with happiness...I will never forget that moment...they both died shortly thereafter...Christmas was never the same.

Thanks for the great post..

Peace & Love for the Holidays,
Dolly

cloudy

Nice idea Jojo,

I think one of my favorite Christmas times was when I was 3. It was a very nice family day, I have many fond memories of it.

And I got a “tar” (Snoopy ukulele) and a “pinano”! (toy piano) :-)

elizabeth1979

The Christmas when I was 15. Id been working full time since the previous summer so I had plenty of money to buy gifts. My brother was 8 and I remember being so happy to be able to get presents for him...that year, everyone seemed so happy. I made the Christmas dinner and had done all the baking and took cookies to the neighbors. I was a regular Betty Crocker.!!
I was so happy and so proud of myself that day.

LovingMom

Oh gosh..I remember it like it was yesterday..though it was closer to 15. My husband and I had just finished putting the finishing touches on the downstairs. Him putting two big wheels together for the oldest boys. That's all we had heard for weeks before Santa Day...How they had wanted "bikes" like big boys. My then 5 and 3 year old sons just knew that their wishes were going to come true. Anyways...hubster and I had just crawled in to bed...it had to of been hovering around five in the morning when I hear "click"..and two pairs of footy pajamaed feet putt puttering down the hall. Suddenly and without his normal little boy lisp I hear Luke say.."He came Sean..and theres bikes!! Two of em". Needless to say, two parents threw the covers back..grabbed the baby from the crib and started the coffee....our day had begun.