Christmas Memories

Lately I have been reminiscing about Christmases while growing up (and in my "adult" life). I've learned the hard way that the only way to spend Christmas is with family- it makes all the difference in the world. :)

Here are some of the Christmas memories that stand out in my mind. They may not be my favorite memories, but they add to my appreciation of Christmas with loved ones. (Caution: my memories may be different from what actually happened, but because this is the way I remember them- this is they way they are being told):

In the 3rd Grade I decided that I wanted a white Christmas and started praying/wishing for one. I remember that the day school let out for the holiday break (we were taking our cat to the vet), it started snowing. And it kept snowing. It was amazing. We had snow on Christmas. I don't know if the technical description for a "White Christmas" is that it has to snow on Christmas Day, but there was a lot of snow on the ground and that was good enough for me. That was also the year that our pond froze and we skated around on top of it. That was fun.

My parents had Santa come on Christmas Eve- it was amazing! He handed out our gifts and we got to eat cookies with him (I think).

I remember the last Christmas where there was all six of us kids. I think it was the first Christmas in the Brookside house (it was so long ago). I loved having Lara (Leanne), Molly, and Matt with us. It was always a treat for us little kids when the big kids came to visit. :)

I remember the first Christmas I spent alone (in Utah- after going away to college). It added to my appreciation for every Christmas after that I was able to spend with family.

Last year I flew down to California to spend Christmas with my mom, dad, my sister Molly and her family (and also Mickey Mouse). Mom and I walked along the beach in the morning and we saw dolphins playing in the waves. It was the first time I had ever seen dolphins in the ocean like that. A few days later we went to Disneyland and saw their Christmas Parade. We also saw Cinderella's Castle covered in snow and The Haunted Mansion done up like the Nightmare Before Christmas.

I remember Christmas at my Grandma Pond's house. Grandma had this little statuette of the three kings that would play "We Three Kings." I always had to wind that up when we were decorating the Christmas Tree- or watching the Christmas tree get decorated.

I remember my Dad's apartment by Peacock Lane. I specifically remember this one Christmas where we all bundled up and walked over to the grocery store lot to pick out a Christmas Tree. It wasn't a special tree, but this memory just stands out in my head. And then we all dragged the tree (thanks Dad!) back to the apartment and decorated.

In conjunction with that memory- we would bundle up and walk through Peacock Lane which was right behind the apartment building. Peacock Lane was a street of houses where each of the houses would put up lights or displays and there were horse drawn carriages and hot chocolate vendors. People would line up to drive down the road and we had the advantage because we lived close enough to walk through.

This isn't really a Christmas memory, but it is a winter one so I'll include it. There was one year that the ponds in Westmoreland Park (by my Grandma Pond's house) froze over and everyone was skating on them. My Dad bundled us up and took us out there. The thing that I remember the most was when my dad would bundle us up he would have us wear his socks. And these socks were so big on us that they would cover us right up to our thighs. :)

A Christmas tradition that was started after my mom and dad (Tom) got married was that we would go cut down our own Christmas tree at one of the many Christmas Tree farms in Oregon. The one we went to had a train that we would ride out to the middle of the farm. We'd hop off and start searching for a tree. Once a tree was chosen, Dad would cut it down and drag it back to the train where we'd load it up and put in on the car. I remember that we always left the tree farm with a candy cane. :)

There is also the first Christmas I spent in Hawaii after moving back in 2004. We woke up and walked along the beach in Kailua. I can still feel the sun on my face that morning. :) I remember being so grateful for being there and being with my family.

And finally- I remember the Christmas Buns that my mom would make on Christmas morning. We would wait year round for these tasty treats. :)

And this year. Well, this year is the first Christmas that I'll spend with Dave. We're going to be able to create our own family traditions from now on. It kinda makes me tear up (stupid hormones). :)

I wish you all joy and happiness during these holidays and in the coming year. You are all in our thoughts this Christmas. :)