Christmas Memories

I love the Christmas season!! The smells, the decorations and the anticipation. This time of year takes me back to my childhood and all the sweet memories.

I remember Christmas Eve that would start at my Grandparent's house - my mothers family. Grandma would spend days cooking and baking for her annual Christmas party. Friends and family would gather and celebrate with food and lots of laughter! There was also a lot of drinking and cigarette smoke but back then it was normal. After spending several hours there, my parents would take my sister, Neicy, and I home. We knew that Aunt Joanie and Uncle Norm were right behind us with some gifts!! Neicy and I would sit on the couch and look out the big picture window and wait for them to come. Of course, the Christmas tree lights were lit, the cookies were out and Neicy and I were beyond excited. Christmas was finally here!!!

Our Aunt and Uncle would come in with gifts in hand and then we'd visit for awhile. I always liked Aunt Joanie and secretly wished she would be my mother. She passed away about 4 years ago from lung cancer and Uncle Norm is remarried and living in Florida.

Neicy and I would be put to bed shortly after they left and we would lay in bed and talk about how excited we were. Neicy even said one year she heard the reindeer on the roof!!

Christmas morning we would be up before dawn. We'd jump in bed with Mom and Dad to wake them up, they'd usually pretend to be asleep for awhile but it wasn't long till they got up. Dad would have to get the movie camera. Back in the day, it was a Kodak and the lights stuck out like a rack of moose horns!! Plus, the lights would be VERY bright. When we had to look at the camera we'd have to squint. We'd proceed to open all our gifts and start playing. Mom would make us eat breakfast then she would put the turkey in the oven. My grandparents and Aunt Cindy would always come to our house for the holiday dinner - loaded to the brim with gifts!!!

The memories are bittersweet - all of those people except Aunt Cindy have since passed away. I miss them so much sometimes I just don't think I can put one foot in front of the other. But then, I see my own precious daughters and grandchildren and I'm brought back to the present to celebrate with them!