Memories of Christmas Past

Disclaimer:  Some of the pictures in this post are not mine. They are from my Pinterest boards.

I admit I'm human and sometimes I find myself feeling just a wee but melancholy.  It can be the most random thing that will trigger that part of my brain and throw me for a loop. Today, it was a video that I watched

I encourage you to watch this video. It is an awesome story that is current (not from decades ago) on the power of prayer. God is still performing miracles!! But I must tell ya, it will not be a hilarious moment, it is quite sobering. 

With that in mind, I've been in a sober state of mind the rest of the day. Which usually always takes me down memory lane.  So pardon me while I try to clear my head. I'm sure my kids will appreciate it if it works :)

Can you tell I'm an 80s kid :) 

Back when I was this age all (or most) of my dad's siblings and other relatives used to get together for Christmas. Not sure what those 2 were trying to do to me besides steal what I thought was mine. :) :)  My memories are pretty vague of these get togethers. But give me a few years when I have full blown Alzheimer and I'll remember everything. 

This will always be one of my favorites.  (I really need to take typing lessons on a computer. I keep forgetting that you can't hit the space bar twice and get an instance period at the end of my sentences) This was Christmas Eve either 1986 or 1987. There was no date so I'm going by how old I think I was.  We lived in good ole Greene County Pennsylvania and the little hamlet, Rogersville (I wish we'd never moved from there).  It has always been a tradition in my family to open our gifts on Christmas Eve. This particular year my parents wanted to wait till Christmas Day. That was killing us kids and we begged to open just one :)

One of the things we always got in abundance every year was clothes. Mom was a clothes kinda person and she loved nothing more than to load us up :) 

As I got older I helped her with all the wrapping.  A day or 2 before we unwrapped we went to her room of the garage and we had a wrapping marathon. She would neatly place them in boxes and I would not so neatly wrap them. Whenever it came to my gifts she say "close your eyes". By the time we gathered around the living room to rip into them I basically knew what everyone was getting except me. 

My littlest bro and I - Me in my new Christmas sweater and him in his pj's :)  I so miss this little guy :( We were best of buddies.

In 1985 I got my first sewing machine. This was a big girl moment for me.  My mom sewed a lot and obviously, I wanted to be just like her.  Unfortunately, my sewing career hasn't gone much farther than that. I think my skills have improved some though... :)

I was always the dolly kinda girl. Had to have my baby dolls.  I smile now when I watch my own daughter repeating the same age old love for babies.  That maternal instinct starts at a very young age. This was probably 1984.

I know I know, I don't look very excited in this picture. I think that was the age when showing your true emotions was not cool.  LOL I don't really know but maybe that was my problem.  Anywho! This Christmas gift was for both Todd and I.  They brought that baby right inside the house :) We loved that thing and drove it to it's death. Thankfully, we were both small enough we could ride it together so we didn't have to worry about unfair turns :)

It's been 14 Christmases since my family started to shrink.  I remember that Christmas as though it were yesterday. Have you ever felt like you could crawl right out of your skin because the lump in your throat hurt so bad?  Yeah, that was a dark Christmas. 4 Christmases ago the numbers around the living room had once again decreased.  Needless to say, this time of year tends to lend an air of melancholyness (yes, I know, that's not a word). 

My heart goes out to those who are facing their first Christmas with an empty place at the table.  Their favorite spot around the Christmas tree is going to look like a huge chasm.  You will automatically start to making their favorite Christmas foods only to realize they won't be there.  Their corny jokes and laughter will be an echo. And you will wish for just one more Christmas to all be together. 

I pray that as you face this challenge that you will feel the comforting arms of the unseen Father wrapped around you. 

"When God hides His face that doesn't mean He isn't there.

And though your searching eyes can't see Him, that's no sign He doesn't care.

So with faith's arm reach up to Heaven, embrace that hand so fair..."

Good night all and thanks for letting me share a few short memories of Christmas past!