Christmas Advent Day #24 - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was very exciting. Since we did not open gifts then, it was spent getting ready for Santa Claus. That is when the letter would be written (by my Aunt from West Virginia), and the cookies and milk were left. And of course there was the anticipation.

Christmas Advent Day #23 - Christmas Sweetheart Memories

Since Ricky has been the only sweet heart I have had, the first memory of Christmas with him, was the little double heart ring and the powder dish he gave me. But the greatest memory I have, was when, at Christmas, he proposed to me. Then I got another ring, but this was real with a real diamond.
Our first Christmas together, at the age of 17, and we had only been married 3 months, we then lived at am apartment on Route 1 in Street.

Christmas Advent Day #22 - Christmas and Deceased relatives

Every year we go to our loved ones graves (even though we know that are not really there). I guess it helps to comfort us, because it does nothing for them, only keeps their memory alive for us. We all go as a family, and we put flowers on each of their graves. It seems that our stops seem to get longer every year or two. We miss so much these relatives who have gone on home, Kyle & Faye Blackburn, Betty Privett, Donna Blevins and Jack Pennington, (especially around the holidays).

Christmas Advent Day #21 - Christmas Music

We sang all carols when I was growing up. I remember that my Mom, my Aunt and us five kids (my brother and my cousins) would all pile into Mom's car and she would take all of us out to look at Christmas lights. We would sing all the fun ones, like Rudolph and Jingle Bloop, I mean, Jingle Bells. Somewhere along the way, my brother made up a name for my best friend Linda, Bloop. And he would substitute her name in the song, we all, including her thought that was so funny.
As long as Ricky and I have been married, we have went Christmas caroling with whatever church we were involved with.  On foot, by car, by church bus. We also had such fun doing this. We have sang to the elderly, the shut in and sick, the nursing homes, and most recently the homeless shelter. we have also been involved in Christmas cantatas, which was also alot of fun to do.

Christmas Advent Day #18 - Christmas Stockings

I do not remember having a stocking. But our kids have each always had one. I fill it on Christmas Eve and they open it on Christmas Morning. They have always expected one and still do, no matter how old they get, the still want one. Even the dogs had one. It seems that every year, a new stocking gets added to the wall.

Christmas Advent Day #16 - Christmas at school

My biggest memories of Christmas at school, would be from high school. I was in Chorus and always participated in the Christmas concerts. We wore green and gold robes (North Harford). It was a big deal, because my whole family would be attendance.

After Ricky and I got married, we were always involved in the church programs and plays for Christmas. As the kids got older they were in them too. We have had some really good plays in churches we have been involved in.

Christmas Advent Day #15 - The Holiday Happenings

There are several I know that have birthdays in December. And it does seem to get overshadowed by Christmas. My Hubby's birthday was just yesterday. I have a few things for him for Christmas, and I was really torn of whether to give him one of those things for his birthday (but I really wanted them to be Christmas gifts), or buy something else.  I ended up buying something else.
Another friend of ours, who is gone now, had a birthday on Christmas Eve. Now that was hard. It was hard to separate the two. And I am glad that none of us have a birthday that close to Christmas. 

Christmas Advent Day #14 - Fruitcake - Friend or Foe

What can I say about fruit cake? I am a foe, as the majority is, I suppose. I do remember fruit cake through the years, but not because I ate it. Not sure anyone in my family ate it. Funny thing though, my neighbor just texted me this week and asked if we liked fruitcake. I had to tell her know. She sent another message, that said, that's too bad. She also said that someone gave them one and she would just have to throw it away. That would be my answer.

Christmas Advent Day #12 - Charitable/Volunteer work

My family, along with our church family, have helped many over the years, who were homeless, families who were having a hard time, collecting food, etc. Every church we have been involved in over the years, has always done something for others in need. We used to all pile on the church bus, go to those who were sick and shut in, and pass out fruit and candy bags, and sing Christmas carols.
Then there have been times, where we would adopt a family for Christmas, those who were not going to have much of a Christmas. There would be toys, clothes, food, sometimes money, to help in some small way, so the family could enjoy Christmas. Again, we would pile onto the bus and go together to deliver and sing carols.
More recently, the church we are in now, has helped out at the homeless shelter in our area. This year, tomorrow night in fact,  we are going to the homeless shelter to take and serve their dinner. We will always have a breakfast the next day prepared as well as their lunches. We have collected items all year, to be able to give each one a gift bag, that we assembled earlier this week. There will also be gas cards donated to the shelter. It is not much, but this is our small way of helping some of those less fortunate than we are.

Christmas Advent Day #13 - Holiday Travel

I personally did not travel at Christmas time when I was young. Everyone always came to my grandparents home where my Mom, brother and I lived. I did not start traveling (not really travel, but a drive) until we were married. We did not have to go far though.

My Aunt and Uncle from West Virginia are the ones who did the traveling. They were up every Christmas. I remember when year when we were all younger, that we waited and waited and waited for them to get here on Christmas Eve. They got very slowed down because of a snow storm. They did make it by Christmas Day.  It was never the same without them there. She still travels up here from West Virginia, but not at Christmas anymore.

Christmas Advent Day #11 - Other Traditions

I am sure that there are traditions we have that I can't remember until we actually do them. There are a few newer ones with the grandkids though.

One is that every year, we try to do something Christmas-y  with the kids. Some years we are able to have all the kids and sometimes we can't. We either will go to Herr's and ride through their light display. Or we might do to 34th Street in Hamden. This year we will be going with Chrissy, Josh, Austin and Jordyn to the Pro Bass Shop to visit Santa and the toy shop, with a ride through the Festival of Lights.

The other tradition that I have started, is for the grandchildren. I arrange for Santa to write each of them a letter and send it to their house. Santa always includes stickers in with the letter. The kids get so excited about their letters from Santa. Santa has done this for me ever since Austin's first Christmas. I don't know if they look forward to it, but I sure do look forward to hearing them tell me about the letters they receive from Santa.

Christmas Advent Day #10 - Christmas Gifts

I remember that there were always Christmas presents. I can remember for many years how the gifts started hiding the tree. But that was because my Mom, brother and I lived with my grandparents for a long time. So there would be gifts from Mom, and then there were gifts from Granny and Poppop. Then Aunt Dee and Uncle Dennis would be there from West Virginia, so there would be all of their gifts added to the pile. Then my other Aunt and her family would be there. So there were alot of gifts under that tree.

One year, my brother and I received the same gift from our grandparents, motorcycles - Kawasaki 100 's, his was blue, mine was orange. And my grandmother got a three wheel  trike the same year.


We always opened up gifts on Christmas morning, and we opened them one at a time, so we all could see what everyone else got. We have carried on that tradition. Makes the gift giving so much more fun to see everyone's reactions too.

Christmas Advent Day #9 - Candy Bags

Receiving candy bags at church was a highlight of many Christmases past. Every year, when I was younger, our church would have a Christmas Program (play, pageant). And after the program was over, they would pass out candy bags to everyone. I can remember these bags very well. I remember who bought the candy, where the candy came from, who put the bags together, etc.

The candy came from Klein's store, when they were in the center of Forest Hill, where they first began. At Christmas time the store added more bins of candy, to the already many candy bins already there. This candy was not already bagged. This candy, you would scoop out of bins or boxes, and fill your own bags. Then it would get weighed on the big scale from the ceiling. My brother and I went with my grandfather and watched as he selected, bagged and weighed each kind of candy.

 There were so many varieties of candy at Klein's. And each candy bag for the church would also have a great variety of candy in them. Some that I remember were, the  chocolate drops (vanilla cream centers covered in chocolate and shaped like a drop), the hard candy filled with some kind of jelly inside, and then there were just plain hard candies, in all shapes, sizes, striped, solid color. I am sure there were other candies mixed in there, but those are the ones I remember the most, probably because those were my favorites.Also in these candy bags would be nuts, of all kinds. Not only that, but there was an orange in each bag also. 

Wow, now that I am older, I realize that was alot of stuff in our candy bags. We have done that in the past, since Ricky and I have been married. Especially in the churches that his Dad pastored. Some where down the road, it stopped though. Was it the expense, the time involved, someone to commit to getting them done? That was a tradition that started when we were young and continued through to when Chrissy was about ten. I guess, as they say, all good things must come to an end sometime.

Christmas Cookies - Advent Day #8

I do not remember making cookies when I was younger. But, since I have been married, I have baked Christmas Cookies every year. As the kids got big enough to help, they were always in the kitchen when it came time to bake cookies. Of course, we always did sugar cookies, and used cookie cutter, and they would decorate to their little heart's content. But as the kids got even older, it seemed the cookie baking was left up to me...Mom.
We have favorite cookies that are made each year at Christmas time. Chocolate Crinkles, Mini Chip Snowball Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, and of course, Chocolate Chip Cookies are among our favorites. I have tried a few other varieties through the years, but these are the ones we can't seem to do without for the holidays.

Holiday Parties - Advent Day #7

I do not remember any holiday parties, but we did have lots of family gatherings. Especially on Christmas Day. Our whole family would gather at my house (which was my grandfather and grandmothers house).  Fourteen plus of us. Even after some of us were married, we always went to their house Christmas morning. We would open gifts for a little while, eat breakfast, then back to more gifts, because then others would have arrived by then. What great, great memories. So when we all got together it was like having a big party.

The Chinese Gift Exchange

 For the past eight years, we have had a New Year's Eve Party at our house. It is usually our church family and family. We meet at 8 pm, we eat, we play games, waiting for the the new year to come in. Every year our gathering seem to grow by one or two, because one of the young people will have a new baby that year. This year will be no exception, Kylie (Austin & Jordyn's cousin) will be attending her first New Years Eve party this year. One of the main attractions at this party has always been a Chinese Gift Exchange. We have a blast with this. The gifts aren't that expensive (so everyone can participate), but we sure have fun playing it.

Santa Claus - Christmas Advent Day #6

Santa Claus, did I ever send a letter to Santa Claus? Oh my, yes. For as long as I can remember there has been a letter to Santa Claus. Every Christmas the highlight would be Aunt Dee and Uncle Dennis who came from West Virginia. And Aunt Dee would always make a big deal about our letters to Santa Claus. Up until a few years ago Aunt Dee would still come up for Christmas, and every year there would be a letter to Santa Claus. Of course, as we started leaving home and starting our own families, we began our own letter writing. But Aunt Dee would still write about all of us in her letters to Santa. We have been writing letters to Santa every year since we have been married. Then as the kids got older they started taking over that responsibility. Heather still writes our letters. I just wish, way back when the kids were younger that I had kept all of those letters. I have been for several years now, but not all of them have been kept. Did I ever set on Santa's lap? My biggest memory of that is seeing Santa in the Poland's store in Bel Air. But I think I was afraid, and not sure I ever actually sat on his lap. Our Santa was always my grandfather. I did not catch on to who it really was until I was about 7 or 8. Of course, being the oldest of my brother and my cousins, I could not say anything to the others. But they all eventually figured it out. Even when Chrissy was little, Poppop would put on his Santa suit, and come over and visit Chrissy. It took her several years to warm up to being so close to Santa Claus, even in the mall. But she finally learned to like Santa.

Outdoor Christmas Decorations - Advent Day #5

Did someone say Christmas Decorations? As long as I can remember, there have always been Christmas decorations outside. My grandfather lived for the holidays and I believe he was one of those who went "all out". He went far beyond expectations. He is a painter by trade and is not afraid of ladders or heights. And every year he would get up on that two story house (on a ladder) and put the lights up. He so enjoyed that. Not only the house would be decorated, but the yard, the rose arbor, the windows, whatever he could get lights on or around, he would do it. I especially remember one Christmas season, it was a Sunday, and my Aunt and her kids were up visiting with us. ( My Mom, brother and I all lived with my grandparents.) It was getting to be dusk and all of us kids were inside watching Rudolph. After my grandfather got everything decorated, we all went outside to watch them be turned on. What things we take for granted as kids. He is up in years now, and I have noticed that he doesn't quite do the "all out" decorating he once did. Once Ricky and I were married, we started our own decorating. It seemed the older we got, and the more kids we had, and the older they got, the outside decorating became so much more fun to do. When we lived in our mobile home in Whiteford (for 18 years), is when we really started doing the outside decorating. It seemed that in those days, I was really keen on candy canes, and you could see quite a few in the yard, or deck. Ricky would get on a ladder and put lights all up on the top of the trailer. Now that we live in our house (for the past 8 years), our decorating became more involved. As my grandfather, my husband is also not afraid of ladders or heights. So ever year we have had lights on the house, but also everywhere in the yard. We have accumulated alot of outside decorations. Of course some have lasted through the years, but most has not. This year we are starting to replace out old strand of lights for the new LED lights. This year we were able to get enough for the top of the house. We have slimmed our decorating down some, but we still have alot. Of course, we now do it for the grandchildren (that's what tell ourselves anyway), but I think we mostly do it for ourselves. But, our big children would not let us forget if we did not do the outside decorating too. It's one of those things we have all come to expect and to enjoy. I love riding around looking at the decorations from others. One of those places we like to go is to Herr's Chip factory in Nottingham pa. They go all out and it is drive through. All of us have piled into the van every year just to ride up there and see it, with a stop at Wawa after for hot chocolate. Another place we like is to go to 34th Street in Hamden in Baltimore. So I guess, while we can, we will doing this outdoor decorating for Christmas, although we say it is for the kids, but I know better.

Christmas Cards - Advent Day #4

Christmas Cards I am sure that my family sent out cards, I was not involved with that much. Cards that were received were hung up on the wall somewhere. We still send cards, but with the cost of stamps, I send nowhere near what we used to send. And the cards we now receive has also dropped quite a bit from what it used to be. We always give cards at church and at family functions, but there are still those that I seem to mail each year. I can always know for certain, that we will get our first Christmas card of the season on the day following Thanksgiving. This happens every year and is from the same family every year. I always say I am going to do that, but I never seem to get it done or think about it till it's too late. We hang all of our cards up that we receive, usually in the kitchen somewhere. There are three cards that are kept year after year, and get stored away with all the Christmas stuff, and that are small cards, that have a pop out in them, that Linda and Tommy (Ricky's sister and brother in law), gave to Chrissy, Devin and Heather many years ago. They loved those cards. Now I still get them out and display them somewhere in the house every Christmas. Now Austin and Jordyn like looking at them too.

Christmas Tree Ornaments - Advent Day #3

Christmas Tree Ornaments We have a ton of ornaments that have been accumulating for the past 33 years. It's funny, but I don't remember much about the ornaments my family used or had. It seems like there were alot of round glass ones, but not sure if there were any special ones. If there were, they never made their way to me. As for us, though, it all began about 32 years ago on Chrissy's first Christmas, she was only 4 months old. It seems that having children of your own brings out that kind of thing, like ornaments for the Christmas tree. We have always tried to set our own traditions and customs, and I think we have succeeded. Before we moved to the house we live in now, about 8 years ago, we always had one tree... a live one... and all of the ornaments, lights etc went on it. Now, we usually have two. The one downstair is artificial and has all ornaments from the past on it, plus some new ones. I sometimes leave a few off the tree when I do the decorating, but this year, Devin and Heather decided to put up and decorate that tree, and they used every last one of those ornaments. It was nice hearing their reactions as they pulled out each one. Some were ones we had given all three of them for a special interest they had at the time, or many that they each had made from Sunday School, etc. Some have lost parts or have changed color, but sure do bring back special memories. So, as with our own kids, and now with the grandkids, I guess the ornaments will keep accumulating.

Holiday Foods - Advent Day 2

For as long as I can remember, my grandmother always made a ham and a turkey for Christmas, not to mention all the side dishes she made. The best side dish for me, was sweet potatoes. I can remember my grandfather always taking the ham or turkey in and out of the oven to check or baste it. We had a table spread full of food for Christmas. Even when she moved into the mobile home, she still cooked all of this food. I don't remember anything unusual. She even made from scratch all the pies and other desserts. She has been gone now for 21 years. Heather was not even two when she died, so she missed those holiday meals. I have such fond memories of those earlier Christmases. Between her and my grandfather, they always made Christmas something to be remembered. So I have always tried to make our Christmases something that our kids and grandkids will remember as fondly as I remember past Christmases. And those certain foods, that even now my kids have to have for the holidays, have now become a tradition.

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree has always been a part of our holiday season. When I was growing up, my Mom, brother and I lived with with my grandparents. And we always had a live tree and sometimes a tree would be so wide around. Poppop always seemed to be the one who decorated the tree. I can't remember much about where a tree came from or who would get it, but it was always there. I carried this tradition over to my married life. Ricky's Mom and Dad were very conservative as far as decorating for Christmas. For many years his Mom had a little green ceramic tree that she put together and put up every year. My kids, each had their turns helping Mommaw put this tree together. Now, I have that tree, and the girls still put that tree together every Christmas and it gets placed somewhere in the house. And now we also have Austin and Jordyn helping. Ricky and I started out having artificial trees, then somewhere along the line, when the kids were still young, we started going to tree farms, to look and cut down that perfect tree. It was a family affair, even with the dogs. Then the kids got older and Ricky and I started getting a live tree at lots. Then last year, Devin and Heather decided we needed to go back to a tree farm and find that perfect tree. So, as I was told last night, they are expecting to go looking for that perfect tree again this year. Since we moved into our house, we now have two big trees and smaller trees in about every room. Last night, Devin and Heather decided to decorate the downstairs tree (which is artificial). I am not sure what has come over them. It is not decorated the way I would have done it, but, I have to say, that it looks pretty awesome. I guess they are carrying on the traditions we started. The highlight for me, is going to get the live tree, and decorating it, as my special tree. It sits in front of my picture window for all to see. Blue and white lights and ornaments. It becomes the center piece for all of our Christmas decorations and lights that we have out in the front of the house. Not sure how long Ricky and I will be able to go and have a live tree, but as long as we are able I would like to have a real tree. I love the way that every year that Christmas tree always looks different, different shape, different smell. We have thought about putting an artificial tree, or no tree at all in the living room, but it just would not be the same. And just as we have these traditions with our kids (and they have come to expect every year), we are making new traditions with the grandkids. Things they will always remember about Gammy and Poppy and our decorations at Christmas time, just as our kids remember certain things about my grandfather and grandmother, and Ricky's Mom and Dad, and their ways of decorating.