Christmas..

[tombogan03884]

One of my Aunts, (Mom's Brother's wife ) must have REALLY disliked my mother.
One year for Christmas she bought me a drum set.
I have never had a lick of musical talent, but I loved beating on my drums.   

[CJS3]

Christmas 2007. The last year I was able to get all of my immediate family together in one place. My Parents, my wife's parents, all of our kids and their wives, and all of my grandchildren. Since then our parents have passed away, and one of our sons moved away. We've had some more grandchildren added to the group, but I still wish our parents could be here to see them.

[blackwolfe]

Christmas of '63, I would have been about 6, my brother about 8 and we shared the gift of a Mighty Mo cannon that shot a hard plastic cannon ball some distance.  It was definitely an outdoor toy if there ever was one.

Well, Pat and I set up fort in the LR and aimed the cannon down the hall to the dining room waiting for the enemy.  My sister came out of the kitchen carrying a glass milk bottle (remember those?) in her hand and we had our target.   

With a bit of adjustment and some ranging estimates, we let fly the howitzer and blew that bottle clear out of her hand, sending broken glass everywhere!

Needless to say, Pop wasn't happy and our Mighty Mo cannon was sentenced to the rubbish pile for the next weeks refuse pick up!  Our punishment was much more severe!

 

I remember seing the Mighty Mo advertized.  Thanks for resurecting the memory.

[tombogan03884]

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ER13610552

[Rastus]

It's the "theme" of recurring relationships, events or practices that standout. 

Family from grandparents long gone to children that have grown into adults are most favorite memories. 

Putting up outside lights resonates also.

Then there are the fireworks.  In my area of the world people used to start to shoot fireworks before Christmas and carry on until New Years.  Christmas Eve was a great time when we'd have family over to visit and blast fireworks day and night.  Christmas morning boomers were M80's, silver salutes and cherry bombs....at first light.

[Sponsor]

[Magoo541]

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ER13610552

Cool card, I was expecting something more..... uh.... well... you know-feminine 

[Pathfinder]

Christmas in my family was usually very happy, very positive. They all went that way, very warm glow just thinking about them.

The process was this - you had to have breakfast before we could go into the tree. My folks channeled us down the back stairs, one stood vigil between us and the living room with the tree. We could not even see past them. Breakfast at the counter in the kitchen, then we lined up by age (youngest first), as my Dad got the 8mm camera and klieg lights (you think I'm kidding?) ready to film the procession into the living room. Dad would fire up the lights when we were all finished and dishes in the dishwasher (I think we were one of the first in the neighborhood to have one) and the 4 flood lamps (200W each I think) would light up that whole half of the house - and warm it up too.

Dad would film as we marched in, and the film kept rolling as we looked over what Santa brought and then opened each of the other presents.

When my brother returned from flying helicopters in Korea was a big year - he was supposed to have gone to Nam.

We always went to Christmas Eve services at the small Congregational Church I grew up in, and listened to the late Earl Marks, a professional operatic tenor, sing O Holy Night a capella. It was hard for us tough guys not to have tears in our eyes after he finished. I still can't listen to women singing that song, it has to be guys, and tenors at that.

This year, I got an early treat, completely unexpected - my granddaughter came to spend the night and we got to go to Chuck E. Cheese (yeah? ? ? ? ?       ) - her favorite these days (she is 5 after all). I haven't seen her since her Mom and Grammie moved out in a huff last January. It was fantastic, and I'll leave it at that.

At CEC:

[Teresa Heilevang]

Geoff...She is so precious.. I'm glad you had that time with her..

I have a million memories ~~ Because every Christmas was special to me... and still is.
My family was close as close could be and we still are all together every single Christmas. I  am so blessed to be able to say that I have had my boys and their wives and my parents with me every Christmas.. We play games..eat, drink and have so much fun.
When we were little, Daddy always would joke and say that he was going to build a great big fire in the fireplace to see if Santas whiskers would hold up when he came down the chimney. Then tease my sister and me all week long about it.. ~~ funny now but it wasn't at the time..
Mama will be with us of course...but this will be the 2nd Christmas that my daddy will be gone.. I'm sad when I start to think about it.. but I also know and believe with all my heart that he will be with us and be having as much fun as we are..
He'll be able to mingle and see us..but we won't be able to see him.. But I will feel him there....and I'm sure he'll be with the guys when they TRY to beat us girls in the games this year.. 
It will be another special wonderful Christmas.. but will be just be a different kind of special. 

[Magoo541]

I'm actually looking forward to this Christmas more than usual. I'm heading up to Portland Wednesday to pick up my son at the train station, coming down from Shelby MT.  Its special because he's an adult now, well 18 anyway, out of High School and had to spend his OWN money to come down and see us.  I loaded up on ammo this fall, built some new target stands and a steel plate rack for some family fun and hope to do some reloading on a buddy's press with him.  Maybe work on my old Flatfender smoke some cigars and all the stuff we've missed out on.  One of my fellow engineers has a son that just got out of the Rangers and I"ve been helping him with his Milling Machine, anyway I'd like to sit the two of them down over lunch and maybe relight the fire under my son's butt.

In a house full of women, it'll be a welcome change, even if there's some sibling rivalry.

[Pathfinder]

Forgot to mention - my Marine is coming here Christmas Eve for a week!

Early I know, but I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas.

And it couldn't hurt to remember the Reason for this Season.