Christmases Past

Today (inspired by my friend Nicole) I went searching for some old pictures of Christmases past. I hit the jackpot. As I thumbed through the pictures I got to thinking…

…It wasn’t all that long ago that I was a little one, enjoying the magic of Christmas, as only a child unencumbered by the responsibilities of making Christmas magical for others, can.

I’m in love with the photo above of me with my red stocking and my beautiful mom. She’s so young, and enjoying Christmas, as only a parent who is encumbered with the responsibility of making Christmas magical for another, can.

I love the smile on her face in the photo below. I know that smile.

I’ve been a mom long enough to know first hand how hard parents work to make Christmas magical, special and meaningful for their children. As I looked through my stack of photos, happy memories flooded back to me, and I know who I owe those memories to. My parents (and I expect especially my mother) did a wonderful job of making Christmas something I can look back on a remember fondly.

Examples…

This was taken at a Christmas party at our house, a party thrown just for the neighborhood kids, complete with a visit from Santa. My mom made that velvet dress and blouse for me, special, just for Christmas. I clearly remember feeling so beautiful in it, with my hair all curled and clipped up.

I love this picture of Andrew and I in front of the tree.

Mom always decorated our tree so perfectly with her handmade ornaments. I remember the felt Christmas characters on the flocked tree above, then later the styrofoam balls covered in Twelve Days of Christmas wrapping paper, dipped in hot wax and tied with a golden bow. I also remember the colorfully iced gingerbread men that Andrew and I had fun breaking the limbs off of and eating right off the tree, the little pom-pom panda bears in red and green yarn-stitched boxes, and the little wooly Christmas sheep with googly eyes glued on. I used to stare at each individual ornament of hours, every year.

Mom also sewed me new pajama’s every year i.e.the flannel, lace-trimmed beauties above. Love the Heidi braids too!

I remember this life size doll like it was yesterday. I played with that yarn hair for hours.

I love how happy we all are in this picture.

Mom made these Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls too. I remember snooping around in the fruit room under the stairs looking for Christmas presents and finding these two hidden in a bag all ready for Christmas morning. Somehow my mom found out that I had been snooping. Understandably she wasn’t very happy with me. Luckily she forgave me. I treasured Raggedy Ann and Andy for years. Still have them in the cedar chest for safe keeping.

I had to add this picture because it just shows that some things never change. Look how organized my presents are, all stacked in a neat little pile. I was OCD even way back then!  And…do you remember the good old-fashioned Spyrograph sets? I wish they still made those. I loved that set!

This picture was taken the year we went to my Grandma and Grandpa Stauffer’s house for Christmas. I love so many things about this picture, mostly that I’m wearing my Grandma’s old lady slippers, and that my dad (and all my brothers for that matter) are holding He-man toys. That was the year of He-man. I’m sure there was a Castle of Gray Skull somewhere in that room too. Mike clearly remembers having a He-man Christmas as well. My guess is that it was the same year, only a few miles away in Millville.

That year I also remember that my parents gave me my very own stereo and the Footloose soundtrack cassette tape to go with it. I remember loving that stereo so much and especially loving that my parents thought I was grown up enough to have my very own stereo and rock-n-roll tape. That was a happy Christmas.

I remember this Christmas as the Christmas of Denver Bronco mania. My brothers got everything Denver Broncos, check out Eric’s shiny jacket. (Looks like Andrew got a BB gun too. Maybe it was a Red Rider BB Gun?)

Coats with big shoulder pads and attached scarves were so in fashion that year. I remember wanting one so badly. Looks like mom and dad delivered again. I love how mom is looking me over to see if the coat fits right.

I wish I had a picture of the Christmas I got the Cabbage Patch doll that my mom made for me. I wanted one so desperately. I had opened all my presents. There was an Angel Face Barbie, but no Cabbage Patch doll. After all the presents were opened I remember trying so hard to be grateful, not to cry, and not to be disappointed that there was no Cabbage Patch doll. Then dad went to the coat closet and pulled out one last gift. Of course it was a beautiful Cabbage Patch doll that my mom had made for me by hand. I was in love! I still wonder how many hours my mom worked on that doll.

I just wanted to say thank you to my parents this Christmas, for all they did over the years to make Christmas magical and special for all of us. I have good, happy memories of Christmas because of you Mom and Dad. I know how hard you worked and how much you sacrificed to make it happen. Thank you!

*It wasn’t just all about the gifts, ornaments and PJs either. My parents taught us the true meaning of Christmas too. Mostly by the way they lived their lives. Thanks for that especially Mom and Dad. Merry Christmas! We miss you.