As I am having a difficult time finding the desire to put up my Christmas decorations this year, I thought perhaps if I reflected on some of my favorite Christmas memories it might help me.  I just returned from Nashville, where I helped Brent and Eric decorate for Christmas but then I had to come home.  :(  It is just not the same this year with having a complete empty nest…..

Growing up, my mom always made our Christmases special.  We didn’t have a lot of money, but it didn’t matter because we made the best decorations from fresh pine and holly in the yard.  There was no such thing as Black Friday, because the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christmas records came out and we decorated the whole house! Culminating the season with a great party with my dad’s parents on Christmas Eve with gag gifts, punch and lots of fun snacks. 

Some of my favorite memories are Eric, Brent and Kirsten dressing up and acting out the Nativity scene as my dad read the Christmas story. (My grandfather always read the story to us) And the silly games and gifts and lots of laughs.

I remember the year Eric wanted a Melvin the Bird.  haha And the year that Brent wanted a power wheels dump truck – out of my budget.  But we prayed, he sowed his nickel and it was a great way to teach him about giving to God.  Do you know, 2 weeks before Christmas, I got a check in the mail for $107 and the dump truck went on sale that week for $127?  God is faithful!

Then there were the years of Toy Story and Home Alone.  Some of our favorite things to do still to this day is quote lines from Christmas shows throughout the year. We love the Grinch!  But the cartoon is still my ultimate favorite.  You know when it says that the Grinch’s heart grew 3 sizes???  I would say – look boys – Jesus is coming into the Grinch’s heart!  Yay!  Then he would repent, return all the things he stole and they would invite him to dine with them.  True Christmas spirit!

Yes, we took the boys to sit on Santa’s lap and watched Rudolph.  But we told them the truth – that Rudolph was for fun and that The real Santa Claus – St. Nicolas, died many years ago. ( see my post from last year, which I will repost later)  St. Nicolas was a missionary who loved Jesus and loved people and spent his life and wealth giving to the poor and blessing children.  So when he died, the tradition continued with people dressing up as Santa Claus so that we could remember his mission.  Since it is Jesus’ birthday, and we can’t give gifts to Him, we give them to His most loved people.  And before we opened our gifts on Christmas morning, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

One of my other favorite things to do was decorate cookies with the boys.  They loved sprinkling the sugar cookies and pouring in the ingredients.  When they were very small, I would sit them on top of the counter.  They also each have their own Christmas trees that we would decorate each year together and I still put them up in their respective rooms.  I remember Brent loved to sing Rudolph and one year he wanted “a Barney, and you push his belly and he talks to ya!” haha – That year, Eric had his first Christmas piano recital complete with cookies and hot cider punch. 

As they got older, we had Christmas dates.  I took them both to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra during their senior years.  That was terrific.  And that same year with Eric, we sang a duet at the Smoot Theater’s Hometown Christmas.  Winter Wonderland with the big band.  :)

Memories of Christmas are the best things.  I will decorate my trees in honor of the birth of my savior and the wonderful years He gave me with the most wonderful children I could have ever asked for.  I will look at their childhood ornaments and smile and remember how cute and proud they were when they gave them to me.  My favorites are the paper plate angel tree topper Brent made when he was 4 – and it still tops my tree, and the multi colored pipe cleaner ornament Eric made that same year – and it goes to the top as well. 

Christmastime is here – bring hope and cheer,  Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year….

Happy Birthday Jesus!