Disclaimer:
This is a REALLY long post! I take no responsibility for anyone hitting their head on the computer when they fall asleep!
I've been thinking alot lately. A dangerous occupation, I know, but there it is.
This is a REALLY long post! I take no responsibility for anyone hitting their head on the computer when they fall asleep!
I've been thinking alot lately. A dangerous occupation, I know, but there it is.
And, like most Christians, I've been thinking about Christmas.
And here's the BIG QUESTION:
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US????
I remember a simple time...
 |
| Me & my big sister Karen in Sembach, Germany at Christmastime. |
...when Christmas was about hanging out with your family - going sledding down the hill across the road.
 |
| Me again - in Germany with St. Nicholas. |
It was about seeing the "big guy" and telling him what you wanted and getting a bag of roasted peanuts in the shell. Pure magic!
 |
| My big sister, Joyce, even got a bag of peanuts! |
It was about a tree decorated by us kids - no fancy, shmancy "decorator trees", but a tree cut down from the forest down the road - and each ornament had meaning to us.
 |
| Me & my sister Karen - Christmas morning |
It was about giving and receiving gifts that were lovingly thought out. We NEVER dreamed of expecting our parents to give us everything from a list of demands. I don't remember even making a list! The world didn't end if we didn't get what we wanted. Gifts were given from the heart. (I still have that stuffed Panda - he was a wonderful surprise!)
Then...somehow, it was my turn to provide Christmas for my children!!
 |
| Christmas 1984 with Mary & Danny in Virginia |
While the kids were small, it was still easy. I made my own decorations for the live tree, and we'd give the kids a few gifts. We'd read the Christmas story and enjoyed the twinkly lights. It was still magical!
 |
| Christmas 1986 - still in Virginia |
Insert one of my favorite Christmas memories:
Living in Virginia and Danny was almost 4 years old. We put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve after reading the Christmas story - and they were so full of excitement! Finishing our "duties" and turning off all the lights, we also went to bed. We woke before dawn on Christmas morning to a faint light coming from the living room and a soft little voice singing. I woke Dan (who sleeps like the dead) and we tiptoed down the hall to peek into the living room. There was little Danny, sitting on the floor in front of the fully lit Christmas tree, singing "O Christmas Tree" with a look of pure wonderment in his bright eyes. That memory captures the magic of Christmas for me!!
Living in Virginia and Danny was almost 4 years old. We put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve after reading the Christmas story - and they were so full of excitement! Finishing our "duties" and turning off all the lights, we also went to bed. We woke before dawn on Christmas morning to a faint light coming from the living room and a soft little voice singing. I woke Dan (who sleeps like the dead) and we tiptoed down the hall to peek into the living room. There was little Danny, sitting on the floor in front of the fully lit Christmas tree, singing "O Christmas Tree" with a look of pure wonderment in his bright eyes. That memory captures the magic of Christmas for me!!
 |
| Living in Arizona - 1989 |
Things stayed pretty much the same for those first several years. We added the tradition of baking till our ears popped off and then delivering goodies and making visits the week before Christmas. We'd take the little ones to see Santa, ride around and see the lights, have a modest Christmas and our greatest joy was seeing the kids excitement.
 | |
| Christmas morning 1992- Grandpa, Dan and Danny assembling the Foosball game. |
Then, as the kids started getting older, "the list" was introduced. I don't remember whose idea it was, but it became customary after this for the kids to put together a "wish list" for Christmas. The gifts were starting to get a bit more technical, as we now had cable TV and they could all watch and understand all the ads, DUH!
 |
| Visiting family - December 1992 |
Our next Christmas we had a foreign exchange student living with us. Trying to make things outstanding for her, we overdid it, and things have never been the same.
 |
| Christmas 1993 - delivering goodies to a neighbor. |
(I look like death because I am VERY pregnant and VERY tired from all the baking!)
 | |
| Christmas 1994 with Grandma Tyler and the top of Loren's head in front-oops. |
Here is where my memory gets fuzzy. It seems like all of a sudden things got high tech and expensive. Christmas wasn't so much about giving and surprising, but about getting what you wanted and trying to make sure all the kids gifts were even.
This is where Christmas started to feel like a chore.
 |
| Christmas 1996 in Southern Utah |
We were so busy running around to this concert or that party, to all the stores on the morning after Thanksgiving, and maxing out the credit cards, that I wasn't feeling "it" anymore. I had more warm fuzzies the night Amelia and I got hot cocoa after voting in November than I did on Christmas morning. I chalked it up to getting old. Hmph.
 |
| Christmas 1997 - in our newly built house. |
Now, we had a fake Christmas tree because we didn't have time to go cut one down. We still had Christmas devotionals each evening with a Christmas story, we still did too much baking, we still rode around to see the lights, and we still spent time with each other. We also added decorating huge gingerbread men each year as a new tradition.
But, it was just so hectic and exhausting now!!
But, it was just so hectic and exhausting now!!
 |
| Christmas 1999 |
My father passed away shortly after Christmas in 1980, which always makes the Christmas season a little difficult for me. So, I naturally attributed my apathy to that. (plus the age factor) I had less children "believing" and I thought that was taking the magic out of Christmas too. I loved all the family time - that felt sooo good. But, I was having a hard time enjoying the holidays. And, I was refusing to take part in Black Friday - cuz it made me crazy.
 |
| Christmas 2002 - Rachel & Jessica |
And that's where I find myself this year
- trying to sort through doing what is important, and what's not.
So, here's to simpler times and getting back to them!
I want to remember the things that matter and do them, instead of filling up all the emptiness we feel with gadgets, technology and expensive gift-giving.
This quote says it all:
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
- trying to sort through doing what is important, and what's not.
So, here's to simpler times and getting back to them!
I want to remember the things that matter and do them, instead of filling up all the emptiness we feel with gadgets, technology and expensive gift-giving.
This quote says it all:
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
Merry Christmas everyone!
And I mean that!
Disclaimer:
This is a REALLY long post! I take no responsibility for anyone hitting their head on the computer when they fall asleep!
I've been thinking alot lately. A dangerous occupation, I know, but there it is.
This is a REALLY long post! I take no responsibility for anyone hitting their head on the computer when they fall asleep!
I've been thinking alot lately. A dangerous occupation, I know, but there it is.
And, like most Christians, I've been thinking about Christmas.
And here's the BIG QUESTION:
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US????
I remember a simple time...
|
| Me & my big sister Karen in Sembach, Germany at Christmastime. |
...when Christmas was about hanging out with your family - going sledding down the hill across the road.
|
| Me again - in Germany with St. Nicholas. |
It was about seeing the "big guy" and telling him what you wanted and getting a bag of roasted peanuts in the shell. Pure magic!
|
| My big sister, Joyce, even got a bag of peanuts! |
It was about a tree decorated by us kids - no fancy, shmancy "decorator trees", but a tree cut down from the forest down the road - and each ornament had meaning to us.
|
| Me & my sister Karen - Christmas morning |
It was about giving and receiving gifts that were lovingly thought out. We NEVER dreamed of expecting our parents to give us everything from a list of demands. I don't remember even making a list! The world didn't end if we didn't get what we wanted. Gifts were given from the heart. (I still have that stuffed Panda - he was a wonderful surprise!)
Then...somehow, it was my turn to provide Christmas for my children!!
|
| Christmas 1984 with Mary & Danny in Virginia |
While the kids were small, it was still easy. I made my own decorations for the live tree, and we'd give the kids a few gifts. We'd read the Christmas story and enjoyed the twinkly lights. It was still magical!
|
| Christmas 1986 - still in Virginia |
Insert one of my favorite Christmas memories:
Living in Virginia and Danny was almost 4 years old. We put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve after reading the Christmas story - and they were so full of excitement! Finishing our "duties" and turning off all the lights, we also went to bed. We woke before dawn on Christmas morning to a faint light coming from the living room and a soft little voice singing. I woke Dan (who sleeps like the dead) and we tiptoed down the hall to peek into the living room. There was little Danny, sitting on the floor in front of the fully lit Christmas tree, singing "O Christmas Tree" with a look of pure wonderment in his bright eyes. That memory captures the magic of Christmas for me!!
Living in Virginia and Danny was almost 4 years old. We put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve after reading the Christmas story - and they were so full of excitement! Finishing our "duties" and turning off all the lights, we also went to bed. We woke before dawn on Christmas morning to a faint light coming from the living room and a soft little voice singing. I woke Dan (who sleeps like the dead) and we tiptoed down the hall to peek into the living room. There was little Danny, sitting on the floor in front of the fully lit Christmas tree, singing "O Christmas Tree" with a look of pure wonderment in his bright eyes. That memory captures the magic of Christmas for me!!
|
| Living in Arizona - 1989 |
Things stayed pretty much the same for those first several years. We added the tradition of baking till our ears popped off and then delivering goodies and making visits the week before Christmas. We'd take the little ones to see Santa, ride around and see the lights, have a modest Christmas and our greatest joy was seeing the kids excitement.
| |
| Christmas morning 1992- Grandpa, Dan and Danny assembling the Foosball game. |
Then, as the kids started getting older, "the list" was introduced. I don't remember whose idea it was, but it became customary after this for the kids to put together a "wish list" for Christmas. The gifts were starting to get a bit more technical, as we now had cable TV and they could all watch and understand all the ads, DUH!
|
| Visiting family - December 1992 |
Our next Christmas we had a foreign exchange student living with us. Trying to make things outstanding for her, we overdid it, and things have never been the same.
|
| Christmas 1993 - delivering goodies to a neighbor. |
(I look like death because I am VERY pregnant and VERY tired from all the baking!)
| |
| Christmas 1994 with Grandma Tyler and the top of Loren's head in front-oops. |
Here is where my memory gets fuzzy. It seems like all of a sudden things got high tech and expensive. Christmas wasn't so much about giving and surprising, but about getting what you wanted and trying to make sure all the kids gifts were even.
This is where Christmas started to feel like a chore.
|
| Christmas 1996 in Southern Utah |
We were so busy running around to this concert or that party, to all the stores on the morning after Thanksgiving, and maxing out the credit cards, that I wasn't feeling "it" anymore. I had more warm fuzzies the night Amelia and I got hot cocoa after voting in November than I did on Christmas morning. I chalked it up to getting old. Hmph.
|
| Christmas 1997 - in our newly built house. |
Now, we had a fake Christmas tree because we didn't have time to go cut one down. We still had Christmas devotionals each evening with a Christmas story, we still did too much baking, we still rode around to see the lights, and we still spent time with each other. We also added decorating huge gingerbread men each year as a new tradition.
But, it was just so hectic and exhausting now!!
But, it was just so hectic and exhausting now!!
|
| Christmas 1999 |
My father passed away shortly after Christmas in 1980, which always makes the Christmas season a little difficult for me. So, I naturally attributed my apathy to that. (plus the age factor) I had less children "believing" and I thought that was taking the magic out of Christmas too. I loved all the family time - that felt sooo good. But, I was having a hard time enjoying the holidays. And, I was refusing to take part in Black Friday - cuz it made me crazy.
|
| Christmas 2002 - Rachel & Jessica |
And that's where I find myself this year
- trying to sort through doing what is important, and what's not.
So, here's to simpler times and getting back to them!
I want to remember the things that matter and do them, instead of filling up all the emptiness we feel with gadgets, technology and expensive gift-giving.
This quote says it all:
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
- trying to sort through doing what is important, and what's not.
So, here's to simpler times and getting back to them!
I want to remember the things that matter and do them, instead of filling up all the emptiness we feel with gadgets, technology and expensive gift-giving.
This quote says it all:
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
Merry Christmas everyone!
And I mean that!
1 comment:
What wonderful memories and pictures. I agree, Christmas has gotten a little out of hand. Thank you for sharing your Christmases! You have a lovely family and I can tell that you are the heart of your home.
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