"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, Let is Snow

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, Dec. 1989

I spent Christmas 1989 with Simon's family thanks
to the extreme generosity of his maternal
grandparents and this is a photo his MOTHER
took "for me." :)

Yes, that is my savory man's
19-year-old keister bending over to
the fireplace during that visit a few
short months before he popped the question.

Sweet side note: His little sister was about 6 at the time
and literally begged me the entire visit to
PLEASE be her big sister.
I definitely had a fan in cute little Amanda...
and she has had one in me from
that moment forward. :)

So, the question is...
Did I marry Simon to gain a precious little sister,
something I'd never had before, being the youngest
in my family?

OR

Did I marry Simon to gain what
was under those shorts he was sporting
(also something I'd never had before)?
:)

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, Joy

This is a photo my mother-in-law took last year of COS at the exact moment that I opened my gift from her. I love the pure JOY on her face that my mother-in-law was able to capture (and share)! It puts the whole gift-giving in perspective when you see this level of JOY in giving on the face of a precious 6-year-old, does it not? This is my all-time favorite Christmas photo--and I did not even take it! Thanks for sharing the memories, Vera!COS, 2008

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, Traditions

Since moving here in 2004, we have attended
live nativities each year with the kids. At our
old church, we participated in them alongside
our children for 10 years. Our new church does
not do this, so we have started a variation of this
tradition for the past 6 years. We invite new friends
to attend live nativities around the city with us. :)
These three photos (above, and two below) are at our
favorite, which is a drive-through nativity via
hayride. It lasts about 45 minutes and it is
truly amazing & a highlight of the season!

This year, the "Jesus" from the end of the production
hopped on our hayride at the beginning in Bethlehem
and rode through the entire thing with us, hopping
off at the end scene. It is truly one of those things
we still talk about..."remember that time Jesus rode with us...?"

Freezing cold! Brrrrr, but a ton of wonderful memories!
This church gives you blankets and hot chocolate
to help keep you warm in the freezing temps!

We do not do a traditional lunchtime meal.
Instead, we have brunch mid-morning (below)
and late afternoon/early evening dinner (above).
Sometimes we are alone, but most of the time Angie
and Sara will join us for a small family gathering.
The reason we do it so small scale is because we want
Christmas to be a restful, peaceful day. It isn't a day
which is rigorously scheduled, but instead is more
organic in nature, which we greatly enjoy! :)

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, Grandmother's Visit

In December 2005, my sister, Angie, generously invited our mother here for the holidays. JDS and AMS had only met her a couple of times while growing up, but JSS and COS had never met her face-to-face. My niece knew her only as a baby and toddler when she lived in California.

Below is a photo of my mother, whom the kids knew as "Grandmother," at one of those malls that is ideal for walking because one lap around the entire thing equals a mile. Cane in hand (and assisted by several breaks like the one pictured below), my mom made it all the way around the mall! I was thrilled for her achievement.

My mother is getting ready to celebrate her third Christmas with Jesus...and our precious son, Jude...free of all of the illnesses that plagued her life here on Earth. Praise God for His unfailing love and desire to reconcile us to Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus!

From left, COS on AMS' lap, sweet cousin Sara,
Grandmother, JDS and crazy-faced JSS

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past, 2006

For a couple of years, Angie hosted a big get-together a couple of weeks before Christmas for my sister's family that lives in OK, her own family and ours. They were STELLAR memory-makers for us, especially since our kids did not grow up around cousins. Here are some photos from one of those years, 2006. (Most of our photos, by the way, will be after we got a digital camera.)

Youngest sister (yours truly) and oldest (Lynda)

AMS wrote & produced a Christmas play staring
the cousins of the girlie persuasion. :)

My sister, Angie, insists she can hold her own against
our brother-in-law, Joe, lifetime military. Here
is one of the photos of them goofing off, which
I find hilarious!

Joe has a heart of gold. He loves his family fiercely
and is genuinely pleased to be able to serve them
in some way. This particular year, he did all
of the dishes with me after lunch, put together
an entertainment center with Simon that Angie
had bought and was a great, loving uncle to the kids!
Chloe, especially, enjoys Uncle Joe.

"Ghosts" of Christmas' Past

We're reading through Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL this year with the kids in anticipation of seeing the movie on Christmas Day. Along that line (combined with inspiration from my mother-in-law's blog), I want to share with you some snapshots from years past through the month of December. I hope you check back often...and enjoy them! :)

JDS, AMS, JLS and wee little JSS
posing for our Christmas card
as a living nativity.
JLS was not enjoying this,
bless his heart.
Dec. 2000