Christmas Eve Memories

I was reading my cousin's post of her memories of Christmas and it got me thinking about my own Christmas memories. As a child, we always visited Ma Hoffman and took her a gift. She always made a big deal about how we shouldn't have gotten her anything. I recognize now how she felt. I wouldn't need a thing from my children.

Then it was off to Grandpa and Grandma Otto's house. My counsins from Madison were usually there for the holiday. We ate goodies and visited and sometimes went sledding if the driveway was slippery enough. My grandparents had the best driveway for sledding. Looking back it was probably a nightmare for driving on. My grandpa always had a jigsaw puzzle out on a cardtable. I recall bonding with Grandpa Otto for hours over a jigsaw. Not much was ever said, but I felt his love as he allowed me to help him do his puzzle. Such a little thing that meant so much to me and made such in imprint in my life.

After an hour or more, we would come home to find that Santa had already been here. the cookies and milk were gone and there were gifts galore under the tree. Once we got the go ahead, it was bedlam. I remember staying up sometimes until after midnight to play with our new toys. That doesn't seem so late anymore, but we never stayed up that late.

The next morning we picked up just where we left off in playing with the toys. I know my mom made some really good food for Christmas dinner. Prior to Christmas, Mom was a baking machine. She baked countless types of cookies. Usually it was about February before they were all eaten. Besides the cookies, there were several types of candy. All very yummy. I cannot imagine doing that. I make cookies as I feel like making cookies.

I've not kept those traditions of my childhood, but made my own. The kids open their gift exchange gifts on Christmas eve, but everything else waits until Christmas morning. We always have a Christmas ham for dinner and munchie types of food on Christmas eve.

We make sure to watch The Nativity and read the story from Luke 2. After all, without that, there is no Christmas.