Week Five Shopping Spree and Giveaway!
December 17, 2009 by jillnovak
Filed under The Girlhood Blog, Uncategorized
Eric and I were trying to decide what to give away when he said something about a shopping spree. I said, “Yes, that’s it!” So here we go again. We’re giving two “blessed” participants a $50.00 shopping spree each on Remembrance Press products, plus we’re giving away four more “Comfort and Joy” Christmas Issues.
The contest starts 12/17/2009, ends midnight 12/20/2009.
Here are the rules:
Leave a comment here about a favorite Christmas experience you’ve had (past or more recent) and tell a friend about this giveaway.
Blessings one and all,
Jill and Eric
Remember, leave us a way to get a hold of you if you don’t have a blog.
Such a precious memory of sitting at the top of the stairs with two of my sisters with our Daddy and waiting for Mom to finish turning on the tree and the candles in the windows and then Daddy rushing down the stairs to await his little girls as they came down and saw the tree and the gifts they had had asked for under the tree. He died when I was almost 14 and that memory of a Father filled with love made it easy for me at age 37 to picture a Heavenly Father who loved me and would forgive me of my sins as the Pastor explained that Sunday morning so many years ago. As a Homeschooling Mom for 12 years now, many times I have failed and yet many times I have crawled back into the arms of my Heavenly Father and asked for His forgiveness and wisdom and He has never ever failed me.
In His love and grace,
Joan McDonagh
When I was a young girl, maybe 7 years old, I woke up early one Christmas morning before day break. As I sluggishly lay in bed in and out of sleep, I could hear noise coming from our living room. I sounded a bit lit music from a radio and other noises I couldn’t quiet make out. Why in the world I never just jumped out of bed to see what was happening I do not know. It would have been very appropriate for Christmas morning. Instead, I casually made a mental note, “Oh, it must be Santa. He’s probably testing out our presents before he leaves to make sure they work.” When I finally awoke from my sleeping and walked into the living room, I realized that my older brother had gotten up long before me and he was the one making all the noise.
The year my grandma lived with us because she had a stroke. My mom, grandma and I baked and spent precious time together. They have both passed away and now every year when I bake I am reminded of that year and imagine them with me.
One of my sweet Christmas time memories is getting married instead of going home.
I was a nanny in a place about 400 miles from home and of course planned to go home for the Christmas Holiday to be with my family, however the LORD had a different plan for me that year.
I met a wonderful man in July of that year and at the beginning of December he asked me to marry him, we had a sweet small ceremony on December 13th and I did not go back home for my 30th birthday party or for Christmas I stayed at my “new” home with me new husband.
Thanks for the inspiring ideas!!
We wish you a blessed Christmas time, Maren and family
Here´s my blog, I´m just getting started…..
when i was a little girl i picked out my mom’s gift. i was so excited but my dad made me promise not to tell her what it was. i kept that promise until christmas morning when i handed her the box and said “open your purse”. my parents laughed about it all morning! it still sticks out in my memory as funny and sweet, now that i look back of course!
With three girls already bringing us incredible joy, I found out I was pregnant a fourth time shortly before Christmas in 2004. Before my husband and I married, we agreed to keep Christmas simple. So each Christmas we buy one another a simple ornament usually representing a special event or milestone. When our children came along, we lovingly continued this tradition, even though it was very tempting to spoil them with other gifts as well. Anyway, the girls and I decided to make a quiver for Daddy, putting 4 arrows inside hoping he would discover our well-kept secret Christmas morning– we’re having a baby!!! Needless to say, he cried with us as he counted the arrows. A few months later we expected to welcome another girl to our “little women”, but the Lord saw fit to stir things up a little with a boy that lives to make his sisters squeal.
This was one of my favorite Christmases. Thanks for offering yet another contest.
Andrea
My favorite Christmas memory would have to be our wedding! We were married close to Christmas, and got to decorate with white lights, candles, white roses, and lots of burgundy ribbon and brass highlights. We danced to some lovely Christmas songs, and our cake looked like a present, with an edible gold bow on top and cascading down the sides. The ceremony was beautiful, and we were thrilled that the gospel was preached to so many unbelieving relatives. The best part was beginning our life together as husband and wife. Christmas always fills us with reminiscences of that!
I am so blessed to have been able to share. The greatest blessing we received one year was delivering presents with some friends to a little boy who wasn’t going to get anything. We were blessed enough to be able to do this on Christmas eve. It was late and there was snow on the ground. When we arrived, it was like stepping back into time to a home built in the “Walton’s” era. It was so sweet looking back now on how beautiful God created this scene for us. We pulled up and could see a little head peeping out from behind a curtain through a little front window. His face lit up like he was seeing Santa Clause. He knew exactly what we were coming for! He lived with his grandparents and you could tell he really didn’t have much toys or things afforded by most families. When we were stepping up onto the porch, you could hear him screaming “Ma-maw, Ma-maw, they are here.” The excitement in his voice was unmistakable! We heard his grandmother give permission to open the door and he nearly swung it off the hinges letting us in! He was so sweet and nervous bouncing all around the place waiting on introductions and staring at all the wrapped packages we had under our arms. He begged to open just one, and of course his grandmother relented, “For Only One” she said. He tossed and played around finally deciding to open the round wrapped object. Isn’t that just like a boy, he wanted the ball. He almost cried, I wonder if he had ever received a new basketball before. I would have loved to seen him open the other gifts but the grandmother was wise to postpone some of the pleasure. Things are much more fun if you have waited for them aren’t they. Of all the times my husband and I have been able to help out others, give gifts to friends and family, or just “play Saint Nicholas” this was definitely beyond a shadow of a doubt the most memorable of them all. If only each person could experience something like this just once, they would never look at giving and receiving the same way. This was the almost best gift “I” EVER received from giving something away! The BEST GIFT though, of course, was what I received when I gave my heart to Jesus!
I do hope you have a blessed Christmas!
DeAnna Lovette
In December, 2000, I was 40 years old, and standing in church on Christmas Eve with my brand new baby girl (born in November), my 2 teen boys and 1 adult boy with his wife to be. I remember looking down the row at my family and I felt so incredibly blessed! It is a feeling I’ve carried with me ever since. Thanks.
Dear Jill, every Christmas is my favorite. Even though all my children are young adults or teen, except one. They still love going to tree farms looking for that special tree and chopping it down. We also draw names among the children for secrect santa., they love it. They also love to decorate the house for our annual Family and Friends get together. These are just a few of the favorite things we do. A very blessed Christmas to you and your family.
One of the funniest Christmas memories that I have is the year I was about 6. I had never thought to peek at the presents that my parents had bought. But my cousin talked me into snooping in my mom’s closet. There were lots of gifts and one of them was a big blue pick-up truck that I naturaly thought was for my younger boy cousin. Was I ever surprised that on Christmas morning there was the truck with my name on it! I can still remember the look on my father’s face when my reaction was shock. I was very upset to know that I had hurt him with my reaction and tried to act happy. I taught me a very valuable lesson. Never snoop! And love is what really counts at Christmas.
I love Christmas time with little ones in the house- the awe of the Christmas tree lights and the wild unwrapping of presents. I love the twinkle in their eyes and the joy on their faces. We have a 19 month old son so this year, once again, we are blessed to see the amazement of Christmas in a child’s face. Praise God for His wonderful gift and may we always have they same kind of awe for His mercy and grace toward us!
Mrs. Team S
home@teamsoutherland.com
This year, we are living temporarily in a small 2 bdrm home. We are a family of five with 3 little girls so it makes is a little cozy. Most of are things are in storage, including our Christmas ornaments. We put up a small three foot Christmas tree on our coffee table. My daughters were so excited to have a tree that they took it upon themselves to decorate it with construction paper ornaments and small stuffed animals. What a surprise when I saw it. It reminded me that we need to keep our focus on the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus and we need to be thankful for all our blessings – big or small. Merry Christmas!
We always pick names for Christmas as we have 8 children, and this way Christmas stays simple. I remember when one of the boys was 4 and he had his dad’s name. Our oldest son’s girlfriend took him shopping, since we were busy with a death of a dear friend. He told me he had gone shopping, but would not tell me what he had bought his dad, because he said we just talk to much together and I would be the one to tell what was in dad’s gifts. We all were very happy that he could keep such a good secret and it warmed my husbands and my heart that we are preceived by our youngest as having a healthy relationship. What would we do if we did not have a spouse to share so much of our lives with.
Keep on enjoying your families and spouses
My sixteenth birthday was memorable to me. My parents handed me a package and as I opened it I saw the prettiest china doll I’d ever seen. I fought back tears when I saw it. I’m not sure why, but I think it had to do with the sudden realization that my parents didn’t give me a fun or crazy present for Christmas, but one with a message. I turned the key in the back of the doll and heard the music it played — “You Are My Sunshine”. I look at it and smile every time I see it now remembering the overwhelming love I felt from my parents and the love I still feel from them today.
I meant my sixteenth Christmas – sorry.
My mom would stuff our stockings a week before Christmas and we got to open one gift each day that week. It was a fun countdown and kept down on the chaos Christmas morning. Now I do this for my girls – we started this morning with their first stocking stuffer.
Something we’ve always in my family was to read the story of Christmas from Luke and then have the Lord’s Supper on Christmas eve. It truly brings home the real reason of Christmas. We’ve done that with our kids.
We’ve also started a tradition with our children of three gifts – one clothing item, one book and one toy. It helps us focus on the giving not the receiving and keep things within budget.
Thank you!
Thanks so much for the wonderful ideas.
My most recent favorite memory just happened the other day. We were at the mall doing some Christmas shopping, Daddy taking the 11 yo daughter, and I taking the 7 yo, so that they could shop for each other and for the other parent. They both love Webkinz, so when my husband found a place that had them 50% off, he quietly called me and said “wait 10 minutes, then head over here”. So when we “found” this great Webkinz sale, my younger daughter was so excited to see so many that were on her sister’s wish list that she wanted to get more than one. I didn’t know how many my husband had let my older daughter buy for her, so I asked her, “If you get your sister 2 or 3 of these, and then it turns out she only bought you one present, will you be okay with that?” And she said, “I don’t care because that’s not the point, Jesus is.” Wow! She really gets it!! I was so proud of her that I let her pick 3.
I remember my mom telling how my brother (11 yrs. older than me) would go looking for his presents when he was a teenager, unwrap the ones that were clothes in the box, wear them, and then wrap them up again! She knew of course but didn’t say anything.
When I was a girl, I received a doll house that was made of cardboard and had a little bendable family. I would “hide” in that doll house for hours playing with my little bendable family. That is one of the few happy childhood memories I have and it is imprinted in my heart forever. I think the doll house was sent be God to be a physical reminder that I was protected and surrounded by his love.
Christmas is always a time of celebrating the birth of our Lord with family and friends. The past two years our group has gotten so large that we reserve the church fellowship hall. After we eat, the children play and the adults play games and laugh and fellowship with each other.
I grew up in an idyllic, “Currier and Ives” small town in Massachusetts, almost all of the friends on my street attended the same church with us. Our social lives seemed to surround events at church, and every Christmas Eve after Dad and Mom sang with the choir at the early service, we would rush home to light a fire in the fireplace and pull foil and plastic wrap off of pre-set trays of goodies. Our dear friends and neighbors from church soon flooded our home for the annual Christmas Eve open house. As they all dispersed after a few hours of warm fellowship and laughter, we covered up the left overs and bundled up to attend the intimate candlelight service just before midnight. I have such fond memories of the weeks of preparation baking and freezing with Mom, setting out candles in the freshly vacuumed house and getting dressed up in all of our finery for the evening.
A few years ago, my husband and I tried to follow that tradition with our own children and had an afternoon open house after Sunday morning worship. Unfortunately, as the pre-hours of preparation continued on, I became increasingly sick and had to flee to my Mom’s house down the street and completely missed the Open House! My husband even left my daughters in charge for a bit while he ran to the store for some fever reducer for me, and they were consummate hostesses!
We still laugh about that day. Merry Christmas!
There are many special memories that come to mind — the green sherbert punch that I thought was so yummy and fluffy as a child, the joy of opening up one gift on Christmas Eve that was always a new gown handmade by my mother, and helping my mom with the decorations each year. My mom has such a way with making her house feel so warm and inviting at Christmas from the fireplace, lights, food and laughter and it was a true delight to help her with decorating as well as being given the opportunity to come up with our own touches each year.
Several years ago we were inspired by Tasha Tudor’s video of her sharing how they always make their Christmas gifts and they start in the summer. And then we read the “Little House on the Prairie” books together and my children got so excited about wanting to make gifts for each other. Even though we still purchase items for them, it is so much fun to make them each a little something special.
One last fun memory is every year after all the gifts were opened — about an hour or so later, my mom would exclaim that she forgot something. She said she never planned it — she would just simply forget where she hid something. But it happened every year and we were always so excited to get something else no matter what it was.
Thanks Jill for the give-away and having us take a moment to reflect on Christmas memories. I also enjoyed reading the other entries. Merry Christmas!
Nancy Mosley
(fletcher6@dishmail.net)
Every Christmas I couldn’t help but find the one gift I had wanted the most my parents had hidden in their closet. I would play with it and admire it for days until Christmas arrived. When they questioned me about ruining the surprise of getting my present, my response was the surprise was the excitement of finding it in the closet. The joy of playing with it and then knowing that one day it was going to be mine free and clear of any guilt of wrong doing was better to me. I would count the days until the object of my affection was mine free and clear. To me it was like having two surprises just weeks away. I think back on this and how it is so much like the things we ask of from God and so many times we try to take before He has truly given us free and clear. Until the time is right, they don’t truly belong to us and there is no freedom in their enjoyment. It’s amazing how those simple gifts taught me so much about the gifts of Christ. Merry Christmas!
My favorite Christmas memory was about 5yrs ago ….. My oldest daughter had been diagnosed with a heart condition that required surgery ! finacialy we we were strained . However a local assisted living center adopted my girls for Christmas ………. They were able to receive all the asked for and so much more that year ! But the best gift came later when the Dr told us that he couldnt explain it only God could perform such a miracle but when they had to go in the second time they we went in the problem was gone ………. Jesus had healed her was my daughtes exact words !!!! I will never forget that Christmas God had truly answered our prayers and sent us a Christmas miracle !
It is so easy to get caught up in all the traditions and things this time of the yr and loose focus on what Christmas is truly about… But when Jesus truly sends you a Christmas miracle it is hard to ever think that any thing is to hard for him ……… This is my families favorite time of the year and a reminder of hoe close we came to loosing Amber and how blessed we are to have both of our daughters each and every yr
Shellie Almond
One Christmas that stands out in my mind is when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I didn’t play with baby dolls anymore and my grandma made me one for Christmas. She made all of her granddaughters one. She also didn’t wrap them and I was able to see it right off. She used our favorite colors for the hair (which was made of yarn) and matching dresses. I guess I was feeling very selfish as I walked into their house and said “Where’s my present?” My mom who had been in a few minutes before said “There it is.” and pointed to the doll. I immediately said “No, it’s not.” Wow. I can still remember the looks on my mom’s and grandma’s faces. I got a quick lesson in unselfishness and gratefulness that day. And I still have the doll.
Now it’s a reminder of the love and sacrifice my grandma went through to make dolls for her granddaughters. She still tries to get EVERYONE in her family a gift for Christmas; even with 6 children and 4 sons/daughters in law, 18 grandchildren with 8 spouses, and 20 great-grandchildren. That’s 56 people to get gifts for! We keep telling her not to get all of us anything, but it doesn’t stop her. Thankfully, her and my granddaddy have started making more of their gifts in the last few years. He’s great with making cedar things; chests, benches, swings, and she stains them for him. But that one Christmas stands out in my mind. You know, I think that’s the only thing I really remember getting from her on Christmas. My Ruby doll (mine had red hair and a red dress, well she still does and I named her Ruby.) I don’t know if my cousins kept their dolls or not, but mine is still in good shape.
I remember that no matter how tight the money was we always got tangerines and nuts in our stockings. We also always made an ornamate with my aunt. These were simple things but made great memories.
I told my sisters about the givaway!
I have to say that this Christmas is the most meaningful we’ve had in recent memory. My 10yo daughter, Anna Rose, recently said, “This is the best Christmas ever!” What makes it so special is that we literally have no money for gifts. Our focus has been entirely on the Lord….celebrating Advent with readings, hymns and carols, and activities each day….and on serving and giving to others. Today we are going Christmas shopping. How are we doing that when we have not a penny to spare? Yesterday Anna Rose made an illustrated shop sign for each room in our house. Today we are going to take a trip down Imagination Lane, and go through those rooms as though they were quaint little stores (it helps that we live in an old home with lots of thrifted antique finds). One shop is filled with homemade items that we have been working on all month. In each store we hope to find gifts that will bless others this Christmas. When our shopping is done, we will wrap our “purchases”, then curl up with a little treat and a Christmas story. We’re looking forward to our day together! Have a blessed Christmas!
OK-here’s a funny one from a couple years ago. We are puppy raisers for a guide dog organization. Our puppy that year was Piper & he had terrible gas. It was a picture perfect moment-Christmas breakfast was ready & we had just sat down to eat and read our last Advent reading. All of a sudden an overwhelming stench permeated the entire kitchen as Piper had projectile diarrhea that hit the kitchen wall. My oldest daughter (11 at the time) ran outside & threw up off the porch. I ran to the window, opened it & hung my head out gagging (I was pregnant). The other kids all ran as far away as possible while my poor husband cleaned it all up. LOL. Holly
My happiest memory is of last year, when we decided to forego most of the traditional “X-mas” type of stuff and have a birthday party for Jesus instead! It was complete with a nice dinner (with a place set for Jesus), cake, a banner, streamers, and presents of course! We all really enjoyed that so much we are planning on doing it again this year!
Thank you for this give-away. I hope that whoever gets the presents will be blessed richly. May each entrant recognize the many blessings our Lord bestows upon each of them!. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
My favorite Christmas memories always involve my sweet momma. She was a single mother to my brother, sister and I and she wanted our Christmases to always be something special. She would start saving her money and buying gifts in January and continue throughout the whole year. This way we received things that we had wanted or talked about with her earlier in the year and not just the last minute ideas that come to mind when you make a “wish list.” She always made our traditions warm and loving. I know my love of the season comes from her and for that I am grateful!
Many of my favorite Christmases centered around my grandparents arriving from North Carolina to celebrate with us. One special year they brought their Shetland sheepdog, who had puppies, to our house! They lived in my bathroom during their stay and I loved playing with them! Now that all my grandparents have passed away, I have wonderful memories of Christmases spent with them that I can pass on stories to my five children.
Jill,
My favorite CHRISTmas memory is the when my husband FINALLY purposed to me. We had been courting for 2 years which to me seemed like a life time. But it was the events that happened after that are more important to us. In April of 05 my sister developed a brain infection (she was also 6 months pregnant), the chances of her surviving were slim to non. I was not a believer at the time nor was my fiancee. But my parents are very strong Christians. They rushed my sister into surgery. I remember my parent’s Pastor coming to the hospital and me being so full of anger I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. My sister was brain dead when they started the surgery, but by the grace of God my sister survived, so did her unborn child who is now a very active 4 year old. Fast forward 5 months to September my husband was at work and we felt as if our world was crumbling in on us. We were in financial ruins and down as deep as we could go. He could not get any other radio station in at work except for a Christian station, after the speaker was done on there he gave an alter call and my husband accepted Christ as his Savior. My husband called me crying and told me what had happened. Growing up in a Christian home I knew what had happened. I fell to my knees in submission to Him. We were married in Novmber. That first CHRISTmas as Husband and Wife was also our first CHRISTmas as children of God!!! What a wonderful experience. I could go on and on.
Thank you for the give-away and giving me a moment to reflect on the important times. I will post about your give a way on my blog. I have wanted to get some of your magazines but we just have not had the money. What a blessing this would be!!
A favorite Christmas memory is baking homemade butter-cream cookies (my great-grandmother’s recipe) every year…using the different cookie cutters and decorating. I have brought this family tradition into our home and now do this with our children. We use this opportunity to remember the reason for Christmas…to celebrate the birth of Christ…and then give some of our bakings away as gifts…also a reminder of the gift from God to us and the gifts given to Christ from the Wisemen.
As I try to reflect on what Christmas memory stands out, this Christmas seems to just speak out about God’s grace. My nephew Caleb who turns 21 today (12/17), 4 years ago lost his leg to cancer. They were hoping that by removing most of the leg from the knee down they would stop it. Well, the cancer is back and he is not expected to live long. His spirit speaks volumes. He is not fearful as he feels the Lord’s presence with him in the hospital. He gives those around him encouragement. As I look at this Christmas it may be a sad one but it will be a sweet one. To each one of my family I will hug that much harder, I will give more of myself to them and I will love them knowing for at least one will soon be leaving us. God is so good! Merry Christmas!
I have recently learned about the book series, Jotham’s Journey (http://www.jothamsjourney.com/) and we have started reading this every night for this Advent season. Every year I say we are going to do Advent but we never seem to keep up and follow through. This has been something that we all look forward to and none of us want to miss. Right before our daughters’ bedtime my husband reads the book aloud and we light the Advent candles. The book is a little bit scary in parts so it may not be appropriate for very young children but my 6 and 9 year old seem to love it. I can’t wait to read the next 2 books in the trilogy over the next 2 Christmas seasons.
Every christmas eve my mom and I share a special time together in front of the fireplace, enjoying homemade cookies and eggnog and watching “Its a wonderful life”. Then we each open 1 present. Sometimes we’ll just sleep right there in front of the fireplace after the log has finally burnt down.
Each Christmas my 5 children point out, to us and anyone who cares to listen, that Christmas is to celebrate Jesus’ birth ~ of course, that doesn’t keep them from wishing for a gift or two. This Christmas, however, along with wishing for a gift or two, they each asked me if they could buy a gift for their siblings. It made me very happy to see them wanting to spread the joy of Christmas as well as partake of it themselves. Helping them pick out gifts for each other has been loads of fun – they are each putting alot of thought into what the others would love to receive while not breaking the bank.
Thank you for hosting this wonderful giveaway Mrs. and Mr. Novak!
I have many different (but equally special) Christmas memories. One special tradition my family has, is to give each child(me being one of them) one special Christmas tree ornament per year. So that now I am 13, I have 13 ornaments, one for each Christmas of my life. That is one of my favorite Christmas memories.
Thank you very much,
Rachel Grace
One of my favorite Christmas memories is of breakfast Christmas morning. My mama was always the one to cook all of our meals, except Christmas morning. My daddy had a special recipe for buckwheat pancakes that he would make for us. He has that recipe still, handwritten on a scrap of paper in his wallet. He received it from another man who also liked to take over the cooking duties on this special morning. It has been years since my sister or I have been ‘home’ on a Christmas morning, or my daddy has made his special pancakes. He still won’t let us peak at his secret recipe
Thanks for asking us to share our memories. I’ve enjoyed reading the others shared here. And thank you for the generous prize. What a blessing it will be for the winners.
One of my very favorite Christmas memories is when we were anticipating the birth of our first and now only son. The doctor said he was due right around Christmas. He was born a few days after Christmas. He is now known to all as our special delivery.
Thank you for this opportunity.
My mom’s parents always came Christmas eve and spent the night with us. I was probably five and remember them telling me that I had better get to bed because they had seen Santa and his reindeer on their way. I remember there being some kind of noise on the roof and I rushed off to bed! This grandmother is now 87 and coming to visit us on the 26th. She is the only Christian relative in my family other than my husband and children. She was the first to see me when I was born because she worked for the doctor who delivered me and was allowed to be in the room! I think she and my her mother prayed me into the Kingdom! Merry Christmas everyone!
Ooh how exciting! We just love your magazine and plan to try some tea cozy club soon. My favorite holiday memory is the several times we had a baby in the fall. They were a few months old by Christmas. It was such a precious time nursing a little one in a quiet house lit only by the lights of the tree.
One of my favorite Christmas experiences is doing a “Jesse Tree” with my kids. Starting at the beginning of the month we read through the Bible (one story or character per day) leading up to the birth of Christ. Then we opened an ornament that represented that Bible story/character. We had a special tree just for our Jesse tree ornaments, adding one ornament each day. It’s a wonderful way to see how the events in the Old Testament point to the birth of Christ.
When I was a child, I remember looking forward to Christmas and the traditions like other children. I too like the gifts. But the one memory that stands out is that my mother would always make some special breakfast for Christmas Day. My sisters and I would open gifts and beging to play. Hmmm… Then shortly after we would realize how hungry we were – just at the same time we would all wonder “What did she make this year?” One year in particular, I remember she made special cinnamon rolls covered in powder sugar and a drink of blended fruit. Yum! I remember that we all sat at the table eating – happy. No, I don’t remember the gifts I received that year probably don’t even have them anymore. I do remember the breakfast and the happiness that was felt! Now of my family traditions is to have a special breakfast for Christmas – they never now what it will be until they sit down to eat!
Tina
One year my family all put their names in a hat and we drew who we would buy presents for. I got my little sister, and as it so happens, she got me (though we weren’t suppost to tell who we got). We both wanted Doodle Bears. Bears that you draw on with markers and then wash to make them “blank” again. We got each other Doodle Bears and I opened mine first. As I was reading the back, my small mind forgot that my little sister hadn’t opened her’s and I started going on about how much fun we would each have with our Doodle Bears. The surprise when she opened her gift was rather anti-climactic, but we still had just as much fun as we anticipated!