Christmas Eve Memories as a kid
growing up in New Mexico
growing up in New Mexico
- waking up to something yummy in the kitchen cooking
- so excited for the next 48 hours I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest
- always, always shopping with my Dad for last minute gifts and loving the craziness and the crowds. We always bought my mom perfume and a necklace
- We had Mexican food for dinner and my mom made the BEST tostada compuestas ever.
- When In Las Cruces we ate at La Posta in Old Mesilla - still to this day my favorite restaurant in the world
- our family acting out the Christmas Story in Luke 2
- eating the last of the Hershey Kisses in the Christmas Tree jar. (we never had candy around the house as kids so that Jar of candy as Christmas time was such a treat)
- plotting out my strategy for how I was going to fall asleep that night (I rarely ever did)
- I would spend the whole day figuring out which of the gifts I was going to open that night for my "one gift"
- white flocked Christmas trees with red silk chili peppers all over it. I always felt we had the most beautiful Christmas tree ever.
- we always used white lights and my dad could take on Mr. Grizwold any day with his decorating skills
- Driving to see the Luminaries in this one neighborhood that was amazing!
- my parents would let all 6 of us sleep in one room for the night. One year my brother and I slept in the closet
dreaming of my favorite gifts from Christmas
and wondering
what I would get that year
I still feel like I am trying to get my groove on for memories for my kids. Jeff just left for work as he has one case and people to see in clinic. It is sad that he as to remind me every year that Hospitals don't shut down for Christmas lunch! And I am glad that that don't. But I feel every year our holiday is different depending on his schedule. Then I go back and read this and think "Kristi you stinker - Stop thinking of yourself and think about the person that has to have surgery on Christmas Eve" Maybe Jeff's job was meant to keep me humble.
So, here is a Christmas Eve toast to trying to make memories with my kids even if Jeff is at work and finding away bring that magic to them that I always, always felt this time of year.
my Favorite Christmas gift of all time was a Holly Hobbie record player that had a big blue old fashioned horn on it. (I can't find any photo of it)
What was your favorite Christmas gift ever?
8 comments:
Kim is home health and has to work up until the last minute on Christmas Eve and has to see a few tube feeders tomorrow on Christmas day (she's a speech pathologist and helps people with swallowing probs). We have been going through this for 5 years now-- I used to pout and be sad but now I teach the kids that we just have to make our own joy! We should be grateful that we are not the ones with tubes down our throats or in our bellies and that we can actually eat Christmas dinner. Yesterday the kids and I watched movies all day like James and the Giant Peach and ate picnic dinner on the living room floor. Today we drove through Starbucks at 6 a.m. and the kids gobbled up $14 of Starbucks iced lemon poundcake for breakfast-- something I would never let them do if Kim was around! So I guess it's all what we make it.
My best Christmas gift as a child was probably when I got moved up from ballet shoes to pointe shoes and my dance teacher hadn't told me yet-- she just had my parents wrap up a new pair of pointe shoes and I opened them Christmas morning.
I feel like seeing those pictures you posted of toys is a blast from my own past! I haven't thought of these toys for years.
What great traditions you've had, it's fun to read about them.
Oh my gosh, seeing these vintage presents was such a fun flashback for me, especially Merlin! I can't believe I even remembered the name!
My best Christmas was when I was in 3rd grade and got a stereo and 3 albums, I was in heaven!
I loved seeing your Christmas tree with the chili peppers- I remember a few years my mom would capture tmbleweeds and spray them white to decorate as a second tree. Only in new mexico! My brother has his Christmas party for work at la posts every year with 50 plus people - they went last night.... There are definitely unique memories of old medulla driving thru the lights--- I still haven't found the perfect traditions for our family - it must take time to get it right.... Love to you this Christmas!
Love- heather
OH! I totally loved those little people toys when I was little! How fun!
I loved reading about your traditions. Our family tradition when I was little was lining up from youngest to oldest as our Dad video taped us going into the living room for Christmas gifts. This video taping was no easy task..it felt like you were getting a sunburn from the huge light on the camera.
We still do this tradition of lining up with my littles...
Best gift ever had to be the barbie house on wheels that my Dad built Sista #2 and I. It was a long one story home with two sides - one for me and my sista. Carpet, paint, you name it. We loved that house for years!
Merry CHRISTmas!!!
oh those toys, weren't we so diprived with such simple toys and electronics?! don't you wish our kids were so diprived!?
my husband is in medicine, our anniversary is on new years and in our 21 years this is the very first one he will have off, we don't know what to do with ourselves!
I loved the three christmases we spent in New Mexico. I miss lumenarias. It's just not the same having Christmas in the summer. (We're in Australia now.) I love reading your blog. You have such great ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, and my favorite gift: Babyskates. (Remember the doll that could rollerskate?)
Post a Comment