A Whoopin' for Christmas
Being the child that I was, EVERY Christmas day, (every) ended up in a whoopin' because I had done something to my younger sister. That is my memory, focusing on my sister!
Really, the first Christmas I can remember, I was 5 and swinging my 3-year-old sister on the new swingset and slammed her head against the swingset pole. (Video evidence to support! Whoopin' confirming video).
Every Christmas was great from there! Trouble later in the day was my companion every Christmas since. To this day. My sister tells me her revenge is that, "I smile because you are my
brother. ... I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it."
Dang, she wins.
Honestly, I truly love my sister!
-- Richard Atwill
Christmas in Trinidad
As I write this, nostalgic memories of Christmas as a youngster flood my mind.
It's just past midnight on Christmas morning, and my sister and I are in bed pretending to be asleep. The ham that Mom had been curing for the last two months is baking in the oven and that smell, combined with the aroma of bread baking, fills the air. New curtains are being hung, new rugs are being put down and last-minute furniture arranging and polishing are occurring at these wee hours in the morning by my parents.
The Christmas tree fills one corner of the living room. The large branch my mother had been drying for months stands in a foil-wrapped bucket filled with dirt. The branch was painted in white and decorated with cotton, colored tin foil balls, stringed popcorn and other home-made ornaments, and that one precious string of lights add such magnificence to the tree.
Somewhere between 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., there are distant sounds of music and singing, progressively getting closer and closer to our house. All of a sudden, the house is stormed by friends, neighbors, family members and even strangers, playing various musical instruments, including bottles and spoons, and singing melodies with words that request you to bring out the ham and alcoholic drinks. The merriment continues throughout the day and into the day after Christmas (Boxing Day).
Christmas in Trinidad has always been very festive and colorful, and most important, very warm -- about 85-- 90 degrees, and the memories always bring a smile and such warm feelings.
-- Lisa John
No Room at the Inn
On Dec. 22, 2004, the Carr clan, consisting of my wife, Deanna, and children, Madison (then age 9), McKinley and Monroe (age 4), Mayson (age 1), and I had traveled to Little Rock to visit my parents for Christmas. After spending the night, a winter storm arrived, so we began to pack to return back home on the 23rd in order to be home to prepare for Christmas Day.
With a temperature of 20 degrees, a layer of ice on the road and a steady snowstorm, we were averaging 45 mph. About 7 o'clock and 40 miles east of Little Rock, we were stopped on Interstate 40. We later found out that interstate traffic was backed up all the way to Conway. Fortunately, we were near the Hazen exit, so after being parked for an hour, it was time for a bathroom break. As we entered the truck stop, we were informed that the semi-trucks could not cross the White River Bridge so they parked their rigs on the interstate.
We inquired about getting a hotel, but they were full. The truck stop worker told us that some of the local people were setting up a shelter at the Hazen Armory. At that point, we ventured to the armory. Once arriving at the armory, we were able to finish off some cold pizza, but it sure tasted good.
It was then getting close to 10 o'clock and we were then informed that they were out of cots. It was then that I realized the significant challenge as a father that I had to face. I also understood the feeling that Joseph had when the innkeeper in Bethlehem told him and Mary that there was no room at the inn.
It was then that a gentleman walked up and told me that he worked for Riceland Foods. He told me that there was a mobile home that was used for housing migrant workers near the mill if I was interested. My response was, "If it has four walls, a roof and heat we'll take it!" He said "follow me." The next morning, Dec. 24, he came to check on us and brought us breakfast to eat. Once the door handles and windows were cleared of ice and snow, I was able to finally load the vehicle, but the kids wanted to spend one more night.
I think back to that experience and am reminded of how God has made provisions for me and my family. Christmas 2004 will always be "one to remember!"
-- Joey Carr
Powder-Blue House Shoes
I remember one Christmas when I must have been about 5 years old and we lived in an old farm hand house that belonged to the farmer that my dad worked for. We were really poor, and even though Christmas was very special, it was also very minimal. There weren't a lot of toys under our tree and not a lot of gifts overall. I remember one gift in particular that year and looking back it still brings bittersweet memories to mind.
You have to realize, the old house we lived in was bitterly cold during the winter. There was an old heater in the living room, and even though it kept that room somewhat warm, the rest of the house could be quite unbearable. But we were kids. As with so many kids even today, my sister and I wouldn't always want to do some of the things that we needed to do to help keep us warm, like wear shoes. We had big clunky shoes with thick socks that had to be worn if we went out of the house and were the first things that we came out of when we came in the door. Another pair wasn't an option because typically that was the one pair that we got at the beginning of the school year and they were expected to make it until the next. We would wear socks in an attempt to keep our feet warm. They helped, but my mother would still try and get us to wear our big uncomfortable shoes, with little cooperation from us.
Well, Christmas when I was small was, a lot of time, a good excuse to spend money that we didn't have for things that we needed. So, that Christmas when I was opened up my gift, instead of a toy there was a pair of powder-blue house shoes.
They had a ring of blue fur around the top, and though looking back, they don't seem to have been very pretty, at that moment, they were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen!
I put them on and in just a couple of minutes my feet were toasty warm and it felt like heaven! I remember that feeling to this day.
There have been people over the years that have laughed at that story and some completely confused at how I could have been happy to get something that most people looked at as simple as a pair of socks and would hate the thoughts of getting something like that for Christmas.
But I look back at it being humbled and thankful at the same time. That Christmas memory and many more like it has given me such a strong sense of appreciation for this wonderful holiday and helps me look past all the stress, deadlines, to do lists, shopping lists, traveling, etc., and be thankful for everything that is truly important, my friends, family and Jesus, who is the true reason for the season.
-- Norma Hines
God was There
Several years back, a simple phone call made all the difference on Christmas Day. As a single mother, Christmas was about putting on a smile and focusing on two innocent, sweet babies. Making sure that the dollar stretched far enough to cover bills and buy a few toys was my total focal point.
I remember on Christmas Eve, baking lots of cookies and hanging toys on the modest Christmas tree in our apartment. Arranging everything to look full and bright as possible, I was set to go. Upon waking on Christmas Day, loneliness tried to cover me like a worn blanket, but my two babies kept me busy.
Then, my phone rang unexpectedly, and to my surprise it was my pastor. He called just to say he knew today may be hard for me, but hang on God was there. Hot tears fell down my cheeks and that simple call gave me hope to carry on. God was there then and He hasn't left me then or now!
-- Michelle Cole
The Best Christmas I Ever Had
I am going to tell you about the best Christmas I ever had. It goes back to when I was 5 years old.
It was Christmas Day. Everybody woke up at the same time. Everybody was excited to open their presents and look in their stockings. I got to open one of my presents first. It was small but it was the present any girl can dream of -- it was a gold ring.
My sister got a dollhouse and my brother got just whatever. Then we played with our toys around the tree and watched the Christmas story all day. Mom started to make our Christmas dinner then my uncle and two cousins came over. Then we took a trip to my other uncle's house.
When we got there, we opened our presents. I got a tent, a sleeping bag and a flashlight. When I got home I got in my sleeping bag and said this is the best Christmas I ever had.
-- Gabrielle Cross
O Christmas Tree!
I was one of five children who loved to go shopping with our parents to pick out a live Christmas tree at one of the many displays located throughout the city. Dad would tie the tree down on the roof of our station wagon and drive us all home. Then he would drag the tree up the stairs to the second floor and hang it out the bathroom window (upside down) until he was ready to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve.
Once the tree was put in its designated space and Dad was ready to decorate the tree, all us kids had to go upstairs to bed and were not allowed to see the tree until Christmas morning. Dad would painstakingly hang tinsel one strand at a time and used lots of fancy decorations with plenty of Christmas lights. The colors would change over the years because Dad liked to try different looks and styles.
One of my favorite trees was when he used white lights with blue and silver decorations with lots of snow. It was really something to behold.
It's hard to explain that very first look and the feelings that came with it. The tree was magical and we basked in the glow of wonder upon our very first viewing. I will always love a Christmas tree because my parents gave us this gift -- a gift that will always keep giving year after year.
"O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! How richly God has decked thee."
-- Dawn Guthrie
A Beautiful Black X-Box
This is my memory of my best Christmas ever. One day I was in Walmart with my mother and I saw this X-Box. It was the last one left. I wanted that X-Box for months. My brother Tanner and I were crazy over that X-Box.
Then when we went home, I looked at the calendar and it was Christmas Eve. I said, "This is my best day ever." Then I woke up the next morning, I picked a present and me and my brother opened it up. We jumped up. Guess what? It was a beautiful black X-Box with two black remotes.
I even did a cartwheel and hit my bottom. I remember that. That was my best Christmas ever!
-- C.J. Simmons
Best Christmas
I'm going to tell you about my best Christmas ever. My best Christmas ever is when my family got ready for bed. It was Christmas Eve. My mom came in and tucked me into my bed and kissed me good night.
That night my mom and dad woke my sister and brothers up and told us to go to the living room. It was so beautiful. When I saw those presents, I ran so fast. I opened all of my presents. I got a DS, a plasma TV and some new clothes. Every little present I got, I said thank you. That is my best Christmas ever.
-- Shelby King
Cross-Country Trip
As a child, my Christmases were spent in the Ozark Mountains. I was born and raised in Blytheville and the rich flatlands along the Mississippi River, my father's hometown, but my mother was raised in the beautiful hills surrounding the Spring River, so holidays were spent there with her family.
My brother and I are the oldest of the nine Copus grandchildren, and each Christmas Eve, Mom loaded the station wagon with gifts for all my cousins, grandparents, and us to make the annual pilgrimage. I can't remember how long it actually took to get to Hardy from Blytheville at that time, but to a child on Christmas Eve, it might as well have been a cross-country trip.
One of my most vivid memories of going to "the hills" for Christmas was a year when Highway 18 was covered with ice. This was the route we took to Hardy, and as we drove out of town, we watched cars being pulled out of ditches and others sliding off the road. My father said several times that this was crazy and we should wait and go the next day when it warms up. I don't remember what my mom and brother said or did really, but knowing them, they probably stayed pretty quiet. Not me -- I launched into a barrage of crying, begging and pleading. After all, tomorrow would be too late. It would be Christmas and we would have missed the whole thing.
It was tradition that everyone, all 19 of us, spend the night at Mema and Pepa's on Christmas Eve. It didn't matter that the other families lived in the same town; they were there for the night too. It probably would have been much easier on my grandparents, aunts and uncles to just come over for a little while on Christmas Eve and then back the next day, but no way. It was our Christmas Eve vigil, and we loved every minute of it. Dad somehow got us to Hardy safely that year and many others.
Now that I'm a mom, I try to make Christmas special for my children. When I start wondering if all the trouble is really worth it, I think of my parents and all the others who went to sometimes-ridiculous lengths to make Christmas special for me and feel assured that it really is all worth it.
Merry Christmas.
-- Missy Jerome Langston
Two-Lane Roads to Memphis
My dad and mom were pastors and farmers. It was a hard, busy life, but one I loved. My mom made Christmas so special by loading the dining room with pies, cakes and fudge. There were always lots of fruits and nuts. They made it special just as they did our lives.
I was the youngest child and the Christmas I was 6 my mom was taking radiation treatments in Memphis. We didn't have a phone, so Mom would write us letters. Our only vehicle was a truck, so it was impossible for all of us to go to see Mom. I remember us being home alone on Christmas Eve, stone-faced and quiet. There were no presents that year except one for each child from a church nearby.
Christmas Day arrived. We were a sad lot. And then the greatest news; the wealthiest man in our community was coming to take us to see our mom. Interstate 55 was not complete. It was two lane roads to Memphis. But he loaded up a lonely, hurting family in his "nice Cadillac." We walked the hall to the "ward" where mom's face lit up and we were overjoyed; together for Christmas.
He had given up Christmas with his family. Alone, he strolled hospital hallways, sacrificing to make our Christmas one of the most memorable of all. Mr. Elam, every year I remember. And every year I cry with thankfulness for the most precious gift you gave to the Wagner family. That's "Christ"mas!
-- Mary Wagner Mosley
Everyone Was There For Christmas
I have many memorable Christmases, but I would have to say my favorite was when I was 8 years old.
It started off at my house with my mother, sister and step-dad. The night before, my sister and I made about 10 cookies for Santa, and we just thought they were the most beautiful cookies ever, covered in all colors of sparkles. Christmas morning we woke up about 5:30 in the morning and ran to my parents' room to wake them up. They would always lock the doors to the living room so that we couldn't start without them.
They finally got up and opened the doors to what seemed to be the perfect dream for any child's Christmas! The stockings had toys and candy just falling out of them, and there were two brand new bikes and other beautifully wrapped presents under the tree stacked high. This year was my sister's, Rebecca, turn to sort out all the presents for everyone. While she was doing it, I was eating all of the cookie crumbs that Santa had left behind.
When we finally finished opening all of our presents there was wrapping paper thrown everywhere, tinsel in our hair and toys all over the place. So we hurried up and cleaned everything because we still had to go to Ganny and Daddy Pop's house, our grandparents.
We get to their house dressed up in our best Christmas dresses, and as soon as you open the door, all your hear is loving laughter of the family together and the smell of all the great food that had been cooking all day. Everyone was there for Christmas that year, and so the house was packed. My grandparents always had a Christmas tree that was about 30 feet tall and there were probably a hundred Christmas presents under it. (Or maybe it just seemed that way because I was so young!)
Well, this year was my year of sorting out all of the presents, and so as soon as the whole family joined in the Christmas room I was head-first into the presents so that I could hurry up and open them all! By the time I got finished, myself, my sister and many cousins had walls of presents stacked around them! We all tore into the presents and I had received so many great presents and I was so very grateful for everything I received.
Next was Christmas dinner, and we had a table that I swear was half a mile long, just full of every kind of great holiday food you could think of. We all joined hands and thanked the Lord for all that we have received on this great Christmas. This was my most memorable Christmas because I had all of my family together, everyone was happy, and we were all very thankful for what we had received on the Lord's day!
-- Rosie Pease
That One Christmas
The Christmas that is the most memorable to me is the Christmas of 1998. That particular Christmas is the most special to me because it was the first Christmas that I got to celebrate the holidays with my oldest daughter, Dani. I also treasure those Christmas memories because it was the last Christmas that I got to spend with my mom before she passed away.
Being able to celebrate that one Christmas with my daughter and my mom, together, will be something that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
-- Jamie Roach
Best Christmas Ever
My best Christmas was 2009. I got the Price Is Right DVD game. I also got a DS and VP game for it.
I went over to Mama's at 12 on Christmas Day. When I got my stuff at Mama's I played with Aunt Dawn.
I played with my Imaginext Dino Lair. I played with the Dinosaurs. I named one Rocky and the other Spike.
And that was my best Christmas ever.
-- Christopher Taylor
The Family Christmas Pageant
I remember lots of activity around our Vermont house in the days leading up to Christmas during my childhood. We had to carry wood up from the basement to make sure the woodstoves could keep us warm throughout the night. There were wreaths to be hung, decorations to place and cookies to be made. And every year, my siblings and I would trudge through knee-deep snow in search of the perfect miniature trees, saw them down, sled them back to the house, and decorate them in our rooms.
In addition to the preparation for Christmas, the holiday season was also filled with the joy and magic of snow. Depending on the year, we either had a few inches or a few feet. Either way, my siblings and I found countless ways to entertain ourselves in the snow. We carved tunnels through the snowbanks that lined our driveway; climbed to the top of our roof and sledded down onto the piles of snow below; and snowshoed or skied to the lake behind our house. And of course, every year we'd make a multitude of snowmen, snowballs and snow angels and treat ourselves to sugar on snow (boiled maple syrup drizzled over snow to create a sticky candy).
But the culmination of every Christmas season was our family pageant. In addition to our regular church pageant, we also hosted a Christmas Eve pageant in our barn. The pageant was masterfully orchestrated so that every kid (and animal) in our friends' families had a unique role. The scene was complete with a little drummer boy, live chickens and sheep and a hay-filled manger. For a few years running, I found myself in the role of one of the doves.I climbed to the third floor of our barn, sat on the rafters, and sang a verse of the carol "The Friendly Beasts" with my fellow dove. As the cold crept in between our layers of clothing at the end of the evening, we'd all gather a little closer around the light of candles, and sing: "Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright ..."
I hope everyone has a holiday season filled with warmth and love.
-- Maisie Wright
The Most Important Thing
My favorite Christmas memory would have to be the memories that I am now creating with my children, Lauren and Christopher, watching them getting up and opening presents on Christmas Day and how excited they get when they open all of the gifts that Santa brings them.
Remembering what it was like when my brother, sister and I were little and all of the memories we shared too.
Your family is the most important thing in your life, not just on Christmas but every day.
My family is the most important in my life. I live for my husband and children and all of my other family too. Everyone means the world to me and I look forward to spending more Christmases with all of them. Merry Christmas.
-- Jennifer Taylor
Scraping Chewing Gum
My parents both came from difficult backgrounds, and they were determined that their children would have a stable, happy home, and always have good Christmases. Every year, my two brothers, two sisters, and myself would all receive a big gift and a little gift.
We moved to Indiana into an old 11-room farmhouse, and after a year or so, my father decided to establish a church in the small town of Lynn. He found a storefront building, did some remodeling, and around Thanksgiving he called us all together and asked if we would be willing to use our Christmas money to buy seats for our new church. Of course, we all agreed.
Dad purchased some theater seats and installed them. On Christmas Eve night, which was when we traditionally opened our gifts, we went to the church and spent the evening scraping chewing gum off the bottom of those seats. It was a very subdued evening.
The next day, we had the special Christmas dinner. We all played games and enjoyed the day. Just before going to bed, each of us told about something we were thankful for that year, and we all stood in a circle and had prayer.
I am now 82 years old. I have unwrapped some lovely gifts. But that year, 1939, is always what I think of when asked which Christmas was special to me.
-- Faith Spears White
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Special thanks go out to all those who contributed their time, talent and memories to this special ediction. May everyone have a very Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!