Christmas Nostalgia

When I was growing up, my family always opened Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. We had a big dinner on Christmas Day with some Aunts and Uncles, but the special time was the night before. As my older sisters were married, the night included their husbands and children. For several years, we all gathered every Christmas Eve at my oldest sisters house, with my parents, all of their children, most of their grandchildren to visit, eat, exchange some small gifts, and sing Christmas Carols.
Since my Dad passed away September of 2012, followed by my mother this September, this was the first year of my life to not be with my parents on Christmas Eve. Les and I still went to my sisters. It was a little sad. My brother in law had a massive heart attack 2 years ago, followed by a series of strokes. He barely is able to breathe, and has no strength. The family is aging. That is the fact. It is sad. It is hard. It is life.

Barbara still wanted to sing the traditional songs. Of course, it wasn't the same. My Dad loooooved to sing those Christmas Carols. He always sang them too fast. We had song sheets with the words of 8 songs. We would finish O Come All Ye Faithful, and before we could take a breath, Daddy would start Joy to the World. He never could understand why we would start to giggle. Those memories flooded as we sang those songs this year.

Sweet memories. We usually take a lot of pictures, but I think this is the only picture taken that night. I found a few pictures from 2 years ago I can post, just to remember those days.

I feel better now!!!!!!!!!!!