Just remembering......

This tree has "Mary's Angels Ornaments from Hallmark. I have been collecting these since 1988 when the first one came out. Still gotta get this year's! They are precious! Besides for kids Christmases and the ornament of the year from Precious Moments, this is the only ornament I collect.

With the snow flurries yesterday, and the cold weather the past couple of days, and seeing all the pictures of Christmas trees already up, and my own beginnings of Christmas decorating, Keith having the soft stick peppermint candy that I can't seem to say no to, my scentsy snowman warmer and the delicious aromas coming from it, I am reminded of my own Christmases from times long ago when I was Tober's age......the excitement of knowing Santa was coming, the excitement of that Christmas tree going up meant it was near.....the anticipation of putting our stockings up - which were my knee socks - we had no mantle to put them on. We heated with a wood stove and the stockings went on the wall to the right of the stove. Christmas morning we ran to those stockings and got candy and oranges and tangerines.......sometimes nuts and the hard ribbon candy with Christmas colors that would stick to the socks and we ate it anyway then to the tree to see what Santa had left us! That anticipation kept us awake until close to midnight and woke us by 3 or 4 am! Pop forbade us to get up before 5 so we lay there awake counting the minutes until we could get up!

This cabinet was one Rick had bought at a sale. His Aunt Bonita used it for years, then she didn't need it anymore, so she had us bring it home. We put it in the kitchen, I use it for cookbook storage and to decorate for holidays. Christmas and Easter are my 2 favorite Holidays!

As we got older, Greg and I then eventually joined by Bruce and then Doug would get the tree. We walked all day sometimes looking for that perfect tree only to find it missing one whole side! Sometimes it took all day! It was still magical even though as we got older, Santa didn't bring us the same things. I remember hearing my parents in the living room on Christmas eve. They must have had great hiding places for Santa's stuff because our house didn't have a lot of storage. I found a few things from time to time.

Just a few decorations - I have collected snowmen since we moved back here. The smaller one on the table is from about 8 years ago, and the one on the ladder is from this year.

Houchens still sells the candy we used to get. There was that hard ribbon candy, chocolate covered peanuts, orange slices, creme drops (AKA something not PC today lol) and the fruit of course is available year round. Memories! Maybe one day I will scan in some older pictures from those days and add them. I can almost smell that cedar Christmas tree!

There is one thing, though. Through all this excitement and anticipation, let us not forget Who is the Reason for this glorious Season!

Matthew 1

¹The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

²Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

³And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

⁴And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

⁵And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

⁶And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

⁷And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

⁸And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

⁹And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

¹⁰And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

¹¹And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

¹²And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

¹³And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

¹⁴And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

¹⁵And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

¹⁶And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

I love all y'all!

To be continued.......