Annual Chirstmas Family Photo

Ahhh. . . the annual Christmas Family photo.  This family does it every year.  It is interesting to look back on these Christmas Day photos and see how we have changed, where we were, what we were wearing, and whether the stress of the big day was showing as proof in the annual family photo.

Here is a nice look back at Christmas Photo's past. . .

2006

We all ran away to Gaitlinburg for Christmas.  I would say by

 far one of the best Christmases we have ever had.

The Christmas photo was very casual this year.  We happen to find this creek beside

the road we were driving and just stopped for some fun.  You never know

what you're going to get in to when you are with this family. 

This creek became the 2006 Christmas photo backdrop.

2006

This was the picture we actually used as our Annual Christmas Photo.  This was taken

on Thanksgiving Day 2006.  Still pretty relaxed and still no makeup and after a long

day of cooking and eating and playing.  But it turned out pretty ok.

2007

VERY informal!!  This picture will always remind me to never get a haircut on Christmas Day!

 My sister was in Beauty School, and in trying to support her, I let her cut my hair after

we had our Christmas dinner.  She didn't do that bad, however, I didn't need  haircut for

about 6 months!  This picture, I promise, IS NOT hanging anywhere in our house.

When we saw the pictures weren't going well, we decided to have a little more fun with them and this is what we got. . .

This was much more fun than those other pictures!

 

2008

Yet another no make up year!  The picture didn't turn out too terrible, but still

not one of my favorites! 

Then there is this year  . . .

This would be the whole family including the furbabies!  I think we look a little less stressed and better dressed and put together for a family picture this year.  This has to be one of my favorites.

This too is one of my favorites. 

We have only had professional photos taken once in our 18+ years together and that was in 1995.  We always relied on the Annual Chirstmas Photo.  I think, it is high time we get some good picutres made of our sweet little family!  Especially looking back over the years of not so good pictures.

Does anyone else get goofy over Christmas pictures my like family?  How often have you had professional photos done? 

Memories Flood My Mind

I have been feeling a little sentimental this whole week. I'm not really sure what that is all about, but I know I'm missing my Christmases past. I have been remembering things this week that I have not even thought about probably since I was a little girl.

I had to work on Christmas Eve (night shift), and as I was driving home on Christmas morning I don't even remember seeing the road (thank God there wasn't any traffic and the drive is pretty short). I had this really cool reel to reel movie playing in my head and it was brining me all my Christmases past. It was bittersweet. I laughed a little, was sad a little and at times even noticed a tear or two from all the memories flooding my mind.

See, we may have not been the "richest" family in the neighborhood. We may have not always had it all together as a family. We certainly had our moments of disfunction. But it seemed at Christmas time all that didn't matter. Because on Christmas morning I was the richest kid in town.

My sister and I were not allowed into the living room until we were sure mom and dad were awake. I always seemed to be the first up and at ungodly hours, I'm sure. I would wake my sister and then we would decide if we were going to peek or just wake up our parents. Once they were awake and out of bed we would make a run for it to the living room to find our "side" of the tree. Santa would put all of my goodies on one side of the tree and my sisters on the other side. Because there is 4 years between us, it wasn't hard to decide whose side belonged to who.

I was remembering all my special and most favorite toys. And then I found some pictures online of them. It made me smile from all the memories. Because what I know is that many times while I was growing up, my dad worked two jobs. We didn't really have all we wanted but we certainly had all we needed and then some. I know they worked very hard to give us what we wanted. Spoiled? Yes in some ways, but not usually with material items. Christmas was almost always the exception. Mom would work hard shopping early in the season and stashing gifts here and there so we wouldn't have clue. Then on Christmas morning, our living room would be full of gifts for the two of us. Gifts from Santa in front of the tree and gifts from mom and dad wrapped under the tree.

One of my favorite gifts was the play kitchen I got. Mom called it my "combikitchen". It sat in my room for many years and I would put real water in the sink and wash my play dishes. I had a small wooden table with two chairs in my room and I would invite my friends and family over for "meals" that I would prepare for them in my toy oven. I had lots and lots of plastic food and boxes of "groceries" that was stored in the cabinets of my kitchen. I loved having dinner parties in my bedroom.

I was one of those girly girls that played with dolls until I was probably way too old to be playing with dolls.  One that I think is absolutely hilarious now, but I loved it back in the day was my "Whoopsie" doll.  She was a plastic doll that had pigtails.  When you squeezed her belly the pigtails would go up and down and she would make a squeeking sound that sounded a lot like "whoopsie".  I had to be around 7 years old when I got this doll because I believe she came out around 1979.

I was also VERY into Brabie.  That should be another post altogether being that Barbie is celebrating her 50th Birthday and all.  I can still remember the exciting I had when I saw this pair sitting in front of my Christmas tree.  They tagged along for the hour long ride to grandma's house that Christmas morning and we put on "skating shows" for all my cousins and aunts and uncles that afternoon.  They were like the coolest present that year.  I actually had the Roller Skating Barbie!!! 

The year my sister and I got the Atari we were the happiest kids in the universe. Dad hooked the atari up the console TV that sat in our living room floor and we played frogger, pitfall, breakout, space invaders, combat and pacman for hours on end.  We were in video game heaven!!  We still had our old original atari system and games (it still worked), until about 6 years ago.  I want to say we sold it in a garage sale.  Wonder how much that would be worth about now, still in working condition?

I loved to roller skate as a kid.  What I learned at the roller rink could also be illegal a whole post in itself! I loved the new white roller skates I got one year.  They had pink laces and a big pink yarn ball on the toe of the shoe.  I was way cool at the rink after Christmas that year.  I didn't have to rent my skates anymore!

Does anyone remember this cute littl guy.  If I remember right he went almost everywhere with me.  Stashed in my school bag, to church, shopping, in the car. . .pretty much everywhere.  I do also remember driving my sister absolutely crazing singing the song from the commerical over and over and over. 

If you just can't stand it and MUST hear the song, click the video below!

Then the year I got the greatest gift on earth.  My very own baby.  A for REAL baby that ate, drank, wet and pooped.  She came fully equipped with  a diaper bag, diapers, food and bowl, spoon, and even a bottle.  I was a proud moma of a real baby.  I also took her everywhere with me!  You can't leave your baby at home while you go shopping now can you?  My maternal instincts kicked in early.  Baby alive was the first baby I ever loved!
I remember seeing this commercial during Saturday  morning cartoons and begging mom for her.  I also remember her telling me I might want to ask Santa.  That year I must have been a good girl, because
Santa delivered, as usual!! 



These memories and many many more flooded my mind yesterday while I was spending christmas with my family, Sharon, Jody and Sharon's siblings.  Then I was blessed by gift of my other parents coming to share the evening with us.  That was a special treat!  (A fun Christmas post with pictures is yet to come)

I did talk to my sister as she was spending Christmas with her other family as well.  I talked to my mom and dad online.  They were having a good warm day in Brazil spending Christmas with their Brazilian family.  We may all be scattered afar, but they were all close to my heart yesterday.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas as well!!!

A Bloggy Giveaway

I don't usually post about giveaways on other blogs because I really don't try to win them.  Maybe it's because I don't feel very lucky most of the time or maybe because really. . . I NEVER win anything. 

Ok, so maybe that's not entirely true.  I did win something once.  When I wasn't even in junior high yet I won 10 yep count 'em TEN records.  Really. . records as in LP's, well really we are talking about 45's, you remember them, the small LP's that usually had on song on each side, it you were really lucky you got two songs on each side.  The kind you had to put that funny little plastic thing in the middle of to play on your record player.  I was still so young that I was playing mine on a Holly Hobby record player.

The contest was to listen to the "Top Nine at 9" on our local radio station.  Then be the 9th caller with the list of the top nine songs.  I hit the redial button about a million times.  And. . . I WON!!!  My dad took me to the local record store in the mall and I got to pick out whatever 45's I wanted.  I got 10 of them!!!

I remember only some of the artists I picked, Madonna (Like a Virgin), Prince (Purple Rain), Rick Springfield (Bruce), Sheila E (The Belle of St. Mark), Van Halen (Hot for Teacher), David Lee Roth (Just a Gigolo), Pat Benatar (We Belong), and I picked one for my dad, [ya know since he did drive me all the way to the mall] Moe & Joe (The Boys Night Out).  I don't remember the others but the funny thing is, I still have these 45's.



So since I haven't won anything since the mid 1980's I thought I'd try my luck again.  There is this blog and she is does giveaways quiet often.  I read the blog but I have never been to this particular page of her blog.  Mostly because I NEVER win anything!!!  She has a whole page devoted to giveaways, most of them are pretty nice, alot of them are geared toward people with small children (not me), but this one caught my eye.  You must go check it out!!!!

She is giving away an HP TouchSmart 600, yep that's a computer!!  And, it's not just any computer it's a pretty darn awesome computer!!!  So head on over to see this giveaway. . . make sure you don't put your entry in to win this  amazing computer though.  Because as blogging friends of mine I am sure you would want me to win this computer.  I know that you would not be selfish and sneak an entry or two or even three in there and not tell me, because you are all very very good friends of mine and would have it no other way than for me to win this fabulous prize, especially since I NEVER WIN ANYTHING!!!

Seriously go check it out.  If you put an entry in make sure you use my name . . . k?  The entry deadline is Christmas Eve. . . OMG!!!!  That's tomorrow!!!!  Hurry, Hurry,  go over there and put your my name in!

Good luck to all who enter my name!!!

Merry Chirstmas to you ALL!!!

What do you know about Christmas?

Did you ever wonder. . .

Why do we hang stockings at Christmas time? 

Where did Rudolph come from?

Who thought to send the first Christmas card?

What's the life expectancy of a Christmas tree?

Well wonder no more!  My googly fingers have done all the work for you.  These were questions I didn't know about Christmas.  Thought it would be fun to share.

The Night Before Christmas

A Visit From Saint Nicholas was written in 1822 by Clement C. Moore.  It was later published as The Night Before Christmas, as a gift for his children. He did not acknowledge that he was the author of this timeless poem until 1844 when at the request of his children, he agreed to have this piece published in a call book of poetry entitled Poems.

The Christmas Stocking

According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune, leaving him and his three daughters impoverished.

St. Nicholas, heard of their misfortune and wanted to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman's house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company, department store operators, had been purchasing and distributing children's coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward tapped one of their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money. 34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in 1939, and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies had been distributed by 1946.

May drew in part on the story "The Ugly Duckling" and in part from his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth to create the story of the misfit reindeer. Though Rollo and Reginald were considered, May settled on Rudolph as his reindeer's name.

Writing in verse as a series of rhyming couplets, May tested the story as he went along on his 4-year old daughter Barbara, who loved the story

Sadly, Robert Mays wife died around the time he was creating Rudolph, leaving Mays deeply in debt due to medical bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery Ward's corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in January 1947, thus ensuring May's financial security.

May's story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was printed commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story was shown in theaters. When May's brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", the Rudolph phenomenon was born. Turned down by many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of Autry's wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". The 1964 television special about Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday favorite to this day and Rudolph himself has become a much-loved Christmas icon.


Christmas Cards
The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843 and featured an illustration by John Callcott Horsley. The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together, proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd: Cole had helped introduce the Penny Post three years earlier. Two batches totaling 2,050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each.

"Official" Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family's cards are generally portraits reflecting significant personal events of the year. In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card. The cards usually depict White House scenes as rendered by prominent American artists. The number of recipients has snowballed over the decades, from just 2,000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005.

Fun Facts

• Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
• From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings.
• Christmas wasn't a holiday in early America—in fact Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the country's first Christmas under the new constitution.
• Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.
• Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition in 1931.
• Alabama was the first state to make Christmas an official holiday in 1836.

Click here for a video of the History of Christmas

What fun Christmas facts do you know? 

*all information on this post was found on the following websites.

http://www.wikipedia.org

http://www.allthingschristmas.com

http://www.history.com

My evolution of Christmas

Christmas has always been a special time for me.  Special for many different reasons and as I get older the reasons seem to change.  I have many fond memories of Christmas' past.  Time spent with family, special gifts I received and have given and those moments where there were no gifts just time with those most precious to us.

Here is a walk down memory lane with me of my Christmas' past.

This is my first Christmas, 1972.  Me and my sister.

I don't know how old I was here but I am guessing probably around 2 or under.  Mom always made Christmas special for my sister and myself.  She would take us to the mall to visit Santa and have a picture made.  There was also those amazing moments of Christmas when we would go "downtown" to Ayers (department store).  She would get my sister and me all dressed up in our Christmas "best" and take us downtown for the day.  We would walk the streets around the L.S. Ayres and Blocks Department stores looking at the animated Christmas window displays.  She would then treat us to lunch at the Ayers tea room. We only went to the Tea Room at Christmas.  I always thought it was only for the "rich" people.  And when we went at Christmas all dressed up, to me it seemed that no one knew we didn't fit that description.   After lunch we would go visit Santa and the Santa Express.  The Santa Express was a train that the kids could sit in and it would take us for a ride around this little village and a Christmas tree.  It was run by people dressed as Santa's Elves.  We would ride the train, see Santa and that day no matter what else was going on in the world, all was well in "our" world.  That day each year I felt like a princess. 

The L. S. Ayers department store closed in the early 90's.  However the Tea Room was replicated, with the original furnishings, at the Indiana State Museum.  The Santa Express is also on display at the Indiana State Museum each Christmas. 

L. S. Ayres building in downtown Indianapolis

The only picture of the L. S. Ayres Tea Room I could find.  I know it is old but it gives you the general ida.

This is a picture of one of the window displays.  People would fill the sidewalks around the many window of the department stores to see the Christmas displays.  (NOTE: everything that is seen is inside a window.  No one in this picture is real.  All are animated maniquins, not full size.  That little girl would spin around the pole.)

Ahhh. . the Santa Express!!  It makes my heart smile just thinking about it!!!

Mom and Dad always made sure Christmas was special for my sister and I, and for that I am grateful!

This was probably one of the most precious Christmas gifts for our entire family when I was younger,  my cousin Brandon.  He was born in November of 1985.  He made everyone smile.  Especially my grandpa, who always wanted a grandson.  Unfortunately Brandon never got to really know grandpa (he died in August 1986)

As I got older Christmas became more about making memories with and for Jody.  I will never forget our first Christmas with him.  We went way overboard!!!  Of course we were so new at all of this and were trying so hard to make it special.  It was a rough year for all of us, and the memories we made that year are etched in my soul.

I remember him praying so hard before he went to bed that it would snow.  He had never seen snow before and he so wanted to know what all the hype was about.  He prayed and believed that when he woke up there would be a yard full of white fluff to play in.

Our sweet boy got his prayer answered and made his first snow angel!

Christmas after this was never the same for me.  I think it was about having a child and now he was the most important.  Things were no longer about me.  They became about creating moments for him.

Starting traditions that he would treasure as much as I treasure the ones shared with my parents.  Making homemade Christmas ornaments, cookies and candies.  Watching the special Christmas programs on TV and reading Christmas books together.

Watching his face light up when he opened the gift he most wanted that year.  Those are the moments that made all the hard work of the holiday worth every minute.  Worth every hour of overtime, every day spent with irritable shoppers at the mall, every sleepless Christmas eve getting it all together just perfect.  Worth it just to see him smile!

As he got older it was not so much important to him, what gift he recieved.  It became more about making sure we were all together as a family, spending time playing and enjoying each other.  Yes, there were still gifts, but the time became more of a gift to all of us.  He has always loved the snow.  To this day he loves to snowboard and sled and play.  This was his first snowboard and the VERY cold Christmas day we spent watching him learn how to use it. 

One of my most favorite things to do at Christmas time is to go on a Carriage ride through Downtown Indianapolis.  Yes, it is usually very very cold, but it is so worth it. It is best at night in a covered carriage.  The city is always decorated so beautifully with Christmas lights everywhere!  This makes for a great date night! 

In 2006 we changed it up a bit.  Sharon's mom had just passed and no one was really in the Christmas mood.  We decided to take Christmas and the family on the road.  We went to Gatlinburg, TN for Christmas.  There were no gifts bought, that was no longer important.  What became most important to us was the we were all together and making each moment count.  We relaxed, played, and made memories that will last a lifetime.  Our condo was large enough that we were able

to cook Christmas dinner right there and all share dinner around the same table.  No expections, just pure fun and enjoyment!  The start of a new outlook on Christmas altogether.

2005 was the last time both my parents were in the United States at the same time.  They didn't go back home to Brazil until just right before Christmas.  We were able to spend time together as a whole family with everyone in one place.  I have seen my mom the last two years because she has been able to make a trip home, however it has been since 2007 that I have seen my dad.  I do miss them!!

Since 2006 our family traditions of Christmas have change tremendously.  We no longer purchase gifts for each other.  No one really cares that much about "stuff".  So we ditched the whole Christmas gift thing and instead we spend time together.  We all get together at our home, have a great dinner, play games, play music and sing, take a nap, or do whatever makes us feel good.  Again there are no expectations.  No one has to go into debt, no frantic shopping, no stress.  Christmas is about joy and peace and a new birth.  For our family, Christmas is just that. . . joyful, peaceful and remembering why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.  Family is one of the most important things there is.  We have all come to realize that each one of us are not promised tomorrow.  We make our time count and love on each other the best we know how.  Instead of making Christmas memories now. . . we are creating "family moments"  that we will remember and cherish forever!

Falling off the wagon

Hello. . my name is Amy and it's been 67 days since my last post.  I totally fell off the wagon.  Please forgive me?

Life gets in the way sometimes.  I got busy, didn't post, then didn't read blogs, then got more busy.  Now I am trying to give myself a break from life and return to what I like.  The problem now is that I don't really have anything interesting to say.  Ya know, when you blog daily, every other day or even weekly it comes pretty easy.  You can think of all kinds of things to write about.  Now that I haven't been doing this for over 2 months I can't think of anything to say.

I am hoping that my readers do in fact return.  I hope I haven't been gone so long that people actually forgot about me.  Not that I think I am that important and all, but it is fun knowing that people read your stuff. 

So, I am going to do some reading. . . get some inspiration and be back at this!  Just watch keep your eye out for me!

I do miss you all!!!