Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas With My Siblings

My brother and his wife, and my sister and her husband (who is my husband’s brother), came for a “gathering time” to celebrate Christmas. We began with “family pictures” by the tree (a tradition begun by our Mamo before we were born). I had fun preparing the hand-made corduroy stockings that were stored in Mother’s things when she passed. They were from our Mamo and Grandad’s Christmases, since at least the mid-1950’s. All of Mamo and Grandad’s grandchildren had stockings that hung over their fireplace. They only had a couple of stains on them, pretty remarkable for their “age,” and they cleaned up nicely.

Russell and Barbara Ford

David and Janene Ford

Keith and Michele Wilson

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Ready for Supper

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For supper, we enjoyed Mother’s recipe of Lasagna Supreme.

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The next morning, after a rather large brunch, Keith read the Christmas Story from Luke 2, and we sang carols throughout the story, closing with prayer. This tradition began in our parents’ home many years ago.

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We “opened” our stockings. This year I “stuffed” them with nostalgia—things that were “always” in our stockings, and some toys of the era: orange, English walnuts and pecans, ribbon candy, candy cane, and jacks for the girls and a slinky for the boy! Then we shared gifts with each other (the drawing of names having been our tradition also for many years).

Stocking Contents 2014

stockings for the girls

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (in the lower level), the doggies have their own stockings (NOT from 1950’s).

We ate, drank coffee, ate, visited, shared memories, laughed, ate, and played a family trivia game (“our family sayings”).

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Janene has her notebook of  collected “family sayings” for a trivia game. I won. (Keith, it’s my blog. So, I won.)

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Maggie and Annie

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Sassi loves her new toy from her cousins.

Wonderful time together. It seems so strange to realize that my siblings and I are now orphans, as Daddy passed in 1988 and Mother in 2013. But, we have each other and our spouses, and that’s a wonderful blessing.

1 comment:

Marjie Kemper said...

Beautiful photos, Barb. We have 'oldie' stockings too... love them. Glad you had your sibs with you for Christmas. I had three of mine, which was wonderful. Wishing you a very happy new year.