Holiday Open House 2007 - Favorite Childhood Memories

WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!

I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!

My earliest childhood memory of Christmas was when I was 5 years old. I don't remember too much except I received a Sindy doll along with her Dining Room table. I loved her and remember that I spent a lot of time playing with her!

The very next year I remember I asked for a record player. Being one of six, it was sometimes hard getting everything we wanted so I was especially surprised when I went into the living room that Christmas morning and found the record player along with a huge stack of records... there's a word you don't hear anymore! LOL

That was the same year I received my favorite doll of all time - Betty Jo. I'm not sure if anyone will remember it or not, but she was a Love N Touch Big Sister doll. I had actually named her Cindy (after my cousin), but later on I loved to watch Petticoat Junction. The youngest daughter on the show, Betty Jo, was my favorite character and that's when I changed her name. I still have her today, but due to all the attention she received from me as a little girl, she's not quite as lovely as she used to be! LOL

Well, those are a few of my favorite Christmas gifts, but more than the gifts I received as a young girl, I remember mostly the time I spent with my family.

Every year on Thanksgiving afternoon, we would help my mom set out a few of our Christmas decorations. One of my favorite decorations (my mom still has them!) are a couple of swan candle holders with red candles. I'm not sure why I loved these so much except that every year these were usually the first decorations my mom would put out.

I also loved helping put up the Christmas tree every year! We always had a real tree (love the smell!!!) so we normally waited until right before Christmas to put it up. My mom and dad would put all the lights on the tree followed by garland and different colored glass ball ornaments. When they were finished, all of us kids would add icicles! This was always so much fun!!!

After the tree was up, I loved to look at myself in the glass ornaments. I also loved to sit on the couch, watch the lights blink and listen to the Christmas music my mom would play every day. We listened to the same 2 or 3 Christmas records every year while growing up so whenever I hear any of the songs played now, it always takes me back!!!

The most important part of Christmas back then (and now!) was Jesus! I remember always feeling so close to God around this time every year. Times weren't always perfect back then, but there was always such a peace during the Christmas season. I do remember one year in particular when I wasn't able to go to sleep because I was so happy that Jesus had been born and that we were allowed to celebrate His day with Him!!! What an awesome feeling that was!!!

That's just a few of my favorite memories! I have always loved Christmas so there are many, many more memories I would love to share, but I'm not sure how long it would take to write them all down!!! LOL

Please join me again tomorrow when I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas traditions and memories!!! :-)

For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .