Christmas Conversation Questions ... take three

[Jadyne]

Christmas Past: The Christmas before we were married, DH was living in a nursing home. I had just learned to drive his van and we spent many days shopping for family before Christmas and enjoying the community activities. It was his first time post-injury that he could go home and to my parents to celebrate.

Christmas Present: This year is at my parents with my DSis and her family. (We take turns between our parents' homes on Christmas Day.)

Christmas Future: We would be in a nice cozy cabin with snow on the trees and all the kids and grandkids together. We've never all been together and some of our GC we haven't seen due to distances between all of us.

 

[Pam Spaur]

Christmas Past: It was Christmas, 2001. This was the first time in 50 years that my dad, mom, sis and I were together at Christmas. My parents had divorced when I was 4 and my sister was 7. It was also a bittersweet Christmas, because it was the last one with my sister. She died Jan. 30, 2002. My dad died three years later in February, and my mom died this year in March.

Christmas Present: we will be at my daughter's house. Just my children, their spouses and the grandkids, and My Sweetie. We usually gather about one or so. (Jennifer's family and I are the only ones living in the same town.) Then over the weekend following Christmas, My Sweetie and I will celebrate with his son and family.

Christmas Future: A ton of grandkids!!! Everyone healthy, happy, and being loved...all of us together in one place. And Peace on this earth.

:bigsnow:

 

[pixiestick]

Christmas Past: Looking back over all your Christmas memories, what year stood out as the Christmas? Why? The First Christmas I spent away from home when I was in the Peace Corps. I was alone in my village in Africa in the middle of nowhere . I was in a Muslim country so noone else was celebrating ti or even aware of what day it was. Muslims have a strong tradition of charity and taking care of people who can't take care of themselves within their village- so I took 5 kilos of rice ( kind of a lot) to a handicapped couple. I couldn't accurately explain my reasons for doing it because of language but there were almost kissing my feet grateful. I remember walking away and choking back tears thinking I was the one who felt grateful and full for having been the giver.

Christmas Present: How will this year be celebrated in your home at Christmas? Christmas Eve at my In-laws a few miles away and Christmas Day at my house with my immediate family. My folks might come up this year too.


Christmas Future: If you could plan the perfect Christmas in 10 years what would it be? With my family. My DD will be 13 (eek!) and my DS will be 10 then. Hopefully my DD at that age will be smiling at me instead of snarling at me. I also pray that both my folks and my husbands folks will still be alive and with us.

 

[Winged One]

Christmas Past:
I think that has to be 2005, when the toddler was born. She was due on Christmas Day, so I refused to travel to our folks and stayed local. Normally we feed ourselves when we do, but my grandparents insisted we come over as I was too heavily pregnant to do it all myself. I still got to make the gravy though (after 6 people asked me to sit down, they started to leave me alone and just get on with it! I didn't realise then WHY I had an overwhelming desire to stay on my feet). It was a great Christmas anyway in their house - a real traditional family gathering with dinner in the evening (finished about 9pm, even though I had 2 helpings of EVERYTHING - as I finally had room to eat, but that was a mistake ;-) ) followed by opening every present under the tree (my 4 year old cousin was curled up on her mum's knee, but the 5 month old was having a ball). I started getting labour pains as we left the dinnertable and managed to keep quiet about it until we left (I pleaded exhaustion) about 11.30pm. We went home but left again within half an hour, and the toddler was born, safe and well, at 6.11 am on St Stephen's Morning (26th). We really surprised everyone ringing to tell them the news later that morning!!

Christmas this year:
We are travelling for the first time since the toddler arrived. I am aiming to have everything sorted relatively early, and I have planned nice presents that are more crafty than expensive. I have tried to grow a lot of our dinner myself (potatoes, carrots, turnips, brussels sprouts are all weather dependent - but will definitely have beans and brocolli from freezer and onions and garlic from stores) and will probably bring some of that with us (but keep some for a special celebration on our return home too). I am also hoping to get a chance to go to some carol services or other musical celebrations this year as I haven't been to any since the toddler arrived. We are staying in a rented house (so have our own roof to retire to), and we will be having a birthday party in that house for the toddler so she will have all her relatives there this year. (I am borrowing my mum's kitchen to make a cake that morning - or that's the lpan at this moment in time anyway!).

Christmas in 10 years:
Whether it's here or abroad, our small family or wider, that it will be happy and peaceful with a lot of love in the air.