The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...
When I was a kid mom always hung stockings for us on the mantle above the fireplace, even though there were never any gifts in our stockings on Christmas morning, there was always an orange in the toe and the rest of the stocking was filled with various fruit, nuts, and candies, I loved those stockings.
We didn't have much when I was growing up, so there were very few gifts underneath our tree, but that was OK Christmas was still special to me.
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| Cindy and I around Christmas of 2000 |
When our kids were still at home, Cindy did the same as my Mom, she hung stockings on our mantle above the fireplace. Cindy really loves Christmas, if she were shorter and closer to the North Pole I know she would have a job working for Old Saint Nick, she has so much Christmas spirit that there is no way he could say no to her.
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| Cindy taming the Bumble |
Cindy could tame the abominable snowmonster aka "The Bumble" quicker than Yukon Cornelius and Hermy, and she wouldn't even have to pull his teeth.
Since money was tight when both Cindy and I were growing up, she always filled our kid's stockings to capacity, sometimes to the point that gifts were stacked on the floor below them. (kind of like
Benjamin's Santa Box), Cindy and I were never rich by any means but the kids never did without on Christmas, we always did our best to keep Christmas special.
Now the kids are grown and have lives of their own, Cindy and I will celebrate our first Christmas this year without at least one of the kids coming home for Christmas. I kind of feel like Bob Cratchit when he thought that his daughter Martha wasn't going to be there on Christmas day. For Cindy's sake I'd like to see the kids jump out from behind the door to surprise us on Christmas morning.
This Christmas we will celebrate with Cindy's Dad Ray, we will open gifts in the morning and save the gifts for those who can't make it for a later date. Cindy's brother and his wife will come over for dinner, our usually large group will only be five people this year.
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| Our Stockings, Dixie's has something in it already |
Cindy hung stockings on a door because we don't have a mantle here, and there is not going to be anything placed into these stockings, not even an orange in the toe (except for Dixie's stocking, she already has a surprise there as you can see), but with all of the blessings that we have had this past year, the fact that we have a safe place to live, food on the table, and each other to lean on, I want you all to know that for me Christmas is still as special as it ever was.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Seasons Greetings, Merry Xmas, or even Festivas for those who loved Seinfeld. I'm not going to be politically correct no matter what I say, but I love you all and wish for your holidays to be happy, so I'll end this by saying...
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| Our newest Christmas wreath |
Thank you for being part of our little family. And here's wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas, and however you celebrate this season I hope you have the Happiest Holidays ever.
I went through the emotions as I read this, Jimmy. Whatever the situation, you and Cindy have each other and that's a wonderful gift. Catch you in the new year.
ReplyDeleteThe gift of having one another is the best gift that I could ever wish for, thank you for being with us Valerie.
DeleteI like the stockings decorating the door. When my kids were little, we hung the stockings on the ends of their beds, that way they'd be occupied enough not to wake us at the crack of dawn and we could sleep until they wanted breakfast.
ReplyDeleteWe hang stockings every year River, I never thought of hanging them on the end of the kids beds when they were younger, they always woke us up early sneaking out of their rooms to peek into their stockings on Christmas morning. You hanging them at the end of your kids beds sure is a smart way to eliminate that little issue.
DeleteVery cute new wreath!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas and I'm so glad I found your blog this year. :)
That little wreath is a new addition that we couldn't pass up.
DeleteOur Christmas was really good, I hope yours was as well, I too am glad you found my blog Joey, you are a welcome addition to out little family here.
I loved this post Jimmy ,thank you for sharing these PRECIOUS photos! and beautiful past and present stories.
ReplyDeleteCindy sound most like me ,i am since always so much excited about the yearly festival ,i used to create things and make huge banner like cards on which i used to write greeting words for me and family and for all who look at them ,i loved to surrounded by this enthusiasm of festival .
like you either we did not use to get much gifts from parents rather than new dress and shoes yet Eid was most wanted and special day for us .
i feel little low that you will not have any kid visiting you this christmas but hey you have each other and this is best of all s you are the roots and roots must stay connected any away .
wishing you ,dear Cindy and all family a very Happy and wonderful Christmas Jimmy ,stay happy and blessed as you are my friend:)
Each holiday has a special meaning for everyone Christmas is both a very special and happy time for us but also important in it's true meaning like Eid is important and a special day for you. As different as some of our holidays are Baili our feelings and love for our families is exactly the same, thank you for sharing yours with us and being part of ours.
DeleteWe are hoping to have our daughter come to visit in about another week, we will at least get a mini Christmas celebration with her then.
I love Cindy with the Bumble! So many happy memories over the years. We feel lucky to get to spend Christmas with our first grandchild this year. I hope your day is filled with love and peace my friend. XO
ReplyDeleteBijoux, There was no way to keep Cindy off of that Bumble's lap when she saw him haha.
DeleteI am so happy that you got to spend Christmas with your first grandchild, this is very special and I know that you will be spending many more teaching your grandbaby the love that is your family.
Our stockings were empty evey Christmas too. We didnt even know they were suppose to be filled. I figured it was just decoration. Thre were four of us and we always had a good Christmas. I know my parents didnt get us designer clothes or the top of the line toys but we never knew the difference. My daughter on the other hand.....spoiled. Lol
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!!!!!
Lisa
Oh Lordy Lisa, I can sure relate to what you said, we always had clothes on our backs even though they weren't name brand they still served the purpose. Doing without as a child pushes us in a sense to give our children much more than we had, and like you our children were indeed spoiled just as much.
DeleteMerry Christmas to you my dear friend.
This reminded me of Christmas without a fireplace mantle...might be a future post.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Joe your Christmas without a fireplace mantle post was excellent my friend, one good thing about blogging is stirring up memories for one another, you have done that for me so many times.
DeleteMerry Christmas my friend.
• ★ Merry ★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
ReplyDelete•。★ Christmas 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Î _____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚｜ ç”°ç”° ｜é–€｜ ˚And a Happy New Year
* Joy to all! ♫•*¨* Peace on Earth ♪♫•*¨*
Thank you Sandee, What a wonderful greeting, I like this. A Merry Christmas you you also.
DeleteThank you so much.
ReplyDeleteChristmas has landed here. It will be quiet but lovely.
I hope your day and your year continue to bring you gifts. Gifts of love and laughter. Difficult to wrap, but priceless.
EC, the gifts of love and laughter are indeed the most priceless gifts of all, I am happy to receive those gifts and really hope you received an abundance of love and laughter for your Christmas as well.
DeleteA blessed holiday to you & yours!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Fran, Here's wishing a blessed holiday season for you and your family.
DeleteLove the memories and emotions behind them that you posted. Hope your coming week brings you many good times and happiness.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jean, I am pleased to have you share in our memories, and I hope for continued love and happiness in your life as well.
DeleteI've enjoyed reading your posts this year. Take care and Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteStephen I have enjoyed having you as part of our little family the last several years, thank you for your input and for spending part of your days being here, Merry Christmas my friend.
DeleteJimmy, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and the hope that 2018 will be at least a little better than the last for us all.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sir, that is a great wish hoping for 2018 to be a little better for us all than the last one, I pray the same wish for you too, thank you so much I know that we all are going to be just fine. Merry Christmas Buddy.
DeleteJimmy and Cindy, hoping your Christmas is as full of joy as you are.
ReplyDeleteThank you Patti, I hope your Christmas was filled with love and happiness.
DeleteI love those pictures! Especially Cindy and the Bumble!
ReplyDeleteAlways gotta have an orange in the stocking! Even though my boys would take it out and say, "Huh." And take it to the kitchen counter so it was up for grabs. I know if I didn't put one in their stocking now, they'd say something about it missing.
Yes that is exactly how that works isn't it Val, they always take the orange out and basically discard it, but just leave that orange out one time...
DeleteI hope Christmas for you Hick and the boys was grand and not completely orange free.
I love the way your love for Cindy shines through everything you write. Merry Christmas to both of you and your family.
ReplyDeleteThank you Inger, and a Merry Christmas to you also.
DeleteThis is such an uplifting post, Jimmy. If we have a thankful heart and our loved ones are healthy and safe, we do indeed have a lot to be joyful about. All the best to you and Cindy and your family!
ReplyDeleteVery true Jenny, a thankful heart, along with safety and health for our loved ones, who could really ask for more, here's hoping all of this for you my dear friend.
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and Cindy!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Lady, I hope your day was wonderful.
DeleteOur Christmas tomorrow will be me and Daisy waiting for my mom coming over to see the presents unwrapped. I had Publix make us a Christmas cake, my mom is really excited for that.
ReplyDeleteHer aunt has some kind of Christmas lunch planned that she wants to go to. I doubt I will go to it, my relationship with her aunt is rather minor and I never felt like it was right for extend family to drag everyone else into something on Christmas day. Especially when she doesn't show up to Daisy's parents events anymore.
Daisy's parents usually hold something on Eve, but they are holding a dinner tomorrow. This is Daisy's 3rd Christmas after she moved out, so I guess they want her more over there and this was the way.
Adam it is a balancing act so to say when you begin a life of your own, holidays like Christmas where you and Daisy are starting your own traditions at your home while trying to spend Christmas with both of your parents and the traditions of each household there too.
DeleteOrdering the cake from Publix is a great way to make things easier preparing for your moms visit, and only three years away from home Daisy's parents still want her included there, like I said it's a balancing act but one I feel you and Daisy can handle.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to both of you.
Growing up we didn't have much either, but my mom would always stuff our stockings with an orange, a big apple, nuts, and a few toys here and there. I loved stuffing the kids' stockings, they would be overflowing, but so fun for them to open on Christmas morn.
ReplyDeleteIt is different when the kids grow up and start their own families and make their own traditions. Time for us "old folk" to make our own traditions; we're working on it :)
Merry Christmas!
betty
I agree Betty it's hard when you realize all of the kids are grown and starting their own traditions, we tend to want our traditions with them to remain the same. I like what you said "Time for us "old folk" to make our own traditions; we're working on it" and work on it we must :)
DeleteI hope you had a Merry Christmas Betty.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Jimmy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Abby, I hope yours was really nice too.
DeleteHumble stocking contents here too but always looked forward to with great excitement.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot to be said for humble stockings Delores, those memories are the best.
DeleteI hope you had a lovely Christmas, and thanks for sharing some of your past Christmas' with us!
ReplyDeleteThank you SW, I am honored to have you join in and to be part of our Christmas celebration.
DeleteI wish you both much happiness in the year of 2018!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lon, and here's my wish for health and happiness in the New Year for you my friend.
DeleteI totally get Cindy's joy of Christmas, and life really changes once the kids grow up and move one. Mine is in another state. I'm thrilled that you were able to spend time with the family for the holidays. Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteLife does change once the kids grow up and move out, having them live in a different state is a strange feeling when you are used to having them with you each day. I hope your Christmas was really great RO.
DeleteGlad to hear you had a Merry Christmas. Ours was a good one, too. As a child, my stocking always had fruit, nuts and candy, too.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that your Christmas was a good one too, I have noticed that a lot of us remember the fruit and nut filled stockings, those are good memories.
DeleteMy Christmases are quiet since the children grew up and left home. They make time for me but it is fast and furious as they rush back to their own homes to fulfill the traditions I taught them. That makes me happy. You and Cindy will always have the love and light of special holidays.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, like you our Christmas was really a quiet one, but nice. It is a good feeling to watch your children start their own traditions based on the ones that you taught them, you did a good job with your kids when you can sit back and see this.
DeleteAt one point it looked as though we might be alone for Christmas lunch and, you know, if that had happened I would have been okay with it. There was a time when I would have thought it was the end of the world but I'm older now and wiser and realise, 'it's only a day like any other really. Families can celebrate together whenever they want. And how often as they want.
ReplyDeleteVery good point Liz, a family really doesn't need a holiday to celebrate together because who is to say how often you can gather together, I love this outlook you have on family.
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