Christmas Memories from the Past .... REVISED

Was reflecting back ... way back ... to my childhood and some traditions that have continued into the raising of Carin and Melisa, let's see what I can recall ...

* We always had "real trees", and I always helped decorate as soon as I was tall enough.
* Always baked cookies with my Mother, somewhere there's a picture of me at 3 or 4 years, helping?
* Tom and I were allowed to open our smallest package under the tree on Christmas Eve.
* REVISED: How could I forget this one ... always had oyster stew for Christmas Eve dinner ... can we say torture for Tom and me, ugh!
* Always attended church on Christmas Eve, and there was only one service at 11:00pm.
* Our stockings were filled with an orange, apple, walnuts, some candy and some very small treasure.  They were hung on our bedroom door before morning and we could excitedly open their contents before Mom and Dad awoke.
* My Father insisted on breakfast BEFORE any package was opened, and he was a smoker in the house (remember I grew up in Iowa), and sometimes he had to have 2 cigarettes after breakfast ... pure agony!
* After all the excitement of toys, it was then on to Grandma and Grandpa Holmes house for a family gathering with Aunt Betty, Uncle Dick, Sharon, Peggy and Linda; Uncle Lloyd, Aunt Inez, Janet and Suzanne; Aunt Velma, Uncle Bud (Stan) and Joni, they owned a florist in Tama so he was sometimes called Uncle Bud.  I'm thinking as Grandma and Grandpa grew older we'd often go to Aunt Betty's, Uncle Lloyd's or to Aunt Velma (these Aunts and Uncle were my father's side of the family).
* I can still smell Grandma Holmes homemade cinnamon rolls as they were rising next to the heater.
* One of my most favorite memories was waking up on Christmas morning to a fresh, beautiful blanket of snow ... there is nothing quite as beautiful.
* Then, of course, at some point during Christmas vacations there was the building of snowmen, ice skating and it didn't matter if the temperature was below zero, I'd beg my father to take me to the outside skating rink (finally as a teen we did have an enclosed ice skating rink).  And not to forget the new snow sled, such simpler times, no CD's, DVD's, computers or all the other electronics, I really feel sad for children today ... we had to be creative, and we played outside ...

     Ahh, the "good old days", what a wonderful and magical childhood I had ... well, still have lots to do before Christmas Eve, so my friends, I'll reminisce about Carin and Melisa's Christmas as children in another post, until then ... Have a very Merry Christmas, and may God Bless you and your families in the New Year, Love to all who may read this ....