04 Jan 12-22-16 The Best Gifts I Have Received

Christmas is in three days. I’ve always enjoyed this time of the year. Everybody seems to be in a better mood around the Holidays. We get to take a little break from the hustle and bustle of our lives and, in most cases, just take a week or so to relax.
This time of the year is for saying thanks, appreciating what you have, and giving to others. I’ve enjoyed doing these 2 minute spots for you all and hope you’ve found them to be fun and enjoyable, too.
I thought I’d reflect back on some fun Holiday times for me. As I mention them, think back on some of the things you’ve done and the great gifts you’ve received. I bet a lot of them were rather small, like mine.
Growing up, we always had real Christmas trees. Every year I’d go with dad to cut one. One year, we saw a beautiful tree; however, it was just the top of a tall pine tree. The guy was nice enough to climb way up there and cut the top 9 feet off and it came falling to the ground. When we set it up to look at it, it certainly wasn’t as pretty as we expected. Dad and I both looked at each other and thought about the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, because that’s what it was, it was pretty ugly. But we paid for it, took it home, and the whole family had fun trying to make it look good.
I also have fond memories of sitting on the living room floor with my sister before Christmas and flipping through the Sears and JC Penny catalogues looking for gifts that I would like to receive. I’d fold down the corners of the page and go back to look at those pages 100 times.
I would always go to bed early on Christmas Eve because I figured the fastest way for Christmas to come was to just go to sleep. Then there was the excitement of opening all the gifts on Christmas day and seeing what Santa brought me. It was followed up by special Omelets Dad would make for us (he only did this on Christmas and Easter). Boy were those good. I always wanted the middle part of the omelet because that was where all the good stuff was. Dad would give that to the kids and he would always eat the edges.
One of my favorite gifts was a comb shaped like a sheepdog. But I do remember wondering how come it said Avon on the back when it was supposed to have come from Santa. Mom explained to me that he couldn’t make everything for kids and sometimes had to get some help. That made sense to me. My other favorite gifts where a 10 speed bike (although it was kind of tough to ride that in the snow), a flexible flyer sled (and those are kind of the Mack Daddy of sleds), and about 20 years ago, Dad gave me a Carhart coat that I still wear today. My mom and dad sure did a good job of making our Christmas’s fun and I am so thankful for that.
So, as the year comes to a close, I hope you all continue to make memories. I’m sure going to try to do that with my son.