At this time of year, it is always fun to look back and remember the where and what was going on in our lives at Christmas time. So I thought I would exercise my mind a bit this morning just for fun.
The year we were married, hubby was on a military exercise and made it home the week of Christmas. We lived in a small shack of a place in Tennessee. I bought a 3 foot artificial tree that filled up the living room. By the way I still have and use that tree. It is part of our history.
The next one was spent in a huge house in Hawaii (talk about contrast) with the nicest of neighbors. They invited us to join them for Christmas day. She was Hawaiian and he was from the Philippines. He spent 30 year as naval man and has been a valet for some Admiral. She was the mother of his 10 children, which were all grown by the time we met them. They were lovely and kind neighbors and knew how to welcome two kids from the mainland.
Christmas #3 Was spent in Florida but was a sad one because we had a miscarriage a couple of weeks before. So along with the normal family tensions of visits, there was the extra emotional stress.
Christmas #4 We spent this one in Indiana, but honestly, I don't remember much about that one....Hubby had gotten out of the military and we moving to that location....it was a time of transition.
The next one we spent in Florida, I was pregnant with our oldest daughter and it had the usual family tensions that those visits always had.
The next year took us to Arizona. (Hubby had rejoined the military) That was great, we had a new baby, and it was a sort of short term working vacation. We dressed baby up in Christmas bows and took her out for Christmas morning breakfast. She was the ball of the diner. And we were of course the proud parents. Some of my favorite photos of her were taken that day.
The next several years were either spent in NC or Florida. I'd have to dig out the photo albums to sort them all out but I won't. Theses would have been either spent in the privacy and happiness of our home or spent with the family further south. Along in that 5 year block of time we had daughter number two, hubby's job was one that took him away from home almost more than he was there. At least two of those Christmases he was on call to deploy at any moment... it was just the typical military lifestyle for us at the time.
After that we went to Virginia for a year. I can remember going to concerts in DC. As a family this was a enjoyable time period for us after the years in NC. We had time to be together so we did a lot in that year. Unfortunately, the two older girls were probably too young to remember much about all the adventures we had.
The next year I took the girls and went to Florida. Hubby was in Germany. I was pregnant and did not wish to have my baby in a Germany hospital so I went home. This was the only Christmas we ever spent apart as a couple.
So we made up for it for the following year. We had a BEAUTIFUL and HUGE German fir tree, a new baby and it would have been the best Christmas ever for us.....until a family member had some military career issues due to marriage problems and came to visit, then it turned into a mess.
We spent the following year in Germany as well. I particularly remember going to a wonderful Christmas concert and felt bad because the Germans who appreciate and play beautiful classical music, felt apologetic because the American audience did not know how to appreciate anything but Jingle Bell Rock. They had prepared a treat for us and were told shortly before the concert that Americans don't like classical music.
The following two years were either spent in Florida or NC. For one of them we rented a house near the beach for Christmas. Hubby's sister and family spent a day or two with us. What a fun time we had. I will never ever forget watching one of the teenage nieces folding herself in and out of an empty kitchen cabinet as they were playing hide and seek.
We had at least three Christmas in Louisiana. Each year we would go to a particular tree farm and get a big tree. We attended social functions and parties. One of the fond memories is my oldest daughter would make rum cakes for the soldiers in her daddy's office. Like little elves, we would sneak in after hours and deliver them to each desk with a greeting card. By the time we left there she was famous for her rum cakes. (I think the last year she made something like 35!)
The next year we were in Arizona. We ate our Christmas breakfast, took off for the day and went hiking in one of the National Parks, had a fabulous day doing something other than sitting at home eating. Got back late in the afternoon and had our dinner after dark. It was a totally different day but one we really enjoyed.
And then the following years, we spent our Christmases in Florida, until last year when my dad's health issue required us to be in Indiana.
What a joy to be able to live in so many various places and to experience the different cultural aspects of the season. From eating German cookies and collecting Kinderegg toys to having southwestern burritos for breakfast, God has been more than gracious to us over the years by holding this family tightly together in His goodness and grace.