Christmas Flashbacks

I borrowed this idea from Amanda at The Milk Bar
I have been thinking of what to do for a Christmas post ...doing it made me think about things I haven't thought of in years.

Christmas 1967 ...

I was about the same age my twins are now 17.5 months. I was the first grandchild on my mother's side . It was my 2nd Christmas ,so of course I don't remember anything. My mum was 20 yrs old and her 4 siblings were aged approx 9 , 11,13 [brothers] & 17 (sister). I imagine it would have been fun. The Christmases we spent with them always were. My uncles were like older brothers to me and delighted in rough play and teasing me... as well as spoiling me.

Christmas 1977 ...
We spent most of our Christmases with my mother's family.I was 11years old.The table was fully extended with loads of food. My mother was a good cook and my grandfather a generous host. We slept over in the lounge room and the adults partied on in the other room. My grandmother would have gone to midnight Mass - on Christmas eve I can't remember the first year I was allowed to go to. The adults would be putting together our Christmas presents and testing them.
My brother was 8, almost 9 and my sister 6.5yrs. We had a new baby cousin that I adored and loved to mother. We played backyard games and ate a hot baked dinner no matter how hot it was outside. We did see my Dad's father and step wife , a few other cousins but usually just a quick visit.

Christmas 1987 ...
Again we spent most of Christmas with my mother's family.I was 21years old.I had just finished the equivalent to my degree in Nursing. I worked part of the day as a nurse. The table fully extended and an extra coffee table for little kids .Loads of food. I helped with cooking. I partied with the adults .We had much younger cousins now - 8 months, 2, 3, 3.5, & 10. Again Christmas was for the kids and we all played with the kids and enjoyed their toys and ate a hot baked dinner no matter how hot it was outside. My uncle,K passed way 2 months before @31yrs old - so my Grandmother was very sad this Christmas. I hadn't met my husband yet.

Christmas 1997 ...
I had been married 7, almost 8 years .My Mother in law lived with us in her own separate place but it was under our main roof attached by garages. We had our own home and everyone came to our place We had one acre property and a swimming pool.It is always scorching and stinking hot in Australia on Christmas day.

Our son D was 4.5 yrs old. My grandparents were by now living in a nursing home but we had them out for the few days staying with us. My Grandfather was not well we knew it would possibly be his last Christmas.(He passed way 3 months later) I remember he knew it too. He was very sad that year.
My youngest uncle was engaged to be married in March and my other uncle had a new wife(2nd).
My niece, A was 2 yrs old , my SIL 7 months pregnant with M . I can't remember if we saw my husband's family that Christmas day. One of his sister's moved to Queensland over 1200kms away in August 1997.
It was always a bit awkward with my husband's divorced parents and being that his mother lived with us... deciding who would come and see us when.

Christmas 2007 ...
All my grandparents have passed away in last decade. My Father passed away 2 yrs ago. It has been 3 yrs since my daughter was stillborn. We welcomed another niece (now 9) and nephew(now 5) and my cousins M (9 - my guess is he was conceived around that Christmas with - 25th Sept birth date) .
My sister also has a new 'foster' daughter S, (9) , to celebrate Christmas with this year.

This year I am feeling a little lacking in Christmas spirit .I am still looking forward to lots of food, friends and family. I am still excited. I just hate the commercialism of Christmas and the exchanging of gifts and stuff we don't really need but give out of obligation. I would rather give to where it was live saving like OXfam,World vision, BCI, Tear. We do Kris Kringle with my family but my inlaws' didn't want to this. One sisterinlaw said she wasn't doing any gifts , and the other seemed shocked when I said I wouldn't buy any either. I can't afford to buy for all the adult nieces/nephews and they don't like my taste either. Christmas chocolate stocking - yes !

We are the Christmas hosts - twice. It will the first time in over 4 years. All my in laws are coming here Christmas day [ mother in law and Father in law and his wife-hmm that will be fun] and my extended family will be here Boxing day... except my 'younger 'cousins won't all be here. They are busy with their own partners,families and in laws. My SIL & family are also visiting from Queensland.
We will go to Church as a family to celebrate Jesus's birthday and the real message of Christmas.

My toddler twins S & J won't know much different -they will enjoy ripping the paper and perhaps be overwhelmed by all the cuddles and attention. I tried to ask people for less toys. We hardly bought them anything. They have so many toys and aren't into anything.

They love everyone so it should be fun. We will eat too much food, and it will be mainly salads along with cold ham, turkey,chicken and pork (maybe with some roast potatoes and hot gravy), fruit and pavlova for dessert. We might have a game of backyard cricket and kids might cool off in the small outdoor spa.

Flash forward---2047, S & J will write:

2007--This was only our 2nd Christmas so we don't have any memories of it. We imagine that it would have been a warm time with our parents, brother, cousins and people who loved us. We got so much Christmas booty.

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