Christmas Past

Christmas break! What an ecstatic time! School out for a whole lot of days! That was all that I knew, I didn't have to get up for school!
I was always an early riser, up before dawn and often watched the sun rise...so much peace in those moments and even as a small child, I appreciated the silence.
I always figured that I was one of the luckiest kids, I had the best of all worlds...I had a mom and step-dad, a dad and step-mom and my maternal, paternal grandparents...Aunts and Uncles galore and of course, I will not leave out...the Step-grandparents and step-families!!

Christmas was a time of visiting all the families and sometimes a couple of families in one day! I loved it! So exciting!

My favorite, was Christmas Eve morning...My brother and I were dropped off at my Grandma Lackey's house! Oh, how that house was filled with family! All the cousins hugging and aunts and uncles kissing...the tension, because you just knew that someone was going to lose their temper! I loved every moment of it...Grandpa Lackey bellowing and Grandma cooking in the kitchen~ running around here there and everywhere!!!
I remember watching her dip her fingers in just about every dish and tasting! Hahah! Licking her fingers and wiping her hands on a towel...

The presents under the tree were mountainousness! OMG! I remember being so excited and anticipating the presents! Funny, tho~All the girls would get the same thing...only in a different color and the boys always got socks! So, as soon as one of the girls opened a gift, we all knew what to expect! It really didn't matter, cause we all got to play and eat and have a grand time!

Later, We would go home and get ready to go to my Grandma Carter's for the evening gifts! There, it was pretty much the same, only it was evening...and often...the grandkids who didn't have other families to visit had already opened their gifts! The gift opening was a bit more personal and watched...in a good way...
Grandma Carter's house always smelled of banana bread or angel biscuits...coffee and cigarettes...

Where once, I was the luckiest of girls, now...they are all gone...all except my mom and little sister and a sprinkling of cousins, aunts and uncles that I see, sometimes...I am sad, just a little...I miss them and all the hustle and bustle of my Christmas past...

I am so happy to  have experienced them all! Now, I am on to making new Christmas memories!