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folklaur
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| Posted: Dec 26 2009 at 3:29pm | IP Logged
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did you have a moment, an instance, this Christmas that just filled you with warm fuzzies and thankfulness?
want to share it?
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 26 2009 at 3:47pm | IP Logged
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My 3 yr old opened her stocking on my lap Christmas morning. I set aside my stockign it was SO FUN to watch her. She'd open something, like a Little People dog and "woof" and pant and play for a few seconds.. then carefully set it aside and reach in for the next thing like.. a bug on wheels and drive it around and then carefully park it before she's reach in and get the next gift. It was so sweet and lovely to watch her. 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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folklaur
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| Posted: Dec 26 2009 at 4:43pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
My 3 yr old opened her stocking on my lap Christmas morning. I set aside my stockign it was SO FUN to watch her. She'd open something, like a Little People dog and "woof" and pant and play for a few seconds.. then carefully set it aside and reach in for the next thing like.. a bug on wheels and drive it around and then carefully park it before she's reach in and get the next gift. It was so sweet and lovely to watch her.
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awwwww, this made me tear-up
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amyable
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~ hearing all my girls squeal and jump up and down when they opened a Nancy Drew Computer Game (it was a 4 disc set, I think that upped the excitement level  )
~ my parents were on their BEST behavior! 
~ having my dh really like some of the things I bought him. He keeps talking about them.
~ Hearing a homily all about "A child is JOY, a child is LOVE, a child is (insert several wonderful adjectives here)" after the couple in front of us "counted" the children as we sat down and then whispered disgustedly (and loudly) to each other. (That was not the nice part, lol)
~overall it was a great, low key day 
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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anitamarie
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Watching the family movies from when we were kids a hundred years ago that my Dad had converted from 8mm to DVD for each of us. I had to watch it 750 miles from everyone else, but it was still wonderful. Funny thing, there are 2 Christmases on there and each of my older children saw one of them. They each had the same reaction - "You got a lot more presents than we do!" and "That's not Grandpa!!"
Oh, and my 3 year old. Every time she opened a present "Oh, a _________, just what I wanted!!" At one point the gift itself was in a plain box and she said "Oh, a box, just what I wanted!!"
Anita
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Paula in MN
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The handmade card, decorated with glitter, from my husband. It said "You are the only gift I need. I love you."
  
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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4 lads mom
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Paula in MN wrote:
The handmade card, decorated with glitter, from my husband. It said "You are the only gift I need. I love you."
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Oh, Paula.... that is the best!!
Okay, my favorite moment....and I knew it would be.....was when Lily opened up her new rocking horse that whinnies and wrinkles its muzzle and shakes its tail......she has been through so much the last week, and to see her a few minutes later, squatting down, with her face gently resting on the horse’s muzzle, rubbing it gently with a look of awe and love.... , it was so, so sweet. I can’t wait until she hears how Mama used to have a real horse!!!
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Mom of four brave lads and one sweet lassie
Scenes From This and That
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Nique
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A Christmas Moment we received came through a Christmas Card from friends of ours, who signed their names (the Mother, Father and 2 year old daughter) as well as the announcement "and baby arriving August 2010"!
What a fun way to let us know
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I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~Bill Bryson
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drmommy
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My youngest squealing at the Playmobill horse stable set. The older two also eyed it, so it was fun for all of them this Christmas. Hubby gave me some really nice things that were thoughtful.
There have been some years where I got some action packed videos (James Bond, etc). As he gets older, he gets better. Well, it helps to remind him, " please honey, no action videos".
God Bless him....
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violingirl
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DS1 received his first big bike and of COURSE there was a blizzard on Christmas Eve so he can't go out to ride it! We rarely get this much snow in total all winter, so this was a real surprise. So he's been sitting on the bike for most of the day in our living room, helmet on. He told us the bike is the best present EVER. :)
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Erin
DS (2005) DS (2007) DD (2012)
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Servant2theKing
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Our oldest son joined us for the first time in many, many years, placing luminaries on the graves of loved ones, praying together for all of the family members who have gone ahead of us, then he joined us for midnight Mass ...the only thing that would have made this Christmas even more complete would have been sharing it with our daughter and her family.
For Christmas Eve I wore a scarf, that belonged to my mother who passed away last year....it felt like she was giving me a precious hug for Christmas, especially when I felt teary during Mass while praying for all the loved ones who are no longer with us.
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Cay Gibson
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Midnight Mass at our church...and I say this in all honesty.
Since my mil passed away we have done nothing on Christmas Eve. We went from being a family that zoomed between both grandparents' houses to having no where to go. No matter how much you program yourself that this is the *new normal*, it's a bit of a letdown when the night actually arrives. 
My parents host their gathering the Sunday before Christmas and come to our place on Christmas Day. Since I cook and do a big Christmas spread (not to mention the pre-Christmas bday party I throw for my youngest), I have enough sanity left in me to know that I best not plan anything on Christmas Eve night.  So it's really not an option.
Still, for the past seven years we have found ourselves at home with nothing to do, no where to go and this year found us minus one child as my oldest dd is now engaged and was at her fiance's family.
Every Christmas Eve we resolve to do things differently the next but I hesitate to start a new tradition because once the grandchildren start coming things will change anew and I don't want to overplan and then be disappointed, etc. etc. etc.
While I've taken the stance that Christmas Eve is all about waiting for a baby and focusing on the Christ child, the rest of the family becomes irritable and aggitated, leaving me feeling discouraged and sad.
We have so much going on throughout the rest of the year, I adore having quiet evenings but I still feel like I didn't "do enough" when Christmas Eve falls and it is just another night at home. I feel as though it's my duty to do something ooutside the norm for my family. But what?
I was almost in tears this year.
So we went on to Midnight Mass and I found my husband and I surrounded by 4 of our 5 children and beautiful music and flowers and the creche was set in the corner nearest us. And I experienced the *warm fuzzies* and so much *thankfulness* as our pastor reminded us that this is what Christmas was all about. I'm sure it was a gift from God. And I am very thankful.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
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ekbell
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My toddler joining her big sisters in the outer sanctuary at the end of the children's Christmas vigil mass.
(our church has a 'children's Christmas vigil mass' at 7:30 with a children's choir plus an adult choir and a Christmas pageant beforehand).
She was so cute!
Our Christmas eve was full of last-minute rehearsals, decorating and the special post-mass supper. We ended up staying up late as my husband wanted to watch A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve just as his family always did.
To tell the truth an evening with a nice dinner then read-alouds or a special movie capped with Midnight Mass and post-mass supper starts sounding attractive when I'm filling a stockpot in the morning so that there will be a hot meal whenever my crew will be available to eat between the morning/afternoon rehersals and getting to the church early for setup.  [it's a very good thing we live five minutes drive from the church]
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florasita
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yes , our 3yo grandson had a blast at dinner opening Christmas crackers . The crackers contained little facts and trivia notes . He wanted to join in and held his note and asked his mum " what flavour is strawberry ? " we all guessed and then he said the answer " bubble gum of course " it was such a sweet moment he looked so grown up in his dress shirt and tie .
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Chris V
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I love reading about all the special Christmas moments, gifts and blessings to you all !
This past summer my husband bought himself an old, old, old coal forge that was used at the turn of the century, circa 1901. He has tremendous respect for those that hobby / construct / build their own "stuff". He is a hunter and outdoor sportsman that typically uses a bow and arrow to hunt in the true spirit of the sport of big game hunting. However, has recently been interested in using a black-powder muzzleloader for his big game hunting.
Last year he made his own muzzleloader, with the exception of the metal-work...hence the need for a coal forge, for his own blacksmithing.
...You might see where my story is going, well, fast forward to Christmas morning when my Mother managed to find a local source of true Kentucky coal (we live in WA state), and put it in his stocking ~ a Hardy-Har-Har laugh was had by all! (And 50 lbs. of it in the garage to take home.)
...just one of many highlights...
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Maddie
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Chris V wrote:
...You might see where my story is going, well, fast forward to Christmas morning when my Mother managed to find a local source of true Kentucky coal (we live in WA state), and put it in his stocking ~ a Hardy-Har-Har laugh was had by all! (And 50 lbs. of it in the garage to take home.)
...just one of many highlights... |
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I love it! My 14yo has his own forge, I got him a set on tongs for Christmas. He asked for coal in his stocking too! I'll have to tell him about your dh making his own muzzle loader, my ds watches the LOTR movies in slo-mo so he can study the weaponry.
I took my older troop to Midnight Mass and they sang Christmas carols for me on the way home, okay, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was one of them...
My oldest ds made all his siblings their own tin cups so they could play Little House authentically. The little ones were so happy and they just showered ds18 with hugs, kisses, and thank-you's. Oldest dd bought her siblings gifts too, it was just so sweet to see the older children loving their sibs and giving gifts to them.
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KauaiCatholic
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I struggled this season with avoiding the secular, reindeer/Santa "twaddle" that is so prevalent in our culture (or even church ... DS's CCD class made Santa ornaments for the last Sunday of Advent.  ) I was also bummed that our parish choir didn't sing a single Christmas hymn until Christmas Eve. and while I tried to play religious CDs as often as I could, and we read/sang "Silent Night" at bedtime, I was saddened to notice the kids gravitate toward the bouncy, secular stuff if they had a choice. this was weighing on my heart, since so many of my childhood memories are tied up in those lovely old songs.
but then, on Christmas Eve, when the choir finally started "Silent Night," both of my DC looked up at me with wide-eyed wonder and "ohhs!" of delight. we all held hands and sang along ... it was a precious moment of joy that warms me every time I think of it.
so maybe there's hope for us after all. I think next year I'll hide the secular CDs and shop around for more cheerful versions of the hymns ... any suggestions?
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Viviane
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We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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guitarnan
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Viviane, I so understand your comments...we do all Advent music at our church until 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, but so much of the Advent music seems less lovable.
We have L'Angelus' Christmas CD (and their new Sacred Hymns CD) - they are both beautiful - you might want to look at those for next year. And then...play them all through the real Christmas season, through Epiphany!
The music thing takes time, really - we have to live for a while to associate music with happy family memories. It sounds like you're doing everything right!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Topic: Best Christmas moment?
