Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Finale.

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, 

doesn't come from a store."

~Dr. Seuss

Over the past 20 days, I have been on a quest to bring the magic of Christmas back to my heart and life.  I somehow lost the spirit of my favorite time of year over the past few years and I am very happy to say that I have re-ignited that flame and this has been a most wonderful Christmas for me.  This final edition is dedicated to family.  Not just any family, but my family.

I honestly don't know where I'd be without my family.  My girls and parents, especially.  My girls are my world. My everything.  Christmas probably wouldn't even be worth the craziness if I didn't have them.  My parents, have been two of the few people who have been by my side, supported me through every crazy decision, moment, and turn of my life.  I don't know how I'd get through just a normal day, let alone Christmas if I didn't have my girls or my parents in my life.  

I don't want Christmas to be over tomorrow.  I wish it weren't going to be here for a few more days.  Just so I can have a few more days of the anticipation, the preparations, the craziness.  Christmas is hard for a lot of people.  I tried to explain to Caitlin, just yesterday when she had a huge breakdown about her grandfather not being here this year for Christmas, that it is important to remember the good times, and keep them present in your heart, rather then dwelling on the fact that they aren't here.  This is very hard, I know, but it makes hard times that much more bearable when you can stop yourself from falling into negative thoughts and bring the positive ones forward.  

This year, Christmas has been amazing!!!  For the first time, I did what my mom use to do with me, I took Caitlin shopping for her presents, but still have a few tricks up my sleeve.  I also have started to teach Laurana what the true meaning of Christmas really is, that isn't not just about presents, but about family.  She's so cute when she goes through her list of family.  I have a man who is simply amazing, he treats me with love and respect and thinks it's cute when I sing (he must be deaf!!! LOL). 

For the first time in a LONG time, I feel like how I use to at Christmas time.  I don't feel like anything is missing, in fact, I'm so happy, I could cry!!!!  I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey, but even more so, I hope, more then anything, if you were like me and unable to find the magic of Christmas, that this helped you, even just a little.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Parts 12 & 13.

"To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good 

will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born 

in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its 

gleam of hope to the world."

~ Calvin Coolidge

Parts 12 & 13 are dedicated to Giving and Receiving. They go hand in hand and when executed properly, they fill you with all the warm and fuzzy feelings of the holiday season!   It is my personal preference to be the one giving gifts, rather then receiving during the holidays.  If you are asking why the answer is simple, I enjoy seeing people smile and the anticipation of opening the gifts is wonderful as well.  

The gift giving part of Christmas, to me, is all about the kids though.  I don't buy many gifts for adults, I would much rather spend the money on the kids just to see their HUGE smiles when they see all that Santa has left for them.  There is really nothing more exciting then to see a child on Christmas morning.  

My youngest has only really asked for one thing this year ... the Disney Princess Ultimate Dream Castle.  I will feel bad when she doesn't get it at our house on Christmas morning, but when she opens it at my mom's house, she will be ecstatic!!!! I really cannot wait to see the look on her face when she gets it!  My oldest pretty much knows everything she's getting this year, which kinda takes the fun out of it, but I have a few surprises up my sleeve that she doesn't know about :) 

Receiving presents is always nice, but I think that a lot of people expect to receive just because they are giving.  In my family, we have this thing where we see who can make who cry with a card or gift and that person gets to hold the bragging rights till the next gift giving time.  It's all in good fun and makes finding that perfect card or gift a bit of a challenge.  But the only thing I ask for is to have family together.  I don't need anything physical to open or anything like that, just a happy gathering of people to make memories with, that we will have to hold in our hearts forever. 

Caitlin in 2009 opening her Wii

Laurana's 1st Christmas - 2009

Do you have any fun giving or receiving traditions? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 11.

"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart.  

To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child,

a good example. To yourself, respect."

~Oren Arnold

Part 11 is dedicated to best friends. I have a few besties, but one very best friend who I lost for a while but am lucky enough to have her back in my life.  Quite obvious, but best friends are those in your life who know EVERYTHING and are still there for you.  They are the ones we call first when we have exciting news, are sad, heart broken, scared, happy and when we just need someone to listen.  A true best friend will be the one to give it to you straight and won't sugar coat it.  

My bestie, Lynn, has been in my life since we were kids, I want to say maybe 7 or 8, maybe younger, it's been soo long that I don't even remember.  She's literally 6 days older then me, and yes, I make sure I taunt her for that! LOL  Lynn and I had a falling out sometime around age 13, when I was dating a boy that lived on her street that she TRIED to warn me about.  Needless to say, she was right, and I had lost my best friend.  So, we both struggled through the next 20ish years without each other. I thought about Lynn frequently over the years of her not being in my life anymore.  Tried to locate her on social media, then one day, it happened.  I guess the time was right for us to be back in each others lives.

Today I couldn't imagine another day of my life without her in it.  I would be devastated if something happened and she was no longer a part of my life.  We keep each other going. We build each other back up when we get knocked down. We laugh and cry together. Lynn is the one person, who, above anyone else, knows EVERYTHING about me.  I know she will never judge me for a single thing that I do and I know that I can count on her for anything!!!  We recently got matching tattoos of a Celtic friendship knot and a quote that says "Friendship is a knot tied by angels hands".  She is so much more then a friend, she is a sister to me, and having her in my life is one of the greatest gifts I could ever ask for.

Lynn and I at Def Leppard 8/2012

I should also make a few honorable mentions here as well, as I have a few other people who have really stuck by my side over the past few years and have helped me get through some of the toughest times and decisions that I've had to make.

Brian - I'm not even sure what to really call him, he's so much more then a friend and even more then a brother to me, he's like my siamese twin who was detached at birth, a part of me no matter how far away he is.  Brian has been there for me in ways that I didn't even know about until just recently.  If the day ever came that he was not in my life, a very large part of my soul and heart would be gone.

Jen, my soul mate, came into my life in 2009 when I first photographed her family for the holidays.  The moment we met, we were instant friends!  Jen is an amazing woman who I also do not know what I would do without her in my life.  We walk on many of the same paths, which helps us keep each other strong when the path gets a bit rough.

Nichole, my sister from another mister (and mrs, for that matter LOL).  Nikki was another friend that I lost contact with for a while, but now that she is back in my life, I don't want to go a single day without her.  We may not talk as much as could or should, but I know, without a doubt that if I needed her, she'd drop everything in the blink of an eye to be there for me and I would do the same for her.

Linda, Georgette, Dave, Kim, Jeff, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah, Jess, Diana, Theresa, Jerry, Henry and probably a few others that I left out (sorry in advance!!!!) - friends who support me and push me to keep going when I am losing hope.  All in my life for very different reasons, but all just as important to me. 

Who are your cherished friends? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 9.

"You see, Mrs. Walker, this is quite an opportunity 

for me. For the past 50 years or so I've been getting

 more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're 

all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster and look shinier and cost less that Christmas 

and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle."

~Kris Kringle (Miracle on 34th Street)

Part 9 is dedicated to making new traditions.  When I was kid, I use to think Christmas would remain the same, see Part 2 of this series to read about what Christmas was like when I was young.  Then, all of a sudden, it wasn't. Something changed.  I don't think I can really pinpoint the year it changed, but there came a point in time when Gram stopped making dinner, family stopped coming over and spending the day and it was just ... different.  Everything changed, but didn't.  Then we grew up, grew apart and now, if we see each other on the holidays, it's merely a coincidence.

So, Christmas traditions changed.  But it never seemed to be the same.  Then in 2001, when Gram died, Christmas would never be what she made it to be.  Christmas, as we knew it in our family, died, with my grandmother.  That first Christmas after she died was tough!!!  And my own Christmas traditions really didn't start to become real traditions until 2007, when I bought my house, could have a real tree again and decided that I would be the one making Christmas dinner every year.  The only thing that mattered to me then was that my daughter had a nice Christmas, and that she had some sort of tradition to count on each year just like I did.

As stated in Part 1, in 2004, my oldest daughter and I began our own new tradition of buying a new ornament each year for our tree, which I now also do with my youngest.  Their first year out on their own, they will both receive their ornaments as a set to remind them of our annual Christmas tradition, which I fully intend on continuing with them even after they are all grown up and beginning to make their own traditions.  I have made Christmas dinner  for the past 5 years and my parents, aunt and uncle come over and share in a feast.  This year is different, though.  This year, the difference is what has changed during this year.  A new beginning means new traditions will also begin. 

Now to get to my point of this post, as one tradition ends, it doesn't mean that Christmas isn't what it should be, it simply means it is evolving. Imagine if everything stayed the same, how boring would life be?  But there are certain things that people want to remain the same, forever.  Unfortunately, forever isn't, well ... forever. People get depressed around the holidays, they miss their loved ones who have passed, miss traditions of days gone by and this causes them to hate this time of year.  Holiday shopping becomes a hassle rather then memories to be made and people just seem to be too busy to really see the true magic of Christmas as adults.   It's time to wake up and smell that freshly brewed coffee you make everyday and realize that as one tradition ends, it is up to you to create new ones, with the people that are in your life today, they are the ones that are the most important and are the ones who will help make new Christmas traditions with you.  Whether your new traditions are similar to those of yesteryear or completely different, one thing is for certain, they are YOURS. And they are IMPORTANT.  Don't let the spirit of Christmas get lost in change, embrace that change and let the spirit of Christmas live within your heart and start making new traditions that can be carried on and shared with future generations.  

What has changed in your traditions and how have you made new traditions? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 6.

"That son of a bitch would freeze up in the middle 

of summer on the equator!"

~Mr. Parker

Part 6 is dedicated to the first snow fall of the season!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE snow!!!!!! I can remember growing up waiting for the very first snow fall of the year!!! We use to pray for a White Christmas and I honestly cannot remember ever having a green Christmas when I was young! 

I love going to bed at night and then waking up to freshly fallen snow covering the trees and houses.  It looks so beautiful!!!  New and glistening snow is my absolute favorite to photograph!!!!  

Snow reminds me of when I was young. I loved making snow angels and both of my girls enjoy it as well!  I think this year, when it snows again, I will make snow angels with them!  Laurana likes to eat the snow, I have to constantly remind her to not eat the yellow snow!!! And the brown snow!!!  She also likes to make snow balls and throw at me!  I miss the days of snowball fights over the bushes. Maybe if we get enough snow this year, we'll make snow forts and have snowball fights in the backyard!!!!

My girls in 2010

Do you have a favorite snow story?

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 3.

"No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 

Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"

~Ralphie

Part 3 is dedicated to a tradition from my German roots.  The Christmas Pickle.  I don't entirely remember when this tradition began in my family, but it is something I have carried with me for as long as I can remember and enjoy with my girls. 

The legend of the Christmas Pickle says that the pickle, a symbol of good luck, was the last ornament placed on the tree (hidden deep inside the middle somewhere).  The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning was rewarded with an extra gift left by St. Nicolas.  This tradition encourages children to appreciate all the beautiful ornaments on the tree, rather then just rushing to see what Santa has left for them. 

I can remember when we were kids, we'd go and get our tree, then we'd have to let it settle (so the ornaments didn't fall off when the branches dropped, or at least that was the excuse LOL) then when the tree was ready, we'd decorate it and the pickle was always the last ornament to go on the tree before we put our topper on.  I was always so excited when we put the pickle on the tree.  I think it was because it was just an odd ornament, a pickle.  But still, a tradition that we shared together as a family.  

A few years ago, I handed out Christmas Pickles to all of my family and close friends (who didn't already have one) so that I could share a favorite family tradition with all of them.  There are certain theories that this was not actually a German tradition, but one that originated in the USA, I still keep it in the German part of my heart ♥

What's your favorite family tradition? 


Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 2.

"Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl."

-~Ralphie

Yesterday, you may have read my first part of this 20 day journey of bringing the magic back into Christmas for me and it must have intrigued you enough that you have come back for more insight!  Well, for that, I thank you!!!  

Today's edition goes out to my grandmother, Evelyn Wallace. The woman who made Christmas a family affair for many years!!!  

My gram at my aunts wedding in 1995

My grandmother passed away in Jan of 2001, 3 months before I was to get married. My grandmother LOVED Christmas!!!  Every year, without fail, she would go all out with decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping gifts all with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth!  I remember, as clear as day, my grandmother standing in the kitchen cooking, cigarette in her mouth, ash as long as the cigarette itself, still intact, it was almost an art.  My grandmother had a knack for singing out of tune, and usually not knowing the words, so she'd repeat them after the singer.

Christmas Day at my house went a little like this when we were kids: Go to bed early, ya know, like 9 o'clock early, *maybe* sleep till 6 am (good thing mom always had the coffee on a timer to start at 5 am, so no need to wait for the coffee to be done!!!!), wake up mom and dad, turn on TBS so we can watch the 24 hour marathon of "A Christmas Story", start opening our presents around 6:30 am, don't forget the stockings!!!!!!!!  Then after we were all done, we would wait *impatiently* to hear gram and gramps stirring around downstairs so that we could head down and open our gifts, usually sometime around 8:30 or 9. My aunts, uncles and cousins would start to pour in around then as well and we'd all play with our gifts while the adults would have conversations of whatever adults talked about back in the 80's (LOL).  Meanwhile, my grandmother was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready.  The dinner table was set for the adults and the kids had to eat at the kids table in the kitchen, we didn't care though.  The best part of the day was when we all sat down for dinner, and everything seemed to slow down just for a bit. Then, as the dishes piled up in my grandmother's sink, it was over. And we would all go our separate ways. 

My gram was a wonderful woman, her old German attitude was that of "I don't care what you think of me, it's not important, I am happy with who I am." And she was!  I never understood my grandparents relationship, they always seemed so cold towards each other, then I seen that spark, at their 50th Wedding Anniversary, my grandfather looked at my grandmother like she the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. The day my grandmother passed away was the first time I had ever seen my father cry.  I miss my gram the most at Christmas time, it's just not the same without her, but her passing brought us something that few people even take the chance to notice ... a grandfather with a new more light-hearted look at life.  Yea, that spark I seen on their wedding anniversary, is now alive within a grumpy old man who use to yell at us for running down the stairs and jumping around like a bunch of fools.

Do you have a special memory of your grandparents at Christmas? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 1.

"Oooh fuuudge!"

"Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, 

the big one, the queen-mother of dirty 

words, the 'F-dash-dash-dash' word!" 

~Ralphie

My oldest making Christmas Cookies in 2003

It's no secret that I am a Christmas fanatic!!!  I love everything about the Christmas season, snow included.  Christmas in our house is so much more then just Santa Claus and gifts.  I encourage my children to believe in the spirit of a man who gave to those in need, and instill what the real meaning of Christmas is.  

A real tree fills our home with the scents of the season and for the past 5 years I have cooked Christmas dinner, each year making a new traditional Scottish cuisine dish. We have turkey, ham and duck, stuffing, mashed potatoes (usually lumpy - I try, what can I say LOL), cranberries, the whole kit and caboodle.  It may seem like a lavish meal fit for a king, but it's just one meal shared at my table among family. 

Since my divorce, my oldest daughter, Caitlin, and I have shared a tradition of buying a new ornament each year, we pick it out together and she hangs it on the tree each year.  I started this with my youngest, Laurana, last year.   Christmas has never been about the amount of gifts under the tree or the money spent on them.  I have always tried to instill that Christmas is about sharing a special day and celebrating with family.

I feel that I lost a lot of my Christmas spirit over the past few years, without boring you with the fine details, let's just say I feel it was due to a period of needing to re-create myself.  I lost my way because I was so wrapped up in someone else's pain that I barely enjoyed my favorite time of year.  I felt very alone and without much love in my situation which is what took the magic out Christmas for me.  This year, however, I feel soooo different!!!!  I have that giddy, little girl feeling back again and I am in love with the feeling!!!! 

This upcoming weekend, I am fulfilling two bucket list items, to see the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center all lit up and to see a Broadway show, so what better show to see then my all time favorite Christmas Classic, "A Christmas Story"!!!!!  I simply cannot explain how excited I am to go to NYC and enjoy and experience this magical place during the Christmas season!!!!

Next week, I will be preparing my home to put up a tree and decorate it and for the first time ever, I am going to decorate the outside of my home as well.  So, what brought the magic of Christmas back to me, you might be asking?  There are many things that have helped with this, keep an eye out for new posts as I unveil what re-sparked my Christmas fire.

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine

http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com