Bing

That is cool. Today is the one year anniversary of my little brother's death. He was 26. We went to the grave sight and planted a christmas tree. We all put special homemade/store bought ornaments on the tree. I made a leather coat popping out of wrapping paper. When my brother was about 12 and
I was 20, I was babbysitting him in December and we decided to go snooping into the christmas presents. I found a black leather coat that I loved, and Kyle told me that they bought it for me. I was so excited, imagine my surprise when my step-mother opened it up christmas morning. I stood up and yelled "Kyle you told me that was mine". We were busted! Last year for Christmas my father gave me a present from my brother Kyle- when I opened it up it was a black leather coat. I wore it today , even though it was only 20 degrees. I miss him so much, he always had the ability to make us all laugh. Even in death he is holding us all together.

Sorry...I wanna tell my story....but I'm gonna get really choked up if I do. and I dont wanna be a stuffy...since I'm just getting over being sick.

ok needing more tissues those stories were great thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks also for the inspiration to get decorating!! i have been feeling sorry for myself and said I wasn't putting up a tree this year. After reading your story, I feel guilty not putting up a tree. Tommorrow Parker and I are going x-mas tree hunting. This year I am going to start a new tradition--we are going to decorate the tree in his favorite theme--all Power Rangers!! This should be fun. I am going to make some of the ornaments at work today. Hopefully, I get my digital camera for x-mas and I can take a pic of my power ranger tree for you. Thanks SANTAxoxo

This is going to sound really weird..but I don't have any childhood favorite Christmas memories. Rarely were holidays happy in our family. They had a huge undertone of....well you could cut the tension with a knife.

The memories I treasure the most so far have been the years I've been on SFV. You guys have inspired me to create traditions with my family that ARE happy. When I haven't had much to put under the tree, or no money at all you all have come through for me time and time again even with the smallest of encouragements and sometimes even more. You showed me it was okay to ask for help, okay to tell families I wanted to spend the time with my children while I had both of them at home, and okay to enjoy a holiday in general.

So I have to say that not even the Christmas memories of the few years Sierra and I had before my son are in the book. The ones since finding my family here to teach me how to enjoy them and not get caught up in all the commercialization are all topping it off at my most memorable Christmas.

I don't remember much of my childhood. After my mom passed away when I was 17 I think I blocked out much of it. My sisters are no help with it either.

I do have fun memories as a teenager. My mom every year would be making some sort of crafts (which were gifts) on Christmas Eve. The Christmas right before she died was so funny. My sister had just gotten married at the beginning of December and it was the 1st Christmas that he would spend with us. Well my mom asked me and my sister to wrap gifts. I would wrap my sisters and she would wrap mine. They were all in boxes so I decided to take a peek, what harm could it do they weren't for me anyway. Or so I thought. My mother mislabeled the boxes and everyone got each others gift. My bil got some girls clothes. It was hilarious.

I do know that Christmas was my mother's favorite holiday so I hold that in my heart. I also try to make it very special for my girls.

Ok...I have 3 stories:

Here's number one....
I was about 8 years old...We lived in Gilroy, CA. (Yes, the Garlic Capital of the world) I grew up very poor....we lived (9 of us) in some old migrant farm worker apartments on the edge of town....in the midde of this huge farming acreage.

We had just moved from the Phoenix area to there....knew no one buy my Aunt kids who were much older for the most part...and lived too far.

We had no Xmas Tree...no presents...only decoration that we had made ourselves with paper, glue, scissors, string..etc.

So on Chritmas Eve this package arrives....Big, Big Huge Box! To my 8 year old eyes...it seemed that it was bigger than me!

On the top it said "Special Delivery, from the North Pole" and Merry Xmas! love Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Inside...were presents....with our names designating which present went to whom.
Also inside was an artificial tree...complete with ornaments and lights....A Canned Ham, vegetables, dressing, etc.

Then on Xmas morning...my parents took us all up to the top of Mt. Madonna and we played in the fresh snow that had fallen up their the night before.

It was such a surprise.... and at such a welcome time, that I never forgot it.

Story number 2:

Happened the next year,
back in the same situation...but a nicer house....in town.

No Box this time...no last minute save by who knows who...NO presents under the tree...oh yes, we did have a Christmas tree.

So...as sad as we were...someone got the idea to go to our own things...and give each other gifts from what had. So all 7 of us kids spent the evening with tape, scissors and wrapping paper, doing botch jobs of wrapping up our prized possessions for each other and putting them under the tree.

In the morning.....The tree was full of real presents. but none more real than the presents we gave to each other.

One of the best Christmas's I remember was the first Christmas I joined the military.
We were in a new place and didn't have much at the time. So my mother-in-law sent us a picture of her Christmas tree and we put the poloroid up on the wall and put our presents under the picture. (Yes we have issues).
I did put up ornaments and garland on the bookshelves but it was the coolest thing to have our presents under our picture tree.

Paul -- you are making me cry

quote:

Originally posted by HannahsBoy:
Today I got a hand painted card in the mail that said “ Merry Christmas Santa”

Oh great between Paul's story and yours I am crying away at my desk.

I can't read any more of these.

My best Christmas........2005! 6 days after my X left me and my 3 little helliions. took all the money and ran. The military tried putting me on duty that day but i traded it with someone not going any where for the holidays. A few ppl whent out and got presents for my kids and i think i was in tears the whole day because i had never had any one give me or my kids nothing. it ment so much and there was lots of toys even though i couldnt afford any. i spent the whole day with the kids trying to explain that what you do in life no matter good or bad leaves an impact............3 1 and 4 months.............. yea i think i was talking to myself.

Story #3: Which was my best Christmas....

I was about 24 or 25, My oldest was about 4 years old....Jeremy was a little baby, and I had just lost my job over and argument with the boss. I had made really good money up to that point and could not find a replacment job making anywhere near what I was. Any money I had save was quickly gone...and I was being forced to file for bankruptcy. We were going to lose both vehicles, my house, and most of our belongings.

I had already gone to various social services, for financial assistance, picked up a food box here and there. I didnt have any money to pay my utility bills, so was sitting in meeting with the financial assistance departments to see how they could help me; water, electric, phone, and gas.

I was at the end of my rope....working to provide for my family was the only thing I'd ever believed I could do right, and now that was gone. I was very distraught, and really not seeing how i could continue this way. I had found a job, but it was not bringing in nearly enough and was just covering essentials and a little groceries.

I dropped my self back down on my bed and was pretty much giving up...my then wife, bless her heart was so supportive and encouraging....but I had emotionally given up. After a while of just bawling my eyes out in frustration...we went and sat down to do nothing and watch TV.

We lived on a small unfenced corner lot at the time with pretty good visibilty all around. As we sat there, there was a knock at the door. It was probably 8 steps the door as I looked out...no one there. Thinking it was the neighbor hood brats...I ran to the back door and looked out...no one there.

I went back to the front door, and opened it. still no one there...but on the ground was a minimum of 5 bags.

In the bags was food, all kinds of food! Everything needed for weeks! Stuff I couldnt even usually afford to buy myself!

There was also diapers, baby wipes, toiletries...we couldnt believe it!

Btw, we did have a Christmas tree...it was prett sad looking and empty underneath.

The next day I was at the employment office reporting my efforts at job hunting when my wife called me. She said I had to come home right away cause she had received phone call anonymously ...and ..well...so I went home.

The phone call had left an address saying that we had been chosen for something and that we had to go pick it up. So we packed up the kids...and headed to this address.

We ended up at one of the largest Salvation Army buildings I'd ever seen. When we pulled up there we people directing traffic, people with clipboards, and tons of people working everywhere! talk about a well oiled machine. I was glad we had brough the Jeep cherokee...cause as we pulled up they asked our name and looked it up, then smiled and said "Ok, pop the trunk!" So, I did..and people came out of nowhere and filled my vehicle with food, blankets, toiltrieds, deocorations...anything else you could think of. Then a lady appeared on the passenger side as says, Ok pull up into a parking space..Santa's inside waiting! That was all my little girl needed to hear!

So we parked, pulled the kids out...and walked into the building...there was a short line..and people and presents everywhere with laughing, crying, screaming, squealing and christmas music playing....everything happened so fast...I barely even noticed my kid with Santa as I was trying to take it all in. It was all so surreal. People again appeared out of nowhere with arms full of presents for all of us!

Then they helped us load them in to our vehicle.

We didnt say much all the way home...stunned from the experience, Jeremy chewed on a rattle and Allison held onto a barbie doll.

I've never forgotten what they did for my little family that year....how they may have literally saved my life....and give as much as I can EVERY year.

I've dropped large amounts into the kettles over the years...every once in a while being stopped by the attendant, who asks me " Sir, that's a X dollar bill, u sure you want to put that in there?" I just smile and say "Yes, I'm sure".

Paul I just love that story. I couldn't think of a person more deserving.