My Christmas Memories

I have a feeling that this year is going to be my favorite Christmas to date. That probably has a little something to do with a Miss Shelbia Drew...so I was on my way home from Birmingham today and I was thinking of some of my favorite Christmas memories, and I thought I would jot them down on my blog for my family to read....hopefully these are a few of their favorites as well!

1...When Zach and I were really young, we lived in a house that my mom painted Smurf blue. Literally. When my dad got remarried, thank goodness his new wife repainted it a tannish color. Our Christmas tree was right next to the door and Zach and I were opening gifts and we had a puzzle wrapped under the tree...and in that box...a red feather from Santa's bag!!!!! I remember being soooo happy and running to my step-mom and telling her that we found a red feather in our puzzle box, and it MUST have gotten there from Santa's bag. I don't know if she remembers that, but I sure do.

2. My first CD player. I think I was about 8. I of course got a CD with it. Paula Abdul...Shut up and Dance!!!! My brother got a huge GI Joe, because I obviously had complained enough to my mother about him stealing my Ken doll...however, Barbie certainly had a much bigger, hotter date after Christmas that Year.

3. Baking Christmas cookies with my Squiddles! My cousin Syd and I would bake cookies every year and we were really bad at it....and she uses WAY TOO much frosting...and a lot of sprinkles. She was always into sparkles and shiny things as a kid, and it just carried over into the baking. We would still continue that tradition if we lived closer together. The last time we made cookies was about 4 years ago when we went to Oklahoma, and I should say they turned out really nice. Here is a photo of us as kids!

4. Zach-After opening up our Christmas stockings, and when my mom wasn't looking, Zach looks at me and says..."hey, fallon, do you want this collection of soul music mom put in my stocking?" It wasn't a collection of soul music. It was a Collective Soul CD.

5. The first vacation to Universal Studios with my husband...was at Christmas time...I knew on that vacation that I loved him. We had only been dating for about 4 months at the time...and now look where we are! This photo was taken a few years ago...I think before we were married!

6. And of course there is my memories of my mother. My sweet, sweet crazy mother. This

category deserves a spotlight of it's own...so here goes...Christmas memories of Kristen:

A. Buying Zach a "plot of land on the moon" and wrapping moon dust under the tree

B. Buying Zach a video camera, in about 2002, that still took VHS...oh he was THRILLED with that one!

C. For some reason, Zach always got chocolate in his stocking...and me: KIWI. YUM!

D. I got a chia pet from her about 4 years ago. I think I left it at her house on purpose.

E. When Sean spent his first Christmas with us, he looked in his stocking and quietly whispered to me: "I think your mom put Apple Lip Gloss in my stocking"...that was in addition to the seat that went on the bottom of a bucket for him to fish with and the ever-popular slinky.

F. Oh, the year she wrapped all of our presents in purple Kwanza paper...because it was "on

sale"

G. I do remember our first trip to New Orleans was with her over Christmas, and it was magical...all of the lights in the park....It was awesome. We later went with my Aunt Patti and Jo and Syd...and that year, I think my brother had a crush on my cousin, because Zach had his arm around Jordan the whole time. (they were like 7, people!!!!) But that was an awesome time

H. Mom and I tried to make a pumpkin pie one year...she forgot to remove the plastic from the top of the pie crust. We have that on video tape...and yes, a VHS!

I. Bienets EVERY Christmas Morning.

J. One year my mom bought all of my brother's gifts from Walgreens. I made her take them all back. He still owes me for that.

K. Mom got Zach a Prince "Greatest Hits" CD when he was like 7. Needless to say, when he got home, Dawn (our step-mom) with good reason took that CD away. Songs like "Sexy Mother-Fu****" and "Pu$$* Patrol" weren't exactly her idea of a 7 year old's play list. But my mom had really good intentions of making sure Zach had "good taste in music"

L. Once, my mom left a turkey on the stove, we left and the dog ate the entire thing. That was great!

M. It never fails that when our family and my aunt Patti's family get together over Christmas the following WILL take place: Chinese food, Playing Spoons, Zach getting PISSED at me because HE is a cheater at UNO, or Apples to Apples, or whatever game we play and he pouting to Jordan about it while Sydney and I gossip about them. Mom loves playing spoons.

Here is a great pic of my mom on Christmas a few years ago:

Just some odds and ends...and some funnies....

*Last year my dad bought me a trash can.

*Last year my husband thought I was going into labor because I was dancing to my MJ game too much.

*I'm looking forward to starting my own Christmas traditions with my family this year...and hopefully years to come

*I hope everyone who reads this has a great, great, great Christmas with their families and if I'm forgetting any memories...please post them on my facebook wall, because I love looking back and remembering all of them.

* I want my daughter to have just as many fond memories of me and Sean as I do of my family at Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope you all remember Jesus is the REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!!!!!