Your most memorable Christmas

[RCSO-7S05]

Do you remember which Christmas sticks out in your mind. I remember I was waiting for a mini-bike, I finally got one on my 9th birthday. The only problem was my parents stored it at a neighbors so I would'nt find it, that's where the Fire Dept. came into play. My Christmas present went up with the rest of the house fire!

[shooter1201]

I have several.

Christmas 1976: I got a Remington M788, .308

Christmas 1980: I gave my wife her engagement ring

Christmas 1982: Our first one(Married May 1982)

Christmas 1984: My daughter's first one

Christmas 2002: I *think* my daughter is getting HER engagement ring

[RachelR]

Careful Shooter, you're aging yourself!

[Mitzi]

Christmas 1982.....My son had his first brain surgery 4 days before Christmas

Christmas 2000.....Got a diamond wrap for my diamond ring PLUS diamond earrings. Took me completely by surprise.

Christmas 2002.....went to my parents, big step for me. Had a lot of fun driving my police officer niece and nephews crazy

[Traffic_Goddess]

The one that most sticks out in my mind is Christmas 1990. It was my first Christmas that I actually was working as a police officer because even though I had been a police officer for the prior one, I had spent it in a hospital bed after being hit by a drunk while I was on a traffic stop. (I don't remember much from that time...my first real memories were New Year's Eve because they dropped a huge, lit-up Strawberry right out side my hosptial window. Whoopee!LOL)
Anyway, I had gotten especially close to a family in my jurisdiction and I had offered to take a double shift 4-Mid, Mid -8 into Christmas. I was the only one on the department that was single and/or kidless.
So, I spent a large part of that time with this family, when I wasn't answering calls or patrolling. They had four kids and the oldest son was starting to think that Santa wasn't the real deal. About 0200 hrs, my friend paged me and when I arrived, I saw that she and her husband were putting the gifts under the tree. She asked me to write a letter to her son and tell him that I, Santa, was real. I wrote the letter, feeling like a true part of their family while they were delighted when they heard the "pursuit" of an erratic operator of a sleigh over the police radio, (complete with excited yelling and sirens)!
It was aspecial Christmas, but it was also a bit sad because I think I always thought that Santa just might be the real deal.

[Mitzi]

He is the real deal, Traffic Goddess. It's like shooter said he told his students...."When you are young, you believe in Santa, then you don't. Then, when you are adults, you believe again." I thought it was such a profound statement. And it's true. We all know ther isn't a Sanat but it's so much fun to believe there is.

[Snoopy1]

Christmas 1970

This was the first Christmas after my ex moved out. Best Christmas I had in seven years.

[InSane1]

lol Snoopy... My best christmas will hopefully be this year. NO IN LAWS.... I actually have the day off, which is weird cause I havent had it off in FOREVER. Plus.. I actually get to spend the day with my mom and dad.. FINALLY... I miss our christmas. I'ma make a big ole meal I think. Im gonna eat, pass out and let the kids do all the dishes.. JUST LIKE WHEN I WAS YOUNG!

[Traffic_Goddess]

Thank you, Mitzi...I needed that reminder.
I think that this one might be okay, the only part that I'm excited about is that my son is three and really getting into it, this year.
Other than that, it's probably going to suck.

[Mitzi]

Oh, TrafficGoddess, if you have a 3 year old at Christmas, it could never suck! That's such a fun age! I hope it's a happy day for you. I get the holiday blues sometimes. It's always been such a struggle with our families. We got so fed up, we have been staying home for years. But, we are going to my parentsfor the second year in a row. My Mother has learned that, if she starts in in me, I will leave, so she behaves herself now.

[Snoopy1]

I also got depressed around Christmas when I was in my 20s. There were no little kids to buy gifts for and take to see Santa. Even though I knew what Christmas was REALLY about, there was just something missing.

Then came years of hiding in the garage late at night wrapping packages and spending Christmas morning sitting in the middle of the living room floor assembling toys. It seemed to take forever and I usually had one or two pieces left over. I think the manufacturer put extras in the box in case some got lost. The toy usually worked.

[ 12-15-2002, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: Snoopy1 ]

[Traffic_Goddess]

Thanks, Mitzi-
I'll try, but like I said, I don;t hold out much hope.

[KenM]

I guess it was when I was about 12 or 13. My whole family decided it was time to do something different so we skipped the whole turkey thing and all pitched in to make Chinese food for X-Mas. Times were tight because my Dad had been injured and had been off work for several months but it didn't matter. It was fun with all of us sitting around the table making egg rolls and talking into the night.

[Chiefy_Brown]

CHINESE AT CHRISTMAS ? well ok it's different BUT ......

Mitzi - I loved your 2 posts, 1 about believing in Father Christmas the other about a 3 year old at Christmas, both so true, nice one

my best Christmas was the one where they decided to screen THUNDERBIRDS, STINGRAY - fireball XL5 and JOE 90 one after another on TV

I was so excited I could not believe it (I WAS 10) anyway the following year I was sure they would do the same again and painfully painfully found out that this was not to be I was so flippin' disappointed I tell you

[nickg]

1985 -- my son was born about 3 weeks earlier, so it was our first Christmas with him.

on the very opposite end of the spectrum, Christmas Eve is also a sad day for me because my Dad passed away on Christmas Eve 1987.

but i always look at the wonderful Christmases we had together and that brightens up the day for me. You couldn't open any presents until Dad/Grandpa said so. "now can we open them?" "now can we open them?" "now can we open them?"

and all these years later i still miss him on Christmas Eve.

[ 12-17-2002, 04:17 PM: Message edited by: nickg ]