Most of you know that this is the first Christmas since my mother died. I have been taking a journey back to Christmases past. I remember that my mom loved Christmas and the music that makes Christmas. Her favorite record was the Partridge Family’s Christmas; several years ago I found it on CD. My mother would make all kinds of cookies; sand tarts, cut outs, Michigan rocks and so much more. I remember going to the five and dime to buy her a corsage for a $1.00. It was not much but she wore with pride. At this moment I wonder if my children bought some like that, would I wear it?. The Christmas tree was also a big thing. We would go out and cut it down, I have to tell you my father did not enjoy this part of Christmas. The biggest tree we had was the year Dale and I were engaged. It was so big that it took up 90% of our living room. Family played a big part in our Christmas. I remember our grandparents coming to our home and every year we had to show off all of our presents. I also remember as a teen ager and going to Mamaw and Pop Pop, and Nannan. They were my father’s parents and grandmother. I remember sometime at the Christmas meal my great Grandmother praying in German. When we got older and my sisters were married they would all come to house to spend a day or sometimes a weekend at home. One of things we did back then was tell stories about us growing up. We do not do that much anymore. The first year Dale and I were dating the story went on until one in the morning. When Dale got home and his parents asked why he was out so late and he told about us telling stories. They could not believe it. Then there were the years when we would go to one of my sister’s homes. That started a new tradition which began by surprising the person who was hosting the gathering in the middle of the night. That did not always turn out right. A couple of the years we told everyone that had to make homemade gift which was not hard because my family is very crafty. I actually knitted booties for my nephew Raymond. One year my one brother in law made a wooden truck for one of the boys. He worked at a organ factory and got scrap wood. My family has grown and is larger than the church we pastor, so it has become hard to get all of us together. We no longer fit in a house, so we have our Christmases at church(thank goodness we have a lot of pastors) and a couple years at a YMCA. This year will be hard of my family with the thought that my mother is not with us. We will always have her in our memory.