Memories of Christmas

I absolutely love Christmas! I love everything about it. I love the lights, the colors, the sounds, the smells, and so much more. Christmas in my family has always been a bit of a big deal. Hours spent decorating, and so many memories of our family all gathered together. I have attempted to capture some of that excitement and love in a few pictures that I have taken over the years. I have finally had the opportunity to put them all together, and I couldn't be happier. Some of these pictures were taken years ago, and others were taken more recently. I figured with the holiday season right around the corner, it was the best time to put all this together. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

We all remember the excitement of waiting in that long line of children at the department store, or at the mall, waiting to see Santa! And we see that same excitement on our children's faces as they wait to see him, as well. This was taken quite a few years ago, as I waiting in line with my oldest daughter, so that she could sit on Santa's lap. She was so excited she could barely stand still. This photo was kind of taken on accident, as I was showing my mother how to use my camera. I just pointed and clicked the button. The result was so beautiful and charming, that I had to keep it. I love it all the more for the fact that it was a happy accident. It has a natural feel to it that I probably would have screwed up if I had tried to do it on purpose.

Some of us believe in angels and then, there are some of us who don't. It doesn't matter whether you do, or not. Though, I think at Christmas, everyone believes in angels, at least for a few days. After my sister passed away, angel statues and figures started showing up all over our house. Not by magic, of course, but because of my mother, and others. This angel sat on the mantle, watching over us with her serene face. There is so much peace in this photo.

One of my favorite things about Christmas time is when we get out the artificial tree, or after we have searched high and low for a real tree, and we have pulled out all the boxes of decorations. I look forward to it for months before Christmas even comes. If we used the artificial tree, it went up the day after Thanksgiving. We waited a little longer if we got a real tree. You kind of have to, unless you want a bald tree on Christmas, and a pile of needles all over the place. I do love the smell of a real Christmas tree, though. Just the smell brings back so many memories.

Christmas is a crazy, chaotic time filled with flashing lights, tons of rushing around, shopping, squeezing in time with as much family as you can, and just so much more. It can be a little stressful. I love that crazy pace, though. Something about it just energizes me. I don't really know why. A lot of people get stressed at the holidays, and I do, too, don't get me wrong, but there is just something exciting about all that energy. This photo was kind of an experiment with the settings on my camera, and I really love how it turned out.

Christmas Eve was always an exciting night in our house, and yours as well, I'm sure. We were sometimes allowed to open a gift or two, or we would spend some time visiting with some of our family. Of course, there was the tradition of hanging the stockings, stoking the fire, and putting out milk and cookies for Santa. I have had so much fun sharing these traditions with my own children, and I look forward to the day when they are then shared with my grandchildren.

Nighttime...Christmas lights twinkling on the house on Christmas Eve night. Photographs like these make me miss the winter and the snow. If only for a day or so. Snow always seems prettier on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. I love the way the icicles reflect the light from the Christmas lights.