It's Christmas Eve

Well it's Christmas Eve and I am sitting watching It's a Wonderful Life, possibly the greatest Christmas movie ever made. White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street (the classic b&w version) run a close second. Phil and I are waiting for the kids to fall asleep so we can wrap presents. This has become a tradition for us: watching this movie and wrapping gifts. The reason we always wait until the night before is because if we do it earlier than that the kids will find and unwrap them. I remember when I was little, the pile of gifts under the tree would grow as Christmas got closer. I wonder if my parents always did that or just when Julie (my younger sister) and I got old enough to be trusted not to open everything ahead of time. Christmas was always so much fun at our house when I was young: baking and decorating Christmas cookies, driving around looking at lights and more. We often drove downtown to see the life-size nativity scene that an insurance company put up outside their building on Broad Street.

We occasionally drove down to Winterfest at Kings Island. Only part of the park was open, including a couple rides like the merry-go-round and the Smurf ride. The fountain was frozen over and there was ice skating. The shops were open and the Eiffel Tower was decorated with lights. It was beautiful!! I was very disappointed when Kings Island stopped doing this.

Another Christmas favorite for me was going to the 7th floor of the Lazarus department store downtown. Their windows were decorated so beautifully for Christmas. I just wondered how someone could make something that amazing. The 7th floor was the toy floor and it was so different at Christmastime. They had a talking tree there that chatted with all the kids who came by. And they had colored footprints on the floor that led somewhere. I think they led to Santa but I can't really remember for sure. They also had a special area where kids could go to buy presents for the their parents. It had a short door that was just kid-size and lots of grownups inside to help kids pick something out. I also felt so grownup going in there without my parents and being able to pick out and pay for presents all by myself. It was just so magical there.

Christmas Eve we always went to church. There were several different sevices to pick from: an earlier family-friendly one that usually featured kids in costume re-creating the first Christmas, an early evening service and the late-night "candlelight" service. At the end of the service the pastor would start at the front lighting candles and everyone would pass the light on. It was beautiful seeing the darkened sanctuary get lighter as more candles got lit. Then we all sang Silent Night accapella. I really LOVED that part of the service!!! Of course being Christmas, lots of people would come who didn't usually come to church. Since the service was so crowded, we always made it a point to get there early to get good seats. This gave Julie and I a chance to people-watch. Who was here from church? Who was sitting with whom? Who was here from school but never usually came? These were important questions when we were teenagers.

Christmas morning we were always at home to open gifts with just our family. Then we would typically head up the Upper Sandusky. Conveniently both sets of our grandparents lived in the same town so we were able to celebrate with our whole family. Grandma and Grandpa Powell (my dad's parents) always had stockings for the 4 grandkids. My aunt, uncle and 2 cousins lived nearby so we could all be together. We would have a big dinner, topped off with grandma's famous star pudding. Then came stockings, usually filled with useful things like socks, toothpaste or deodorant. Then the presents. We would usually snack all afternoon; grandma always had peanut brittle (we called it carrots to make it sound healthier) and cookies and things. We'd play games and sometimes Aunt Debbie would play Christmas carols on the organ grandma had.

Ok I'm having fun reminiscing but getting tired. As I type this it is exactly midnight (and we are still wrapping presents!) Merry CHRISTmas everyone!!