Your most memorable holiday story?

[krcit]

These stories are great. Making me laugh and cry

My dad died right after Thanksgiving in 1990. I was 21. We didn't want to celebrate Christmas but knew that Dad would want us to so we set up the tree and opened presents Christmas morning. My mom gave me pearls that her and my dad had picked out the day before he died(he wasn't sick-had a massive heart attack at 54) I wore them on my wedding day 5 years later and knew he was with me. My mom also found a mini tape recorder on Christmas morning and when we played the tape it was my dad singing Silent Night. My dad had a terrible voice so after the initial tears, we laughed until we were crying again

My favorite memory of Christmas with my kids is when my ds was about 3, after every present was opened, he ran to his sisters and showed them and said "This is just what I wanted!" After EVERY gift. Adorable.

 

[monkey68]

Not sure why this one is so memorable, but I always think of it. In my family, New Years is our big holiday, we exchange gifts, kids get dressed up, we play games, eat lots of food, etc. Basically, it's a huge holiday.

So one New Years, I must have been around 5 or 6, we were having the party at our house. We had set up this game where we tied a rope across a room, and hung small presents off of it, then one person would get blindfolded, handed a pair of scissors, and sent to go cut off one of the presents from the rope. It was usually small gifts, and they would have good stuff for the kids, and would sort of point us in the direction of the gifts that were directed for us. But the other stuff for the adults was generally gag gifts from the dollar store.

It was my grandfathers turn, we blindfold him, spin him around a couple times, and he goes to the rope to cut off a present. He winds up cutting down a bright red, lacy thong in a size XXXXL. I always crack up thinking about it.

 

[KSchwagg86]

Opening presents on Christmas when I was in 5th grade, Santa got us airplane tickets to Disney! My first time We left the next morning

 

[klacey1]

I've got two or three...but I will just tell my biggest, favorite story.
Back in 2004 I was deployed, and I was in Germany (not a bad deployment). I was given the chance to leave a couple of weeks early, and be home for Christmas. I decided to take it. My wife and son were going to be visiting family in San Antonio, and I decided not to tell them. The only person in Texas who knew I was headed home was her mother.
So the Air Force was going to send me back to Boston (where I live). And I bought tickets from Boston to San Antonio (through Cheaptickets.com) to fly on the 24th. I told my wife that I would be away from my hotel for a couple of days, because the guys were going to be sight seeing! I boarded a plane from Frankfurt to JFK in NYC on the 23rd of December.
I flew to New York, and when I got there, I was told that my flight to Boston was cancelled! There was a major freeze across the country, and lots of flights were messed up! They would fly me home the next day. Unfortunately, I would miss my next flight!
So I called cheap tickets, and asked if I could change my arrangement, and fly straight from New York to Texas. I could...for about $1000. I passed. I was upset. Somebody suggested a train from New York to Boston. So I got on a cab (although it wasn't yellow, and all cabs in Manhattan, at least, are yellow). The driver mentioned that there was a shuttle from Laguardia to Boston every hour, so he took me there. I got on a plane. Took a cab home. I got home late, and I had to leave really early the next morning, so I decided not to sleep. I called a friend in DC who knew I was travelling. We talked for a couple of hours, and I eventually to a shuttle back to Logan.
I returned to the airport, only to find out that my flight out was slightly delayed. Eventually I found out that it was majorly delayed, and if I caught it, I would miss my connecting flight (more fall-out from the freeze the day before). So I went to the counter, and I got a new flight. This time I was flying to Dallas (I think that my original flight was through DC), and then to San Antonio.
I left my gate area, went to another area, and waited for my flight. Guess what, it ended up being delayed too! But I eventually got on, and decided to take a nap...I had slept since I left Germany. We finally land in Dallas, and guess what, I missed my final flight! I went to the agent, to see what flights were available. There were NONE. He told me people were just staying at the hotels. Mind you, this was Christmas eve afternoon now.
So I went to the rental car counter, and got a car. At this point, I didn't have my cell, I left it at home when I deployed, and my wife's friend used it (free talks between the 2 of them) and she was out of state when I returned. So while I drove across TX, I had to find a pay phone and give my mother-in-law a heads up.
She tells me to meet her at her store (she wanted to be there when my wife realized that I was home). So I arrived about 30 or 40 minutes before she closed. She attempts to call my wife and/or sister in law, but they were out, and left their phones behind. So she calls her husband (who is now in on it, because he was originally going to pick me up at the airport) and has him pass the message.
They get home, my father-in-law tells them to head to the store IMMEDIATELY. At this point, they know that their mom is getting my wife a special present. My SIL knew that much. My wife was concerned...she went to all that trouble, what if I don't like it...
They come to the store, I am hiding deep in the stock room. My wife is dragged to the back. My MIL tells me to come out. At this point my wife thought "What? She got me a stripper!?" So when I walked out, it took her a couple of seconds to register what was happening. But it was priceless!

That story is adorable!

 

[DISNEY1975]

My best holidays were when I was a child.

My mother is one of 8 and my father was one of 5. I had lots of aunts, uncles and cousins andy my parents had lots of close friends we called Aunty___ and Uncle ___.

We always spent holidays with my mothers side of the family, Easter at my grandmothers, Thanksiving and Aunty Ruthy's and Chirstmas at our house. My grandmother and aunt would come to our house a few days before christmas and help with the cooking. Our house was decorated top to bottom..including the Ho Ho Ho toilet paper! We had so many "Readers Digest" Santas (does anyone remember those??) on every shelf! Santa toilet seat covers, every towel, bath and kitchen, had a holiday theme. Every railing was covering in garland and bows and lights were strung on everything outside. We live in MA, so chances of snow on the ground at Christmas were great.

Christmas Eve, we always went to Mass, then to a friends house for dinner. The friends parents would always hire a Santa to come and give presents to the kids. When we got home, my sister and I would open one present each.

My aunt got up at the crack of dawn to get the turkeys started. My sis and I were not allowed to get up until 7:30am. We woke my parents and everyone went downstairs to the family room to open presents while my mother got the tea/coffee started and the box of "Jordan Marsh" muffins (does anyone remember those??!!) were opened!

After presents, we would take turns showering, then getting into our "Christmas Best"! Around noon, the fmaily would start pouring in. We had a dining room table for the adults. Another adult (lg folding)table in between dining room and living room, another (lg folding) table in the living room for the kids. MMMmmm the food...turkey, mashed, stuffing, squash, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and biscuits. After we all ate, we would go to the family room and my father would play the piano and everyone would sing (and adults would drink!!). My cousins and I would go outside and play in the snow. I especially loved the gigantic hill in my neighbors yard we used to sled down. We would make snow angels and snowmen, just lie in the snow looking at the starry sky and have a great time..all the while, more relatives and family friends, who had dinner with other family, were coming to our house for dessert and leftovers. The house was packed with family, music and happiness.

Fast forward 25+ years...My mother is the only remaining person left in her family. All her siblings have passed away. My father passed in 2001. My grandmother passed on Christmas Day 1984. My turkey making aunt passed in 1992. All the cousins are now married with kids, most living out of state. Jordan Marsh closed in the early 90's and going back to my old neighbors house as an adult, I can see the gigantic hill is really just a bump in the lawn.

Our Christmas now is me, hubby, 3 kids, sister, her hubby, her 3 kids and Mom. For a lot of people that would be fine, but when you are used to 65 - 70 people..its just not the same.

 

[Jsme]

We have Christmas at our house. DH and I do most of the food but allow my mom and his mom to bring something. Believe me if we did not they would be totally upset. When we started having Christmas at our house my mom was very hurt and this is our way of allowing her to do something.

One year we were having the normal people. DH, me, DD, DS, DM, DF, DMIL, DstepFIL, FIL and Step MIL. A couple of days before Christmas I was on the phone with a friend and she said how they really do not do much. So, I invited them over. Her immediate family is a family of 4. She said she could not do that because of her mom and dad. So we had all of them over to the house along with our families for Christmas. It was so much fun. It was nice having friends and family.



I also remember one year on Christmas Eve after returning home from DH's grandparents house and putting the kids to bed, we started being Santa. Anyways, this was the first year we had to put anything together. We were up until 4 am that morning with putting gifts together and wrapping all the presents. It was horrible. lol We learned a lot that Christmas. Our children could not understand why we were tired.

Another year my Dad stayed over on Christmas Eve and we actully got a tiny sprinkling of snow that Christmas. My dad went outside and "made" reindeer tracks in the snow. The kids loved it.

 

[Deb Quen of Colorado]

My best holiday story was getting married.

The husband is very shy... he really couldn't handle the thought of getting up in front of people to get married, not even if it was just family. So we planned a surprise wedding. We invited family for a Christmas eve get together, nothing fancy we said, just an early supper and figured who ever makes it, makes it. About 2:00 we announced to everyone that it was time to go and let the boys announce that we were getting married. There is a chapel here that we had talked with before hand and it was nice and small, no big crowds or to do. Ended up being The husbands mom, his brother and family, my grandparents and the 2 boys.

Now this chapel has been going through some tough financial times and has added on a few interesting tenants. At the time we got married it was the bronco fan store and now has added a bead shop Nothing but high class for us!

 

[simba928]

Opening presents on Christmas when I was in 5th grade, Santa got us airplane tickets to Disney! My first time We left the next morning

Christmas of 1999 started out as the usual...I was 9 and my brother was about 4. We got up, opened presents, went to my aunt's house, then my grandma's house, and got home. When we walked in the living room, there was a wrapped box sitting on the floor that wasn't there when we left. My brother and I opened it up and there were tickets to Disney World. We were super excited, my family loves Disney (of course), but we thought it would be just another vacation. New Years Day comes around and we were at my grandmother's house on my dad's side. My uncle had gotten divorced a few years earlier and his ex-wife moved with the kids to South Carolina (we're in PA) and we hadn't seen our cousins since. My uncle walks into the living room and holds out a piece of paper. It was a plane ticket to Orlando. In my mind, I though "Cool, we're going too", not realizing we were going together. My parents explained that he was going to meet us down there with my cousins. That January we went to Disney and had a blast with my cousins. That was the last time we saw them, unfortunately, and a couple years ago there was a falling out between my uncle and his ex-wife, so she will not allow any of us to even call the kids. It's unfortunate, but it's nice having those memories with them.

My other story is last Christmas. It was my first year in college and my cat was diagnosed with renal failure. I took care of her for 3 weeks, syrringe feeding her and giving her fluids every night before she died on November 18. A few days before she was diagnosed and 4 weeks to the day before she died, I got a 11 month old puppy. I was having a lot of issues with her, behavior wise. She was attacking my other dog and was just a nightmare. I was super stressed for a while. The night my cat died, my mom told me she thought I needed a break and would try to book a trip to Florida. Christmas morning, there were 2 envelopes stuck in the tree, one for me and the other for my brother. In them were plane tickets for me and him to go down and visit a very good family friend. The timing was perfect and we had a fabulous time on the trip.

 

[4nana]

Going into labor a month early on C'mas eve after decorating our 7 ft tree.

Received the best gift of all, our only sweet son , 5 lbs, one of the greatest blessings of our lives!!


The other holiday story was a long time dream come true and truly touches my heart, is last year's family Thanksgiving grand gathering at WDW!

We celebrated TG with a wonderful dinner, then surprised the family with a Wishes cruise on the Grand 1 Yacht. Magical!!!

 

[minkydog]

Christian was born in April 1995. It took a few months for us to figure out that there was something really wrong with him. By 4 months it was clear he was failure to thrive and headed for serious trouble. We were doing therapy 6 days a week, going to teh doctor about 3 times a week. He required special feedings every 2 hours day and night. I was homeschooling my two older kids and trying to work part time night shift. My heart was breaking for my youngest child and I was so stressed that I started developing health problems. It was the darkest period of my life.

I was about 4 steps from falling off the deep end when a family who knew us called me. She said she knew we were having a difficult time and they wanted to bring us Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, I said no, we would be okay, we didn't need dinner. But she insisted and in the end I was so glad she did. On the night before Thanksgiving she and her family walked in with a big ol' turkey, dressing, gravy, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. It was only one day, but it was just a huge burden lifted off my shoulders.

Since that time things have gotten better. Christian became stronger,started making progress, and today is a big, strapping, healthy 14yo. Still very disabled but he's the happiest kid I know. We couldn't be prouder of him. During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season we pack food boxes for other people who find themselves in distressed circumstances. And we remember that one season when we were the ones who needed some help and we're grateful that someone reached out to us in the best way possible.

 

[Carole]

I posted this on 25 December 2002:

Happy holidays,

I wanted to share a special story with my DIS friends. My Dad was in the hospital in November. I asked him what he would like to get my Mom for Christmas and I would try to find it for him. After several days, he told me he wanted to get my Mom a cat just like the one she lost several years ago. It had to be a persian cream male. I came to the boards asking if anyone had any ideas - I had several good replies on where to look. Searching on the internet, I found a kitten in Florida on Thanksgiving eve. I thought this would work out well since we were headed to Disney on the 5th of December. On Thanksgiving Day, after e-mailing the owner several times, I knew I had found the kitten.

I took the picture to my Dad in the hospital and he said that was the one. Work then got in the way and my trip was cancelled. The kitten's owner was going to be in Maryland and agreed to bring the kitten with her. My Dad also got out of the hospital. My husband and I picked up the kitten on Friday the 6th.

The next morning, my Dad died...

Today, I gave this beautiful kitten to my Mom. It was very bittersweet. It was such a privilege that I was able to do this for my Dad.

Carole

 

[tazdev3225]

I have 2 stories that were special for different reasons. In 1984 I was due on Christmas Day with my DD. My DS was 2 1/2 and my DH had to work so he was going to miss watching him open his gifts. DH got the brilliant idea that I should call his seargeant and tell him I was in labor so he could come home. Dh got to spend the day with our DS and DD made her appearance 10 days later. Of course his bosses knew what was going on but he never got in trouble. It waas so nice watching my 2 guys on that Christmas morning.

Right before Thanksgiving in 1986 my beloved aunt passed away. We all knew she was happy as she hated Thanksgiving through Christmas. Her funeral was the day before Thanksgiving. My grandmother was going on and on about Thanksgiving the next day when my mom and I looked at each other with a shocked look. My mom realized she forgot to pick up the turkey. As the funeral procession went one way we went another to get to a pay phone to call my DH. The store closed in 15 minutes and we were 45 minutes away. We then headed to the cemetary. We took a tour around the cemetary where all my relatives were buried. When we got to the front entrance the funeral processional was just arriving. My uncle stopped to let us back in line and my DH got the turkey in time to save Thanksgiving. We always get a big laugh out of the story because we know my aunt must have been having a good laugh wherever she is. She had a great sense of humor.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Christmas 1992--my dad had passed away on December 1st after a long battle with cancer. None of us were in the holiday mood. Christmas Eve comes, and the UPS driver knocks on our door and delivers 5 huge boxes. My dad had ordered gifts for everyone...even the grandkids...knowing that he wouldn't be there by that time. He had them include a note with the gifts telling us to smile for him, enjoy ourselves and not be sad that he wasn't there. I appreciate that he went through that effort even though he was so sick.

I LOVE that story!

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

My favorite Christmas memory actually happened over my first college spring break but it started when I came home for Christmas.

I thought I was so cool and grown up. I came home for my first Christmas break from college. Everything seemed different.

As always I decorated the tree with my mom and had a wonderful time. As my visit came to an end I told my mom that I was not going to take down the tree - a chore I had always been stuck with since I was the youngest. Instead I returned to college without a thought about the tree - afterall I was a grown up college student now.

Over the next few months I talked with my mom consistently but could not make it home until my Spring break. I never once brought up the tree and neither did she. Ha - I felt like I had finally won a long battle.

Well, as I walked in the door to our house over spring break I saw to my great dismay that the christmas tree was still there fully decorated just waiting for me. My mom laughed so hard tears came pouring out of her eyes. I have never seen her laugh so hard.

We had a wonderful time while I dedecorated the tree that night. We even played christmas music. I knew that no matter how grown up I was or got to be that I would always be her baby.

On her last chrstmas we talked about that and how much joy she got living with that tree all those months waiting for me to come home. That memory makes me happy when I miss my mom at the holidays.

 

[bluesaturn]

40 years ago on a snowy Thanksgiving morning......Our wonderful son was born....It was a fantastic gift and we were all very thankful.....he has been a great son and we are proud of him......every sixth year (I think)his birthday comes back on Turkey day... (.not this year) but it is and always will be a special day to us......

I was born on Thanksgiving too

 

[Katie's Butterflies]

When I was 5/6, I stayed at a home daycare after school. I hated it. However, the provider had a dog, I absolutely loved. When I was 6, the dog had puppies. I fell in love with one but we would be moving soon, so I knew I would probably not see her again.
The following Christmas, my parents and I were in our new home. I had no friends in the area and I was still upset about our move. I was not looking forward to Christmas. Christmas morning came and I woke up to something licking my face. It was the little puppy! My parents had decided that I was responsible enough for her earlier, but had wanted to get settled into the house before we could have her. They decided to make her a Christmas surprise.
I loved that dog. Unfortunately, she passed away of old age a couple of years ago, but I still remember all of the good times I had with her, especially that first Christmas.

 

[Snoopymom]

Not to go off too much of a tangent on my own thread, but I have a similar story. I was told, after 10 years of trying and many unsuccessful IVF procedures, I couldn't have a child. DH and I decided to adopt. We found two gorgeous girls that we were in the process of adopting when it fell through at the last minute because they were reunited with their older sister. I was absolutely devestated. Less than two months later, I found out I was pregnant - no medical, just good old fashion love. We had our miracle on 2/4/08, exactly one year after we first met the girls. Dh and I think and talk of them often and have heard they are happy which is the most important thing. I will never forget them.

That's wonderful. Thanks for sharing! The whole experience of infertility treatments and adoption sure brought me down a peg and taught me I can't control everything in my life, which is definitely something I needed to learn before becoming a parent,

 

[jeepgirl30]

Growing up my sister would get sick every year around Christmas time and be really miserable! My favorite part of the holiday was always getting the Christmas tree and decorating it, it was her worst part. Come to find out she was very allergic and that is why she was miserable. So we had to get a fake tree. I was devastated. We used to go out as a family to my grandfathers and search the woods for just the right tree, cut it down and take it home. Plus i loved the smell.

The fake tree was much better for my sister but she still hated decorating it and refused to participate. I would play Christmas carols and decorate my heart out but it just wasn't the same with the fake tree. So one year my dad surprised me and cut a small one down for in my bedroom! I got the wonderful smell of Christmas, to decorate my own tree and my sister was able to breath.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

Ok, I'm going to try and type this WITHOUT crying.....

My first Christmas with in my house, with my own family, myself, DH and DD. We had everyone over for the morning - everything was loud, but lovely. By the afternoon, everyone had gone, and it was just the 3 of us, and we were all sitting on the floor next to the tree, watching the Disney Christmas parade. It was just so sureal - I had a family - this was really, real!!! It just looked at them, and started sobbing. DH cought a glimps of me, and RAN into the kitchen. I yelled at him "What the heck are you doing?!?" He really made a huge clatter getting up and running. He comes out of the kitchen, trying to hide his eyes, and says "I got you a tissue." We both sat there and cried, and hugged our baby. I'll never forget it.

 

[cheermom1]

I have 2 Christmas's I will never forget - I was in the 5th grade we as all students do had a program that we put on and i had to have a pretty dress for. we were always strapped money wise but my parents made sure we food and a roof. Now I never told anyone at school of course that I had no idea where I was going to get a dress. the night of the program I found a paper bag on my desk with my name on it and in it was the most beautiful dress ever! No one ever knew what was in that bag but me - years later I found out that another girl had an over whelming urge to give me that dress and didn't want anyone else to know or that it came from her...I LOVED that dress...

the second was about 7 years ago all us kids were grown with families of our own and we all went to my parents house on Christmas Eve. We put all the kids down and we were all in our P.J.s while mom cooked the last of the pies. Mom went to the bedroom to wrap the last of the gifts while the pies were cooling. Mind you this is like 1 or so in the morning - my brother decided to make mom's pies look like faces all kinds of silly faces with any and everything he could find! we were all in the kitchen laughing and having a great time - mom finally came out and when she looked at her pies we all thought we were some BIG trouble and she asked "who did this?" very calmly too calmly - we all pointed to my brother real fast (including all the spouses)

then my mom started laughing so hard that she crying - and she said in between laughing gasps that she was wondering what in the world we were laughing about and thought we were just goofing around with each other ..