Your most memorable holiday story?

[RadioFanatic]

I would love to hear some memorable holiday stories - can be good, bad, funny, heartwarming, I would love to hear them all.

My most memorable was Thanksgiving 1998, when dh and I were getting married that Saturday. For some crazy reason, I thought I could have thanksgiving at my home for 15 people only two days before the big day. Although it was crazy, and I was a nervous wreck, the most important people in my life were there because they were getting ready to celebrate a very happy day with dh and I.

 

[glitterkittyy]

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 still miss you, dad!

ETA: Sorry mine was a downer. So to brighten things up, I'll tell you about the time that my sister and I decided to deliver thanksgiving meals to the needy. It had been snowing and icy all week. I go to this one house, and their place sits on top of a hill. Going up, no problem. Going down was treacherous. I make it halfway down the hill (via sidewalk/steps) and I'm off...sliding down like a taboggan! I had no idea my butt could fly like that! I worry I may never stop sliding but alas my worry was for naught. The SUV we drove over in stopped my sliding and I crashed into it then went underneath it. My sister was too busy laughing to help me get out. I think I left my dignity (and perhaps part of my backside) back in their driveway. lol

 

[NMAmy]

Here's the one my extended family tells every year. I was 5 and we were waiting for my grandparents to arrive on Christmas morning before we could open our gifts. My 15 yo sister was keeping me occupied in my bedroom which was right by the front door of the house. When my grandfather arrived, he knocked on my bedroom window and said in his deep voice, "HO, HO, HO!" I was convinced that Santa was outside.

My favorite memory of dd's Christmases was the year she was about 4 and before opening each gift, she'd look at me and say, "I bet it's sumpin special!"

 

[RadioFanatic]

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 still miss you, dad!

ETA: Sorry mine was a downer.

I didn't think that was a downer. I thought when I read it that it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Your father sounds like an amazing man.

 

[monkeybug]

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 still miss you, dad!

ETA: Sorry mine was a downer. So to brighten things up, I'll tell you about the time that my sister and I decided to deliver thanksgiving meals to the needy. It had been snowing and icy all week. I go to this one house, and their place sits on top of a hill. Going up, no problem. Going down was treacherous. I make it halfway down the hill (via sidewalk/steps) and I'm off...sliding down like a taboggan! I had no idea my butt could fly like that! I worry I may never stop sliding but alas my worry was for naught. The SUV we drove over in stopped my sliding and I crashed into it then went underneath it. My sister was too busy laughing to help me get out. I think I left my dignity (and perhaps part of my backside) back in their driveway. lol

I agree. Not a downer at all, what a beautiful and touching story!

Your bottom taboggan story cracks me up!! We were doing a 12 days of Christmas doorbell ditch and had enlisted my brother to deliver that nights present and story. He did the bottom toboggan all the way down a sidewalk when he was trying to get away after ringing the doorbell! The teenage son of the family opened the door just in time to see a 30 year old man dressed all in black sliding down the steep sidewalk and screaming like a girl! No doubt he could hear the rest of us (hiding in the bushes) laughing so hard we could have woke the dead. Yeah! We are sooooo sneaky!!!!

 

[golfgal]

The Christmas after my parents divorced we had a special visit from someone on Christmas Eve. We always snuck down to see the presents in the middle of the night and we would shake a few boxes, etc. and go back to bed. We got up in the morning and there was a doll each for my sisters and me and a truck for my brother-not wrapped and NOT there in the middle of the night when we snuck down. To this day we still don't know where they came from--and my mom is the type of person that would have shattered our dreams if she had done that so they were not from her.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

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 still miss you, dad!

ETA: Sorry mine was a downer. So to brighten things up, I'll tell you about the time that my sister and I decided to deliver thanksgiving meals to the needy. It had been snowing and icy all week. I go to this one house, and their place sits on top of a hill. Going up, no problem. Going down was treacherous. I make it halfway down the hill (via sidewalk/steps) and I'm off...sliding down like a taboggan! I had no idea my butt could fly like that! I worry I may never stop sliding but alas my worry was for naught. The SUV we drove over in stopped my sliding and I crashed into it then went underneath it. My sister was too busy laughing to help me get out. I think I left my dignity (and perhaps part of my backside) back in their driveway. lol

Huge to you. I sympathize; I grew up with my mother and grandparents, and my grandfather died on Christmas Eve 1998. So there's my "memorable" Christmas...

One of my uncles flew in from Atlanta on Christmas Day, though, and we spent Christmas night just sitting around, drinking wine and sharing our funny stories about Grandpa. Somehow, we were actually able to order a pizza, too...If it hadn't been for a death, it really would have been a fun Christmas!

 

[Shmily1]

Mine would be about 15 years ago for Christmas. I had traced down the china, silver, and drinkware that DH had bought in Vietnam in '69 and bought it back for his present. His ex had sold it to be mean years before. I had bought it in October and on Christmas morning he had this stack of boxes in front of him and I picked the box with the dinner plates in it for him to open first. He opened it and his mouth fell open. Then he looked at me and said "is it?" and I said "yes". He started to cry and was so happy to have his china back. That was a great Christmas for everybody in our house (well maybe almost--except for DSD who was fuming cause it was her mom that had sold it )!!

 

[jen0610]

I don't remember our ages, but we all had to be under 10.

We were driving down to our grandma's house on Christmas Eve. We had gotten a late start, so us kids were in our pj's. The radio channel that was on, did the tracking of santa. Just before we got into the last small town before grandma house, mom told dad if he saw the one convience store open he needed to stop and get some milk. At the same time, the radio said that they had spotted santa's sleigh in central IN, so us kids were looking up trying to see Rudolph's red nose. Luck would have it, that there was a plane flying low enough, you could see it's red tail light. Sent us kids into a tissy.

Dad gets to the store, it's open, so he goes in to get the milk. As mom and us kids are sitting in the car, parked along the curb, us kids are just going on and on about needing to get to grandma's cause santa was on his way and he wouldn't stop if we were there. All of a sudden, my baby brother got quite and his eyes got really wide. The rest of us turn to see what he was looking at. Coming out of the house we were parked in front of was SANTA!!!

There were three kids with eyes wide open, mouths hanging open, just a starring out the car window. He comes walking down the sidewalk and walks right up to the car. Mom rolled the window down and he poked his head in the window. Told us be good and that we would be to grandma's before we knew it. Get right to bed, so he could deliver our presents. Reached into his bag and handed us each a mini candy cane. Dad was walking up to the car, as Santa walked away.

The timing of everything was perfect. If we had left on time, if mom hadn't needed dad to stop, we never would have met Santa that night.

 

[Snoopymom]

Love these, thanks everyone for sharing!

We had been trying to have a baby, started the adoption process, met a beautiful little foster child that we wanted to foster-to-adopt, but she ended up being reunited with her older sister in another foster home. I was happy for her and knew it wasn't meant to be, but I was feeling depressed and it physically took every ounce of effort I had to get the stuff out to decorate our tree with that year.

I unwrapped the angel first. DH had bought it for me the year before, and I wasn't particularly fond of her. She was too baby doll perfect if that makes sense, blond with a pink silk dress and white lace wings, not very Christmasy to me, but I figured dh picked it out for me, so I'll put her on the tree this year. Anyway, when I pulled the tissue paper away, I honestly gasped! She looked exactly like the little girl.

I stared at her for a minute and I can't explain it, but I got this huge sense of peace and knew that our child was out there waiting and I had nothing to be sad about. I just knew that the following Christmas we would have the child that was meant to be in our family. With every ornament I unwrapped, I became excited with this feeling that I had so much to look forward to...

Ds came home to us at 2 yrs old the following June, 6 1/2 years ago, and every year I unwrap my angel, smile and whisper, "thank you, you were right".


I also have a silly one. We call our train that we put around the tree, the naked train. Grandpa brought it over to surprise ds before Christmas that first year just as I was getting him out of the bath.

He was so excited, he ran out of the bathroom squeeling, threw off the towel I had wrapped around him and plopped down next to Grandpa to put it together and play with it. We all laughed until we had tears in our eyes. I would have had to drag him kicking and screaming away from it to dress him, so we let him play with it naked.

The funny part is almost the same thing happened the following year. I was giving him a bath while dh was putting the train together, and he tore off into the living room before I could get jammies on him again.

Oh, and it's an expensive LGB that I'm sure a lot of collectors out there would cringe hearing it called the naked train

 

[MerMom60_94]

I love this idea for a thread. I will be following along with you all! Glitterkittyy, I think your story with your Dad is very touching.

I have two stories I will share:

One was Christmas of 1994, I had given birth to my daughter on December 1st of that year. On Christmas Day my daughter was three weeks old and we did our usual running around from house to house. By the time we got to my in-laws that night I had a chill and could not get warm and felt awful. The whole way home I had the heat in the car full blast and was bundled up and shivering. Turned out I had a high fever because I had developed mastitis. To anyone who is due to give birth this holiday season, take it easy and take good care of yourself. I was so sick as a dog and if I had to do it all again I would tell the family they could come and see me. Don't try to keep up with everyone else's expectations at your own expense!

The other story is last Christmas. A week or so before Christmas, DH and I decided to go over to his parents one Sunday to ask his Dad to show our DD how to make a Christmas wreath. DH, DD, and DMIL took a walk through the woods and gathered the greens and materials. When they came back, DFIL showed my DD what to do. We had been going to stop by for just a couple of hours but everyone was having such a nice time we spent the entire afternoon and the two of them made their wreaths and I even took some pictures. On New Years Day of this year, DFIL had a medical issue and went into the hospital. He died on Presidents Day. I am so glad we took the time and put our schedules aside that day so our daughter could learn a family tradition and for us to spend some very special time with DH's parents. This year will be the first Christmas without DFIL (and the second without DF) and we will have this fond memory that we will think back to when we think of him on Christmas Day.

 

[NHdisneylover]

glitterkitty you made me cry--in a very good way, NOT a downer what a truly sweet man your father must have been.

I love reading these stories

 

[Kitty 34]

The Christmas I couldn't come home was my most memorable.

It was '81. I was living in Colorado with my 1 year old son. I had lost my DH and the funds just weren't there for a trip back to Michigan. (My parents would have flown me back in a heartbeat but I was trying to be independent.)

I spent the whole day with a divorced friend and her two older children. She was so sweet to take me in and we had a wonderful day filled with lots of laughter and tons of yummy food.

I will forever remember this special friend and her then 8 and 9 year old kids. :

 

[NMAmy]

Jeez, some of these stories are bringing tears to my eyes. I love them. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[RadioFanatic]

Love these, thanks everyone for sharing!

We had been trying to have a baby, started the adoption process, met a beautiful little foster child that we wanted to foster-to-adopt, but she ended up being reunited with her older sister in another foster home. I was happy for her and knew it wasn't meant to be, but I was feeling depressed and it physically took every ounce of effort I had to get the stuff out to decorate our tree with that year.

I unwrapped the angel first. DH had bought it for me the year before, and I wasn't particularly fond of her. She was too baby doll perfect if that makes sense, blond with a pink silk dress and white lace wings, not very Christmasy to me, but I figured dh picked it out for me, so I'll put her on the tree this year. Anyway, when I pulled the tissue paper away, I honestly gasped! She looked exactly like the little girl.

I stared at her for a minute and I can't explain it, but I got this huge sense of peace and knew that our child was out there waiting and I had nothing to be sad about. I just knew that the following Christmas we would have the child that was meant to be in our family. With every ornament I unwrapped, I became excited with this feeling that I had so much to look forward to...

Ds came home to us at 2 yrs old the following June, 6 1/2 years ago, and every year I unwrap my angel, smile and whisper, "thank you, you were right".

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.

 

[pumba]

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......

 

[jog58]

But I saw this thread and I just had to share.

Christmas of 2006
My mother had been in a physical rehabilitation facility for a while due to many reasons having to do with her diabetes and high blood pressure. She was going to be there through the holidays and I thought that we would not be getting together for Christmas Eve dinner as we traditionally did [me, my mom, my two brothers and even my father would always be there even though they had been divorced since 1999] Thankfully the people at the Rehab center were nice enough to let us use the empty dinning room to have dinner in. We bought all food and we were able to spend Christmas Eve together. That was the most memorable Christmas for me as my mother passed away unexpectedly October of 2007 so it was the last one we had. I now took over responsibility of hosting Christmas eve dinner as I feel this is the best way to honor her. She loved to cook and that was her favorite night of the year. Sorry again to be Debbie Downer

 

[CathrynRose]

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 didn't think that was a downer. I thought when I read it that it was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Your father sounds like an amazing man.

I agree. I found it to be a kinda cool story.

 

[MrJT]

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!

 

[jog58]

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's a great story. Reunions are always my favorite.