Our first big snowfall was on Saturday, and it's always a magical sight for me, as I've never lived with the snow all these years.
The sunlight came through the living room one morning, and it looked so pretty, and just made me feel warm.
My neighbor made some homemade cinnamon rolls and brought me over a couple. They were really good. These are my next-door neighbors, and always cooking up something good, often bringing me over a sample of what they made.
Met up with my brother-in-law for breakfast one morning. It was nice to catch up. He made a bunch of cookies, and sent me some in these cute Christmas containers. There was oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, and peanut butter. I think the oatmeal raisin was my favorite because they reminded me of the ones grandpa made. He would make a BIG batch of oatmeal raisin cookies from time to time, and they were the best....I really miss them.
I love this picture that Jess sent me. Francesca, are you going to like red roses like grandma?
Jess made some sugared cranberries for her wine, which was a nice idea. She said they were so pretty sugared.
And then they enjoyed!
My little white corner looks magical at night with the lights on.
As I think back on the Christmas' when I was a kid, there are a few unusual memories that come to mind. One of them is the neighbors across the street used to put up a string of red lights on their house. Not colored or white lights, just a string of red lights that went from one end of their house to the other. I thought it was pretty cool, but I'm not sure what the other neighbors thought about it.
Another memory I have is going to my friend, Tina's, house around Christmas, and when she opened the front door, there were presents piled up around the tree that extended out almost to the front door! It wasn't an unusual thing, more of an awesome thing! There were five kids in her family, so I understand all the presents, but it was an amazing sight! I had some fun times over her house, and I'll always remember that.
Nel told me, "my memories are of us going to a Christmas Eve mass and coming home to a dinner of festive hors d'oeuvres and opening a present. Then getting up super early Christmas morning and having hot chocolate opening the rest of the presents. One funny memory I have is that even when we were celebrating Christmas as adults, Jessi would still make me set up the presents after she went to bed on Christmas Eve because she wanted to be surprised in the morning like a little kid" haha.
Now it's your turn, any unusual or dear Christmas memories that you had growing up? I think our blog friends would love to hear.
~Sheri
29 comments:
The snowy landscape is beautiful. Snow also brings light to nature.
Love the picture of the girls in their princess outfits. Adorable.
You have been blessed with some great neighbors.
What an adorable tea party! Yes, Francesca seems to have inherited your love of red roses.
Love the snuggly jammie photo at the end. 😊❤️
I am going to need your recipe for those sugared cranberries, by the way! If you give it out.
Interesting decor from childhood? Well. We lived in Michigan under the tallest pines the world has every seen, like 100 feet or more. They would get coated in snow each year. That's about the most festive thing I have ever seen. Even better when we'd see deer in the yard under them.
Your posts are always so cozy.
Who is that cute baby in the last photo? So you have some snow now - I just don't think of CA like that. Cool. I think our squirrels are brown and yours are gray. I love your cabinet with the etched glass - I had one similar. Those cinnamon rolls look so good. And your BIL making a variety of cookies and packing them so cute - what a nice man. And you have taught you two granddaughters the joys of sisterhood (as well as your daughters) and tea parties - that is so cool. You have some wonderful traditions. ☺
Cheers!
Dearest Sheri,
Love that Angel in the snow as it teaches us perfectly what — chin up means!
We for sure will not have snow here and today is a dreary, rainy day.
Today is for us Dutch the memory of Sinterklaas or Saint Nicholas.
This is what I wrote years ago: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2013/12/saint-nicholas-sinterklaas-2013.html
And also this: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-dutch-brought-us-santa-presents-and.html
MISS all that as both of us never have gotten used to the way too commercial Christmas here.
This evening would be the fun gathering of adults and tomorrow morning the kids would find their special gifts when waking up.
FOND memories...
Hugs,
Mariette
My memories of Christmas when I was a child are all magical. One Christmas, Santa parachuted from a plane and the wind blew him out to ocean! Children were crying - the coast guard retrieved him, in good spirits; just a bit wet! Pacifica never pulled that stunt again!
So many very cool and interesting things to see and read! Your white corner looks so pretty; now I want to see it in the daylight!! I think the elf was going to crawl under the blanket and hide, until the sun came out. The cranberry sufarplums are gorgeous, and the girls look so joyful! I will have to research how to make them, maybe I will try. The Christmas Chinese takeut containers are so cool. And one of my favorites is the squirrel in the snow, LOVE him!!
Sheri, your snow looks so Christmasy! Your neighbors and brother-in-law gifted such great treats--yummy! My Daddy loved oatmeal cookies and I sure wish he were here to bake batch for him. We miss our loved ones especially during the holidays, don't we? The sugared cranberries are so pretty and festive. And the darling grand girls always make me smile. Stay warm and cozy, my friend!
Such festive pictures and memories and yummy food. One year my daighter ipened a cute little purse and shouted, "Mommy! Santa shops at Target!" Oops.
I always enjoy your trips down memory lane. :-)
One of my favorite memories of Christmas while growing up is the following. My grandparents lived about a mile from us. During the Christmas season my cousin Kris would come for a visit from the city. My dad would hitch the wagon to the tractor and we would take a wagon ride to visit my grandparents through the woods trail. It was always fun to be bundled up. My grandparents would treat us to hot chocolate and Christmas cookies when we arrived.
xx oo
Carla
I love reading of your childhood memories and seeing the older photos. So special. Also special -- cookie delivery and a great neighbor, too! It's beautiful, your snow and your living room looks so inviting with the sun streaming in. Your heart must be exploding with joy at this generous and beautiful season.
Childhood memories -- how do you pick one? But my favorites were when we were teens, actually, and celebrating with the cousins who came from Ohio. There were games, presents, carols, lots of good food and more good fun and conversation. The best times.
I love that you have a neighbor that brings you cinnamon rolls. Oh and snow too!
We had snow yesterday, which is very unusual for us this early in the season.
Cookies from your brother-in-law, what a treat! And the boxes are so festive.
Your memories are precious. My memory is of family gatherings at my aunt and uncles home every Christmas eve with a total of 26 cousins running through the house, good food, and carol singing.
Adorable post as ever...I love Christmas so much...Precious remembrances.
Hi Sheri, what lovely Christmas pictures. I love that you have snow, and the photo of the little squirrel is super cute. Not having snow here, I just love the spectacle of he white dusting on everything. The cinnamon roles look yummy, and how sweet to have three boxes of cookies, just for you. When our children were growing up, every Christmas Eve we made Shepherds Pie (because one of our little ones associated it with the nativity scene we always set up). To this day, I sometimes make the same pie at Christmas. Lovely post, Sheri.
The snowy landscape is so pretty!
The girls are adorable in their princess outfits.
Your trips down memory lane are always so delightful.
Hugs and blessings, Sheri 💐
Good morning dear Sheri! The season is here and though my house is a mess from packing and I have no decorations up, this time of year brings me great joy. For me, Christmas or Hanukkah are times to establish and embrace those memories. For me, my greatest memory as a young child was waking up to a tinsled tree hugged by loads of gifts, just for ME. The Christmases that followed were much leaner but that one particular Christmas was a child's dream with all the toys I could ever want. As a teen and young adult, the best memories are those with the entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends) when we'd all gather at my uncle's house on Christmas Eve to make tamales and then eat them late at night as we rang in midnight. These are the cultural practices to celebrate a much larger event are what bring a tear to the eye, a smile to our faces as we are thankful for living the life we've been given.
I haven't been here for so long! It's so cozy and beautiful, everything you share! And how much your grandchildren have grown. I remember them as babies ....it's been a really long time since I opened the pages of your beautiful blog.
My childhood memories are of lots of laughter, playing in the snow, sledding and making snowmen in the village yard. With a roaring wood stove, hot tea and Christmas cookies. There's no snow right now, it's only raining in the mountains, but I'm keeping the Christmas spirit going by decorating the tree, wrapping presents, and baking cookies. We still expect snow for Christmas - we hope to immerse ourselves in a snow fairy tale on the holy night.
Beautiful snow !!…..always nice to remember earlier times…I do that a lot right know…but now it is too late to talk about it…I must going to bed and sleep…..I will dream about Christmas at home when I was young I never forget it…love happy week from me and Leaf…and owww those cinemon rolls 🙈🙈🙈 I am hungry now 🤔😔😉 love them 🍀❤️🙏🍀
Happy Snowfall!
Wonderful food gifts and memories.
I remember being shocked to see presents under a friend's tree before Christmas. I thought that was Santa territory.
Your snow sure does look magical to me. Maybe someday I will see some snow like that in person. I have so many Christmas memories that it's hard to pick just one and none seem that unusual. We always opened the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve and Santa brought the good stuff for Christmas morning. I barely slept Christmas Eve because I was so excited. I would stay in bed as long as I could stand it and I was usually up about 4- 5am to see what I had gotten. My poor Mom probably didn't get any sleep at all!
What a lovely post, Sheri. And your last one was, as well. Great photos! Wonderful memories. Sheri, you are a wonder. Love your visits to Writing Straight from the Heart, too. Wishing you every possible joy of the Christmas season. Hugs. Susan
Doesn't snow just set the scene for Christmas. We are not having any and I am hearing that there is none in the forecast for our Christmas here. Maybe they are wrong. Bet your cookies and rolls were excellent. So glad you shared some of your lovely Christmas memories.
As children my brother and I always got up super early. We loved opening our gifts in the dark with just the Christmas lights on. We had those huge bulbs back then and mama loved icicles so they would fall and land all over the floor. Dad wasn't crazy about them but he always worked getting the real tree in the stand so decorating was certainly a family affair. Hope you and your loved ones will be making more lovely memories this year. Hugs!
Thank you for sharing your Christmas memories Sheri. I typically share memories on my blog too. This post made me smile because of all the magic surrounding Christmas. My birthday is on Christmas, but lately I haven't been in happy place emotionally. Thank you again my dear friend for sharing your beautiful memories and photos.
So happy you are enjoying the snow Sheri and such lovely photos and memories you have shared with us today. One of my memories is us helping my mother hang brightly colored streamers and balloons from the ceiling, helping to blow up those balloons too. Every now and again, up until the time they were taken down, a balloon would pop, scare us and then send us into fits of giggles. There were plenty of balloon replacements each Christmas. It is a memory that still makes me smile. Our tree usually was a Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree but we loved decorating it with some of our handmade garlands and ornaments. Thank you for bringing back those memories Sheri and may your Christmas be the happiest.
Love the little tea party! And the photos of snow! We don't get any snow around here and it always seems so magical to me. Not sure I could live with the cold, though. Enjoy this wonderful time of year, dear Sheri.
Amalia
xo
No unusual traditions here...just Santa...lol
Not much for all the snow but would love one of those cinnamon rolls!
hughugs
Donna
Merry Christmas
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