An Early Family Christmas & A New Chance to Win a Book

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 28 Comments

Christmas with family is good on whatever day your family can all get together at one time. This year for us it was yesterday. That’s a little earlier than usual. We generally try to make it work a day or so before or after Christmas. That couldn’t happen this year. So, I had to get busy with my shopping and decorating and cleaning and cooking. We had a fun day yesterday.

Thank goodness, the kids helped me get dinner ready or we might still be waiting for me to get the food on the table. I should have do more preparing on Saturday, but I thought I was faster at getting things done than it turned out I was. It can’t be because I’m getting older and slower. All right, I’ll admit to the slower and try to ignore the older. 🙂

Of course, as you can see the grandkids have all gotten older and much, much taller. Some of them seem to have as much interest in dinner getting ready as opening presents. Shows I don’t have baby grandkids any more. But I still get them to pose in front of the Christmas tree each year. As they continue to get older and spread their wings, who knows how many more times I can get them all together under or actually in front of my Christmas tree. Right now, each time is a treasure.

The oldest girl is married now. The oldest boy just got his Masters degree. Another girl graduated from college in May with the next oldest ready to graduate in another year. Two of the other girls will graduate from high school this year and head off to college to start spreading their wings. That just leaves the three youngest in high school.

Those of you who have grandkids know how quickly the years zoom past as they grow up. But I cherish those sweet baby, toddler, and child days when they were excited about coming to grandma’s house to explore the woods with me. Most of them still enjoy heading out on walks with me to see what we can see when the sun is shining.

Yesterday it was all about Christmas. We had the traditional food. Ham. Corn pudding. Green beans. Macaroni and cheese. Broccoli salad. Fruit salad. Grape jello salad. Rolls. Cookies and pies. Punch just like my aunt always made when my family got together on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. Other dishes get added in and out. Sometimes it’s cake instead of pies.  Sometimes there is homemade candy. For the last several years, there is always Chex mix. This year my daughter made some banana croquettes just because I love them so much. My mother always made crackerjacks. My daughter picked up that tradition and made some  from Mom’s recipe for us to enjoy. I didn’t list everything, so you can tell we didn’t go hungry and of course, nibbled on this or that all afternoon.

We finished off the day with a game of cards because my youngest grandkid loves to play cards. Fortunately for her and for me , since I love to play cards too, many in the family are always ready to gather about the table for a game.  I intended to take a picture of them, but I must have sat down after that busy day and couldn’t make myself get up to focus in on them.

Now the house is quiet. Everyone has gone home. Christmas is over. Well, not really. Christmas is more than food and presents. Much more. Now that the cooking and present buying and wrapping are over and done, I can concentrate more on the why we celebrate Christmas. Our church will be having a Candlelight Service. We will also be gathering with extended family. There is joy every day at Christmas time.

And the first week winner is….

One of the joys of Christmas is giving. I picked my first Christmas book giveaway winner a little while ago. Deborah D.’s number came up on the Random Number Generator online. She wasted no time letting me know she wanted a copy of my book, River to Redemption. 

I’m going to pick two more winners. One this weekend and one the next. If you have left comments on the first two blog posts of this Christmas giveaway, your names are still in my drawing hat. You can get more entries by commenting on this post and on my mid-week post.

Let’s keep stirring up memories of Christmases when you were a kid or of now.

What is a favorite food that has to be on your table or that you remember always being on your grandparents’ or mother’s table at Christmas?

You can get an entry by answering this question. Deadline for entries in this week’s giveaway is Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023,  with the final giveaway chance coming up the week after Christmas. Winners are picked by random and you need to be at least 18 to enter the giveaway.

These last two pictures are of Darrell and me with the grandkids and then my kids and their spouses.

Merry Christmas and thanks, as always, for reading.

Comments 28

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    Dana, I love pies and like having them on Christmas. I had chocolate chip pie and blackberry pie Sunday. But my mom could make the best chocolate pie.

    Meredith, I’ve eaten plenty of the hashbrown casseroles at church dinners. I considered making it this year but talked myself out of it. I didn’t have the necessary ingredients.

    Joy, you’ve listed some of my favorites to see on a holiday table. In fact you might just have seen them on my table Sunday when all the kids were here for Christmas.

    Diana, you sound like you know how to keep the meaning in Christmas. I love hearing the Christmas story read from the Bible.

  2. My mom always made us roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Christmas dinner and it is a tradition we have carried on in our home. It just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without having that for our dinner and it is something that we look forward to all year.

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      I’ve always heard of Yorkshire pudding, but I have no idea what it is, Becky. I’ll have to look that up. It has always sounded very Christmasy.

      Those traditions we have and keep make family Christmases extra special.

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    It’s fun reading all your favorites holiday food. Every comment, I’m nodding my head and agreeing it’s a favorite. Easy to have lots of favorites at Christmastime

    Marlene, I love yeast rolls too and I’m usually the one who makes them. The kids love them.

    Margie, I’ve heard those bananas coated in peanuts called “dressed” bananas but we all said banana croquets around here. One of my favorite things. You used to find them at every church dinner, but not so much these days.

    Diana, you are with Lisa B. and me in liking that dressing.

    Caryl, ham is always on my Christmas dinner menu. I always have a few slices of county ham along with the picnic ham. That country ham does make you thirsty, but it is so good.

    Sarah, you are with Caryl and me wanting ham to be on your Christmas dinner table. I’m guessing your mother makes the very best.

    Janette – I’m not a big yams or sweet potato fan, but my daughter-in-law loves them.

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  4. I loved the photos; such beautiful family!
    My grandmothers corn pudding and my mom’s dressed eggs. My grandmother was my best friend and she has been gone since I was a teenager. I still miss her so much but when I prepare and have her corn pudding she is with me. My Grandmother and my Mom were special ladies that I carry in my heart.
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your readers!

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      It’s so good to have those much loved people still in your heart at Christmas time, Pamela. Well, all the time. Our mothers and grandmothers are such a part of us.

      I don’t use many of the recipes that my aunt did for our Christmas dinners, but I remember the things she made and it is a sweet memory. I do still make that punch.

  5. I always love the cranberry salad my sister makes. Corn pudding and Blueberry jello salad.

    You have a beautiful family. The grandkids are so cute. I know they are a lot of fun for you and your husband.

  6. My favorite has always been the yams: baked with butter, brown sugar, and mini-marshmallows. Yes … I have a bit of a sweet tooth.

  7. Your family gathering for Christmas will be in your memory bank for many years to come, Nice to have everyone together. Merry Christmas.

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  8. I love your family photos and I can certainly see the resemblance of the grands to their gramma! What a great bunch of kids!
    My Mom always made “cowplops” which were giant molasses cookies and sugar cookies sprinkled with sugar. Like puffy cakes really.
    Merry Christmas to you Ann!

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      So glad you enjoyed seeing my family Christmas photos, Amy. They are nice kids and their grandmother think they are all extra cute.

      Those cookies have an interesting name. LOL. But being a farm girl I have no trouble knowing where the name came from.

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  9. My favorite was when my mother made divinity candy. Hubby and I tried for years to make it and always ended up arguing. The ONE time it turned out, the glass thermometer broke! We vowed to never try it again. His mom used to make it too.

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      My mom always made divinity and I have made it a few times. Mom said you always had to wait for a clear cold day for the candy to be right. I loved it but if does take a lot of beating to get it to the right stage.

      Sounds like it wasn’t in the cards for you, Paula. 🙂

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      I’m sorry about your loss of your husband, Linda. That does make Christmas very different for you. May your good memories of Christmases with him soften the sorrow of him no longer by your side.

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