Memories old and creating new

Years of past, I remember sitting at the top of the steps, in our Cleveland Hts. center hall colonial, waiting for my parents to be done drinking their morning cup of coffee. My brother and sisters and I got an early start to Christmas morning. We'd start the festivities at my grandparents house on Christmas eve with a big Italian Christmas eve dinner with family, only to come home at night and go right to bed with a radio in our room playing Christmas music to fall asleep. The three of us slept in the same room so sleeping wasn't an option in our eyes. During the very, very early morning hours, whoever was up would wake the others up. We'd take turns sneaking downstairs where a living room was turned into a sea of brightly colored, beautifully wrapped packages! With our bed hair and our sleepy eyes, we would look through to see the different shapes and sizes of each and every one.wondering what could be in this one...or that one! Santa would usually leave us each a stuffed animal which we would quickly name before the morning officially began. We'd usually have an orange and some other little things in our stockings hung over our wall to wall mantled fireplace, so we'd peek into those as well. My brother slept in the last bedroom before the steps going downstairs...and of course he'd be up too...so we would sometimes hang out in his room and watch TV with him until the sun came up.

Finally morning would show and mom and dad would go downstairs. They'd have their coffee and relax until they would hear three little kids sitting at the top of the step yelling down, "can we come down yet"? We'd sit there waiting, getting more excited as the minutes went by...finally they would come to the steps and say Merry Christmas...and the morning began! When it was all said and done, the whole room would be filled with ripped up, crumpled wrapping paper and bows. All of us kids would be sitting and playing with one toy or another. It would be followed by either a great big Christmas dinner at our house or visits to our grandparents houses. As the years passed, those Christmas mornings turned to some of my favorite memories of my childhood, living in that big old house on Cedar.

I miss so many parts of my past...of my childhood...its hard to believe we are creating memories like this for our kids. I can only hope that when they grow older and have families of their own, that they look back and remember our Christmases that we had...decorating the tree, our annual Christmas picture for the Christmas card, the stockings, the baking cookies, Going to church, the excitement of seeing presents under the tree, visiting family and big holiday dinners.

Santa was very good to us this year...
It had to be because of the cookies and milk (and note) left for santa ;)

This is the nativity that Tony and I received as a wedding present 15 years ago

one of my most prized possessions for Christmas. I put it out this year in memory of all our loved ones that are celebrating in heaven...

This is the girls waiting anxiously to open presents...

Kayleigh testing out her new bike...A crazy morning opening gifts...

Taylor with her new art bag FILLED with all sorts of art supplies (she is a mini me)Because Tony wants to be a firefighter, he really wanted this Lego kit...His smile is priceless :)Being cool with the drum sticks he got....A little Gina loving her vacuum cleaner (actually, her and Kenny are sharing it)Kenny working his hand muscles and hand/eye coordination with these pegs...he LOVES these and feels so accomplished when he puts them on the right ones (yes..he is still working on the color to color idea) Notice the tongue...

We feel so extremely blessed with everything we have this Christmas. The kids were so excited and happy...and so were we.