MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

When I was growing up, we would drive from Seattle to Sacramento to visit all our extended family.  The five of us piled into our Chevy Impala and off we drove. We usually spent the night half way there in Eugene, OR or a town nearby. 

In Sacramento, we stayed with my mom's parents- whom I referred to as Grandma and Grandpa. They lived in the same house my mom was raised in. They lived in a cul-de-sac where my brothers and I rode bikes and giant tricycles. This was the good old days of the late 70s and 80s. No cell phones. No netflicks.

Christmas Eve we would visit my Uncle and Aunt (my dad's sister). My dad, his sister, mother and grand mother immigrated to the USA from Germany in 1955. They moved to Sacramento, which is where my parents met, at church. I loved visiting my Aunt and Uncle's house and seeing my four cousins. We weren't a big group but we loved each other and had so much fun. We had a big dinner on Christmas eve and then opened lots of gifts. I distinctly remember one Christmas when I was 4- 1979, when my great grandma (Oma Ella) gave us each one of her dolls from when she was a girl in Germany. I still have that precious doll. Another Christmas, my cousins and I each got Red Gumball Machines. :)

Christmas morning was spent at my grandpa and grandma's house where Santa always knew where to find us. We would then drive to my mom's brother's house in San Jose. Then that evening we would be in Stockton for a few days to spend time again with my dad's mom and grandma- my Oma Hilde and Oma Ella.  Oh how I loved visiting their home. They had posters on their stairs from various castles and cities across Germany. (Later my mom adopted that practice of hanging posters in the hallway, and now I do too!)  My Oma had the best wooden toys to play with and lots of fancy fancy china and crystal. AND Of course, she always had a plate of Lebkuchen sitting out for us to enjoy. 

Christmas has always been a special time for me as I remember these memories. My grandparents on both sides have passed on, as have one of my uncles and my mother. I try to capture some of these traditions for my kids- but in the world of phones, reels, and constant notifications, the simple times are past.  But one thing that never fades is the reason for the season. Many years ago, a baby was born in a stable. He came into the world in the most humble way. And lived a short life but taught profound principles that changed the world. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. And that true meaning of Christmas can't be erased. 

Merry Christmas
Xoxo- Angie and the whole Twirl Family