Getting Ready for Christmas when Our Children Were Young

When our children were young it was always a fun time getting ready for Christmas. The first thing was to dress up really warm and go and pick out the best Christmas tree in the lot. We have a huge living room, so we need a big tree. Most of our trees were at least 12 feet tall and a good 5 feet across the bottom of the tree. The Douglas firs were the best trees we ever had. They were so fresh, and smelled so good.

Then up to the attic room to pull out all the decorations, as Dad was letting the tree stand in the bath tub so the branches could fall. This is something my parents always did to. If we would run hot water and close the door for awhile it would get nice and steamy. Then the tree would go in the tub, and we would close the door. By doing this it helped thaw out the trees, and the branches were able to fall where they should be very nicely.

We would decorate with wreaths and garland with white lights and small red velvet bows. Our daughter loved decorating our evergreen bushes and trees in the front of the house with small red velvet bows over white lights. Dad would string his lights along his Farmall H, and put it on display for the holidays. Up the silo he would go and put at 72 inch wreath 3/4 the way up the silo that was decorated with white lights and a large red bow. You could see it for miles when it was lit up. We set it on a timer so it would go on and dusk and off before daylight.

White lights decorated our windows, with 3 areas dipping down with a red ornament hanging from the lights. Christmas knick knacks of Angels, Santa, etc. were placed around the house. Once the tree went up, it was time to pop popcorn. We found out years before that it was good to let the pop corn sit over night after it is popped so it doesn't fall apart so easy as freshly popped. Then I would thread 3 needles with white thread and loop one piece of popcorn with thread through a slip knot and we would start stringing the popcorn. It was easier to do each layer in sections, otherwise when trying to put the popcorn on the tree it would get tangled. And of course Mom was the one to always get it untangled. The kids and I would string 600 white lights on the tree. The tree was decorated with all white and red ornaments. Some my mother had crocheted white over red satin balls. I have a white crocheted Christmas Tree Skirt. Our tree is always decorated around the entire tree, as it sits in front of the window. The Nativity scene went right in front under the tree, and the white Angel my Mother crocheted for me would be our crowning glory on top of the tree. When everything was done, the lights were turned on the tree, and all the lights in the house were turned off. What a beautiful site. We sang Christmas Carole's, and rolled out Christmas cookies. Baked them up and let them sit till the next day to decorate with cake decorating tips.

Everyone would go to their own bedrooms to haul out the presents they wrapped and down to the tree they came. Putting each package just so, to make a beautiful display. By this time the kids were in their pajamas and it was time for Mom to take a picture of the 2 of them sitting in front of the Christmas Tree. I always took 2 pictures. That way I had them developed in duplicate for each of the kids photo albums, and we still would have a picture too.

Those days have come and gone. These are are some of my best memories. With Dad lifting each one up to put their last ornament up on the tree.