Well here it is a couple of days after Christmas 2006. I found myself tonight reflecting back on this year's celebration and also thinking about some Christmas's past. It was great as always spending time with my mom, sisters, brother-in-laws and their children. Maybe I shouldn't call them children as my oldest nephew is going to graduate from college this spring. Man am I getting old! Anyway we had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at my Mom's house after going to mass at St. Mary's church in Menasha. St. Mary's was beautifully decorated and they had some great music with acoustic guitars and a choir. Whenever I go to St. Mary's I can't help but think of my dad as he was an usher there for years and also went to school there when he was growing up. I went there myself from first to third grade so that brings back a lot of memories too. The picture above is of my dad and his sister Annette. My dad also had two twin sisters Ruth and Rhoda.

When I was growing up we would always gather at my Dad's parent's house on Christmas Eve. It was usually our family, my Aunt Rhoda's family and my grandparents. My Aunts Annette and Ruth both lived out of state so most years weren't able to make it back home. My Grandma would cook the most delicious Christmas Eve dinner. After dinner the kids would wait patiently until the dishes were cleaned up. Presents were then opened and Grandpa would capture all the festivities on this old 16mm movie camera he had. The interesting thing about this camera was he had this light bar which was about the equivalent of about 16 suns shining directly into your eye. The films have survived though and make for some great watching. I think we have every Christmas from about the early 60's through the late seventies captured on film. As we were opening the presents the kids would look eagerly out the window to try to catch of glimpse of Santa's sleigh. Later in the evening we would head home and miraculously Santa would have come while we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

The thing I miss most about those Christmases is we aren't able to celebrate Christmas any longer with some of those same people. Our family went through kind of a tragic time in the early 1990's with a lot of deaths in a short amount of time. My Grandma died in April 1991, my Dad in May 1991, and Rhoda and her husband Roy were killed in a a car accident in March of 1992 and then by September 1993 my Grandpa was also gone. So I guess in a way I have a little bit of the Christmas blues tonight. I miss being able to celebrate Christmas with my Dad, Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Roy and my grandparents.

On New Year's Day we're getting together with my cousins Sue, Dawn, and Karen who are Rhoda and Roy's children. They remind me so much of their Mom and Dad. It's nice to see Rhoda and Roy reflected in their children. Some people say the same about me - that I remind them of my Dad. It always makes me proud when someone says that.

Anyway thanks for indulging my Christmas blues. Maybe I'll go and watch some of my Grandpa's old Christmas home movies and relive some of those Christmases of old and be reminded once again how fortunate I am to have grown up in such a loving family.