This is an easy confession for me. All during my childhood years, my family and I would spent Christmas with my grandparents in Idaho Falls. Every year, my grandma would put together a great Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Besides my family, my grandma's sisters family came to the party too. It wasn't a large crowd, but we still filled up the house.
The party always began in the basement. We had hamloaf (like meatloaf only made with ground ham...it's hard to describe), sour cream potatoes, raspberry jello and little sandwiches. The little sandwiches were always my favorite. They weren't anything special, just a sandwich platter my grandpa ordered from a grocery store, but considering the fact that I only ever ate little sandwiches on Christmas Eve made them one of my favorite parts of Christmas.
After dinner, we all made our way upstairs and had a Christmas program. We sang songs, read from the Bible and my sister and I usually played a musical number on our violins.
Last, we did a fish pond. This game is one that my grandpa put together. He called it Grandma's Fish Pond. He hung a sheet in front of a door frame and each of us took turns "fishing." Our "fish" were always random, dollar store type things, but we all enjoyed it, even the adults.
At the end of the party, people went home and the kids went to bed trying so hard to fall asleep, but couldn't knowing Santa Claus was on his way.
As my grandparents aged, they were unable to host Christmas at their house. So, my parents carried on the traditions at their house. Things were never quite the same, but fortunately, I'll always have my memories of Christmas in Idaho Falls.
To this day, I insist on having little sandwiches every Christmas Eve. No party is complete without them.
The party always began in the basement. We had hamloaf (like meatloaf only made with ground ham...it's hard to describe), sour cream potatoes, raspberry jello and little sandwiches. The little sandwiches were always my favorite. They weren't anything special, just a sandwich platter my grandpa ordered from a grocery store, but considering the fact that I only ever ate little sandwiches on Christmas Eve made them one of my favorite parts of Christmas.
After dinner, we all made our way upstairs and had a Christmas program. We sang songs, read from the Bible and my sister and I usually played a musical number on our violins.
Last, we did a fish pond. This game is one that my grandpa put together. He called it Grandma's Fish Pond. He hung a sheet in front of a door frame and each of us took turns "fishing." Our "fish" were always random, dollar store type things, but we all enjoyed it, even the adults.
At the end of the party, people went home and the kids went to bed trying so hard to fall asleep, but couldn't knowing Santa Claus was on his way.
As my grandparents aged, they were unable to host Christmas at their house. So, my parents carried on the traditions at their house. Things were never quite the same, but fortunately, I'll always have my memories of Christmas in Idaho Falls.
To this day, I insist on having little sandwiches every Christmas Eve. No party is complete without them.
I love this memory!
ReplyDeleteI always wished I had more cousins. I wanted to be in one of those families where the house was just packed to the gills with cousins running all over the place. It wasn't to be.
This is sweet. I want out kids to have stuff like this...
ReplyDelete