Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve's as a child, we were  excited... the wonder, the mystery...the waiting! For me it was the traditional Christmas Eve Feast, candles lite...and wonderful food...dressing up, hair curled, best dress. The Christmas lights on the tree, music in the background and mom looking amazing. As we grew older, Ernie and Martin practising to  sneak down stairs to check out what Santa brought us...making sure they didn't step on that creaky squeaky step...but dad had sharp ears and sent us back to our beds.

  As I had my children it was always new pj's that I purchased or made, it was opening that one gift before bed time, milk and cookies for Santa and reading T'was the Night Before Christmas.
(Kimberly the blonde, Caitlin  3yrs old.)
  And then the midnight wrap job...because no matter I did I was still wrapping in the wee hrs. of the night. And when all is done, the house tidy, children all snug in their beds, I have my rum and egg nog, and I sit with candles lite, music, and my tree, taking a few Christmas photos, relaxing wondering,remembering.
Now in 1995 I mentioned earlier that I took the kids to Disneyland, and you know the one thing I forgot to pack was the book, T'was the night Before Christmas! And thank goodness mom remembered every word...and we all recited the story before bed, in our Hotel Room...and yes Santa came to Disneyland and had a small gift for each one of us there.

And while we were in Disney land, we  rewrote a Song to fit the Occasion, I would like to Share this with you now.
Twelve Days of Christmas
Revised 1995 Disneyland

On the first day of Christmas, my true love (mom) gave to us,
A ticket to Disneyland
On the Second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Two hour line ups!!
On the Third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
3 bottles of pop!
On the Fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Four Hot Dogs!
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Five Buckets of Popcorn!
On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
6 goofy Peddes!!!
On the Seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
7 dwarfs a sleeping!
On the Eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
8 Grumpy people!
On the Nineth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
9 orders at McDonald's!
On the Tenth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
10 Dancing Indians!
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
11 bumper cars!
On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
12 pounds of Ribs!!

Written and sung by:
The Pedde Fleet, Julie,Andrew,Nathan,Caitlin,Kimberly and Tracey
Martin and Donna Hennig, and Kathy Pedde


So, Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good night!!! xoxoox

Today is Dec. 23rd. And every year since 1975 I remember. Some of the memories are clear, and some now are fading, into a mist. But, I still take time to remember...I do not want to forget.
  I am not going to explain the who what when and why's of how I got into this situation. It happened and my parents taught me to deal and solve my problems..and deal with my responsibilities...and I did.
  The days leading up to the 23rd, I was working as a preschool teacher with a  DayCare Society. And I saw alot of single moms, struggling...and missing out on so much, as their child was in our care. I was young at the time, and I decided that the child inside of me would have a better life than the one I could give. I was pretty lucky, I didn't show until the 8th month...I worked until then. the end of November...and managed to take some time off...to do....well, I decorated my apartment with decorations I bought at Kresge's...I bought a tree at Overwaitea, swim club who was doing a tree sale in those days..and I dragged that tree all the way up 15th ave to my apartment...and set it up...and filled the tree with my little paper folded stars. I wrapped my gifts to my parents, and my brothers...and sent them off and I had my friends around me. And I also spent some time at the Social Workers Office...finding the right parents for the child I  was carrying. And then to wait.....
 About 10 days before Christmas,  I did a road trip to  Burns lake by Greyhound. To see a girlfriend from College, she was setting up a Local Day Care there, and we were spending some time together...a change of scenery from Prince George. People I had met there, treated me great, pregnant  single lady and giving your baby up for adoption...they looked at me like I was bearing gifts, Madonna like, in awe..they were silent in their thoughts and opionions. It was a good visit. I had an uncomfortable trip back to PG from Burns lake...when the next morning I realize I was in labour...alone. A co-worker drove me to the hospital, and a nurse stayed with me even after she was done her shift...and I gave birth to a girl...I heard her cry, I saw her arms and legs....and then she was gone....and when they were finished with me...I recovered onthe Maturnity floor, the farthest room away from everyone else...and at night I could here babies cry and wonder if it was mine. The social worker said I should name my child...and as I lay in the hospital looking out at St. Giles Church...and the Christmas lights and decorations around the hospital...it was Christmas Eve evening all was quiet I woke from my nap and I had a name...Christa Joy...Because I knew that these Parents just recieved the best Christmas present ever...this baby girl is their Christmas Joy.... my only wish was that they would know  her name at birth, and that as I carried her inside me I took such great care of their precious gift...and I would want her to know that I want the best the world can offer her... Life..... Happy Birthday Christa, Merry Christmas......

Christmas Magic

 In Greenwood, there was  Drug store, they carried everything you needed, almost like our Shoppers Drug Mart. The Drugist owned the store, and they always wrapped the purchases in brown or white paper with string..later years they went to bags...but when we first moved to town....brown paper packages tied up with string.... at Christmas it was white paper and there were wreaths printed on the paper. Down stairs at the drug store he had it set up as "Toyland" and as kids, we thought it was unique and magical...we could see all the toys,out of their boxes in working order. Tea sets set on small table and chairs, train sets going around on their trackes, doll, teddy bears, christmas tree decorated with toys around. You could  walked around and looked at all the delights, with Christmas music playing in the background..and when you were done dreaming and wishing you recieved a candy cane and a Christmas orange.
   Now, this one day I came home from school, and there was no one home...at the time we were renting this small house in Greenwood. Well, I had the house to myself at least for a few minutes.Not really remembering where everyone was....but this was a great time for me to raid the cookie jar...and well, I decided to snoop, cause I was at "That age" and wanted to figure things out for myself....a regular Nancy Drew. ...Mom and dad's bedroom was a logical place and it was always out of bounds...mom and dad had a wardrobe in their room instead of built in closets...and when I opend the closet there was treasure!! ...boxes of all shapes and sizes all wrapped in paper from the drug store stacked neatly ...all white and clean with wreaths...crisp edges..., gone were mom and dads shoes and the stuff we all put in the bottom of our closets...clothes were shifted and squished over..I had a secret..and I wasn't sharing..
   Christmas morning it had dawned on me that somethings were different....so as mom was busy in the kitchen preparing the Christmas feast..and the boys playing with their their toys..and dad doing? dad stuff...I went into mom and dad's room (door was open) and I opened the closet and in the closet was back to normal...clothes, shoes were all put back like they were never moved...and as I watched the boys play with their toys, I was looking at the wrappings and boxes...they were clearly different.....Christmas Magic.....or Christmas Mystery. (in picture is Roland, Ernie, Martin,Gerald and Me....on table is a Marshmellow castle and a Gingerbread house, birthday cakes for Roland and Gerald.)

The Christmas Star:

 As long as I can remember we have always had these  amazing little stars on our Christmas tree....My friends didn't though, and I always thought that OUR Christmas Tree was the most beautiful Tree in Town. Mom and dad would be sitting in the livingroom with these little strips of paper, folding stars, and they sometimes would have these contests to see how many they could make. I think if I dig in mom and dad's box of stars, some are at least, hmmmmm? How old am I? How long have mom and dad been married? Yes, that long ago the first stars..and some even have a bit of wax on them from candles dripping from thier Advent Wreath.

Dad says that his mom, our Oma taught them how to fold these amazing stars. And I clearly remember when I could fold these stars with out any coaching from mom or dad. Traditions handed down from one generation to another. Well......

These amazing stars also got me a detention at school. I was in grade 5, and I was showing my friends how to fold these stars using newspaper..and was suppose to be doing Math??And so I had to do lines.....and lots of lines...and had to memorize a verse from the Bible...I think you may know the verse...I won't quote.....but with the season, you have an idea...

these little stars were part of fundraisers, and gifts. I wonder how many mom and dad gave away to the residents of Greenwood, BC.

And how many I made and gave way here in Prince George? These stars  have helped me when times were sad and blue, like the time I lost our son, I was 7 months pregnant and I went into labour early...and so Don brought me my strips of paper and I sat at the nurses station giving Star making lessons...

My first Christmas here in PG, I went to Speedee printers, bought paper and they cut these strips...they were very confused and so I Quickly made them a star...

My children, can make these stars now too....and teaching their friends, and tonight I held my grandson and granddaughter, looking, touching their hands and fingers, and thinking that in a few years, the Star making tradition will be passed on to another Generation.

(Top picture,Julie's Christmas tree, )
(picture to the left, is mom and dad's last Christmas tree in Greenwood, the tree use to be 9 to 10 ft. tall...yes amazing !)

Merry Christmas to you all, As we prepare for the Holidays, we reflect and remember the Christmases of our past. I remember, my mom baking cookies, helping us write letters to Santa, I remember the smell of the first Christmas Oranges we found in our Shoes/Boots..and the smell of Gingerbread. And when dad came home with the Christmas tree the wonderful scent of the Pine..and how excited we were when the lights were on and lite up....and how cool  with thought it was to decorate  the tree at night....and Ernie and I laying under the tree looking up through the tree at the lights as it reflected on the ceiling...I wonder if my brothers remember the Christmas concert we did for our partents the last sunday before Christmas, and my favorite record with Christmas music...its the one with the ringing of church bells...And as we grew older how we helped to keep the Christmas magic going with your younger Brothers.

   And then when I had my own Children, all the special rituals, traditions we did for them, the magic the excitment the smells, the sounds....I remember purchasing special Santa Claus wrapping paper because it could not be the same as the gifts from mom and dad...And as the children got a bit older, then we used different printing or writing to the name tags from Santa....and I remember the Quiz poor Santa needed to comlete while he ate his milk and cookies, questions like can you name all the reindeer, Mrs.Clauses first name...are you real...do you know the Tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny? And of course he had to leave his signuture, because the boys checked out ours...and if they had a DNA kit oh my goodness....

One of my best gifts was the colouring book the kids made me..each page, and it came with used crayons..and yes I still have that gift...their dad recieved "City' issued work gloves....I think I scored that day :). Another favorite moment is when I purchased Disney tickets...wrapped the brochures in assorted sized boxes and a family friend played Santa...and they all had to open(my kids know this story well) and the youngest figured out we were spending Christmas with Mickey..Caitlin cried because the day we were leaving was 'show and tell' day.....another great moment when Santa sent a fax to City Hall in Greenwood(dad was the mayor then) and announced that we were coming home for Christmas...As parents we have alot of great special moments...last year it was my grandson's reaction to find 'Reindeer Poop' on the deck....and  you know I know it was chocolate covered Almonds....but I believe..yes I believe.