If only in my dreams...

This time of year ALWAYS makes me miss my hometown. A small little Mayberry town where everyone knows everyone. Believe me, in most cases, knowing everyone and their business is a curse. You can NOT go to the store without seeing a handfull of people you know. One of my great friends from high school recently told me that she remembered every time she went to Kroger she saw my dad buying toilet paper. I mean, classic small town. I can promise you that in the 19 years I lived in our town, Holidays were always the same. Since I have been gone, I have come to appreciate it. I can smell the smells, taste the tastes, and mentally drive down different roads and see every detail.

For example:

The Christmas Program at Johnson First Church of God, that might be THE ONLY church that has Santa kneeling at the manger in the live Nativity Scene.
The ever famous "Hanging of the Greens" service where Pastor Ben puts a nail ornaments deep inside the tree so that we can remember what had to happen for us to trully celebrate such a magnificant birth.

The decorations that lace the town, from classy to tacky but WHO CARES!

Morehead State University being out for Christmas Break and how quiet it would be around town.

The classroom Christmas Parties we use to be able to have...the chips, koolaid and cupcakes!

The Christmas Parade that basiclly consisted of fire trucks and Shriners!

Houses decorated with lights and bows and wreaths-and just driving around neighborhoods to check out everyone's work.

Mamaw's house: apple cider, peanut butter balls, ham, rolls, broccoli casserole......eating it all in whatever room and space that you could find. Cousins who I adored and Aunts and Uncles! The envelopes on the tree with our names written on them-the laughter, David William, Mamaw, Papaw......heck even Mamaw Ivy bad mood or not.

Dad reading the Christmas Story (the real one about Jesus) and mom's THOUSANDS of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter blossoms my mom would make for everyone-cheerios for Rudolph...Christmas PJ's...
I always loved (and still do) wrapping presents, I would even wrap my own! (Mom would put them in boxes and then I would wrap them)

Amy Grant Christmas Songs.

Snow days. Talking to Abby Adams on the telephone all day everyday. Miriah Carey Christmas CD-the yellow boom box, the baby doll I named ELIZABETH MORGAN, Calling my cousin Kerry (labgirl) every Christmas Morning to see what she got!

Morehead State basketball games.

Movies on Christmas Day!

FOR ME: Home for Christmas will always be memories from my childhood. They are so precious. ALthough, I will never technically get to "BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" since I have grown up -I can dream all day long about it!! I hope my kids have those same kind of memories when they are grown...I have the next 18 -20 years to make it happen! Here's hoping!