Christmas Through the Years

Christmas through the years has been wonderful. For the first few years we had babies and no money. However, we were very happy because all our friends were in the same condition. The year our second child was born, I was in the hospital on December 21 and wanted to go home. The doctor said I should stay in bed several more days. I promised him if he would let me go home for my 2 year olds first Christmas, I would do as he ask. Of course, I did not mind him as I knew that I could get up and do what I wanted to do at home and I did. It was so special as our 2 year old was so excited to have Christmas and a new baby sister.

Money was short and we would put things on lay-a-way at Oklahoma Tire and Supply in the early fall, September usually. That gave us time to pay a little each payday on them and get them paid by Christmas. The problem arose, however, as the children grew up, if I bought so long before Christmas they had changed their mind as to what the wanted from Santa by December. With all the advertisements, it made it hard for them.

One year, our daughter wanted a little car with a horn on it. She had seen one at the store and it was expensive for us We bought it and my husband put a little rubber horn that honked on the steering wheel. We have movies of that Christmas.

As years past and the children grew up it was clothes, records and cameras and the likes. We bought a bicycle one year for our son. We could not buy a new one and a friend of mine had one she said she would sell me. My husband repainted and fixed it up and it was just like new. I don’t know if our son knew the difference or not.

We always had Mother and Daddy Pruitt here every year as I was an only child. Daddy was always off the week after Christmas so we always had Mother to help bake the turkey and make the dressing. Many years, we would have three Christmas dinners; one on Christmas Day at home and then one at Grandma Allen’s the next day. She was the mother of our brother-in-law and was always cooking. We would have our own dinner and then go there for either supper or the next day. sometimes we would have one of the dinners at Grandma Anderson’s We always had lots of company since my husband’s mother was here and he had seven brothers and sisters and families who came up during the holidays too. It was a joyous time with lots of company and food at everyone’s house.

As the childen got to College in Norman, we would have Christmas (opened presents) as soon as they got home from school and have the Christmas dinner shortly after. They always had plans to go or do something and then they were free to do those things. Our son went to the Evangelism Seminars for the College students several years and would be gone right after Christmas. After Mother and Daddy died, we didn’t go to Itasca any more at Christmas. The children had many activities to attend here with friends and so we stayed home. The last Christmas before Mother died, they didn’t come up. They decided they would let us have Christmas alone with our family. So our son and I went down to Itasca anyway and stayed a couple of days to see them, coming home on Christmas Eve. Mother died 10 days later and we were so glad we went. Daddy was with us then for the next three years before he died.

The children married and then we had Grandchildren to celebrate with us for many years. That seems so long ago now as we will have a Grandchild next Christmas. Our oldest Grandson and wife will present us with a new baby next Spring and will add to our already big family, count as of now ,12.

The last two Christmases, we have been alone. We want the children to make their own Christmas plans for their families and we are content with that. I do not want them to feel obligated to spend each holiday with us. We are glad when they decide to spend it with us, but we want them to want to come without being pressured.

God has blessed us so much with wonderful Christian Children and Grandchildren and we are so proud of them and the memories we have of Christmases past.