That's me on safari, courtesy of Grandma Hazel. And check out that toy gun! I bet there was a lot of "Duck season! Wabbit season!" excitement that Christmas morning. And I don't know about anyone else, but I can't keep my eyes off that Bird Brain game.
Now that the holidays are here, it’s hard to shake the feeling that something’s missing. I’m sitting on my patio in sunny Florida, everything’s green, the weather’s pleasant, and I’m not seeing any signs of a single snowflake. Being from New York, it takes some getting used to. Feeling nostalgic, I started hunting through old childhood Christmas photos hoping to find some of that holiday magic. While there was no snow to be found in any of my photos, they still captured the essence of how I remember Christmas.
This is my very first Christmas, with Mom and my godparents, Ann & Kenny. I wasn’t even one yet, but I was determined to see what was in that stocking.
My first pet, Cuddles, was a bunny Uncle Tom found hopping around Brooklyn. Don’t think she stuck around too long…
Mom, my brother Michael and I made the local newspaper! This was a Christmas outing to see Santa at the Grand Union grocery store in Greenwood Lake. NY. Just love those matching winter outfits.
I remember that day! We stood in line so long I was exhausted and crying. I just wanted to go home. But we stayed the course and cousin Steven and I finally got to meet Santa.
That’s Donna, Mike, and me, coming down the stairs all excited on Christmas morning, 1972 at our home in Greenwood Lake, NY.
Donna, Michael and Desiree on Christmas morning, coming out of our unwrapping frenzy. Mid 1970s at our home in Harriman, New York. In case you are wondering, Donna is holding a bag of goldfish.
Mom has a thing for family portraits. In 1988, her dream of a color-coordinated Christmas portrait came true. Desiree, Michael, and Donna are in the back; Dad and Mom are in the middle; and Kevin and John are in front.
With the family complete, we opted for an at-home portrait. Back: Kevin, Donna, Michael, and Desiree. Middle: Mom and Dad, with Richie and Kelly on their laps. Front and center: John. Circa 1993 at our home in Massapequa, New York.
I hope this sparked some holiday memories for you as it did for me. If you have any Christmas photos you’d like to share feel free to email or share them on my Facebook post. And if anybody wants to play a game of Bird Brain, let me know.
Wonderful pictures !! Merry Christmas!! 🎄