My favorite was sharing the holidays with my son and grandson.

An added plus was a Christmas Eve with my son and his friend, for church service and dinner afterwards at my home.

Ohhhhh so special. Been a long time coming for the occasion!

Having four generations of our family together! I received many gifts of clothing, jewelry, books and other gifts but none was equal to the joy of sharing the love and laughter with our family, ranging in age from 77 to 3 months. What a blessing!

Oh, that's easy. My favorite gift was from our nephew and his wife - a baby announcement Christmas Eve. It's very new news, we won't have the baby to cuddle and hold until August, but they were too excited not to share their joy.

You all touch my heart with the warm spirit of the season. My favorite gift was a very long phone call from one branch of my family far away during which I was able to talk with my wonderful brother and SIL, but my very special nephews and their families, too.

We were all on speaker phone, talking and laughing for an hour. It was exactly what I needed!

My favorite was also spending time with famly. This was our granddaughter's first Christmas - she is 7 months old. What fun. I would have thought that it would have been overwhelming for her but it wasn't at all. She took it all in stride. She let others hold her as long as she could see her mommy or daddy. It was all very cute. She even tried to open her presents and tried to eat the paper. Once the present was opened though, she didn't care what was in it. She just wanted the box. My daughter said it's so much fun with little kids around and I'd have to agree.

Also, another neat thing is DH's neice brought over a family tree dating back to 1400. Very neat - we all enjoyed that for sure.

As for gifts, we still haven't exchanged gifts between ourselves or our daughter. That comes later this weekend. So I get to spend more time with my granddaughter. I have truly been blessed!

Being with the kids and grandkids was the best gift. They are all growing so fast. Love watchng them open their gifts. They all stood around and watched Grandma open her IPhone. My 10 year old granddaughter asked if I needed help in learning to use it. We all got a chuckle out of that!! Of course, I will need lots of help..

The very best thing was having nearly all of the family together, with good food and lots of laughter.

Watching bald eagles fly over a frozen river on our Christmas day excursion into the mountains.

Memories being made....

We had all of our children and grandchildren with us and that was the best gift of all. However I did get some very nice gifts, cookbooks, coloring books, candy, a Hurricane mop, and an outside camera to take pictures of the wildlife. I am anxious to try the mop and for son in law to hook up the camera. Two of the children ate supper with us too last night and no one left till 9. It was a long day. Again today some will come back for lunch. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas like I did.

Sue

Yes, the time with family, especially in the few days before Christmas. This is more meaningful to me than any tangible gifts. (Although my son and husband did give me a new computer, which I very much appreciate.)

Time with family. Another grand who was more excited about the box! Scarlett-In-The-Box! Too cute.

I had a great day with family. The 3 GK were so much fun. But my favorite present was a picture frame with a picture of each of the Grands in their Karate uniforms. Each had chosen their own fantasy background. I absolutely love it!

Oh, and the GK gave me an Uncle Si Chia pet! LOL!!!!!

It's always great spending time with my family and Christmas 2013 was no exception. However the best (only) tangible gift I got, and it was a request that I made, was a new Porter Cable table saw. My 20+ year old SkilSaw died in late November. It was expensive and so my wife & three daughters chipped in together. Sweet!

We did the Christmas thing, after Church Christmas eve, ate supper, then gifts. Long evening,but then they get to spend Christmas with the other family.
Favorite gift?
Just being together with family except GD;s husband who just went to Afghanistan. Do miss him being here.

Angelaid, that is the cutest picture ever~~~so darling ;)

This year was having our son here for Christmas, first time he has shared Christmas in over 25 years. He had made a trip back to pick up a lot of motorcycle stuff that his uncle had left him and he had time off from his job at this time. Left his wife at home to care for things while he was gone.

Then he was able to go to TN for several days and have Christmas with his DD and DS and grandkids.

I love Scarlett-in-the-box!

My family and I are exchanging gifts today, but I know my favorite will still be my new grandson, Camron, born last month. As you can see, he is an enthusiastic Christmas-caroler!

{{!gwi}}

Mine was having a huge family gathering Saturday at my house of family. But the best part was my DS being home from school! And with NO attitude at all. He has decided he wants to stay in school until his time is up (24 months) and get as many certifications as he can!!! He has a new instructor that has inspired him to do great things with his life. This he told us on Christmas day after we had opened all the presents. For Tony and I this is the best Christmas present we received. If yall remember at Thanksgiving, he didn't want us to come down and he was trying to get out of school as soon as possible and had a giant attitude of "its my life and I can do what I want" So this was a 180 change...so happy!!!!

Being down home on the bayou with the family having a wonderful time and eating some equally wonderful food. Seeing my 91 year old mother and getting to give her kisses and say I love you as many times as I can. Each year is a gift.

As for actual gifts we bought ourselves a new custom made mattress for the RV and we have been extremely happy and comfortable this trip.

Laura, that is fantastic news. Happy for you.

Spending time with my family and friends are of course, but the joy I get from donating my time everyday at a nursing home is a continuous gift I receive throughout the year.

My only gift was a very generous check from DS which will be deposited today

To see my dad. He's been diagnosed with terminal/debilitating pulmonary thing and he made it clear at the onset of winter, no one could visit with them if they had anything "bronchial". I have had pneumonia/bronchitis and I didn't figure on getting to see him. This may or may not be his last Christmas (probably is last, crossing my fingers to be wrong!), but I got to see him! Hurray!

The youngest member of our celebrations was 5 days old...so sweet...with the oldest being 93...and not so sweet...LOL. I wish I had taken a picture, but I was just too darn busy running around getting food on the table.

This beautiful rag quilt that a dear friend made for me...

dbfirewife, I love your rag quilt.

I received gift cards and cash. My family knows me well..

I should have put this here instead of starting another thread. Sorry!

On the afternoon of Christmas eve, my DGS called to tell me he was going out and did I need anything? I told him I didn't, but if he should happen to see Santa Claus, tell him I would like a bag of money.

So Christmas Eve we are all at my house for dinner, etc. He came in and handed me a white paper bag about 6X8 inches; on the front, (done in black magic marker,) was a large $ sign, and below that, North Pole Bank & Trust.

Inside there were 1972 JFK HALF DOLLAR COINS!!

Chocolate, of course, each wrapped in shiny gold paper. Two big ones and a dozen smaller ones.

We don't exchange gifts any more; we are all adults with too many dust catchers already.

This was a true "Love ya" from him, my forty-some year old DGS.

I checked out the address from the back of a coin and this is where to see the coins, and many others.

http://www.frankfordcandy.com/our-products/everyday/page/2

Hope it works.

Happy New Year!

Sue

We unexpectedly got to eat dinner with some friends on Christmas Eve; that was a very nice gift. I also very much enjoyed spending Christmas Eve afternoon delivering homemade limoncello to our friends and neighbors. We got to visit and catch up with some people that we rarely see.

My favourite gift this year was not having my mother who has health issues screaming and going on about christmas and destroys the whole day for me every year. She kept quiet and didn't say anything and I went back downstairs and such peace and quiet and serene it was for me this year, loved it so much.

My all time most favorite Christmas gift came from my dear hubby. A week before the big day he began deep cleaning the whole house. I mean the works! His plan was to spend an entire day in each room. He spent the entire 2 days before the big day in the kitchen alone. There is so much that I can no longer do.....well, we will say things had gotten pretty grungy. All this cleaning pre-empted decorating for the holiday which was ok with me. Now there isn't all that stuff out that needs putting away till next year.

Gazania, that was so very sweet of your husband!!!

Talking to daughter in the motorcycle rental business in Cozumel, Mexico, along with son and his partner on speaker-phone.

Also Bible in a wooden box ... and box of Belgian chocolates.

ole joyfuelled ... aided by choklit (i.e. "aided" in the fuelling - not "addicted")

Angelaid, I love your cute box and contents. DBfirewife, the beautiful quilt will be a lovely reminder of your friend.

We were all horribly sick this holiday and together too. We came down in stages with an intestinal bug our grandson brought home from 1st grade. His poor parents came down with it twice, for several days duration each time--chills, exhaustion, vomiting and diarrhea.

We are all healthy now. Only my older son, who was here for just a couple of days escaped it. His wife escaped it by flying home to see her family, who were also sick when she arrived.

But my favorite thing about the holidays is just being with each other, relaxing, and chatting. My two married kids have found really nice people to marry, which warms and delights me.

Like sonny of you, my family which has grown so much this year. Sadly, without my father, but I know he is in a much better place, and also the sadness of DDIL's miscarriage. We did have a good day with mom also, which was so nice. She seemed to enjoy it all.

Santa was good to me also. Photos and bread and cookies from the kids and grands, two Dysons from DH and a new camera and a new smoker, as the old smoker is on its last legs. DD will inherit that until it finally dies. And DH is not in any trouble for the Dysons! I wanted one badly. He got a great deal by ordering online. The hand held was free that way! I can not believe how much dirt my old Bisel is leaving behind!

We have been Blessed this year.

I gave to my wife plane tickets for her to fly out to our daughter and 4 yr old granddaughter for a week.

In turn, she allowed me to budget for a year end catch all gift for a birthday and Christmas and few other minor events. I replaced my old Canon PowerShot camera with a new Canon PowerShot SX 50 HS.

Well it sounds like being with family wins out at being the best present so that ought to tell everyone that material gifts really are not what Christmas is all about!

My greatest gift was spending the day with my husband at home and not having to be at work all day!

Like most of you, it was having my kids/spouses/grandkids here to spend the day with me. It was such a beautiful sunny day....and since I happened to pull a muscle in my back and can hardly walk, they took down ALL of my Christmas decorations...inside and out...what a great help!
I received many wonderful material gifts...topped off by my yearly calendar with pictures taken of the family through the year....cash and they went together and bought me a matching night table to my set... I am so blessed to feel so loved!

I'm thankful for who was here,2ds's and 2 of our 6 grands.Missinng were the other 4 grands,and the 4 great. grands.They all live out of state,and with the economy, and the weather they were'nt able to come.They were in our hearts and on o u r minds,and we also talked with them on the phone,as well as all my sisters on the east coast..
Kathi

My favorite gift was one I gave. I have as many others connected with old school friends who I have not seen for many years on FB. I became friends with a sister of one of my old beaus and who I have not seen for at least 40 years. I learned a lot about her through posts and also that she has ovarian cancer. She had been chemo free for a year when she learned she will again need chemo. She loves old fashioned teas with the pretty cups, English blue birds, and many other things. I wanted to find a pretty tea cup with birds on it. I found some blue ones with blue birds, but every web site was out of them. I finally found a single vintage cup and saucer on ebay and bought that and sent it on to her with a card, but only a friend, no name. She posted about how she loved it and then posted again when she received the two poinsettias I had sent to her, one white and one red which were sprinkled with glitter and she said it might be angel dust. I was so happy to see that she was so happy and touched that someone would send her these gifts. She now knows I sent the tea cup, but did not ask about the Poinsettias so I did not disclose that. This made my Christmas.
Adding a pic of the tea cup. Sorry it is blurry...It was a small pic on ebay.

This post was edited by hellion on Thu, Jan 2, 14 at 7:31

Having a lovely Christmas dinner with my two daughters was the best

Donations, given in our names (Gary's and Mine) to 31Backpacks (provide backpacks filled with simple, nutritious, easily prepared food items to children who are in danger of going hungry over the weekends and holidays (Michigan Upper Peninsula - Houghton/Keewenaw counties) and to Channel One food bank (Rochester, MN area) made by my daugher and son and their spouses. Best gifts ever!

Love all the stories about family & friends being the best gifts. Sorry to anyone who doesn't have that warm fuzzy family feeling on Christmas.

Laura - LOVE (and am jealous of) the story of your son. My son is the same age with the same attitude. I have been praying for someone to come into his life to give him hope & motivation for a better future. Glad to hear your son found that person!

Donations, given in our names (Gary's and Mine) to 31Backpacks (provide backpacks filled with simple, nutritious, easily prepared food items to children who are in danger of going hungry over the weekends and holidays (Michigan Upper Peninsula - Houghton/Keewenaw counties) and to Channel One food bank (Rochester, MN area) made by my daugher and son and their spouses. Best gifts ever!

helion, loved the tea cup and the story. The gift of giving is always the best gift. If I need anything, I buy it so I always tell the kids to donate to charity in my name. I've been very blessed.

One of my better gifts was one/some that I gave ... to various churches and charities, and in recent years I've put into effect a system which adds even more benefit, tax-wise.

You can see a reference to it in a post that I made today, Jan. 2, about how to get a Dollar's worth of charitable value for 50 - 60 cents ... and somewhat less than that.

ole joyfuelled