Name your top 5 best holiday gifts given or received. Who gave it to you? Who were you giving it to? Why was it memorable? (Kassie)
I think I'm just going to do my top three favorite Christmas gifts. While I have many wonderful Christmas memories...both giving and receiving...there are three that are particularly meaningful to me. While I can think of many presents that were a joy to think up and give...and even more that were awesome to get...these three were the awesome-est.
3. On Christmas Eve Day, I remember that we always used to go out with Dad as he drove around our small town, bringing cookies to family friends. Toward the end of the route, we'd venture to a neighboring town to deliver treats to our Great Aunt Edna. One particular year (we're thinking it was the mid-1980s), we spent much longer than the usual 15-20 minutes at her house. I think we were there for an hour. At least. And I seem to remember that Dad kept calling someone. Or the phone kept ringing and it was always for Dad.
Finally, we went home. And enjoyed dinner and eventually opened presents. And then, at the end of the orgy that was Ronning Family Gift Opening, we were instructed to head down to the basement. Waiting for us? THIS:
A used-and-restored Harlem Globetrotters pinball machine! How many hours did I spend playing that game? I bet if we measured it out in quarters, I could have bought a fleet of Mini Coopers for every day of the week. Man, I loved that machine. In fact, I may go play a few games as soon as I finish this post.
2. Winter of 2004 I was finishing up the first semester of my PhD program. I was turning in papers and cramming for a stats final right up until a week before Christmas. I hadn't even thought about Christmas...hadn't made a list...hadn't purchased a present. I survived my stats final and headed out into the fray on December 21. I told Jay I'd be home late and not to wait around for dinner, etc. And yet he kept calling, "Are you almost done shopping? Are you on your way home yet?"
I stumbled in the door around 9:30 that night. The house was lit up with a million tea lights. The Christmas tree was glowing. Carols were playing. "What's going on?" I asked. "We're celebrating the completion of your first semester of graduate school," said Jay. He led me over to the tree and started pointing out his favorite ornaments, as it was our first Christmas in our apartment together. "Which ornaments are your favorites?" he asked. I looked at the tree, pointing here and there...until I came across a little sparkly one I hadn't seen before. By the time I realized that the silvery band (with a beautiful diamond) hanging from a shiny red ribbon wasn't exactly an ornament, Jay was down on one knee.
Finally, we went home. And enjoyed dinner and eventually opened presents. And then, at the end of the orgy that was Ronning Family Gift Opening, we were instructed to head down to the basement. Waiting for us? THIS:
A used-and-restored Harlem Globetrotters pinball machine! How many hours did I spend playing that game? I bet if we measured it out in quarters, I could have bought a fleet of Mini Coopers for every day of the week. Man, I loved that machine. In fact, I may go play a few games as soon as I finish this post.
2. Winter of 2004 I was finishing up the first semester of my PhD program. I was turning in papers and cramming for a stats final right up until a week before Christmas. I hadn't even thought about Christmas...hadn't made a list...hadn't purchased a present. I survived my stats final and headed out into the fray on December 21. I told Jay I'd be home late and not to wait around for dinner, etc. And yet he kept calling, "Are you almost done shopping? Are you on your way home yet?"
I stumbled in the door around 9:30 that night. The house was lit up with a million tea lights. The Christmas tree was glowing. Carols were playing. "What's going on?" I asked. "We're celebrating the completion of your first semester of graduate school," said Jay. He led me over to the tree and started pointing out his favorite ornaments, as it was our first Christmas in our apartment together. "Which ornaments are your favorites?" he asked. I looked at the tree, pointing here and there...until I came across a little sparkly one I hadn't seen before. By the time I realized that the silvery band (with a beautiful diamond) hanging from a shiny red ribbon wasn't exactly an ornament, Jay was down on one knee.
Only one gift could top that one...
1. My brother and sister are both adopted from South Korea. My brother joined our family in March of 1989. My sister joined our family in December of 1981. She was supposed to arrive on December 23...but just as we were getting ready to drive to the airport that day, a phone call came, telling us that we'd be waiting yet another day for this beautiful addition to our family. So on Christmas Eve Day, we set out on the adventure all over again. This time? Success! We've always been more of a Christmas Eve family than a Christmas Day family...at least in regard to general holiday fanfare. Maybe this is why? :)
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