ADVENT 2018

Candle lighting to follow....beginning the time of preparation.

 FIRST ADVENT DECEMBER 2, 2018!

CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITIONS

The first thing that comes to mind is our annual event---"breakfast at Bryant's with friends. This year was our 31st year.
Our first year, we had 8 adults and 10 children. Now we have 8 older adults, 10 adult children and 22 grandchildren.

The 2 women in this picture were present at our first breakfast, Molly , age 7 and Carrie who was cooking our "breakfast specials" was 26 at the time.She still looks 26 to us!
The 2 young men were no where on the radar, at the time but we are so glad they are now a part of the family!

The "Earls" were both at the first b'fast event as well but they non-gray/white hair and no grandchildren. They just hauled their kids around. This year, their haul was "crunchy ice"---40 lbs a piece to take home to serve family at upcoming Christmas dinners!

It has been "31" years of a great tradition.

NOT a Christmas Tradition

Since our first born was able to say "ights," we've driven all over Memphis looking for the beautiful Christmas lights. Now, that's tradition! Kids always make it more fun.

But, this year we went without children and had a once in a life-time experience. We drove to Forest Downs in Germantown which is just off Forest Hill Irene on the west side of the street between Poplar Pike and Germantown. Beautiful trees with BIG snow flakes hanging are seen as you turn in to the subdivision.

And then....there it is---the Griswold House with all the things folks remember from the 1980s film---

even Clark is standing out front ready to "plug-in all those lights!!! 

Even Uncle Eddie is there with his RV parked in the drive

and the chair that Clark and Eddie carried out the "fried cat." 

A once in a life-time experience!!

How do I know it's a once in a life-time experience? Because.....next year this house will be torn down. The owner, who just purchased it for the property, decided to give it a grand "Christmas Vacation"send off this year. Too funny to miss for adults who remember the film. Clark looks real and the RV is a wreck in the driveway. 

Tune into 94.5 on your radio, hear the soundtrack from the movie and have a memorable time that won't become a tradition because it will be gone soon.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Maybe the "memory moments" began as I sat by "my Molly" at the funeral of  6 yr. old Milla G. this week. Such a service can have any parent wanting to hold on to sweet memories of their precious children.

This morning I wondered what memories my children and grandchildren would carry with them once I am gone. Would they remember that in their early years I always sang a little 2 line "ditty" to help them ease into their mornings. "Good morning Sunshine. How you doing friend?"

Guess what made me think of that today! My morning cuppa!

But would they recall the spiritual & sometimes quirky Christmas happenings---

• Donald Duck always goes on tree first as it's the 1st ornament bought for a Liles tree in 1969
• 24 days of no TV which they gave me as a gift (and then wanted to take it back, but didn't) 
• the lobster races on the kitchen floor, 
• Pop's "little" prayer for the "big" meal "For these and all our many blessings we thank you."
• country ham (cooked in black ironskillet) with biscuits & re-eye gravy on Christmas eve
• In 1982 when we walked "late" on the night of the full moon and discovered 2 moons that  December---13 moons that year---one of those "once in a blue moon" years
• the year the lights went out, only on our street, so we had to entertain a house full of Advent guests in the DARK---at least we could use our camp stove & run an extension cord across to our back door neighbors to plug in an electric skillet, 
• our Advent Sundays with a Jewish neighbor in attendance just to hear Mr. Liles sing "We Three Kings", 
• the on-going "hunt" for the lost Double Bubble bubble gum canister/tub, 
• always picking out a "real" Christmas tree, 
• Cutting the names off of every Christmas card we received and taking turns throughout the next year praying for the names we "drew" from the yellow smiley mug. Mug had been given us by Maxine (Mommar's sister) & Clyde---along with King Leo peppermint sticks for Molly
• taking 20 leftover Christmas trees the day after Christmas to use in Molly & Corey's wedding, 
• Lucy being small enough to bathe in the kitchen sink on our first Colorado Christmas, 
• the deer in the front yard on our 2nd Colorado Christmas as it snowed everyday we were there in 2014,
• making Christmas angels in the snow then darting back inside to the hot tub
• magic wands that turned on the Christmas lights over the big mantle,

Maybe this Christmas we can all share what we remember and then I can add to the list---remembering the One who should be the ultimate focus of the entire celebration. (Isaiah 9:6)

You, reader,  might want to start your own "Christmas Memory" list! 

ADVENT SUNDAY---a Liles tradition

For Christians thorough out the world, Advent is a time of "waiting"----waiting for the coming and acknowledging the birth of the Lord. It's a time of expectancy. A time to remember those who walked in darkness and then saw a great light. A life changing "Nativity" for us all.

At the Liles house, for as far back as I can remember, the 4 Sundays before Christmas have been a time of celebration and remembrance with an Advent wreath of candles, special devotions (mostly the same ones each year) and off-key singing of appropriate carols. Every one participates and younger ones get a small gift.

This year Owen was with us and he read Isaiah 9:6 and "lit" the "candle of faith". (Called by some the "candle of promise" as Jesus came as the Messiah promised by the prophet Isaiah.)

After we sang "O Come all Ye Faithful" Owen practiced "Scrooge-ing" out the candle---a Liles tradition since watching Barry Fuller as "Scrooge" in Theater Memphis' Christmas Carol, snuffing out his candle with his wet fingers!

Good job, Owen!

Tradition, Tradition.....TRADITION!! (x30)

Most families have many holiday traditions. Our longest lasting holiday tradition began Christmas Eve 30 years ago.

We gave an unusual gift to 3 of our couple friends and their children. Not pricey monetarily but for us......relationally priceless! 

Early Christmas Eve morning, 1986, we went to each home and loaded up the entire family in our "new" tan Ford Econoline 150 van. 8 adults and 10 children, a few over the passenger vehicle limit. Seatbelts other than the captain's seats, not even an option.

The "Girls" 1986

Our gift to each was the 99¢ breakfast special at Bryant's. (still at the corner of Summer Ave. & Graham) Plus, each child was given 4 quarters to play the pin ball machines. 

What fun! What a crowd. And so it continued----tho for a few years, Bryant's closed on Christmas Eve so we met at Perkins (2-3x) and Uncle Lou's (1). From tacky sweaters to denim and more subdued colors, along with dark hair and big hair to white hair and no hair---we've continued. "Life's too short to eat low-fat food----so eat at Bryant's" on Christmas Eve.

The "Girls" 1994

Over the years the crowds increased as grands were added to the mix. Today's total would be 48---too many for the small ""counter service" type breakfast.

Original 18 and cousin Betsy

Liles 1st Bryant's with a "grand" 2002---note Life's Too short to eat low-fat Eat at Bryant's sign upper left

But nowadays many of the original "kids" can't make it "home" (AL, IL, MS, NY, NC,  TX) on Christmas Eve....needing to work, be in their own homes for Santa or preaching Christmas Eve services. 

Last year all the Liles were to be together in Colorado so hubby and I weren't even there but daughter Molly and her family were our "remnant" and had breakfast and a picture with Carrie, owner and sometimes cook, before hightailing it to Colorado.

This year the tradition marked our 30th anniversary---with 3 of the original kids and their families (7 young ones) in attendance! 3 of original kids holding "sign" to be "photo-shopped" in to pic.

Merry Christmas Eve---a great tradition!!

Christmas Eve Traditions

12/24/12 Every Christmas Eve when Hubby & I first married, we would drive to Mom and Pop’s home (his grandparents) out past the floating tree on Lake Windermere in Raleigh. It was like Groundhog Christmas---with same menu and gifts every year. We loved it.

Always country ham and biscuits---with younger ones each year learning to take on what had once been Pop’s “cooking” role. On our last Christmas Eve on Lakewood Dr. cooking that black iron skillet country ham with red-eye gravy became Hubby’s role, with his boys helping him in doing the honors. Always lots of toys for great grandkids, (eventually 21) sweaters for men, Dinstuhls’ candy for women and $$$ for mom. Always a roaring fire----even if it happened to be 70° outside.

After Mom died we invited Pop to our house for Christmas Eve’s country ham and biscuits and Pop’s favorite, deviled eggs. Plus, we started our own traditions---Christmas Eve breakfast with the Cockrell, Gurner & Higginbotham families. The first time (1986, as our gift), we piled all the families (18 of us) in our Ford Econoline tan van and took them to breakfast. Destination—Bryant's on Summer Avenue. It has continued for 27 years, though now meeting in other restaurants, since 2005, when Bryant’s began closing on Christmas Eve.

Moms, Amy and Molly, were only 8 and 7 years old at our first Christmas Eve breakfast.  Now they have  children  of their own.

Another tradition that we seem to have passed on is the last minute assembling of gifts---having been known to work into the wee hours. Just this afternoon neighbors and family felt the “crunch” as elves scurried in our carport to put together a trampoline (took 3 “redo”) and pick up a basketball goal.

Daddy elf is obscured in photo for "security" purposes.

Traditions---what fun!! I think it’s biblical to “be merry.” (Eccles. 8 :15)

We’re saving the country ham ‘til the Texans get here----so they can help Pop-Pop do the cooking---enabling them to someday carry on that tradition!