Christmas Memories 1983.....

What an interesting date today is. 1/1/11. You really think of “new beginnings” when you look at today’s date, don’t you? Hmmmm.  It has been over a month since I posted anything. I’ve thought several times of posting different things - I even started once, using a Christmas card that Duane made when he was five. I started writing about the importance and meaning of Christmas cards, but somehow that never gelled, never came together. It seems that I need a new beginning, a new start to this blogging thing. Since I subtitled it “Memories from the life of Duane David DuBois…” I decided to simply share photos of Duane’s first Christmas with you. No big lesson, no big revelation, no life-changing wisdom today - just memories.

Just look at Duane, that little bundle of joy,

sitting beneath the Christmas tree.

This was taken a few days before Christmas in 1983.

Duane was just about eleven months old.

And here he is a day or two later.  If you look closely,

you will see some foil "icicles" hanging from his mouth!

Our cat Sam had fun playing with those icicles too.

He was my favorite-ever cat.  He was half Siamese.

This was probably taken Christmas morning, before the kids got into their presents.  The tree was a humble little artificial one.  You could buy real trees in Midland, Texas, but they would have been cut too long to be fresh, shipped in and way over-priced!

 

I don't think we ever bought official Christmas stockings for the boys.  Instead, we stuffed one of Mike's biggest socks with things - little wrapped gifts, fruit, and nuts.  Duane is taking his banana out of his stocking here.

Here's Chris, opening new camo gear, it looks like. 

His brand new sleeping bag is there beside him, too.

Mike with his new binoculars.

Aren't the boxes always one of the most fun things to play with?

Things are looking pretty messy - must be near the end of the gifts!

Chris with his new bow.

And finally one with me, the photographer!

I think the little crocheted fellow is from Aunt Sally.

So there you have it - Christmas 1983, 1505 West Kentucky Ave., Midland, TX.

Mike's memory is that we went out for Christmas dinner.  I think he's right.

(If these photos don't appear in the right order, it's not because I didn't try!  I looked at the preview - it looked perfect, but when I published it, the pictures went out of order and some of the captions were way at the bottom.  Maybe this forum is more for writing than posting photos.)

Darren and his new bow and arrow set.

One of my traditions was always to take a picture of the three boys

before they opened any presents. 

 They still look pretty sleepy at this point!