Merry Christmas

This is my first Christmas in Bedford, Kentucky. I got to thinking of all the different places I have spent Christmas. It was more than I remembered. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico so that is where I spent my first couple of Christmas'. Dad was in the Air Force so we moved frequently. We had a Christmas in Pampa, Texas, and a couple in Burlington, Vermont. Then we had four Christmas's while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. That was followed by a couple at McDill Air Force Base outside of Tampa, Florida and then one at Davis Montain Air Force Base near Tucson, Arizona. Dad retired and we were off to Sandpoint, Idaho for a couple of years and then it was back to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two years later we moved to Chandler, Arizona for one Christmas and while there I joined the Navy. My next Christmas I was living in San Diego, California and had just married my husband. The Navy sent us to Great Lakes, Illinois, and then separated us so my husband could go off to fight a war while went to stay with my parents in Silver City, New Mexico. One year apart and then two Christmas's together in Silver City and we were off to Albuquerque, New Mexico again. We had four Christmas's there and gained a son to spent them with and we moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico just west of Albuquerque. We then spent 20 years in one house so 20 Christmas's there followed by 14 years in another house in Rio Rancho.
     Now I find myself living in Bedford, Kentucky and having my first Christmas here. What a change it has been over the years. I have had some really good holidays and some not so good. I have lost several loved ones in December which makes it hard to have a good Christmas. And we have had lots of good friends and family for Christmas but most of the time it was just my husband and I and our son. This Christmas it has been the three of us plus his long-time girlfriend and a couple of friends.
     I have had Christmas where we put up lots of decorations-live trees, lights all over the front yard and through out the house and I have had holidays where we did very little. In Illinois we used a bunch of cholla cactus skeletons for the decorations to hang on as we couldn't afford a tree. Several years in Rio Rancho we got permits and went to cut a tree in the Jemez Mountains about an hour from us. One year it was a 12 foot tree to fill our 13 foot ceiling in the great room we had added to our little house. One year we had a nice 6 foot tree and three 4 month old kittens. Oh, did they want to have fun with that tree. Each night I had to take them into my bedroom so the tree would still be standing the next morning. As a child we had several parakeets that liked to perch in our Christmas trees. Wish we had got some photos of them in the tree.
   Where will my next Christmas be. I have no idea. I have plans to be in a different house even if it is here in Kentucky. But as I miss New Mexico so much I have had thoughts of going back there. My sister lives there so maybe I could at least spend Christmas with her.
   Take time to think about all the Christmas's and holidays you have spent and what they have meant to you.