What did you get for Christmas?

[Radiata]

All the parents probably just got a "#1 Mom/Dad" gift. But since I'm a kid, I got a few things.

Has anyone heard of the tradition of finding the glass pickle? If you haven't, what happens is that a glass pickle is hidden somewhere in the christmas tree and prior to opening presents, you look for it. I happened to find it so I got the prize. I also got to be the first one to open a present. I got handed a small box and there was an 8.2 megapixel digital camera in it. Huh? The day after Thanksgiving sale, there were these cameras for $80. Best deal I have ever seen. Mother told me that she had gotten one for my oldest brother. That is strange, because I got one too. My brother got his later. So that was interesting.

I also got a bag of new socks.
A flashlight.
A music CD.
SD card for my camera.
A watch from my brother. It is one of the stretchy kind that pulls your hair out. I can't wait for it to pull all of it out so it will stop hurting to wear it.
An outline of a fish for my car.
And a cross keychain. It is so big that I don't know if I should put it on my key ring.

So what did you get?

[filosofer]

We talked to our grandchildren for the first time in a long, long time. It was the best gift we could have received.

[LilLamb219]

I finally got a lot of rest on Christmas ;)

Usually we have to run all over but things were different for the first time in MANY years...actually probably since I first got married. So that was nice to just have an opportunity to relax and only having to go to my parents' house to eat dinner.

I also got earrings from my husband (I was tired of wearing the same 3 or 4 pairs for the past 10 years), some nail polish and a candle from my daughter, gift cards, cash from my mother-in-law (and also we got a cordless phone set with 3 handsets), scrapbooking stuff, a CD, clothing, dish towels, and some other things that I can't think of right now.

:)

[Eikon]

Computer parts and a new comforter

[ctay]

I got a laptop and one of those Cuisinart grind and brew coffemakers with 2 different kinds of coffee to go with it, strong coffee too, been wired the past 2 days

[RadMan]

I got a laptop and one of those Cuisinart grind and brew coffemakers with 2 different kinds of coffee to go with it, strong coffee too, been wired the past 2 daysLOL---I started back to drinking coffee a couple of weeks ago after quiting many years ago. After a pot in the morning I feel like I'm vibrating I'm so wired.

The best present I received was the birth of Jesus. The Word made flesh.

Interesting email someone sent me.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?



The Gospel of John (20: 7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was
placed at the head of that stony coffin.




Is that important?



You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this
tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.
Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.



For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.




But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that
the folded napkin meant, 'I'm not finished yet.' The folded napkin meant,
'I'm coming back!'



He is Coming Back!!!!!!!!

[Jim47]

Thanks for writeing that Rad. I had never heard that before, very interesting indeed. :thumbsup:

My wife and I don't really do a gift exchange anymore. We do have loads of fun getting stuff for the kids and grand kids and tehn having them over Christmas day for dinner and passing out gifts is always a blast. My wife is very creative and talented (unlike me :sorry: ) Every year she writes out a letter in colored paper for each of the kids. Within the poetry she writes is the mystery and clue as to what to look for on the package that tells them who's gift it is. It took them all about 25 minutes this to figure it out and they can't get started until everyone knows, makes it really fun.

But for me, the best part of Christmas was coming home that night and watching the Nativity movie. It really touched my heart. Our Christmas day service was very special too. We sang about 10-12 songs and Pastor had a mini sermon between each one. For me a very unforgetable Christmas. I anxiously await His second coming. http://www3.christianforums.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Aibrean]

I got a cookware set and a bunch of dishtowels that was formed into an angel, money, espresso beans covered in chocolate, business card wallet, notebook with pens, necklace, steam cleaner, and wallet.

[seajoy]

Thanks Rad...that is neat to know.

My best gift this year was peace and love in my family, along with knowing that we all belong to Christ. I had a happy Christmas. :)

[jcj3803]

The hidden pickle is a German tradition. Although I'm not German, my sons are part German and we have a pickle ornament that we hide in the tree. Picked it up at the annual Deutsche Christkindl Markt in Chicago.

My gifts were tickets to the USC - Washington State football game last fall, dress gloves, a subscription to a professional journal, some shirts and my gift to myself was paying off my car loan.

[Melethiel]

I got to spend time with my family, and we all took a trip down to Tampa to go to Great Compline and the Christmas Eve dinner, which was really nice. I also got a bit of money, so I combined that with my pocket cash and we all went shopping the day after Christmas to see what was on sale (we don't do the whole gift exchange thing). I got some books, the Sims, and some new clothes.

[LutheranChick]

Thanks for that info, Rad - I had never heard that but it sure makes sense!

My favorite gift this year was a coffee mug from my son, who is a freshman in college this year. It simply said "Simpson College Mom" - and I just love it!

[synger]

We got to go to candlelight communion, which is a real treat. And we got to spend Christmas day with my husband's whole family, for the last time in a while. His brother is moving cross-country, so we won't be seeing them anytime soon. And I got to talk with my Dad, who's doing much better. He's got lung cancer, and had a stroke in November. He's lost a lot of his vocal ability, and was really, really tired for a while there. But he sounded almost like himself on Christmas. Thank the Lord!

We do the glass pickle, too. The gift is always a family gift, usually a game. Since it's only the three of us, we usually all look, but we let Gem "find" the ornament. Last year it was one of those game chests that have 10 games in it (chess, checkers, mancala, parcheesi, etc.). This year it was a deluxe set of Magnetix. (http://www.amazon.com/Magnetix-75-Count-Tin-Translucent/dp/B000SBWATA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=generic&qid=1198772976&sr=1-5)

The big gifts this year are used. My brother-in-law (who works for NASDAQ) got a new flatscreen TV, so we got his old one. My other brother-in-law is moving to Nevada, so we got his piano.

I haven't played piano in YEARS. I know just about enough to learn the melody line for songs I'm learning, but never could do much with the left hand, or with chords and things. But he gave us all his piano lesson books, too, which they've used for their four kids. So I'm playing around on it. Amazing how the scale fingering comes back to you even after 30+ years away! My hands ache a little from the practicing. They're not used to stretching so much. *laughs*

Hunter got the Christian "This T-shirt is illegal in 51 countries (http://www.onlinechristianshopper.com/gachtil.html)" shirt he's been wanting, and a lovely coffee table book about warriors through the ages (armor, weapons, etc.). I also had a lot of fun pulling together a home repair toolbox for him -- glue, duct tape, wall fasteners, pliers, hammer, flashlight, etc. The cats got him a copy of the SAS Survival Guide (http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780060849825-3) (which ended up giving Gem nightmares of being lost and alone in the woods, poor thing!).

Hunter went to Salvation Army and got me two lovely coats. One is very warm, and the other is a little small, but it's a leather-look trench coat, so it's nice and long. It looks fine if I don't try to button it closed. He also got me two musicals -- Finian's Rainbow and The Jazz Singer (the remake). Gem had fun picking out inexpensive, pretty necklaces and earrings for me. I've never had rainbow earrings before! (she LOVES rainbows!) And the cats got me a toaster oven, since ours is on its last legs.

Gem got a baby doll, and a (deep discounted) book on how to draw (http://www.amazon.com/1-2-3-Draw-Super-Fun-Stuff/dp/093921783X) pets, wild animals, castles, etc. The cats got her a computer/learning game.

We're still trying to figure out how the cats buy us presents... we think they must have a corner on the catmint market in the neighborhood. But then, how do they wrap the presents??

[Zecryphon]

All the parents probably just got a "#1 Mom/Dad" gift. But since I'm a kid, I got a few things.

Has anyone heard of the tradition of finding the glass pickle? If you haven't, what happens is that a glass pickle is hidden somewhere in the christmas tree and prior to opening presents, you look for it. I happened to find it so I got the prize. I also got to be the first one to open a present. I got handed a small box and there was an 8.2 megapixel digital camera in it. Huh? The day after Thanksgiving sale, there were these cameras for $80. Best deal I have ever seen. Mother told me that she had gotten one for my oldest brother. That is strange, because I got one too. My brother got his later. So that was interesting.

I also got a bag of new socks.
A flashlight.
A music CD.
SD card for my camera.
A watch from my brother. It is one of the stretchy kind that pulls your hair out. I can't wait for it to pull all of it out so it will stop hurting to wear it.
An outline of a fish for my car.
And a cross keychain. It is so big that I don't know if I should put it on my key ring.

So what did you get?
I can't list everything but here goes:

The Lutheran Service Book
The Christian Faith by Robert Kolb
A sterling silver ring that translates to "my heart". It's written in middle-ages German.
Red pajamas with feet in them for adults. They rock!
5 shirts.
and Guitar Hero III for the Nintendo Wii

I've never heard of the glass pickle tradition. But our tradition that was started by my grandparents on my father's side is to gather around a Christmas Pyramid and sing Stille Nacht or Silent Night. We sing through one verse in German and then once in English. The Christmas Pyramid was bought in Germany in 1967 by my parents who were living there at the time. They sent it to the states and reacquired it when my grandparents passed away. I assured my mother that I would continue the tradition when they pass away as well.

[LilLamb219]

The cats got her a computer/learning game.

We're still trying to figure out how the cats buy us presents... we think they must have a corner on the catmint market in the neighborhood. But then, how do they wrap the presents??


LOL Our dog gives our daughter a gift as well! :clap: Plus, the dog LOVES to open gifts!! Especially edible ones ;)

[mrshoperose]

I got various small things, but the most important thing for me was the fact that nobody in the family fought!!! It was an awesome Christmas!!!

[rockytrails]

All the parents probably just got a "#1 Mom/Dad" gift. But since I'm a kid, I got a few things.

Has anyone heard of the tradition of finding the glass pickle? If you haven't, what happens is that a glass pickle is hidden somewhere in the christmas tree and prior to opening presents, you look for it. I happened to find it so I got the prize. I also got to be the first one to open a present. I got handed a small box and there was an 8.2 megapixel digital camera in it. Huh? The day after Thanksgiving sale, there were these cameras for $80. Best deal I have ever seen. Mother told me that she had gotten one for my oldest brother. That is strange, because I got one too. My brother got his later. So that was interesting.

I also got a bag of new socks.
A flashlight.
A music CD.
SD card for my camera.
A watch from my brother. It is one of the stretchy kind that pulls your hair out. I can't wait for it to pull all of it out so it will stop hurting to wear it.
An outline of a fish for my car.
And a cross keychain. It is so big that I don't know if I should put it on my key ring.

So what did you get?



A canoe with paddles
and then a

canoe motor mount
and a

electric boat motor with battery

Also a new computer

a lot of other neat stuff

but my very two favorite gifts were hearing in my church about my sin's being forgiven by Jesus and
my next favorite gift was having my children and grand children all home here for Christmas .

the other stuff like the canoe though fun and brand new and shinny
now ! My experiance has bee in brand new stuff is
in just a few short years that stuff will be just old used up junk to throw out in the junk pile one day.

but forgivness and people God made to last forever.



Gods blessings

[Tofferer]

We got a couple of gift cards. Jeremiah got a couple of plastic models and a copy of Shrek the Third. We used one of the gift cards to buy the entire Pirates of the Carribean series. I may go buy myself the video game shortly after the new year. I still trying to solve a similiar themed video game already.

Personally, I believe that the best gift was given in the manger about 2000 years ago. We should be thankful to God for the gift of his son, Christ Jesus our Lord.

[latebloomer]

I got a globe and a couple sweaters. Hubby got an electric griddle. He loves kitchen appliances. Tiger got a lot of games and a Hot Wheels race track that has been getting quite a workout. My in-laws are going to give us some meat for the freezer. We don't do that glass pickle thing, but there were pickles for Christmas. My dad got 4 big jars of pickles, Vlasicks from Mom and 3 jars of homemade pickles from his sister. Mom figures if she rations them, they might last until New Years. Dad loves his pickles. He's asked for a lot of odd things over the years, but I don't think he's ever asked for pickles for Christmas.

[RadMan]

Since I am patriarch of the family we have a practice not to give presents to each other but only to the gkids/nieces and nephews. They made out like bandits. My kids will put away the presents and meter them out over the year and then the children will have new presents the whole year long.

I bought myself a "road ready" dune buggy that I can pull behind the RV since the RV doesn't have enough power to pull a car. The best present I got was new friends I made this year. That is special. Oh and the friends gave me presents. I was too cheap to buy them presents though except for a very special friend I bought 4 days and 3 night at Silver Dollar City's Christmas special, shows at Branson Mo and a really great dinner and show on the river boat . We're in Branson now but are heading back home tomorrow.