I love this thread. I found it interesting that the first things I thought of was not the years when I was young but the ones after I was married. The young memories are great, my mother always made us new nightgowns for Christmas Eve and we got nice presents(I got a bride doll,too) and great food. Some of the best were the first Christmas my husband and I were together. I saved the medicine cups from the hospital and made bells for my tree with them. We had a decorator tree that year, all red and gold. I strung cranberries and popcorn and spray painted the popcorn gold just to carry out the theme.
The first year we got to play Santa for our son was special.
But one of the best could have been one of the worst. It had been a busy year for us. Both of my boys got married the same weekend in July. In August my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage and we had given them a surprise party that lasted all weekend. In October we had a fire that killed my husband and caused my granddaughter to be born very prematurely and was still in the hospital and I was homeless. Not the makings of a happy time. HOWEVER, my friend had taken me in and even though she doesn't "do" Christmas made sure that my children were all around me that day. My oldest son had gotten leave and come home just in time to see his son born just the week before. Christmas was crowded with both of my sons and their new wives, 2 small boys and a brand new baby. It was a fairly quiet day but we spent a lot of time remembering my husband and other Christmases and I will always be grateful to my BFF for it special.