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'Tis the Season for a Giveaway!

Can you feel it?

The holiday spirit is definitely in the air. With the cold winter temperatures, fresh snow, children laughing, people passing...wait, that's a Christmas song, but I think you get the picture. Nothing says the holidays like family being together for the season.

Although my son is eight and my daughter thirteen, I still find joy in watching them open their gifts on Christmas morning. My husband starts a fire, turns on all the Christmas lights, makes coffee and hot chocolate and turns up the Christmas carols all before the kids are allowed downstairs. My daughter taps her fingers with impatience while my son shakes his legs in excitement as they sit at the top of the stairs and ask for the millionth time, "Can we come down yet?" I wouldn't trade those memories for anything in the world. I fondly remember my parents doing the same thing and proudly pass down the tradition to my own kids. As I think back to holidays past, one of the most romantic things EVER was with my pre-husband over twenty years ago on Christmas Eve.

Mr. Roberts grew up on a horse farm. We just had a fresh blanket of snow, and the man was bound and determined to make our first Christmas together a memorable one. This was also the first Christmas I didn't make it home for the holidays and needless to say, I was feeling a little down. He told me to wait in the house as I watched him through the window walk out to the barn. I had no idea what he was doing out there because he was gone forever.

To my surprise, Mr. Roberts emerged from the barn with a horse-drawn sleigh complete with sleigh bells. He pulled up to the house, put the horse in "park," and climbed down from the sleigh. He walked around and held out his hand, assisting me into the sleigh. He reached over and covered me with a heavy woolen blanket, and then he gave me a smile that would melt the winter snow. *sigh*

I was thankful when he left my side and sauntered around the sleigh because I definitely needed time to compose myself. He picked up the reins and leaned closer. "Merry Christmas," he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss. *another sigh* We rode through the fields and then took to the streets, sleigh bells jingling...wait, I think that's a song too, but who cares? You get the picture.

I have no idea why I write about Highlanders when I have a cowboy for a husband. To tell you the truth, Mr. Roberts doesn't have an answer either, especially since he's 100% German.

No matter what holiday you celebrate, I wish everyone a safe and happy season filled with love and laughter. May you all find a Highlander/cowboy of your own.

**GIVEAWAY** Win an autographed copy of TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER and Laird Alexander MacDonell's Bad Boy t-shirt by responding in the comments section below. One lucky winner will be chosen (US and Canada only, please) on Monday, December 23rd. Please leave your e-mail address so I can contact the winner.

Share your best holiday memory.    



Comments

  1. That's a great Christmas memory, Victoria.
    German cowboys show how they feel!

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  2. Spending every Chrismtas Eve at my grandparents! We always had a big dinner together, played games and opened presents!

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  3. They certainly do, Ana. If my Highlanders ever dry up, I could always write about German cowboys. ;-)

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  4. I miss the days spending Christmas Eve at my grandparents. We used to pull out the old Mitch Miller sing-a-longs and belt out the tunes. *sigh* Happy memories.

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  5. Love spending Christmas Eve at my mom's house.

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  6. I think my favorite memory is when I was about 7. My mom & I were at my grandparents (her parents)in Indiana, My uncle was supposed to be home on leave but due to the major snowstorm that hit he called and said he could not. Well well around 9ish Christmas eve there was a knock on the door and mom had me go with her to answer it and guess who it was? Yup my uncle in full uniform with his duffle over his shoulder home for Christmas.

    One of the gifts he brought me was a Snoopy bank. I love it and still have it to this day about 44 years later.

    All of them are gone now, which makes the memory so much sweeter. :)

    Merry Christmas and thank you for the chance to win

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  7. Happy Holidays! Hope you are well and enjoying the season. We always spend Christmas at my brother's house in SC. This year, we will be at my niece's new home that she and fiance just bought last month :)

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  8. I loved spending Christmas break at my grandparents' farm in the mountains of Tennessee.

    dholcomb1 (@) aol (dot) com

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  9. Hi Elizabeth. It's great to spend the holiday with those we love.

    Sin, what a lovely, heartfelt story. My grandmother told me that when my grandfather came home from WWII he called to surprise her and White Christmas was playing in the background. Every time they heard that song, they burst into tears.

    Hi Susan. Happy holidays to you! Enjoy the time with your family.

    Dstoutholcomb, wow! I bet there will be snowfall in the mountains of TN. The view must be breathtaking.

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  10. I used to have a big gray mare and always wanted to hitch her to a sleigh and drive off over the fields. *sigh* Never got the chance to do that. :(
    Glad you had that wonderful experience!

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  11. Cheryl, I loved going for a sleigh ride. The sound of the bells, the white snow, the warm blankets, it was something out of a Norman Rockwell scene.

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  12. My Christmas was always at Grandma's house. All uncles and aunts and great-uncles and great-aunts came. As years went by, the numbers decreased but we all remembered those gone. Was the only time of year we were all together.

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  13. Debbie Lou, those are some great memories and your loved ones will always be with you.

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  14. My dad came home with a van full of unwrapped gifts while all of us kids were still home. That was a big fail on his part. He claimed Santa gave them to him to wrap for us.

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  15. I forgot to leave my email. Sorry, had a late night and an early morning so my mind isn't working too well right now.

    secret_gurl69 at hotmail dot com

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  16. Hi Alyn. Sometimes it hard to be convert with the kids. They're pretty smart.

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  17. I always enjoyed having Christmas gatherings at my parent's house.

    Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  18. I have this book so please don't enter me. I need to get X Marks the Scot. Love your Highlanders. We too use to make our children wait until the coffee was made and some Bailey's Cream or Kahlua was added lol. I do miss those days but I still make a big to do with my grown family lol.

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  19. Hi Crystal. It's always fun to get the family together.

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  20. Hi Catslady. I'm glad our family isn't the only one who loves to torture the kids. ;-)

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  21. Happy holidays

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  22. I enjoy spending the holidays with my friend and her family. This includes aunts. uncles, and Cousins from both sides of the family there is like 30 of us there. so we have alot of food. this year they added their new Son in Law to the Mix.

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  23. What a wonderful story. If only my husband was that good....
    Anyway, we have a 6 year old that is obsessed with Santa. He is really into it this year so it's been the best time. If only it would snow, but that doesn't happen here in South MS. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks

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  24. I so want an autographed copy. Have a Merry Christmas and keep on writing those great stories.

    Scottishhighlander@aol.com

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  25. I loved it when my niece and nephews were little and would get so excited about what Santa had brought - and after there were always Legos to build!

    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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  26. Oh my goodness, what a lovely sweetheart memory.
    I also have similar memories when I was a kid. My dad was a techy. And loved his bell & howell movie camera. He lit blazing hot lights all over. And had everything set up. We could see the lights coming on as we waited at the top of the stairs. haha Even in Illinois at Christmas, our house heated up quickly from all the lights. haha Fabulous fun memories.

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  27. My best holiday memory is having the whole family together, while my mom and dad were still with us, and all the girls (mom, sister, niece and me) piled in the car and drove around town looking at all the lights and decorations in the nicer neighborhoods. Then we went back to the house for pumpkin pie, yum. :D

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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  28. My mom (and my grandmother before her) used to make fabulous Christmas dinners...usually that was enough to get past the dysfunctionality of our family!

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  29. My best Christmas memory was for the Christmas after we'd lost one of our beloved furbabies to cancer. Her breeder had promised us a female from her next litter which was due at Christmas. We were saddened when we received a call late Christmas Eve that she had 4 males, but no females... my son had his heart set on a female. Then... we were awakened by a phone call on Christmas Day to hear that she had had another pup! She hadn't been finished! AND she was a little female who would be coming to us. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  30. Heartwarming and very timely post... Thank you Victoria! Thank you for the giveaway!

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  31. That is such a sweet memory. Sounds like the perfect Christmas.
    My most memorable was when my dad was stationed overseas and we thought he'd miss Christmas with the family. We woke up Christmas morning and he was sitting by the tree. It was the best gift we got.

    Happy Holidays!

    fsteph55(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  32. Great Christmas story, and real too! :)
    Merry Christmas!

    bossu49(at)aol(dot)com

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  33. Baking cakes with mom and getting together with the family and watching
    "A Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve.
    divavixenqueen(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. That is an amazing Christmas memory :) I don't have one specific memory but many when I was a little girl on my father's farm. I miss that farm and wish my girls could have grown up with those same memories, but we've made some special memories over the years too.

    Merry Christmas Victoria! Thank you for the amazing books you write :)

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  35. What a sweet romantic thing to do! Mr. Amazing tried to do that for me one year when we were a new couple, but the snow didn't cooperate. Arian sleigh is't as much fun.

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  36. My best holiday memory is of making the traditional Haluski, cheese and potato perogies, and stuffed cabbages every Christmas Eve. My Grandma passed away several years ago, and it is a tradition that will be greatly misses, but always fondly remembered. kbinmich AT yahoo DOT com

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  37. OH I love the story about the sleigh! What a romantic hubby. :) I think my best Christmas memory is having my first child two days later. I have a picture of me, hugely preggo, on Christmas day with jokes of how long I could last. (I still had two weeks to go) What a Christmas present!
    lattebooks at hotmail dot com

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  38. **GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED**

    Thank you all for sharing your lovely holiday memories. I wish nothing but the best for you and your family for this holiday season.

    The winner of the autographed copy of TO WED A WICKED HIGHLANDER and Alexander's Bad Boy t-shirt is... Elizabeth Wade. Congratulations!

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  39. Elizabeth Wade, please send me your address at victoria@victoriarobertsauthor.com and I'll get your prize out to you.

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