Christmas Memories

 WARNING: VERY LONG POST

As I have been decorating for the Christmas Holidays I have been thinking and remincieng about the memories created at such a magical time of year.  I wondered what memories my own children will hold on to and cherish.  As I was decorating my tree I was thinking a lot about my youth and what good memories I have.  I decided to sit down and write down some of the things I don’t want to forget:

My first Christmas

•     We would go to Allied’s to get our tree, it was a big deal and the whole family went.  We would walk up and down the isles to find the perfect tree.  However my dad would not spend a lot on a tree so he would pull out a tree stamp it on the ground to see what it would look like, put it back and do the same routine about 50 times.  After we make the trek home with the tree it took my dad quite some time to make the less expensive tree “perfect”.  He would make holes where he needed a branch to be and wire a branch into place.  The tress may not have been the perfect tree but they were made into a beautiful masterpiece.  My dad was quite the perfectionist and the Christmas tree is when we saw this quality the most.  We were so excited to get the tree up and decorated but I swear it took hours until it was ready.  He would string the lights down the hallway and check all the bulbs for replacement and then very meticulously place them on the tree.  Steve and I would drive my dad nuts, we would jump back and forth over the lights strung out through the house (only because we were anxious and it was taking way to long) They were not the small twinkle lights we have now but the larger bulbs that got hot on the tree for which you had to make sure your tree was watered.  We had tinsel that went on our tree, the same tinsel every year it wasn’t something you got tired of and went and bought new we made do with what we had forever.  My dad again would meticulously place the tinsel just so on the tree.  Can you see why Steve and I were always so anxious it took forever?  Then it was finally time for US to put the ornaments on the tree.  Now we did not have shatterproof ornaments back in the 70’s so it was a task we had to be very careful at!  My mom is very partial to EVERY SINGLE ornament she has!  It wasn’t until I was in Junior High that my parents decided to purchase an artificial tree.  Now the tree may have had the right shape but it still took my dad a lot of time to place lights and tinsel!  The first two Christmas’ Brett and I had together we went to find the “perfect” tree.  That was when I realized I had married someone JUST like my dad.  Lets just say by the third year of marriage I purchased an artificial tree and probably spent as much on it as we did on the first two trees combined.

•      My mom would never buy us any clothing or shoes without us being there to try it on and of course give our approval.  Now I do have to say that by the time my parents got to us last 3 kids we were a tad bit spoiled. My mom was an amazing seamstress and she made a lot of the clothing for my 3 older sisters and some for me as well (I was a brat and did not want home made clothes anymore) so I say we were spoiled because ours came from the department store.  Anyhow we would make our purchases and take them home.  I remember one particular instance when we had bought some darling shoes and I wanted to see them one last time.  I had watched where my mom had put them so I snuck in to look at them and to my surprise they were gone.  I quickly went to get my mom and let her know and her reply was “Wow- Santa’s elves are quick” I was in complete amazement, they really were quick they had only been there a short time before and the elves came all the way from the north pole fast! 

• Do you remember what it was like to look forward to when “Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is coming to Town” would be playing on T.V. It was a big deal and we always made sure we were home to watch.  The paper on Thanksgiving would have all the Christmas shows listed and we actually make time to sit down as a family and watch together!

•  One of my favorite memories is waking up Christmas morning going into my sibling’s rooms and we would all sneak out. Sometimes we had to be really sneaky, my parents had a creek in the floor right in front of their room, not that they would have ever stopped us but we were always so worried to wake them.  Now I know they probably didn’t get much sleep anyhow and heard every footstep.  We would all go to the front room to see what Santa had brought.  We would all sit out there for a while and gaze at what we got.  We all had a specific spot that was ours every year so we always knew which treasure was ours.  Our presents from Santa were not wrapped; there may have been a few but we could always see what we had.    Having 6 children there was always a plethora of gifts as well.  I only remember 1 Christmas when all 6 of us were there and as a small child I remember thinking how many presents there were.  My oldest sister got married when I was six.  It wasn’t until later in the years probably about the time there were only a couple of us left that my parents received any gifts.  They never worried about them selves; Christmas was all about us kids.  Christmas was such an Amazing time in our house; I can still remember the feeling of all the magic surrounding that special morning!

The only Christmas I believe all 6 of us were home!
• On Christmas Eve we would dress up in dress clothes (for me the dreaded dress) and have a program.  We still have a similar tradition today but we are not as fancy.  I remember when it was time to go to bed I would lay awake for hours (it seemed) and listen to my mom doing the dishes and vacuuming.  There were times when Steve and I were so excited we would do jumping jacks to make ourselves be tired.  Didn’t work.  I could hear our parents, sisters and their husbands out visiting like they had nowhere to be.  Did they not know Christmas was soon upon us and if they didn’t leave and go to bed Santa couldn’t come?  They had to be the longest evenings ever! 

•  Some of the best memories are when we would go to Logan for the family Christmas parties.  Both of my parents are from there.  I couldn’t wait to get up there to see my cousins.  We would have such a great time!  I have vivid memories one of those special occasions, we had opened all our presents and I had received a beautiful nightgown and wanted to put it on.  My mom and I were in the back room of my grandparents’ home I was changing and my mom called for my grandpa to quickly come in.  Umm hello I was naked, I was horrified she wanted him to look at my back and belly.  Little did I know I was covered with Chicken Pox and not very many people wanted to be around me after that.  I know my brothers ended up with them through Christmas as well I wonder how many others did?  That had to be the worst Christmas ever, I didn’t even want to wake up and see what I had gotten.  So Sad!

At this time I had chicken pox all over

 Dollar Gifts – Always a good laugh (that of course was when you could get something decent for a dollar)

 I LOVED all the chaos that comes with a lot of people, look how much fun it was :)

• After the bustle of Christmas morning we would have a great breakfast and then take all of our gifts and lay them out on our beds.  We would invite the neighbors over to see what we got and we would go over to their house as well to see what the had received.  I loved sharing those memories with our neighbors!  I never really wanted to open things until I was sure everyone had come to see what I had received.  

As I look back on these times I realized how much fun it was to just hang out with my siblings.  We have such a great family and I love being a part of a large family!!

• A few things I would receive every year and I loved:

Smelly Markers

Whoppers

Matchbox cars
Story tapes
Something for my hope chest: cookware, hot pads, cake decorating kits, serving bowls etc. (of course these were when I was a little older)

• One Christmas we got locked out of our house.  We had my older brother climb through a window that was behind the Christmas tree and break into our house.  Needless to say I believe the tree tipped over.  All that hard work and it all had to be done again.

• There was a Christmas when Fred and I were playing the board game clue and he said “I’ll tell you what I got you for Christmas if you tell me what you got me” I thought that was a great idea I sure wanted to know.  I went and asked my mom what I was going to give to Fred; she told me I was giving him a toolbox.  Wow that was cool.  I quickly went and told him what I was giving him and waited for him to go ask my mom what mine would be when he told me he wouldn’t tell me anyhow it would ruin the surprise.  I was devastated but quickly learned not to tell anymore.

See the tool box on the bed?  

• The best part of Christmas morning besides all the gifts was my dad building us an amazing fire.  It was never cold at our house, I love the smell of a wood fire burning it always reminds me of the holidays. My Dad would just sit back and watch us open presents, we would always give him our wrapping paper to burn but I most remember him just watching us with a smile on his face. I know my dad worked hard for us to have a fantastic Christmas but I think for him the best part was sitting back and enjoying our enthusiasm!

• A lot of times Steve and I had matching attire, which usually meant I was dressed in boy clothes.  I didn’t want any of that frilly stuff!  There are several things we had that were the same; cowboy boots, belts, shirts etc.  However, regardless if we were dressed alike we sure have fun playing with all of our toys.  We loved playing with Steve's Tonka trucks and his tractors.  Except Steve didn't really let me touch his tractors when he got older they were his prize possession. For a few years there is was just Steve and I at home, he was my best friend that is until I met my husband.

 
• I loved going shopping with my Mom and sisters but the funniest part was standing in line (not sure my mom would agree) waiting for our gifts to be wrapped at ZCMI.  I loved watching them tear the paper off the roll and putting fancy bows on our packages.  I wanted to work there when I grew up I wanted to be a present wrapper!  As we got older I wanted to help wrap presents at home with my mom.  (You see I had to start getting practice for my upcoming profession) my mom would give me a box and have me wrap it up, now I could have been wrapping my own gifts I didn’t know what was in the box all I wanted to do was wrap.  I also became quite talented at unwrapping presents seeing what I got and re wrapping them and putting them back under the tree without anyone ever noticing.  I had quite a system knife and tape in the bathroom cupboard they just thought I had to use the restroom. HA!  Yes I know that spoiled some of my excitement but I was always really good at acting surprised!

• And then there were the trains.  My dad had a love of trains which was passed on to us.  We would all get trains for Christmas.  The train I remember receiving the most was a bi-centennial engine 1776-1976. We have a room in our basement where a wall folds down and had an enormous train track on it.  It encompasses the whole room. I remember going to Hammond toys at the Cottonwood Mall and sit and watch all of the trains in there.  I am sure that was when my dad and mom would buy the trains we would receive that year for Christmas.  The Christmas after my dad passed away and since I decorated my tree with his trains on it.  There is just something with having a piece of something my dad treasured close by in the holidays.  I sit with just the lights on and remember how precious our families are the times we have shared! 

It was while I was decorating the tree this year knowing that my brother and his kids will be able to see it this year that I got to thinking about MY Christmas memories and what memories we have created for our own children?

My Bi-Centennial Engine

• I can say we always had a fantastic Christmas but we as a family never forgot the true meaning of Christmas.  Christ was always the center of the season, when we have our Christmas parties the spirit is always there.  We are truly blessed to have the gospel in our lives and having been raised in such a manor.

Steve and I were ever so grateful when the nieces and nephews came along . . .

They were much cuter acting out the nativity!

We weren't rich monetarily however, I thought we were because we received so abundantly, little did I know how hard it was for our parents to be so generous.  They saved all year went into debt just so we could have; I know they went without so that we did not.  I have the most amazing, generous, unselfish, kind, thoughtful parents and have been truly blessed in my life!   I love this time of year as the special feeling that comes with Christmas!

Truly amazing parents!

Create some fun, happy memories and enjoy the holidays.

Happy Holidays!