Christmas Remembrances

CHRISTMAS REMEMBRANCES

JIM

So the 12 days, huh? My earliest 12-days memories are from Sandy, I think. I'm sure we did it earlier than that, but anything pre-10 is getting fuzzy anymore. I remember one year doing 12 days for the Rigbys. It was supposed to be a secret, but Tony had figured out it was us. I learned I wasn't a very good liar.

My favorite part was delivering. That's probably everyone's favorite part, huh? Places like Sandy and Carson were fun, because it was cold and frozen and hard to sneak up to the doors. We'd drop and run like mad, through the cold and ice and snow and just be terribly afraid we were getting caught. I'm sure I made deliveries in Hawaii, but I don't remember the fear of being caught there.

The yule log always confused me. Why would we give people a piece of wood?

And in Hawaii, I remember one year we were giving audio tapes with Mannheim Steamroller on one side, and some crazy Christmas music on the other. I sat at the stereo copying tapes all evening--we must have had a dozen people on the list that year!

I remember one year in Sandy when Grandma Vi and Grandpa Al were doing us for 12 days. I couldn't figure out how they happened to show up at our house one night just after the secret Santa had just dropped ours off. I guess I was a little slow. Pretty sure the folks had caught on.

Overall, the best part of 12 days for me has been picking people who had a need and doing something to bless their lives. Although my family hasn't kept the 12 days tradition (we travel too often over the holidays), we have always picked one or two families in need and provided Christmas for them. It's not quite the same, but it is similar and it makes a difference.

In 2013, I did the Twelve Days of Anniversary for Clorinda. I guess that counts.

I hope that is satisfactory.

JOHN
December memories.  Well, they are Christmas centered.  The entire home had to do with Christmas.  Decorations - wow.  I don't even know if it is possible to pack up one more plastic tote with Christmas decorations.  The entire home is transformed.  I always enjoyed putting ornaments on the tree a kid.  Decorations were actually quite amazing and gave a special feeling to the home.  We read Christmas stories each night.  I might even shed a tear or two these days when reading one of these stories to my kids.  Twelve days of Christmas was simply part of our lives.  I remember those we did when we first moved to Hawaii and the families that were so touched there.  That may have been the first time I realized how special of a thing Twelve Days was for people as well as our own family.  I don't recall pops being as cavalier as others envision him.  Perhaps it was years of precaution finally relaxing a bit.  I don't know, wasn't around for that stage.

Christmas Eve was always a special time.  I quite enjoyed those Christmas Eve celebrations when mom would pull out a stash of all the goodies she had been giving away in all these 12 days packages.  Finally we could partake of the goodness.  Nasty Candy!  I don't exactly recall what was in it but it was chocolate covered goodness and I loved it.  We had good times together.  I do recall being at Grandpa Al and Grandma Vi's for Christmas Eve one year and exchanging gifts with cousins.  I got the Cindy Lauper cassette that had the song 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' on it.  I couldn't quite understand why I was given that gift.  I took it graciously and learned all the songs on the album having listened to it 'time after time'.  I certainly found myself routing for Cindy Lauper to pull off something amazing in USA for Africa, We are the World.  It was the only cassette I owned at the time and I felt a certain loyalty to Lauper.  Is it possible to get through a Christmas Eve without having to play the chimes?  I don't know.  Those things are painful.  More recently I find myself quite enjoying the white elephant gift exchanges and displaying the white elephant for the year.  Every time I step into the kids bathroom I grin in admiration of Dave gift from last year.  A lovely painting of a colorful stallion. 

Stealth Mode:  I was one who lacked patience for presents.  I had to know what was in the gifts.  I couldn't wait for Christmas morning.  Our cousins the Leroy's would send gifts.  One year, could have been 84.  Anyway, their gifts arrived and so did my curiosity.  I couldn't wait. I took a stealth position behind the tree and carefully opened the package.  Pocket sized tool kits.  Very exciting.  After retiring for bed I would sleep for a bit and then would wake up, sneak out of my room and check the contents of the living room.  It was fantastic and was hard to contain the excitement.

I am not Left Handed.  My first Christmas home from the mission was excellent.  I was excited home and with family.  To make it more exciting I got my first set of golf clubs.  To make it even more exciting than that was when I discovered they were left handed clubs.  I thought it was the perfect little scheme as pops got a new set of clubs.  Nicely played.  I did get some clubs a few days later.  We went to the driving range.  I was feeling like I was gripping the club too tight.  I decided to try a looser grip.  Didn't hold.  My club went flying out to the middle of the driving range.  I don't recommend the loose grip.

December is certainly a fun time of year and a time for reflection.  I am grateful for our family traditions.     

PETE

JAY

MIKE
December.  Again, Thanksgiving into Christmas is just one continual feeling.  My memory is the day or two to switch from Thanksgiving to Christmas decorations.  I assume everything I could say here will be said, but my memories include thinking Dad was way too cavalier with 12 days, kind of just pulling into their drive way, honking his horn prior to us dropping stuff off - he didn't, but it felt that way some times.  I remember doing it in Dad's impala that had a very unique smell to do it, which I attributed to it being a lead gasoline car, but I don't know if that's a real thing.  I remember music too - Mannheim Steamroller mainly, but a few others.  I certainly remember the excitement and anticipation of Christmas morning.  Dad's bathroom break, the fear of going into the living room prior to being allowed to, and then the process of opening gifts in whatever order it was.  I remember certain traditions such as cleaning up after the fact, and trying to take a nap under the tree.  I don't know that I ever did.  Overall I think the memory was the majesty of it all, the feelings of the whole month that existed in the house.  It was likely the fact that we tried to read a story, drop off 12 days, open 12 days, and everything else.  

LAURA
Christmas lasted the whole month of December in our house.  I loved the feeling of the house totally decked out in holiday decorations.  I remember Mom baking and freezing cookies, puzzles seemed to always be out and being worked on all month, too. Of course there was always FUDGE out the wazoo... I loved when I was old enough to start helping make it.  I loved the way the whole counters/table would be lined with red bowls filled with fudge.  And delivering the fudge was always fun, too.

There was always the race to hang up the advent ornament, and no one will ever forget the glass Christmas trees filled with m&m's... and then taped shut so we couldn't eat them before Christmas day.

I remember the Christmas in Las Vegas when we got Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas, and all the older boys were so excited, but I had no idea what it was.

I remember coming 'home' to our new house in New Harmony, and the Christmas tree John had gotten that was as fat as the whole living room!

I remember doing Secret Santa for families every year.

I remember swimming on one Christmas Day in our pool in Hawaii.  I had my brand new barbie swimming with us.

Dad playing Santa for various parties.

Reading Christmas stories every night, being annoyed that Mom always cried through them... I don't think I understood what they were talking about or why they were special, but I enjoyed sitting around listening to them.  Especially the first year we got the Forgotten Carols.

Jerusalem Dinner... especially the year we had the Grovers come over.  Mostly because I was annoyed that Michelle got to be Mary, which was obviously MY role.

Getting 12 days from mom.  Always with the popcorn tin one night, and the trail mix another night.  And always being annoyed when the gifts were 'for her'... decorations, etc. :)

Delivering 12 days was the best.  I loved getting big enough to go with my brothers.  Peter driving some big hill in Carson and I swear we flew every time.  And listening to Cheech & Chong or whatever it was that they had us listening to every time.  Going with Dave when we were in high school, clicking each other's seat belts and chasing deer in downtown New Harmony.  Being so scared that we were going to get caught or that someone was watching from inside... 

McDonald's gift certificates from Aunt Judy/Uncle Dale.

The slipper socks we all got in Carson one year.

Wasn't bowling a Christmas Eve occurrence?

And lets not forget the HIDEOUS wreath that Dad had on the front of his truck, I'm sure just to embarrass me!

Mom, I'm not sure how you survived this month-long holiday year after year! But it was ALWAYS magical, so thank you.

DAVE
12 Days was always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I remember going along for the ride back in Carson City back before I was able to be a "runner". I think Mike, Laura or Jay would do the running but I'd sit in the car with Dad and watch. I was excited for the time I could be the runner. I think the first time I was able to do that was in New Harmony though. I enjoyed putting on our disguises. I wore my paintball mask a few times. I went with Laura one year and it was extremely fun. We would take turns running and then mess with each other while she drove. Unbuckling seatbelts and putting the van in neutral, probably extremely unsafe. Nevertheless, extremely fun. I can't remember if she made us listen to terrible music then or at other times in our youth, probably both. After my mission I went and delivered with Dad. He had lost all sense of reconnaissance and did everything short of honking out front to alert them that we were there. He'd pull up in their driveways with the lights on, turn them off, tell me to get out and deliver. His super spy skills had grown callus over the years. This is the same reason I could never accept 1980's Roger Moore as 007. His spy light had grown dim, unbelievable. Perhaps the throwing of hats that removed peoples heads and underwater cars should have clued me in on the far-fetchedness as well. That's beside the point. It was still quite fun and perhaps I exaggerated the story a bit, but I learned that from the master as well. That light remains bright in Pops. The time with family of 12 Days was certainly the best. Family time is most definitely my favorite part of Christmas and something I've missed since having to share Christmas with the out-laws, excuse me, in-laws. Hopefully this is up to par.

AMY
I remember getting promised a trip to the beach or Hawaii or a cruise or something like that that we never got for 12 days.. I mean.. I probably  got it.. but it doesn't count because it was supposed to be with Dave and laura.. and I think michael. I think it's time to make a big trip happen.. we will all have to pay for ourselves now.. but a cruise sounds good.

I loved going bowling every Christmas eve.  I love doing fondue every new years.. or Christmas time.

I do remember I slept in Laura's  room (I think it was pre sixth sense) on Christmas eve.. and I was convinced she never ever pooted.. and she let one go that night.. nastiest smell I have ever inhaled. We laughed for a long time after that that night. 

I also remember you, dad, laura, dave, and myself went to see the lights at tuachan... us kids were dancing on this cement pad thing.. and Dave was spinning in circles and bending down.. he says to me and laura in mid spin: "just to warn you.. every time I bend down I fart". I think it might be a problem that all of my memories are of my siblings farting.

Uh.... one year I got a cotton candy machine. I was very excited.. it only made about a tablespoon of cotton candy at a time.. but it was the most delicious bite.
I've been very impressed with yours and dad's ability to give.. always.. but especially  during Christmas time. you've both made an impression on me and making me want to be more giving and not think so much about what you are getting but rather what you are giving.
I always enjoyed taking fudge and goodies to the neighbors.  Just the whole giving aspect of Christmas time is always my favorite. Makes me want to be more like I am or feel during Christmas time throughout the whole year.
I've always loved white elephant.. but I love the new way that you have to display it for a year. It's been fun when people come over and ask "what the heck is that?!" And having to explain what your family does. It's fun to find the most ridiculous thing at di or wherever you find your W.E. and just know that someone  has to display that.

MOM
Christmas letters:  Every year I wrote a Christmas letter.  It began with telling out activities for the year and then later I would tell people about what was going on with each of the kids and their families.  It was a good re-cap of all that we had been doing during the year and as I went through the names that I put on the envelopes it helped me to remember dear friends and family who mean so much to us.  I remember that over the years, the kids have read the letters and each one always had a comment to make about what I had said about them or what I hadn’t said about them.  I even got complaints last year about the order I put the names! 

Christmas cooking:  I had some favorite things that I only made a Christmas time including fudge, some different candies and cookies, and special meals.  The fudge tradition was handed down from Grandma Vi and the actual recipe was labeled Fern’s fudge (her sister).  It is a creamy and delicious fudge and people always commented on it so Jim and I started making it and delivering it to neighbors and friends.  We made it a part of our 12 days tradition but also took it around to many on Christmas Eve as well.

Over the years we had different things for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner.  Sometimes we would have make our own subs, we liked Jim’s famous Pork Tenderloin, we had Christmas rice, fondue, and clam chowder. 

Jerusalem Supper:  Usually the week before Christmas we would have a special meal to remind us of the Savior’s birth.  We would dress like Mary and Joseph and the shepherds or the wisemen would have dressed.  We ate food that was middle eastern like falafel, pita, and other dishes of the area – sometimes we would make things that were more to our liking and put them in the pitas like fajitas, olives, tomatoes, onions.  After dinner we would act out the Nativity. 

Decorating for Christmas:  Both my mother and my mother in law were great Christmas decorators and so naturally I have felt the need to deck the halls so to speak.  I remember the first Christmas Jim and I were together we did a tree in gold balls and white lights.  We thought it would be beautiful but it was a live (dying) tree and it just about looked dead by the time the holiday came.  After that, although we had a live tree for many years, we would make and add new ornaments.  The next year we were in Fremont and we made little Snowmen and Santa Clauses out of felt and pom poms.  They were on our tree for many years.  We started the tradition where each of the kids got to pick out an ornament of their choice to hang on the tree and put their name on.  Later, as we have had Grandchildren we give each of them an ornament with their name and the date on it for their trees.  We had live trees for many years and even had a growing tree one year in Carson City… unfortunately Laura was allergic to it and broke out in hives.  One of our first years in Carson City the Relief Society did a home tour and our home was part of it.  It was early in the month and we bought our tree only to see it fall apart about 3 days before Christmas and so we had to take it all down and re-decorate a new tree.

I have also made many crafts and inherited a few crafts.  I can remember a large wooden soldier, a large wooden nativity, a quilted nativity, several Christmas quilts, a quilted table runner, a quilted Christmas house and many more.  A lot of these I would make for my sister and Jim’s family and then one for us.  We also have had a couple of advent calendars that the kids (even as teenagers) would fight over to put up each ornament each day. 

Jim almost always gave me a decoration(s) for Christmas.  I have some cute Santas, nutcrackers, angels, and snowmen.  My favorite is my collection of Nativity Sets.  I think at one point I counted that I had over 30.  Some are large and some are small, some are ornate and some are quite simple.  One came from the Holy Land and is hand carved from olive wood. 

Christmas Family Time:  Of course the best part of Christmas is family.  We liked to do the 12 days of Christmas every year for the kids which would include games, puzzles, videos, ornaments, tooth brushes, books, decorations, movie tickets, a big popcorn can, treats and whatever else sounded good at the time.   We would open these every night and then try to read a Christmas story.  It was a good time to bring us all together and I think all of us enjoyed it. 

The 12 days of Christmas is something that Jim and I started doing the second year we were married.  Grandpa and Grandma Fontano had received this from someone and then Grandma Vi had us help her deliver little gifts the next year to the members of Grandpa Al’s bishopric.  We learned the ropes and decided it was something we wanted to do.  We have done it (with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 years) ever since.  We started out by giving little treats every night like jam, cookies, pickles, fudge, candies as well as little gifts like a star, bell, santa, candle, ornament, Christmas napkins, Christmas stories and for Christmas Eve we always gave a yule log and for Christmas morning we often made a bread wreath. We progressed to a themed 12 days where we would talk about the symbols of Christmas and over the last years we have purchased a nativity set and then wrote a poem/story about the nativity and gave a member of the nativity each night ending with the Savior.

We have involved the kids in making and delivering the twelve days each year.  We often chose 7 or 8 or 9 families to share with.  We would wait until late at night (after 11 pm) and then Jim and the kids would drive to their home and leave the package on the front door step.  On the last day we would usually identify ourselves and explain why we had chosen their particular family.  We would always pray for guidance in choosing a family that the Lord knew needed this gift.  Sometimes it would be an older couple, or a young couple without a lot of money, or someone we appreciated for their friendship.  We found over the years that people would sometimes try and find out who we were by staying up and watching the front of their house.  Sometimes they would ask us to our face if it was us (while we were in the middle of trying to deliver to them).  One friend called our house about midnight and asked to talk to Jim (who was of course out delivering to them) and that got to us.  I remember, one year, delivering to an older couple and I didn’t know why they had come to mind but later that year the wife passed away and we were glad that we had contributed to their last Christmas together.

Secret Santa:  Along with the 12 days we also often would select families that needed goods and gifts and share them.  We handled that pretty much the same way, secretly delivering and hiding in wait to see them find goodies on their porch.  One year, when we had moved to Hawaii we were very poor.  We still decided that we would do the 12 days – just on a limited budget.  Some friends (the Simmons) brought over Secret Santa gifts to us and were surprised that we had done the 12 days for them.  We explained that 12 days was our Christmas and that we really couldn’t imagine a Christmas without it.  After we returned from Hawaii we were quite poor again and were surprised one day to come home from church and find out whole porch covered with gifts … we found out what it feels like to be so blessed as the receivers and have never regretted being the givers!

Christmas Eve and Day:  For Christmas Eve we would light a bunch of candles (one year I remember putting candles in the window but it was too close to the blinds and I almost started a fire.  We sometimes would write down on papers a bunch of things to do and then do them in the order they were drawn:  read Christmas story, sing carols, play a game, open a gift etc.  I always wanted Christmas to measure up to my memories of Christmas when we would go to my Aunt’s house and Santa would come and fill the living room with gifts.  Jim’s tradition was to open gifts EARLY Christmas morning.  The kids had to wait until he had gone to the bathroom and he would purposely take a long time.  Then they would line up, oldest to youngest or vice versa and go into the living room to find their gifts from Santa by their stockings.  Stockings were always opened first then Santa’s presents and then presents from family.  As the years have progressed, we have sometimes had many kids and their kids home to open gifts and spend the holiday with us.

After opening gifts we would fix some great meal of pancakes and bacon or sausage or Grandma’s Casserole or even Cinnamon rolls.  Later in the day we would have either a big meal or sometimes we had sub sandwiches.  The kids all liked to stay home and play with their new toys.  A few years, when we lived in Salt Lake we would spend Christmas Eve at Grandma Vi’s and Christmas Day at Judy and Dales but most of the time we just spent the day at home.

Some years I remember more than others.  I remember making sugar cookies and Gingerbread houses and having messes all over the kitchen!  I remember putting the kids stockings that my sister had made for them on the mantle in our first house in Carson City and Jay telling me he could spell everyone’s name by looking at the socks:  Jay, Peter-ay, Mike-ay, Jim-ay, John-ay!  Grandpa Jim and Grandma spent that Christmas with us and almost froze to death going home in the snow to California.  I remember when Laura was finally able to be Mary in our Nativity play and Mike was Joseph and Dave was the baby Jesus being not even two months old.  I remember the year that we got the kids a trampoline and Jim had to put it together after they went to bed on Christmas Eve in the freezing cold and snow.  I remember the year we did 12 days for our friends the Grovers while they were doing the 12 days for us!  I remember Christmas in Hawaii where they decorate palm trees with lights and it is warm outside.  We went swimming in the ocean that year and then thought we would go to MacDonalds and use our coupons sent from Judy and Dale but MacDonalds was closed.   I remember the year that most of the family was in New Harmony and we played the Rootbeer game and went caroling to the people in the neighborhood.  I remember the year in New Harmony Marien got dress ups for Christmas and wore them coming down the stairs with the high heels and then fell down the last three and jumped right up and continued her fashion show!  I think it was that same year that the Coe’s came for Christmas eve and we played White Elephants.  Martha loved getting one of the old blue sweatshirts with the polar bear on it that I had made for each family member several years before in Carson City and we wore them to the Ward Christmas Party.  I remember the year in Hawaii when we were in charge of the dinner and Christmas program.  We had Farmer John ham (parmagiana ham???) and had to also have rice (for Bishop Sakamaki).  We had the kids sing Mele Kalikimaka and the whole cultural was decorated with big wrapped candies hanging from the ceiling.  I remember the Christmas in Hawaii when Laura got a kitchen set and the boys each got remote control cars that the batteries wore out on the first day and we went swimming in our pool on Christmas day!   I remember John’s first Christmas home from his mission when we gave him left handed golf clubs!  I remember always putting together that crazy Christmas puzzle that would take us forever but we were always so happy when we finished it!  I remember dad playing Santa for Church Christmas dinners or family dinners all over and one year when Heidi Lee’s sister saw him at Walmart in real not Santa clothes and then said loudly “Oh, I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on!” 

I remember always thinking that we couldn’t possibly have a better Christmas and then the next year we did!