THINGS HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED AROUND HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought the house was kind of cute in the '80s, pink carpet, rose wallpaper and all. But today its simpler and easy to live with. Nope, no time warp. ps Notice the chair we brought back from Texas and the new "old" table in the kitchen. Love to use old and re-purposed items now.

Long Ago

Merry Christmas and look at how long ago this was?!?  That couch is so crazy it would probably be in style again now!

Happy Birthday, Becky!!!

Becky is the best sister a girl could ask for. Fun, supportive, a good listener, willing to do my crazy ideas, gives good advice, and shares my sense of humor. She's smart, a great decorator, and a snazzy dresser. She knows everything there is to know about movies, actors and actresses. She's primary president, a wonderful mother, a great wife, and good at pretty much everything she tries to do. She can thrift and recreate and paint. She can cook and throw parties and come up with costumes. Her house is clean, her closets organized, and her family is well-taken care of and happy. Becky will be there when you need her, listen when you talk, and get the job done that needs doing. People always know we're sisters, even sometimes think we're twins, and I consider that a tremendous complement. I love Becky! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Christmas Memories II

I did the same thing Becky did, started to just comment and it got too long so now I have to do my own post. I have the same memories as Becky, plus a few more. We would get the breakfast and dinner tables all set on Christmas Eve day so that everything was ready for Christmas the next day. We'd use the nice dishes and special table cloths and get the tables looking special. Then in the afternoon we'd go over to Grandma's to help her set up for her party, although she usually had it almost all done by the time we got there. I remember one Christmas Eve party when Von came in from outside and said he'd just seen a sleigh fly overhead. That got me so excited! And one year Grandma ate one of the little soaps she got, thinking they were mints. Those parties were the best. Mom's homemade dolls were always something to look forward to. We got one every year and I still have all mine. I remember a few of the gifts I got. The 8-track player and some 8-track tapes was a biggy, I loved that. The year I got a manicure set, I gave people manicures for months after. I loved seeing what game we'd each get, then sometimes we'd get together with Cynthia, Sandy and Jace and play them later that day. Our rooms always had to be sparkling clean before Christmas so we could then display everything we got for Christmas on our fresh-made beds in our clean rooms for any company who came over. Grandma always came over after we'd opened our gifts and eat Christmas dinner with us. Always ham, potatoes, yummy rolls, danish dessert, olives, and mmmmm pies. The one and only year that I know of that it actually snowed on Christmas day in Pima was of course the year I was in the Dominican Republic. But that was a white Christmas for me nonetheless because we baptized several people that day. The whole mission did, we had a goal to have a "white Christmas" in the Caribbean, and we did. Christmases may change, traditions and circumstances may change, but the reason for the season does not. And that's what makes it the most special of all.

My Christmas memories

I was commenting on Mom's post when I realized my comment was as long as a post.  So, I'll just say a little bit about my Christmas memories.  I don't remember if I did this last year or not.  Oh well.  Christmas in my childhood is like a wonderful dream.  Everything about it was just the best.  I loved decorating the tree to Christmas music. Those Christmas albums are some of my very favorite songs today.  And we'd always make Christmas cookies and bring the record player in there so we could listen to music while we made cookies.  Decorating them took a long time.  We each got an equal amount and then kept them in our own containers to eat on until they were gone.  Mom always made peanut clusters, turtles, caramels, pies.  Everything delicious.
 I loved all the concerts at school, the "Phyllis party",  the ward parties, the Fireman Christmas dinner and riding on the firetruck while caroling.  Watching all the Christmas shows and movies on TV was so exciting.  I used to love to be in the living room at night with all the lights off except whatever lighted decorations were in there and the lights outside on the house.  It was fun to come home from school each day to see if there were any new presents for me under the tree.  Our presents were always everything we wanted and so many things that mom made that were special.  I remember one year I got a nightgown and housecoat that Mom made and she made me a doll with matching clothes like mine.  I kissed it so much she had a permament dirty looking mouth. Mom would make Beverly and I alot of the same things, hers with brown hair and mine with blonde.  Pillowcases with our names painted on them, and as we got a little older she would always give us things to go in our hopechest for our future homes.  We always got a new game and Darv would read the instructions and teach us all how to play.
Christmas Eve at Grandma's house was the best way to spend Christmas Eve.  The yummy food, our white elephant exchange, charades.  I used to love the car ride home, looking for Santa in the sky.  Dad would always build a big fire before we went to bed and then get it going again in the morning.  I could never sleep and it would be the longest night of my life waiting for morning.  We'd all go into the living room together to see what Santa brought, looking at every little trinket in our stockings.  Then into the family room to pass out the presents and open them one by one.  It took me alot of convincing when I first got married that it's the only way to open presents, instead of just a free for all, over in 10 minutes.
I have tried to make new traditions for my kids and carry over some old ones.  I don't think they'll remember Christmas as wonderful as I do though.  Growing up in the same house and in Pima has alot to do with it.  I'm so happy for my Christmas memories and I wouldn't change a thing.  Thanks Mom and Dad.

SOME MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS

Next week will be my 70th Christmas to celebrate. I have always loved Christmas, but some memories are more vivid than others. Of course, I don't remember the first one, two or three of them. This was during WWII and sugar was hard to come by during that time, but I still managed to get bad teeth - go figure. Growing up, Mom always had a Christmas Eve party with lots of food (usually hot tamales, sandwiches, baked chicken, salads, and desserts. We used to open ou presents that night, and had only Santa Clause to look foreward to the next morning. I always loved getting dolls, and one year got a doll, bathinette, stroller, the whole bit. That is a favorite memory. We moved to Mesa when I was 11 and by that time I had an allowance or did jobs to earn money so I could buy presents for others - especially my Mom. I loved to buy presents for her. One year, when I was about 12 or 13, my sister Alice took me to a store to pick out a present - and Carrie and Ava went along too. I picked out a whatnot shelf for Mom and we told Carrie not to tell Grandma. When we got back home, Carrie walked over to her Grandma and said "we didn't get you no shelf". The surprise was over that year.

Jerry proposed and gave me an engagement ring for Christmas when I was 19. I remember that night very well. For a few Christmases after that money was scarce and presents were meager, but fun after we had a little boy and a little girl to plan for and buy or make gifts for. I have always love to make gifts for others if I could. That always seemed more personal to me. Then one Christmas we were to get a new little baby. The Dr. said it would probably be the day after Christmas -- no sonograms in those days so an educated guess was all there was. But my little girl- Becky- arrived on December 19 and we came home from the hospital on December 23. Jerry was going to Patrol school in Phoenix, and it was great when he came home on Christmas Eve and our family was all together and complete.

Most Christmases were pretty much the same, celebrated in Pima, Willcox, and Pima again. We usually went to Mom's house for a Christmas Eve, or close to it, party. It was so sad to me when she wasn't able to have them any more. Christmas just wasn't the same after that. Darvil and Teresa flew home for an Arizona Christmas one year, and I always love it when my family was all together. Then, one Christmas, we went to the Dominican Republic to bring Beverly home. Becky spent her 19th birthday there and we had a good time. Darvil graduated from Chiropractic College that year, Becky was engaged, and we were all together again. My kids have lived all over the country and came home when they could, and those were happy times to look forward to. Grandkids arrived and brightened and brought joy to the holidays. It has been a big adjustment to Jerry and I living alone and sometimes spending the holidays with just the two of us. We have a warm house with a fireplace and I still love to decorate for the holidays. We are lucky to still have each other and a little Lulu that brings us joy. I still love Christmas

SOME CHRISTMAS JOY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DECK THE HALLS -- Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry took these pictures and wanted me to post them. We have a LOT of Christmas decorations, and I didn't even use all of them.