Remembering

One of my friends is posting 12 days of Christmas memories on her blog, and it got me thinking about the Christmas memories I have that are probably not written down anywhere. So I'm going to write out a few of those here so I have a record of them (thanks, Laura! I hope you don't mind me borrowing your idea). It might take me a few days.

Christmases in Missouri:
1. When we lived in Missouri (7th-12th grades for me) there was an amazing family in our ward with many, many children. During my Laurel years in Young Womens they had 4 boys in Young Mens, and those boys were fun, responsible, polite. We love the Howalds. Anyway, one year when I went home for Christmas from college we were enjoying a quiet evening when the doorbell rang. We answered it to find the entire Nativity on our doorstep. The Howalds had come to tell us the Christmas story complete with Mary, Joseph, wise men, shepherds, and angels. Their home was a good half hour drive from ours, and this was no small feat for them. I remember being so touched by it. So if any of the Howalds happen to read this, Thanks for a great memory and a touch of the true Christmas spirit!

2. Our second year in Missouri (I think), we made the drive to Maryland to spend Christmas with my grandparents. My Aunt Kim and Uncle Mark went, too, and we had so much fun together. I remember Kim filling a pair of pantyhose with gifts for Mark since he didn't have a stocking there. That really made an impression on me as a 14 year old. :) We acted out the nativity there, and I was an angel and made my appearance at the top of the stairs leading down to the family room. I also remember getting a BYU sweatshirt that year, which I still have 18 years later (now a BYU alumnus!)

3. In our family the Christmas morning tradition was that we kids (four of us) got up early and played Monopoly until Mom and Dad were ready for us to come open presents. We would hear them start the Anne Murray cassette tape (later CD) upstairs and walk around, and the anticipation would build. Finally they would call us up, and we'd ascend the stairs in giggles. This tradition continued through high school and into college. Until one year....

I went home for Christmas from BYU, and on Christmas morning my younger brothers and I began the traditional game of early morning Monopoly downstairs. Eventually we heard my parents get up, turn on the music, walk around. We waited patiently for them to come get us (yes, we were a little old for this, but it was tradition!!), but the time went on, and no summons was made. Fifteen minutes went by, then 30, then an hour. All walking around upstairs had long since ceased, and we were still waiting, totally puzzled. Finally we three decided to go up and peek into the living room to gauge the situation. I still shake my head in disbelief when I think about what happened next. There were mom and dad sitting on the couch, surrounded by all their opened presents, torn wrapping paper strewn across the floor. They had opened all their presents without us while we waited for them to call us up! When they saw us they said, "We waited and waited for you to come up, and finally we just decided you weren't going to come, so we opened our presents without you." What?! Inconceivable! Had they forgotten that for 20 years the tradition had been for them to call us up?! Yes, they had forgotten. And didn't quite believe us when we told them. But we know; yes, we know. And for all the Christmases since it has made a great story! :)