10 Questions

Okay, so I have come across a nice little group of questions from Family Search.

I thought I would take a few minutes to answer the questions from my experiences.  They are intended for us to take them to our grandparents and fill them out on one of our Christmas visits, which I HOPE to remember to do!  I really want to do this, more than anything else.

I hope you will take some time, and write down your answers, too.  Somewhere your family will find them and treasure them.

Question 1:  How did you celebrate the holidays when you were young?

I remember spending a lot of time playing in the snow with my brothers and sisters.  The beauty and awesomeness of the whole experience was amazing.  I remember how cold it was at night when the sky was clear, and I remember the moon making the snow sparkle like glitter all around.  I still love that!

I remember my mom making hot chocolate for us, and how great it tasted. I also remember that it was made with warm milk, not warm water, and my mom commenting on how much better the kind with warm milk tastes.

We would spend a lot of time playing games during the Christmas break from school.  Some of our favorites were Clue, Sorry, Miles Borne and Parcheesi.  I remember that I cheated a lot as a kid, so I could win.  I have learned from the experience, though.  I am as honest as they come now.  I would much rather let someone else win, than do anything to compromise the integrity of true competition.

Question 2: What did you do for Christmas Eve? Christmas Day? New Year’s Eve?

On Christmas Eve, we would eat yummy food, I don't remember exactly what we had, but I remember it was good.

I remember never being able to sleep on Christmas Eve.  Ever.  Waiting and hoping to hear any signs of Santa visiting our home.  As a result, I would stay in bed as long as I could stand it, and then I would go and ask my parents if we could get up to have our Christmas morning.  That was sometimes as early as 2 am!  They sent me back to bed!

We would celebrate Christmas by gathering around the Christmas tree as a family to find out what our gifts were.  Rarely were they wrapped gifts.

A couple of things I remember about things we got for Christmas:
*I got a toy sewing machine one year.  I loved that thing!  It didn't work very well, but I was so happy!  (Or 'sew' happy!!)
*My brothers got all of the cool toys that you can ride on!  Like Big Wheels and something like this thing.  My sister and I, who are older than the boys, would never be allowed to look at them, because we were "too big!"  Rats on "too big"!  I know now that there really are some things that you have to be the right size for, but I want to know why we didn't get any of those things when we were the RIGHT size!?!?  Girls like that stuff too, dang it!

On Christmas Day, we would always pile in the car and for sure go to Grandma Throckmorton's home in Orem.  Usually, we would take Geneva Road to her home, which was a beautiful drive.  My mom lives just off of Geneva Road now, and I still get to ride on Geneva Road on every Christmas Day.  I love it so much.

Sometimes we would go to visit Grandma Gray.  I don't remember very much about visiting her, with the exception that she did teach me to crochet when we would visit.  She would often have us stay in the kitchen.  She had very pretty, fancy things, and we were not allowed to go in the rest of the house, where those things were.  I think we can credit that to our family having 6 kids!  When we would visit, she had filled cookies!  I didn't like them very much as a small child, because they had raisins in them!  But now, I love them!  I was thinking about asking my mom to come up to help me make some!

New Year's Eve, we would play games like crazy!  Sometimes we would play in the snow and have hot chocolate and then play games!  We would for sure have a lot of chips and dips and soda pop!  That was such a treat!
My dad was a letter carrier, and someone on his route would give him some of their famous dip for New Year's Eve!  It was so good!  I wish I knew how to make it.  I think I remember him saying that he got it from "Herbie".  I heard a lot about "Herbie", but I doubt I ever met him.

After I was 14 until I was married, I spent most of my New Year's Eves at church dances!

Question 3:  Which relatives or friends did you spend the holidays with?

I don't remember spending a ton of time with my mom's side of the family, except her sister, Nancy.  Nancy has two kids named Coy and Roni.  They are both girls.  I love the time that I was able to spend with them, and I treasure the memories we have as cousins.  A lot of times, they were with their dad on Christmas, and we didn't get to spend any time with them.  But when we did, it was the best!

I remember that my Aunt Pat (my dad's sister) was always glad to see us, and I loved seeing her!  Sometimes she would surprise us, and bring us little trinkets.  She had all boys, and loved to get little girly things for us, like little plastic rings and earrings and necklaces.  Sometimes she would get us lip gloss or rosy smelling perfume!!  I remember she was always smiling at us, and so happy to see us!  I love her!

Grandma Throckmorton (Granny T.) would always have a quilt on in her front room, except in December!  I also remember that she had a fake, cardboard fireplace that she would sometimes bring out.  It was very cute, and quaint.

If we spent time with anyone on the holidays, it was family.

Question 4:  Did you travel during the holidays?

No.  Not once.  Only to homes of nearby family.

Question 5: What special foods did you eat? Did you participate in the preparations?

I remember my mom seeming world renowned for her bread and rolls.  I remember helping her shape them and put them onto the pan.

I remember we usually had a turkey and stuffing.  I love my mom's stuffing!

I remember running to the neighbors to borrow something, or take something to them for them to borrow from us!  The stores were all closed, and we had to share, and it always worked out just fine!

I also remember the pies!  I remember the first time that my mom made cherry pie!  It is still my favorite pie!  But our traditional of all traditional pies for the holidays is chocolate pudding pie!  You must make it with cooked pudding!!  The instant pudding is NOT the same!  You also must cover it with plastic wrap, or it will get rubbery and gross!  Make sure to pile on the whipped cream, as that makes it the best!

I remember helping my mom prick the pie crusts and cook them in the oven, to fill later!  That was fun!

Question 6. Did you make or buy gifts for family or friends?

I honestly do not remember.  I think the only thing that I remember giving as a gift was a little doll that I sent away for, for my friend Collette Wilson because she had a doll collection.  I think that was for her birthday.

I remember once our family on my mom's side did a gift exchange, where you draw names.  I was so excited because I drew my Grandma Gray's name!  I distinctly remember being in ZCMI and seeing a brooch that was in the shape of a Christmas tree, with green sparkly jewels, and colored jewels for the tree ornaments and star!  OH!!  I just KNEW that she would love it!!  I remember being at her house for that exchange, but I don't remember her opening it, and I don't remember if she liked it.  I hope she did!  It was beautiful and fancy, like her!

Question 7: What is your favorite gift you ever gave or received?

I think the favorite gift I have ever given are the ones that are truly needed and appreciated.  I think that doing the 12 days of Christmas to neighbors or friends is my favorite gift to give someone.

The favorite gift I have ever been given was The Savior.

After that, it was the Amy Grant Christmas CD that Robert got for me when I was pregnant with Stephanie.  We had nothing, and were very poor.  I was so surprised!!  It meant so much to me.  I still love that album.  So much.  That was a very special Christmas.  And then, a few days later, I got another one of my favorite Christmas gifts, my Stephanie.

My fourth favorite gift was that my Grandma Gray sent me some filled cookies one year.  I think it was the most thoughtful thing she ever did for me.  It meant a lot to me, and I love her so much for that.

Question 8: What traditions helped you remember the Savior’s birth?

My Aunt Diane and Uncle Jack gave my mom a beautiful nativity set.  I remember how wonderful it was to touch and move the pieces.  I remember the reverence I felt as I was able to touch the baby Jesus.  It was something that was alive to me.  She still has it.

I remember the quiet of the night, when it had snowed, and feeling the reverence of the earth.   The snow quiets the busy things around.  I could feel the Spirit of God  inside of me, and outside of me.  This still happens to me.  It is a reminder of what it may have been like to be one of the shepherds, or the wise men on that first Christmas night.   It is the feeling of Love.  True love.
God gave us the first gift of Christmas.
The first gift of Christmas is His Son, Jesus Christ.

I also LOVE the tradition of having a ward Christmas program!  I have always loved that so much.  I could give up all the rest of Christmas, but the ward Christmas program is the one I would keep.

My favorite movie is Mr. Kreuger's Christmas.  This is something I like to have on the dvd player and play over and over.  Mr. Kreuger is able to have a moment alone with the infant Savior, and expresses his thanks to Him, and his love to Him.

Question 9: What is your favorite Christmas memory?
I think that I just love the snow.  There are many favorite Christmas memories, but I love it when the sky is all orange, and illuminated from the snow clouds above.

I also love driving on Geneva Road.  It brings peace to my soul, and happy to my heart.

Question 10: What “makes” Christmas for you? Finish this sentence: “It’s not Christmas until... We sing Christmas songs in church.”  

UPDATE:
So, I actually remembered to take these questions with us on our rounds today!
Funny that I gave this questionnaire to all of my children's grand parents today, and their answer to question 10 was all the same:
"It isn't Christmas until my kids come to visit me."
They all said it and meant it.
I am sure that is what my answer will be in a very short, few years!

It was fun to see my family today, but in the asking and answering of the questions, it was something particularly wonderful.  I think we should ask questions like this every time we meet as a family.  I know that Robert's dad particularly enjoyed it.  He said that this would be one of his favorite Christmas memories.  So, I think that was one of the best parts of my Christmas today!

Merry Christmas!