Christmas Memories, December 25th

The greatest tradition!

I am so grateful for the Babe of Bethlehem and all he has done for mankind, including me. God bless us, every one!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Memories, December 24th

All of the very best memories of Christmas involve family. Our main tradition through the years has been to gather at 'Grandma's' house on Christmas Eve. First, for me, was Grandma Epps' house. Then, when it became too much for Gram, we moved the festivities to my parents' house. Once our branch of the family moved to Missouri, I became 'Grandma' (literally, Tessa was born the first November we were there). 

Now, we're back spending Christmas with my parents and brothers and sisters, as well as spending holiday time with the Aitchison family here in Washington. Our children are forging their own gathering traditions as their paths take them different directions and their children grow older.

No matter where we gather, nor our numbers, we always enjoy each other. Every year. I love my family.

Christmas Memories, December 23rd

Christmas Carols! And other Christmas music, too! EVERY year, without exception, we sing carols and hymns of the season. I get out my violin and play them, too; not as well as I used to, but happily. 

My early memories of singing on Christmas Eve are of being at my grandparents Epps' house. Grandma played the piano and the organ beautifully. We gathered 'round her and sang along. Our family has held to this same tradition, though the pianists have changed through the years. Sometimes, a capella is the order of the day. No matter what, it is wonderful!

Mom and Dad always sang with us in the car and we took turns choosing which one we wanted to sing. I guess I liked that a lot because I kept it up with our children. Sometimes, when I'm alone in the car, I even sing a carol, or two. :)

In 1995, when we lived near the Far West Temple Site, I invited everyone I knew to join me at the site to sing the Christmas hymns from our hymnal. Many of us, probably around 25 or 30, braved the elements of the Missouri winter every year, but one, since then to sing those hymns. What a very special experience. I hope it continues.

Click here to hear "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" by the cast from Glee.

Christmas Memories, December 22nd

One of the great delights of the Christmas season for me has always been the wonderful displays of Christmas lights. When our children were young, many times the sighting of simple lights around a window, or a tree viewed through a window, was enough to calm them on a longer-than-they-liked drive. Even now, I feel a little thrill of happiness when I come upon an especially intricate display. I so appreciate the work involved for such a short season; but, oh! the joy that work brings to passers-by.

Our parents made it a tradition when we lived in Seattle to drive to "Candy Cane Lane" in Ravenna to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the displays in that neighborhood. How we loved it! I learned it has been a tradition for the people there to go all out with their Christmas decorating since 1949. I also saw that despite vandalism this year, they're carrying on. I'm so glad! The delight will continue.

Christmas Memories, December 21st

My sister, Jill, shared a memory with me the other day. I'm posting it today because this is her birthday!

Jill remembers being on a trip with our parents where she celebrated her birthday at my house. Rob made her something wooden in his workshop. We identified the year as 1980. The trip was to Lovelock, and Fallon, Nevada, to attend Gary and Jolayne's wedding on December 20th.

The family headed back for Washington so they'd be there in time to go to Grandma Epps' house on Christmas Eve. They almost went straight there. Jill said, "Dad stopped being a scrooge that night. On the way to Grandma's house he took us to the store and let us pick out anything we wanted, well, within reason."

1980 was the only year Jill can ever remember wearing casual clothes to the family Christmas celebration. Cousin Jennifer (Epps) was jealous. She had to wear a dress, nylons and fancy shoes!

 

Christmas Memories, December 20th

I found these Christmas greetings among my grandma's pictures. They are from family members and friends. There are no dates. They got me thinking about Christmas cards and how they've changed over the years. It rather surprised me to find photo cards from so long ago. Most of the cards we sent when I was growing up were store-bought greetings with a poetic sentiment and no pictures of people. More recently, however, people seem to be returning to the earlier tradition and including pictures of their families. I enjoy both types of greetings. It's so nice to hear from each other, even if 

it is only once a year!

Christmas Memories, December 19th

Seattle PI photo; December 1965.

Northgate Mall in Seattle was originally called Northgate Center. We just called it Northgate. They used to put up a huge tree-structure in the middle of the mall that had a narrow walkway around the edge, but behind the 'branches.' It was called the Singing Christmas Tree. Then, different groups were invited to fill the tree and sing Christmas carols to the shoppers.

I was a Campfire Girl from the time I was in second grade. One year, our group was invited to help with the singing. It was amazing! I can still remember climbing up to our assigned row, in my uniform, and looking out over the mall. It was like being on top of the world. And when we sang, I felt like an angel singing to the world.

Christmas Memories, December 18th

In 1971, both Bill (Kevin William) and Pete (Kenneth Lee) Aitchison were in the United States Army. Pete had just completed basic training. They got to come home for Christmas. Here, they are with their dad, Eugene, at Terry Aitchison's apartment in Bremerton, Washington. 

My memory of these two that winter is that I went to a basketball game at North Kitsap High School with them and Rob. It was snowing. I, being a teenage girl, thought it was pretty cool to be with three handsome guys! My attitude quickly changed when I got out of the car only to be pelted with snowballs! 

Good times. :D

Christmas Memories, December 17th

When asked about his favorite Christmas memory, Austin responded with the year he opened his presents early and went upstairs to thank his mom. They were the Star Wars toys he'd seen on television and wanted them really badly! One was a Tie Fighter; the other an X-Wing. He was so excited and happy! While his mom wasn't excited that he'd opened his gifts early, or that she didn't get to watch him open them, she was very happy that he loved them SO MUCH!

Christmas Memories, December 16th

This is a picture of my Grandma Epps (right, Luella Mae Bemiss) and her cousin, Corinne Bridger (Corinne Olive Bemiss) standing in front of Grandma's Christmas tree. Gram and Corinne were very close. Corinne was just two months younger than Gram.

I don't know what year this was taken, but it had to be before Gram and Gramp moved to Maple Valley. I'm pretty sure they moved during the summer of 1973 because I lived with them on Beacon Hill right after I graduated from high school, but Gram and I went shopping for wedding fabric in Renton later that summer.

Anyway, there are multiple things I love about this picture.

1. I LOVE Gram's glasses!
2. I LOVE how carefully the tinsel is placed on the tree. It was that way every year.
3. I LOVE Gram's sparkling eyes and how she seems ready to giggle.
4. I LOVE seeing the pictures of my mom and uncle in the background.
5. Most of all, I LOVE the memories evoked by looking at this picture. It makes me smile. :)

Christmas Memories, December 15th

1955 was the first year my parents sent Christmas cards to their family and friends. Mom had taken photography in school and learned the whole film developing process. So, when she inherited darkroom equipment from Grandma Epps' cousin, Junior Bemiss, she decided to make her own Christmas card. She took a negative of a picture of me at seven months old, created a star-shaped frame for the picture, and developed the whole thing in her own little "dark closet." From her efforts to describe the process, I would guess it was lengthy and involved. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

It was very unusual for an amateur photographer to have developing equipment in their home. Mom enjoyed it.

It seems to me that we sent a million Christmas cards out every year while I was living at home. And, we hand-signed all of them! That was the beginning of a similar tradition when our children were growing up.

 

Christmas Memories, December 14th

This memory spans over 109 years. In 1899, William and Ivy Aitchison had their first child, a daughter named Mildred. In fact, her birthday was December 13th. In 1902, for her third Christmas (Uncle Jack was a brand new baby), Mildred's parents gave her a Santa Claus ornament. Then, in January 1903, Mildred passed away.

This ornament hung on the Eugene Aitchison family Christmas tree as long as anyone can remember! Many years ago, Grandma started storing and hanging this precious ornament in a plastic baggie. One year, we thought it got thrown out with the tree! Thankfully, Mildred's ornament is still in Grandma's possession. The picture makes it a little hard to identify Santa, but that IS him!

 

Christmas Memories, December 13th

One year when Dad (Rob) was a young teen, he and his brothers were out with their dad seeking for the perfect Christmas tree for their family. After wandering through the wooded area near the Agate Pass Bridge, they found it! They dragged the tree out of the woods to the roadside where their car was waiting. There had been an unusual amount of snow that year and they looked up just in time to see a snowplow racing down the road toward them with a wall of snow blasting from its blade.

"The weather was cool. Our breath froze on the air. We stood as statues, unable to move for fear! Someone screamed "RUN!" It was too late! The plow was upon us."

Larry was hit from the back and thrown into the woods by the force of the snow. The rear of the family station wagon was crushed. Many colorful metaphors escaped their dad's tongue. They shook themselves off, loaded the tree onto the top of the crippled car, and went home to share their adventure with their mom.

The car was never the same. The tree, however, was undamaged, and fulfilled its purpose throughout the season.

Christmas Memories, December 12th

Aunt Ethel shared her memories of Christmases with 'Big Bad John.'

"John and I would try and see Frank and Gayle and the kids around holiday time. We'd go to see them and bring gifts for the kids.

On arrival, Frank probably told the kids to be on their best behavior for company. So, at the beginning they'd be quiet and playing amongst themselves. Once John got going, he'd rial them up. Chasing them around the house and tickling and making them scream. Then the kids would sneak up behind him and try to tickle him and poke him and run around him.

Frank would take one of the boys by the shoulder and say "now what did I tell ya about best behavior"...or something to that effect but it just never stuck when Big Bad John came "to play" with the kids."

Thanks, Jen and Aunt Ethel, for getting this laughter-provoking account!

 

Christmas Memories, December 11th

Reading Genea-Musings this morning, prompted this Christmas memory of one of the years we lived in Indianola. We, along with another large family, were invited to a small celebration with some friends who also lived in Indianola. Besides contributing to the potluck meal, we were each asked to prepare some kind of Christmas presentation. I so wish I had a picture!

Our family practiced singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" together. We had the girls stand in front, being the angels. I'm pretty sure they were wearing halos. They (including Mom, standing in the back with Dad) sang "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains." 

The boys, who had been kneeling behind the girls, stood up. They were covered with a sheet so they would look like snow-covered mountains (imaginations, please!). They (including Dad) followed the girls' refrain with "And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains."

Then, we all sang the chorus together. "Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oria! In excelsis Deo! Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oria! In excelsis De-e-o!"

It was beautiful, of course. And always brings a smile to my face. :)

 

Christmas Memories, December 10th

In 1983, we moved onto our property at Indianola, Washington, with great hopes of building a amazing home! However, at Christmastime that year, we were without electricity and running water. It's okay. That was the plan, in the beginning. We had wood heat and propane lighting, as well as the use of a camping trailer with all of its amenities! Rob tore down a chicken coop; and with the help of several friends, an addition to the trailer, which became "The Cabin," was built before Christmas.

We got a lovely Christmas tree and put it up in our addition. A young woman at church was married shortly before Christmas, using a burgundy color theme. After the reception, the family gave all of the decorations to us. We had a beautiful tree, covered with burgundy bows, sans electricity. That was a favorite tree of mine.

Christmas Memories, December 9th

When Dad (Rob) was a little boy, one year, maybe about 1958, he got an air-pump gun that shot golf ball-sized bullets of some kind. It had a chamber that held several balls. He was really excited to get! Then, Grandpa seemed to be even more excited. He decided to play with the gun. As Dad walked toward his dad, reaching for the gun, Grandpa started a rapid-fire shooting sequence at him! It was too much for Dad. He started to cry while his dad continued shooting unmercifully! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Memories, December 8th

Uncle Jack and Grandpa Hoyle remember some things about Christmas when they were young, a really long time ago! They lived in the Rainier Beach area of Seattle in the 1930s. Uncle Jack said he remembers that each of the kids got some money (he doesn't remember the source!) to buy gifts for their siblings. Then, they would exchange gifts with each other.

Grandpa remembers that they had a pretty big table, but the Storre (pronounced 'story') family always celebrated Christmas with them, so they would get out the card table to have enough room for everyone.

Sounds like good times!

Christmas Memories, December 7th

This is not my memory, nor is Uncle Bill here to ask; but, since it is Pearl Harbor Day, and I have a World War II greeting card, I will share it today. In fact, I have copies of two cards Uncle Bill sent to Aunt Edna. He was stationed in Europe, was a medic, and one of the first people into one of the major concentration camps at the end of the war. Uncle Bill was a loving and generous man.

 

Christmas Memories, December 6th

This tree candle always had a place in our Christmas decorating. In our house in the Wallingford District of Seattle, it was on the fireplace mantle. Of course, the wick has never been lit.

I remember thinking it was so beautiful, with all its sparkles and the bells. I don't think I ever thought it was unusual to have a pink tree, it was just so pretty!

Non-traditional colors were popular at Christmastime in 1953, and their tree had all blue decorations. My parents bought  this pink tree for their first Christmas together at the Bon Marche in Seattle.