Christmas Past

For historical purposes only (and probably of no interest to anyone except for me), I decided (in thinking about being home for Christmas) to identify where I have spent each Christmas of my life as far as I can remember or know about---

Ages 6 months to 15--Richland, Washington

 There was one of those Christmases where we went to Portland for Christmas, but it was so much work my parents vowed never to do it again.  I think that was the year our car also spun on the ice and hit the rock wall on the sides of the road.

Our home on Agnes Street

Our last Christmas morning in Richland, although we didn't know that at the time!

The doll house for the "three little girls."

This was our air hocky game which would have been the year before we moved to our house on Agnes.

Ages 16 through 22-  Amarillo, Texas

The pool table

That last Christmas when I was 22-December of 1977-- Gary was there.  We had gotten engaged on December 1st and he gave me my engagement ring for Christmas that year.

Switching now to years instead of ages-  It gets a bit more tricky since I didn't keep a journal--but here it goes--

1978-  Gary and I in our apartment in Sunset, Utah--

I still have this rocking chair and this cookie jar that Gary surprised me with that Christmas.  He was so proud of himself for hiding the rocking chair!

We spent the day with his family, riding and driving snowmobiles in the mountains.  It was amazing!

1979- home in Clearfield, Utah

1980- We were living in Provo in a mobile home at Christmas time and we went to Amarillo for Christmas that year.

1981 and 1982-- We were living in our home in West Jordan on Banquet Street (In Oquirrh Shadows)

In 1982, I was pregnant with Jessica so for the first time, we spent the night at Gary's parents' house on Christmas Eve.  I got too sick at night to be driving back and forth.

1983-- We also spent the night since Jessica was just a baby and moving Christmas was easy.

1984-- Our first Christmas in our house in West Jordan on Wave Court.  However, I think that we also spent the night up in Syracuse.

1985--Christmas in West Jordan

1986- This is the year that Scott joined our family in October, so we went to Amarillo for Christmas along with most of my family.

1987 and 1988-- our home in Hong Kong on Cox's Road

1988 with families from our ward and one of our foster kids 
on Gary's lap-Mui

I think it was in 1988 that Gary's family sent us a package that included a video of Christmas eve with the nativity scene acted out and the Page boys singing a Christmas song.  We loved that!

1989-we were living in Discovery Bay on Lau Tau Island in Hong Kong--We headed home for the holidays--going first to Amarillo and then to Utah so everyone could meet Ben who would have been about 16 months then.

1990 and 1991 We spent in our Shouson Hill home in Hong Kong.  In 1991, we left shortly after Christmas day and went to Thailand as a family (except for Tosha who was too young.) with friends.

1992-  Living in Plano, Texas (a very hard move and took a while to settle in there)-we headed up to Amarillo and then to Utah for that Christmas season--by van in December with four kids ranging from 2 through 9--we were crazy!!!  It was great to spend time with both my family and Gary's family and the kids loved their cousins!

1993, 1994, and  1995--We spent Christmas in our home in Plano, Texas.

1996- We used our frequent flyer miles and flew to Utah for Christmas.  This was the year that we tried to surprise the kids, but their cousin, Chris, wrote to Jessica and mentioned he was excited to see us at Christmas.  He didn't know it was a secret and Jessica was happy to keep it a secret until we actually got to Utah.  This was also the year that Tosha broke out in chickpox after a day on the plane and Christmas Eve together as an extended family.  Fortunately, everyone else had had the chickpox except for Jena who got them about 2 weeks later at four months old. We were bringing Jena for everyone to meet.

1997-  Plano, Texas

1998 and 1999-  Our home in Syracuse, Utah

tree in the living room (or piano room)

2000-  We spent in Orlando, Florida at DisneyWorld and Universal Studios and then we stopped and spent time in Plano on our way home (since the flights went through Dallas anyway.)

2001-2004-  Syracuse, Utah  With five kids getting older, trips at Christmas time seemed unproductive.

2005....except for emergencies like 2005 when Jena was in Primary's Children Hospital with two kinds of pneumonia and then the flu on top of that.  We ended up opening presents a few days after Christmas.

2006-2015-- Syracuse

In the TV room (which I call the family room)

2011-tree in the basement

2014 First Christmas with grandkids-
Russells surprised us.  (this wasn't on Christmas day)
coming in from Oklahoma City.

2016 and 2017-- Ben was at the state hospital so Gary, Jena, and I stayed in a hotel down in Provo and spent Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day with him.

Our pretend Christmas tree

2018, 2019, and 2020-  We spent in Syracuse.

2021 and 2022- We were living in our missionary apartment in Salt Lake but were able to visit with Jessica's family during the day in Syracuse.  In 2022, Ben stayed a few days with us in Salt Lake over the holiday which was great.

I had packed our Christmas stockings and in 2021, we used
grocery bags, but Jena was determined that wouldn't 
happen again.  We got these for the four of us.

Which brings me to 2023 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.  So many memories and so many Christmases in Syracuse.  It is no wonder I miss it.  It is a part of my life and my heart.  How blessed we have been with so many happy Christmas mornings and fun Christmas days.

And there it is 69 Christmases!  So blessed have I been and so many happy memories connected with the holiday.