We had our traditional Jerusalem dinner tonight. We started the tradition many years ago. It was to resemble what we thought they may have been eating for dinner the night and place the Savior was born. When the kids were young, we always dressed up in robes and scarves with bands on our heads to represent the dress of that time. Along with the traditional soup we have different types of cheese, grapes, pomegranate, sparkling cider, unleavened bread or crackers, etc. We eat by candle light and enjoy the spirit of reading and sometimes acting out the nativity. Aprilyn and Brian and their boys joined us tonight so for the first time in a long time, we had someone to participate in the nativity.

Christmas Memories
Bill Grubbs (born Jan. 1945)

It is Christmas Eve and I have been thinking of past Christmas experiences with many fond memories. I thought I would share a few of them.

When I think of things I got for Christmas, the first gift from Santa I recall was an electric train. We were visiting grandparents in Georgia and I remember sitting on the floor after we had opened the presents. Santa had brought me an electric train and I was all excited about it. When we got it put together we found it would only go backwards for some reason. Dad was never very mechanical minded and I don’t remember if we ever got it running forward or not.

My next memory is the Red Rider BB Gun. Mack and I both got one the same year. They were the leaver action which took two hands. Mack had broken his arm and couldn’t cock his gun with his cast so we would go out shooting and I would cock my gun, cock his gun, and then we would shoot at something. I remember shooting at birds was fun until one of us actually hit one. It really got to me and I think that was the last bird I ever shot at. And yes, I do remember Mother saying, “Be careful and don’t shoot out someone’s eye.”

I don’t know how old we were, but I remember when we got our first bicycles. I think they were a little big for us, but came with “training” wheels. I put that word in parenthesis for a reason. We were trying to ride them on the country dirt road in front of Granny’s house. The dirt road is graded high in the middle and slopes to the ditches on each side so the rain will run off quickly. Well it may be good for rain, but it isn’t good for training wheels. As I leaned to the side, to stabilize myself with the training wheel, I would go right in the ditch. After several bloody accidents we finally took off the “killer” wheels and I was riding successfully in no time.

Christmas always included going to Grannys and Papas for the day. All the cousins would gather there with their Christmas gifts. It was not just a family day, but an extended family day. It wouldn’t have seemed like Christmas without all the cousins. Granny didn’t have much, but would give her all to make it a special time for all of us. The food was always out of this world and she usually stayed up until the early morning hours getting it ready, knowing that the family would be coming.

After Helen and I married and moved to Dallas, the small marketing research company I was working for ran into financial difficulties and had to shut down. That left me without a job. I was looking for work, but hadn’t found anything. I was doing odd jobs for friends and trying to make ends meet, but our savings were running out. We had two children at the time and Christmas would have been very meager. We came home one night to find several boxes and grocery bags full of Christmas gifts for us and the kids. There were also several bags of groceries. It was truly a humbling experience to know that someone one out there was watching out for us. It was a special Christmas.

After Jenny and Brandon married we got involved in a Sub For Santa for a needy family from some foreign country. We had each of the kids donate or provide a gift. After we wrapped the gifts we went to deliver them. The Mother could not speak English and after we had given them the gifts, we finally realized we had the wrong address. We didn’t have the heart to take the gifts away from the kids and returned home to gather gifts again for the right family.

Probably one of the most touching Christmas experiences ever is the year we asked the Young Men and Young Women to help at the homeless shelter downtown Salt Lake City. We arrived under the viaduct early in the morning to help. It was very cold and we worked outside serving a hundred or more men and boys food. They were most grateful. There was also a trailer full of blankets and coats we passed out to those who needed them the most. As I recall, we didn’t know where Ryan was at the time and I wondered how it would be to see him in the line for food. He had been there before, but was not there that day.

Second Chapter of Christmas Memories by

Evelyn Joye Hamberlin Grubbs

Christmas at My Mother’s Parents

I remember a wonderful Christmas at my Grandfather and Grandmother Lindsey’s. They lived in a beautiful big two-story home. It was Dr. Winn’s home before he moved to Gilmer. In the two-story home he had an office building in front, near one corner of the home. Grandpa had three other houses nearby. As his children grew up and married, the first one lived in the office building. As another one married, they lived in the little one and the first couple moved to a larger house as they began to have children. This change continued as others married.

We always had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s. This particular Christmas they had a huge tree in the living room. The ceilings were high and the tree touched the top. When we got up Christmas morning – guess what! Santa was still there sitting in a chair. He lifted me up on his knee and asked Edith to sit on the other knee, but she was afraid of Santa.

My cousin, Edith Carter, was also my best friend. We were the same age and always played together when I went to our grandparents. They always lived near our house. We went to our grandparent’s a lot on all holidays.

Christmas Tree at the Kelsey Gym

I was in the first or second grade in Kelsey School. My teacher was Sister Dorotha Christianson. The missionaries taught school there. They were great teachers and had a love for their students and desire for them to learn in all fields of study. The prophet, President Heber J. Grant said the cream of the crop was sent to Kelsey to teach, and they surely were. We were so blessed to have them.

Besides general education, they taught us in drama, dance, and many other supplementary subjects. We were in many plays, floor shows, and dances in the gym. They made it so much fun and enjoyable. This particular Christmas we were in a Christmas play. A great big Christmas tree was in the gym in the corner between the bleachers and door on the right side of the stage where all the performers waited to go on stage. The parents all brought a gift for each of their children - unknown to the children, for it was from Santa. I was a rabbit in the play wearing a rabbit suit with a ball of cotton for a tail. A boy pulled my tail off.

One of our traditions was to make a gift for each other at Christmas, depicting the Savior’s gift to us. We were always taught why we celebrated Christmas. My older sister, Vaughn, read Christmas stories form the Children’s Friend magazine. We didn’t have much opportunity to go to church for it was too far for us young ones to walk. When we went to our grandparent’s home, we went by wagon. We would jump off the back of the wagon and walk part of the time. My mother always packed a big trunk full of food when we went to my grandparents.

Christmas as a Teenager

We moved to Gilmer and lived at Frees Lake. We could now go to church regularly for it was not too far to walk. We only had Sunday School and Primary. We had no church at night. We were few in number and had no Priesthood holder to carry on part of the time. Brother Shirley walked seven miles from Kelsey to Gilmer and back so we could have church.

We always drew names and exchanged gifts which was fun. We had lots of friends and many parties at our place because my parents had planned and built a big play-ground up behind our house that all ages and adults enjoyed.

When living there, we usually went to my mother’s parent’s home for Christmas to be with our many cousins. We had a car then. My mother always cooked and took lots of food for the Christmas dinner. Missionaries came to our home and would go to the dinner with us.

During the Many Years of Christmas with Our Family

What a joyous time of year celebrating the birth of Christ. To us it was getting together with our family. I know of no better tradition, for my family was always more precious to me than anything or anybody. They were my life. I always enjoyed giving gifts and I really miss not being able to. I love the spirit of giving and doing for others. It’s all so different when you don’t have all the family around. I miss the wonderful spirit of giving. It makes me feel sad, but time changes everything. I just miss all those wonderful years, but I’m so thankful for my family. We lived through many years of Christmas celebrations, so thank goodness for the memories. I often think of my grandmother. She had 108 grandchildren. She gave a lot of herself. She had not gifts to give, but she gave each one of them some little item at one time of another through the years. I was so proud of what she gave me. I kept it on the tall antique of Mama’s. It was just a little bench about 1 inch tall and 2 or 3 inches long. It was always as special to me as anything I ever had because I felt she gave her all like the widow’s mite.

One Christmas before we had children, we lived on Surfside Island next to the Coast Guard Station. I remember opening a gift from Grubbs’ mother and sister, Louise before Christmas. It was a picture of his sister. As soon as I half-opened it and took a little peek of it, I quickly covered it, for I felt terrible I had opened it. I like surprises, and it was no surprise then. That taught me a lesson. I never, ever wanted to do that again. It was a beautiful picture of her and I always treasured it. That was my first Christmas away from home which I missed much. That was the only time I was away, for Grubbs sent me to his home to sent money to support his mother and sister. They both worked and we only had service pay. We went back when Bill was a baby in 1945, but Grubbs was shipped out to Florida and I got on the bus and went home after he was gone. The bus was crowded – lots of soldiers. The driver said I couldn’t get on. I told him I was going to get on and I stepped up in the bus with Bill on one arm and suitcase in the other, determined I would not be there alone with no family at Christmas. I stood up until we got to Houston (about 60 miles) and a service-man insisted I take his seat. It was good to be home.

After Grubbs was out of the service we stayed home Christmas because he wanted to watch the ball games. We had a few years like that with the kids always wanting to go and be with cousins at my parent’s so the kids and I went to Mama and Papa’s from then on. We had our Christmas tree at home. Our tradition was to go to the woods at my parent’s and get a real pine or cedar. The smell of pine to me is like a wonderful part of Christmas. Another tradition was to decorate the tree with some of our old favorite ornaments. We decorated with stars, a reminder of baby Jesus and lights were special to light our way. One tradition was to take cinnamon rolls or German Stolen bread to the neighbors, also to go caroling to neighbors and some of the members of the church. One more tradition was my mother’s chicken dressing, her tall layered coconut cake, and many pies and never leave out her delicious yeast rolls. Last, but not least important was our Holiday Wassail drink served in little dainty cups. Oh! How good to have a hot sip of that before Christmas dinner.

We always went to Mama and Papa’s as long as they were here. So many wonderful Christmases. All our love to them for their sacrifice and work for us to have enjoyment ourselves. Many other thanks to my sister, Fayrene, to open her home to us after our parents were gone. I really appreciate her because she and her family help fill the void of not getting to be with all of mine. I’ve had a good life and am thankful for my health and all my family near and far. You light up my life. Have a wonderful Christmas.

Love Always & Forever,

Mother
Granny Joy
Gran Gran

Second Christmas Memory Installment

My Childhood Christmas Memories
William Edward Grubbs (born 1922)
Written December 2007

When I was a kid I don’t remember us ever having a Christmas tree, I talked to Louise and she said we did have a pine tree. I don’t know where it came from or who brought it and put it up. I don’t remember any of that. I do remember making the decoration. We had to make our decoration. We made paper chains out of construction paper. We cut it in small strips and glued the ends together after running it through another link in the chain. We also made pop corn chains. We would get a needle and thread and sew the pop corn in chains and that was our decorations. We made some other decorations but I can’t remember what they were. We did have Santa and we got presents but very few as I remember. When we lived in Woodbury Dad’s mother gave my brother W. A. and me bicycles. Louise wasn’t old enough. Mother couldn’t keep up with us then. We rode all over the country. Once we rode down to Warm Springs and talked to President Roosevelt. I started high school in Decatur and I wanted to join the ROTC. Dad gave me his shot gun to sell and buy me some high top shoes. I sold the gun to the barber and got my shoes. Mother and dad were having problems during our growing up years and we weren’t given very much attention, and I don’t know why but we moved often then.

I am sorry there isn’t more, but my memory is gone. Dad

I asked Mother and Dad to provide us with some of their memories of Christmas. Below is Mother's first installment with a promise of more to come. I have been listening to "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the Christmas described in the story sounds much like Mother's. I don't know how to do it, but I would like this to be a forum to invite other family memebers to share Christmas memories with us.

My Christmas Memories as a Little Girl
Evelyn Joy Hamberlin Grubbs born 1925
Written Dec. 2007

We lived on Holloway Hill. I had not started to school and I was probably four-years-old. Christmas was near and we had busied ourselves decorating the house for Christmas. We were all excited looking for Santa. We lived in a three-room-house with a long front porch, made from wide wood planks and a tin roof. I enjoyed hearing the pitter-patter on the roof when it rained. The heater had a long stove pipe that went up through the top of the house and I could not figure out how Santa could come down that stove pipe since he was larger than it was.
Christmas was near and we busied ourselves decorating with decorations we had made. We made chains by coloring the stripes on notebook paper with red and green Crayolas. We cut them out, pasting them together one end to the other with home-made past out of flour and water. This made rings that we connected together for chains to put on the Christmas tree and hang around the room. We also put a needle on a long, long piece of heavy thread and sewed the needle through the popcorn and pushed it along the string for popcorn chains to put on the tree. We put foil we saved from gum around sweet gum balls to hang on it. We folded a piece of paper and cut it long-ways or square and cut the edges jagged, then cut little holes in different shapes. Unfolded and we had snowflakes – little ones and all sizes to hang on the tree and from the ceiling. We went to the wood and pulled beautiful raton vines from the trees. We carried them to the house and decorated over the window and doors, also out on the porch over the door and windows.
A very special morning at our house on t Holloway Hill was waking up, jumping out of bed and seeing Santa had drank his milk and eaten his cake. Fayrene and I were so excited to see two little rocking chairs near the heater with a doll in each. Several doll clothes were spread over the bed, little dresses, panties, pajamas, and more. The clothes were so cute and we had fun dressing them. We didn’t know until later that our older sister, Vaughn, had made them. She was probably ten-years-old. Otis got a tricycle that year too.
My little rocker was so special to me. All rockers I had ever seen would turn over if you rocked too hard. This rocker was different – the rockers on it were curved down at the back and would stop it from dumping you backward. Later I learned it was over 100-years-old when my mother bought it at Lees Second-Hand Store in Gilmer. About sixteen years after that Christmas, a kerosene lamp caught fire in the house and the straw in the seat and back partly burned. I had it redone with straw just as it was.
My mother always wanted to make sure we had a really good Christmas each year. She worked in Gilmer and walked twelve miles there and back sometimes only making a quarter (25 cents) a day. Can you imagine her sacrifice and diligence to her family? Her biggest sacrifice and sorrow was to leave her children everyday to go to work. We had very little because of the depression, but we always had plenty to eat. Our parents worked very hard to provide all they could. We enjoyed each other and were a very happy family for we loved one another. We made nearly everything we played with.

Stefanie and Will were here today and we talked them into Christmas Caroling with us. We visited about 30 homes and had a great time wishing them a merry Christmas and leaving each of the with a picture of the Bountiful Temple (I still have thousands). It certainly was fun to harmonize and brighten several people's day including ours!

Instead of using graham crackers this time, Diane rolled out ginger bread and made pieces to make larger houses. Each family had a house to build together. As you can see from the smiles and cute houses, everyone had a great time.

 
We are gearing up for the second annual gingerbread house building party this Saturday at 10:00. We hope everyone can join us. We had 11 last year and hope for more this time. Please let us know for sure if you are coming so we can have sufficient supplies!