Memories of Christmas by Lucinda

Christmastime is my favorite time of year. I love the sounds, smells, and activities of the season, but most of all I love the memories that I have of years gone by.
The first Christmas that I remember is when Grandpa Dunn gave me my blue teddy bear (Blue Bear). I'm not sure how old I was, but I remember the family standing at his door and caroling. Then he let us come in. He sat me on his lap in his chair and pulled out a plastic bag from next to the chair. In the bag was my teddy bear.
Another early memory of Christmas is when all of the kids slept in the basement on a big bed. I'm not sure if Paul was there or not, but I remember Dan, Stephen, Ruth, and I all playing on the bed on Christmas Eve. Stephen got sick (upset stomach) because he was so excited. I think he ended going up stairs for a little while. I don't remember what I got that year for Christmas, I just remember how much fun it was to all sleep in the same room together.
On Christmas morning, after everyone used the bathroom, Dad would go into the front room and turn on a lamp and the Christmas tree lights. There was a magical feeling as we walked into the front room (lined up youngest to oldest). It was always exciting to see what Santa brought us.
One Christmas Eve, after Dan's mission, we put our bed's into a square (Stephen, Ruth, and I) and Dan slept on the floor in the middle. I remember hearing the bells on Santa's sleigh close by. I was sure that if I peeked outside, I would see him in our backyard. Of course, I didn't dare look outside because I didn't want him to see me!
Another favorite Christmas was Krista's first Christmas. For some reason, Krista ended up sleeping upstairs in the attic with Stephen and me. Dan told us that we better be quiet and not wake up Krista or he would be made. We tried to be quiet, but she woke up around 2:00 in the morning. We took her down stairs to Dan and Pam. She was wide awake and wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon. Stephen and I decided to capitalize on this opportunity. We went into Mom & Dad's bedroom and made our case as to why we should just get up now. We won! We all lined up and had Christmas at 2:00 in the morning! (Good thing Santa had made it by then:)
I remember one of Grandma Thomas' last Christmases. Stephen was on his mission and Grandma came to stay with us for a few days. It was a quiet Christmas morning without any of the grandchildren there. The thing I remember from that Christmas is listening to Grandma say her prayers in bed. I'm sure she didn't know that I was listening. I was most impressed with how she talked to God like a dear friend. It helped me to realize how close the Savior can be when we pray sincerely.
When I was at UVSC, I always helped with the Tute for Tots program. The students at the institute would raise money for the whole month of November. Then on the first Saturday on December we would meet at the K-Mart in Provo and go shopping. One year we provided Christmas for over 70 needy families.
The best year of Tute for Tots for me was in 1997. Bro. Christianson asked me to meet with the families that his classes would be buying for. The one family had just moved, the mom was on bed rest (she was having a difficult pregnancy), and they were struggling with finances. They decided the night before I called that they would tell their children that Santa didn’t know where they lived now and would not be coming that Christmas. When I talked to the mom, she just cried because she was so overwhelmed. It was such a neat experience to meet with this family. The mom gave me a list of things that they needed. She didn’t ask for anything for herself and asked for a pair of work boots for her husband.
When it came time to go shopping for their family, it meant so much more to me than ever before because I felt like I knew the family. That year I took Krista (and Jana I think) with me shopping. They loved being Santa’s elves. When we delivered two or three garbage bags full of wrapped presents, the delight in the children’s eyes was overflowing. The parents were so very grateful for an answer to their prayers. I was grateful for the opportunity to be an instrument in answering those prayers.
I was lucky enough to have two Christmases as a missionary. My second one was very special to me. I had talked to my family the night before, so I was able to focus on the Savior the whole day. I got up early and read some articles in the Ensign and New Era about the birth and life of Jesus Christ. Then we went to the church for a Christmas service. It was a wonderful day.
Another special Christmas was when I was pregnant with Landon. I sang in the choir that year. The spirit was very strong, especially during a song that we sang about Mary. For the first time in my life, I thought about what she must have felt and gone through.
My favorite thing about Christmas is the opportunity to help others. It is so fun to help people because they are more open to the help,. I always feel that I receive much more then I ever give. I’m thankful for all of the times that we did the 12 days of Christmas growing up. That helped me to realize that Christmas isn’t about getting, but about giving. We have continued to try to focus on this in our family.
I feel very grateful for the spirit that comes into my life at Christmas time. I am grateful for the opportunity that Dan & Pam have given us to participate in the Festival of Trees. It is something that we look forward to all year long. As a family, we have started some of our own traditions that help to bring to spirit of Christmas into our home. From making neighbor gifts to helping those in need, from planning out our special Christmas Eve dinner to seeing the light in others eyes on Christmas morning when they see the surprise they have received, that is what makes every year a special Christmas for me.