Beneath the Wraps

            I grew up with the idea that families got together on New Years to play games.  It would often start on New Year's Eve at somebody's house.  We'd play games and have cheese and crackers and chips and soda.  That was always the greatest part about the new year.            Mom always took the tree down on New Year's Day.  It was sad. But I have carried out that tradition of taking the tree down on New Years.  What else would I do?             Although there was one year when Jenna insisted we put the tree up right after Thanksgiving.  I took it down on the 26th because it had been up entirely too long.  I think because it was taking up space in our cracker box house and everything always felt so clumped together with no elbow room even when it wasn't Christmas.     ...

            We weren't able to get back to Utah for a lack of funds.  Airfare is way overpriced (even at a senior discount) and Roland didn't have the same amount of time to take off work as Jenna currently has for school.             It snowed in several parts of Salt Lake.  My sister and one of my sons both reported that there had been an endless snowfall and probably three feet of snow - though one had reported that the streets had been clear.  How awesome that there are those who give up pieces of their Christmas to make things safer for others.             We woke up to find snow on the ground the morning of Christmas Eve.  The sun shone itself out.  It was really a beautiful day.  Not too hot.  Not too cold.  The air was an invite and in turn invited us to go...

              It is important to remember that not everyone is looking forward to Christmas. Some people are not surrounded by large wonderful families. Some of us have problems during the holidays and are overcome with great sadness when we remember the loved ones who are not with us. For many it is their first Christmas without a particular loved one and many others lost loved ones at Christmas. And, many people have no one to spend these times with and are shadowed by loneliness.          My uncle's family will have their first Christmas without him.  He was buried just before we moved to Oregon.  It is harder still for families who lose their loved ones during the holiday season - to always have that memory around the holidays. We have seen present neighbors and some that we left in Utah just recently pass away.  We have seen hardships and we have seen those who choose to move on and celebrate the h...

              I remember being in the congregation during a sacrament meeting in which a newly returned missionary was giving his homecoming talk . As he shared various experiences, he would explain why he felt the need to share.  I remember him saying that all missionaries have at least one dog story.          “We do?” I had thought.           I must admit that I had missed his dog story as I had been thinking of my own.    One that actually brings a smile to my face each time I think about it.          I was serving in an area where each door had been knocked on (weekly if not daily) by one religion or another.    It came to the point that people just didn’t want to open their doors as they felt they were being bullied by religious freaks.    We had actually been told...

Whenever my phone rings Or signals that I have received a text message Jenna jumps Like Pavlov’s dog Usually I don’t mind I am not a slave to the phone Though she seems to be She’s always excited when she learns That it is one of her brothers Today she answered the phone with excitement “Randy!” she yelled. It isn’t any wonder that none of her brothers have gone deaf First thing he asks her if it is snowing He says that the Utah snow seems harsh today. I remember waiting for the bus in killer snow The snow seen in this part of Oregon is rare Or so we’ve been told We saw it fall for two days But it was never like Utah Buses were delayed for two hours But Jenna did return to school After the snow We had our power back on But some people did not. Those who live in Tiller Were without power for six days To a week. Mostly it rains.   The creeks and rivers rise The grass turns green and The earth is drenched w...

            We were told that a light parade is done each year.  It takes place on the second Saturday of December.  The vehicles start the drive in Riddle and move through Tri-City and through Highway 99 over to the street just behind the one we're on.  The parade then turns down the only street that connects Riverside to Division,  Division to one of the numbered avenues and then on to Main Street.              The parade is a big deal, and downtown offers free hot drinks and chili.  There are fireworks at the park stadium.  This has been a tradition for 22 years now from what I understand. I was surprised they were able to do the fireworks with all the rain.  We heard  that it's unusual to have that much rain to fall throughout the day and hasn't happened often.        ...

          Christmas does not have to be about spending money or exchanging gifts - though I love the gift giving thing.  There are some years that we have really had to stretch. We have been recipients of "Sub for Santa" many times. Overall, I think those are the most memorable.  And I have really been touched by all of those who have made an effort to our cause.           We moved to West Valley at the end of 2009.  It was hard to leave our Kearns ward family - but at the same time, we felt that the move was the right thing for us. Less than a week before Christmas, I received a call from the Relief Society President of the ward we had left.  She said that she had gifts f or us f rom the ward.  She came in the second snowstorm of that season.  She brought two other sisters with her.  Their gifts more than doubled the amount of gifts that we already had.  ...

     I have two brothers and one sister.   We would buy or make gifts for each other to exchange at Christmas.   For a while we had gifts for each aunt, uncle, cousin . . . I don’t think we started drawing names among dad’s sibs and their families until the first Christmas I was out on my mission.      Patrick married Sunny who had four sibs and grew up having exchanged gifts with just one sibling, as they would draw names each year.   I think we still purchased gifts for each of our sibs and all of Sunny and Patrick’s families until after Kayla got married.   And then we decided to draw names – family to family.   That worked out for a few years.      One time it seemed all of us were struggling financially and decided not to exchange gifts that year.   It was one of the best Christmas gifts we had ever given ourselves.      Last year we ...

              I haven't seen construction since coming to Oregon with Denise back in June.  Haven't missed any of the polycones or orange signs or slowed traffic.                The schools were closed and so I didn't count on the typical 3:00 pm traffic.  I thought it odd, as I was driving yesterday, that traffic seemed to slow down to a halt.  Oh, construction.  Haven't missed it at all.               After five months of an orange-free road, I have seen signs of construction in this November bleak.  Really?  They couldn't have picked a time with better element conditions?  I'm not complaining.  Waiting for halted traffic in Myrtle Creek and Tri-City is nothing compared to Salt Lake.        ...

Jenna and I were playing Chatters Matters.  My card asked me to comment on a time someone had picked me up from the airport.  I don't recall having needed someone to come pick me up, but I related the time when I had sent Roland to the airport to claim my brother and sister. It was late at night - early in the morning.  I don't remember.  After Midnight.  My mom would have gone, but I had asked Roland.  We weren't married at the time, but I was certain that he would do it.  He was surprised when I offered to come with him.  Why wouldn't I?  They were my sibs.  Kayla and Corey were returning from a trip they had taken to Europe.  The plane was late. I think we were at the airport for a couple of hours.  Those waiting were tired, some achy.  Roland was thanking me for being there and giving me a massage.  I remember telling him that he could make some money if he offered that wonderful service to others who were ...

            Springfield, Utah was settled in 1850 and then had a population of roughly 1,000 people.  I remember my dad telling me that the kids of his generation liked to hang-out in Springfield.  It has always seemed like a rather small community but still great community to live in.  Today it has a population of over 30,000.  It still seems like it would be a great area to raise a family.  I like Springfield, Utah.             Springfield, Oregon, on the other hand, is about twice the size in population.  As of now, it is definitely a place I do not wish to live.  Springfield, Oregon seems to be a daily part of the news as one horrific crime or another are committed.  I think Springfield has had more crime than my surroundings had in the Salt Lake City area.  I like living in a town with a crime-rate equal to the crime p...

            Growing up, I enjoyed playing games.   Sometimes I would play games with my brother.   Sometimes mom and dad would join in.   They taught Patrick and I how to play a card game they called “500”             Patrick won almost every single game that he played.   When we played 500, we would play three games – switching partners every game.   If Patrick didn’t actually win all three games – it was because I had lost all three.               Winning wasn’t important.   I was fortunate enough to learn that early on.   If I felt like winning was the only reason to play – I would never play them.   I enjoyed playing games because for the most part, it really was fun just interacting with my family.   Whenever my family members would get tog...