Christmas During the Hyrum Years

Tom Smith became and annual visitor as Santa Claus

We first moved to Hyrum in 1964.  We never decorated the outside of our house, but always put the tree in the front window and left the curtains open a bit to high light the tree.  Some years we added the decals you stuck to the tree, hoping they would stay up for the season.  Our first three years in Hyrum my dad was attending school, so Christmas was austere.  Christmas 1966, my dad was away at school in Denver.  Charlie wrote a story about this year.  http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-christmas-story-by-charlie-wardle.html
Christmases 1967 and 1968 we lived in Carbondale, Illimpos, returning to Hyrum for 1969, when I was in the seventh grade.
We had one tradition of being allowed to open on gift from under the tree on Christmas Eve.  It was terrible when you chose clothing or something Christmas Eve.  We were looking for toys or games.  Santa left most of our toys out unwrapped, so we could see what he had brought early in the morning before our parents had gotten up.  

1964

1965

1965 Sara holding FiFi the cat.

1968 Carbondale

1970

1972

1977 (when I was on my mission)

Photos courtesy of Charlie scanning and putting on Ileen Wardle Family group.

Norman Christmas Party

Party at Dianna's was 12/28 Friday after Christmas.  We had a great time with soup and salad bar.  Sheri took chicken noodle and Liz made cheese broccoli.  There was also ham and beans and clam chowder which I enjoyed.  Dianna made home made bread which I enjoyed with Gary's frozen strawberry jam.  Our family was 16 for the party with all our kids, Gary and Angie's family and Mark and Dianna's family and we had quite a crowd.  There were 27 for the gift exchange party.  Two babies did not play.  I scored a chocolate football and Tony a large jar of cheese balls.  He was torn between the two so I got the chocolate for him.  Caleb  scored a edible snake and Sheri a book.  We had fun. Tony really likes Rachel, Gary and Angie's daughter.

My Poetry: Mary and Joseph's Lullabye

Mary:
Hush thee my babe, Hush thee my child,
Hush thee my babe You're tender and mild.
Hush thee my babe, Hush thee my child,
Hush thee my babe You're tender and mild.

Joseph:
Sleep little boy, Sleep through the night.
Sleep little boy I'll keep things right.
Sleep little boy, You've no need to fear
For I am always near.

Both: Sleep little boy, You're tender and mild.

Tony Lost His First Tooth at Age Five

You can see the whole on the bottom

Tony had a traumatic experience in the car today.  He has had a loos tooth, and he pulled it out with his fingers.  This is his first lost tooth, and he was nervous for a couple of minutes, but decided it was OK even though there was a little bit of blood.  He rinsed it in the sink a couple times, and then finally went to bed, thinking it will be better in the morning.