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| December Nights |
The Nativity Display was started in 1995 in the Arlington Texas Stake. We had 250 Nativities on display that year and it was a great success. The Tradition had begun. On the Sunday after the display closed, I received a phone call from Faye Landham asking about the display. She had gone to see it on Sunday due to a misprint in the local newspaper and it was no longer there. She told me her story of trying to survive breast cancer and her love of Nativities.
She said, "Oh, Linda, I don't know if I will even be around next year, give me a call in August and we will see if I can participate next year." I was excited that a Lady had 225 Nativities in her own collection. I was hesitant to make that call in August, but I did and this is where the story begins. . .
Found out of a mutual love for Nativities, a lasting friendship has certainly been born. So, for 25 years we have been working together on this beautiful Gift to the Community. After 18 years in Arlington, Texas, Faye moved to Granbury, Texas and for the past 8 years we have been displaying in Granbury. It has been a part of my families tradition and a big part of our Christmas Celebration. In those 25 years, the display has grown from the original 250 to over 1,300 Nativities being displayed.
We have loved getting to know the Texas friendly people in Granbury and we have stayed at some of the favorite Bed & Breakfasts in the city. Our greatest reward is sharing our testimony and love of Jesus Christ with so many as we serve and labor in so great a cause. We cherish the time with this special lady.
It would not be Christmas without a stop at the home of Max and Sally Johnson in Arlington. Our annual photo on their front porch. Santa was missing, but we loved our visit and adding to our memories.
This year was a special treat as a childhood friend of Russ, Jane Strong Woodbury, moved to Granbury this past year and came and helped. It was a wonderful reunion. We had not seen her for about 40 years and we loved reconnecting and sharing memories. It was like being in a time warp and time had stood still. Looking forward to future visits.
We also got to spend a day with Josh, Julie and family - their last Christmas in Texas before they move to Portland Oregon. A highlight was being able to attend Church with them on Sunday before our flight home and seeing so many friends. A part of our hearts will always be in the Arlington 1st Ward and so many dear friends.
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| George & cousin Shirley |
WARD CHRISTMAS DINNER
Our first Christmas Party in Lindon, UT. Preslee went as an ELF and ended up being Santa's Helper. She had so much fun. Great food and friends,
We visited this amazing farm that hosts a live Nativity Village with camels, donkies, sheep, cows, turkeys, ducks, geese, basket weavers, bread makers, blacksmith, etc. The kids had a great time even with the very cold weather.
At the very end you enter one last barn and inside is recreated a stone cave with a live manger scene. It was a very special experience that I was not expecting. It was so real. There was a line to get in and they explained that the Baby had needed a diaper change and feeding and they had to stop the line for a little bit. When we entered, the picture depicts what we saw. It was so peaceful as the baby slept and Joseph and Mary looked on. This year several experiences have happened that have taught me more about the reality of the Birth of Jesus Christ - a baby born to a mother and earthly father in very real circumstances. The Chosen Christmas special is a beautiful depiction of the reality of the circumstances. Jesus, the Master Teacher, began His mortal ministry teaching love, forgiveness, hope and Joy.
In keeping with our love of The Nativity, we opened our home on Sunday and Monday night for our friends and family to come and view over 85 Nativities from around the World. We invited our Missionary family on Sunday and shared a buffet of German/Austrian Christmas treats. We had a delightful night sharing and reminiscing of those special Christmases on our Mission. On Monday night we invited family, friends and neighbors to come and see our home and view the Nativities. We had about 60 people attend and it was so festive. Most of them had never been to our home and we loved showing it and telling about The Nativities that were all through the house. We hope to make this an annual event - our gift to the neighborhood.
Between Emily and I we have over 85 different sets and it was a beautiful display. I love talking about them - each one has a special meaning. I was asked what was my favorite - it caught me by surprise and I got a little emotional. I have a hard time telling about just 1, but one of my favorites is my very first one I received when I was 8 years old. It is made of heavy cardstock and folds flat. I have had it all of these years and it continues to be a favorite.
I was then back to Texas to help Josh and Julie with their move and to bring Kelly back to Utah with me. I was going to help drive and then we decided it would be better to bring our grandson Kelly on the airplane and have fewer people in the cars and truck. I returned just in time to see Brian and Beth and kids who were visiting Utah for a Walker family wedding. We had William and Nora for a few hours and it was nice to spend a little time with them and deliver their Christmas gifts.
TEMPLE SQUARE - SALT LAKE CITY, UT
We were then off to City Creek Center to find Hot Chocolate and more festive decorations. It was a great time for a photo shoot of Josh, Julie, Kelly, Shannon and Jamie.
One of the highlights of the night was visiting the Giving Machine sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are vending machines placed in several cities across the US for people to donate to people all over the world. I let my grandchildren pick a few items. We donated dance gear, personal hygiene kits, feminine kits and a water station. Over 5 million dollars were donated through these giving machines this year. A great Humanitarian gift.
The train ride home was so fun. There was an old car on the back of the train that was just like the Polar Express. We were the only ones in that car and we loved it. The kids were worn out and made for an enjoyable trip home. We love the trains and don't use them very much but it was a great way for our group to be together and not have to worry about traffic or the Winter weather. It truly was an adventure!
It would not be Christmas without a visit from SANTA. We are so lucky to have a real Santa Claus in our family. All the way from Minnesota he was able to visit via ZOOM. The kids loved him and were amazed at how much he knew about them - even the neighbor girl was enchanted by him.
I have a cousin, Shirley who lives in Sandy, UT. She is 80 years old this year and has been setting up this Christmas village for over 50 years. I remember visiting my Aunt when I was a little girl when they started their collection. It has grown so much over the years. My Aunt and Uncle have been gone for about 25 years and Shirley still lives in their home and continues the tradition. Another blessing of living here and being able to visit.
Preparations were made for our Traditional Christmas Eve Dinner. We call it our Night in Bethlehem. We invited Cooper Vickers, mission family, to celebrate with us. The simple foods of Chicken in Pita bread, roasted potatoes, cheese cubes, olive variety, dried fruits, grapes, nuts, and a little bit of Texas, Chips and Salsa. Logan was the tax collector and loved collecting the chocolate coins from everyone.
Emily gave us a new one this year that was hand carved in Germany. It is a beautiful set and a wonderful addition to our collection.
This has been a very festive Christmas Season. We have been very busy and have enjoyed our time with so many family and friends.
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| Draper Temple |
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| Beautiful Winter Night |
Josh and Julie loaded their U-Haul a started their journey to Portland Oregon. It was hard for me to leave their home knowing that was the final tie to Arlington Texas. After 42 years in Texas it was hard knowing their were no more of our Grimmett family living there. A new adventure awaits and we are happy for them and look forward to spending time in the Northwest.
They arrived safely - the hardest part of their journey was driving in our neighborhood and the icy roads. We were so grateful they arrived safely.
We loaded everyone up and rode the Frontrunner (Train) to Salt Lake. It was such a fun adventure. We toured Temple Square and saw the beautiful lights and outdoor Nativity Sets.
The Lights on Temple Square
Inside the Tabernacle was a 4 minute presentation on The Nativity displayed on the ceiling of this magnificent building. It was enjoyed by all of us.
Many of the items were handmade by Shirley or other family members. It is always a treat to visit and mostly nostalgic as I see memories of my grandparents and my mother. A special Christmas visit.
CHRISTMAS EVE - A NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM
We missed delivering our Homemade Salsa and Chips to our Texas friends and neighbors. I still made about 25 jars and we delivered to our new neighbors and friends. It has been a tradition to deliver on Christmas Eve day and it was fun to keep the tradition going in our new neighborhood. Some things are just hard to give up.
We enjoy the simplicity of the night with delicious food.
Some of us then gathered around the piano and sang the songs from The Forgotten Carols by Michael McLean. Oh, there is no place like home with friends and family gathered and sharing the Love of Christmas!
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| Lanterns in the sky |
CHRISTMAS MORNING
My grandson, Jamie requested Cinnamon Rolls - his favorite treat from Grandma. So, I made a batch for Christmas morning. With our big group they did not last long. He was a happy boy!
The best family photo we could get while we were together. Sunday afternoon after Church. I will take any I can get. It was a crazy week. We have had all of our children visit this month. Unfortunately they were never here at the same time. We had Brian and Beth from Wichita Kansas for about 2 hours. Josh and Julie spent about 5 days with us and then finished their journey to Portland. It was very Winter weather but they made it safe and are getting settled in their new home. Jaime and 3 of her kids arrived the morning they left. We are having a great time with Abby, Adam and Emma. They all have friends here from visits over the years and from missionaries serving in Minnesota. Another blessing of being here.
A new tradition that we were introduced to in Freiburg, Germany is to ring in the new year with a Raclette Dinner. We loved the food while we were in Germany and Austria and decided to keep the tradition going. We had a Raclette grill there and when we got home we knew we wanted to get one. We looked around and decided it would be best to order on-line. So, we left it at that. As Christmas we nearing we talked a little about it but did not decide together what we would do. I decided to order it and give to Russ for Christmas. I stayed up late one night and researched the best one to purchase. I ordered it and tried to hide the emails so he would not know it was coming. He decided the very same day to order one using our daughters account so I would not know about it. She called a few days later and asked, "what is that strange package that you ordered that I keep getting email's about".
I looked at Russ and knew immediately he had ordered a Raclette grill. It is named that because you use Raclette Cheese on the grill. On the top you grill meat and vegetables/fruit and then grill the cheese in little pans under the grill and serve over boiled potatoes and vegetables. So, we have two grills - enough for 8 or more people. It was sooo good. We had steak, shrimp, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, the boiled potatoes, homemade bread and the cheese. It is an experience that you just sit back and enjoy - no rushing the dining process. It was fun to introduce to the family and everyone enjoyed it. Great way to cook steak. I finally found a store who carried the Raclette cheese and they marked it down to $2.35 per package that was normally $10 per package because it was at the date to sale. They didn't even know what you use if for. It was a big bonus for me. The manager said, you know it will last another month. I smiled and was grateful for the markdown.
Another year is now a memory. What a year it has been. We have worked hard, discovered new places, made new friends, renewed family ties, traveled, served, started to ride bicycles and rowing, been blessed with good health and survived hard things we never thought possible. We are so grateful for our friends and family who have made this such a special year. We look forward to what 2022 will bring. "There is more to do in 22".
Wishing all of you a bright future. As we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ we will not be lead astray. The World is full of a lot of noise and as we choose to listen to the Teachings of Jesus Christ we will not be confused by the noise. There is a great work to be done in the coming year. We need to love and serve all of God's children. We can make a difference in others lives and make our homes safe havens from the world.
All our Love,
The Grimmett's
