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MERRY CHRISTMAS |
worried about going over the pass and wanted to allow plenty of time.
We had about 30 minutes of really icy, snowy roads and then clear roads the rest of the way to Portland. We did not need our chains, but it was tense driving for those few minutes. So glad to have arrived safely in Oregon.
The adventure continued and we were off to Leavenworth.
LEAVENWORTH, WASHINGTON
The construction of the Great Northern Railway in 1892 brought settlers to a townsite that was named Leavenworth. A large sawmill was built in 1903. A small timber community, it became a regional office of the Great Northern Railway. When the railroad relocated to Wenatchee in 1925 the economy was greatly effected. The population declined,
lumber mills closed and stores relocated. The city looked to tourism and recreation as a major economy when the opened a ski jump. In 1962 the city leadership formed a Project for improvement and partnered with the University of Washington to investigate ways to revitalize the struggling town. They visited the town of Solvang, California and decided to recreate the city as a Bavarian village.
When I heard they had cancelled the Christmas market since 2020 I was a little disappointed we would not see them - until I saw the town. The whole town is a year round Christmas market. It was beyond anything I could imagine. The weather was Winter - it had snowed the week before, but no new snow for us to travel in. It was Perfect to have the clouds and snow with dry roads.
We rented a home about 20 minutes outside of town along the Wenatchee River. It was perfect for us. We enjoyed relaxing in the beauty and quiet of the country and having a really nice kitchen to prepare meals.
The house was decorated for Christmas complete with sleds and German nutcrackers and the fireplace turned on for a welcoming charm.
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| Rental House |
The house was decorated for Christmas complete with sleds and German nutcrackers and the fireplace turned on for a welcoming charm.
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| Josh & Julie |
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| Josh & Russ at Lunch |
One of my favorites was this row of houses representing Leavenworth. It was fun seeing so many different kinds of gingerbread creations.
We went to the Gingerbread Factory and saw some really cute cookie creations. It was all things gingerbread.
One of the highlights of the trip was the Nutcracker Museum. We met the founder of the museum - a sweet elderly woman who started the museum with her husband many years ago. Their collection and those on loan are over 1200 nutcrackers from all over the world. She took Russ aside and showed him a few and told him about them.
Wilhelm Fuchtner, 1844-1923, is known as the "Father of the nutcrackers" as his body shape was used by most of the makers of the Erzgebirge. Although the nutcrackers were in homes as early as 1800, it was not until 1872 that Herr Fuchtner made the first production using the same basic figure and adding different accessories to make various models. His family is in the 6th generation of nutcracker makers.
So fun seeing a case filled with missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were carrying Bibles and Book of Mormons and even a Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. They were made by the Christian Steinbach Factory.
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| some of the first created in 1872 |
During WWII, Christian Steinbach was an officer in a German Panzer division during the siege of Lenningrad. Eventually he was captured by the Russians. He escaped, traveling by night and hiding by day he wanted to surrender to the Americans because he had heard they treated prisoners much better.
After the war was over, he found refuge with the owners of a cheese factory in the area of Hanover. He had been in the lumber business before the war and with the help of his newfound friends he opened a workshop. It was here that Johann Juttner came to have his 6 nutcracker designs produced. They included: The Town Crier, King, Gendarm, Farer, Jester, and Market Frau. They were marketed to the public and many are still featured in private collections and museums. A 7th nutcracker, the Cheese Maker was produced by Steinbach in very limited edition in honor of his sponsors and featured a round cheese box on the nutcracker's shoulder.
Steinbach saw that nutcrackers were selling well and he began creating his own designs in the body shape of the Erzgebirge. Herr Steinbach was an astute businessman, and realizing that the Americans loved nutcrackers, he aimed his business toward the American market, making most of his designs to appeal to the US population by using such themes as hunters, fishermen and other sports figures. They remained top sellers until his death in 2007. His daughter Karla then managed the workshops for several years and was known as the "Queen of Nutcrackers." Today Rico Paul of Dresden is the owner and continues making Steinbach products.
George Patton, General, US Army
Bernard Montgomery, Field Marshall, British Army
Irwin Rommel, General, Germany Army
Carved by Lothar Junghaenel, Germany
This case is filled with hand carved nutcrackers that have different shapes than the traditional Christmas Nutcracker.
These are some of the oldest of the wood nutcrackers.
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| Large Lifesize Nutcrackers |
SHAKESPEARE carved by Bernard Fierro, American Artist and Sculptor
NAPOLEON made in the Erzgebirge, circa 1840.
They had metal nutcrackers from Asia dating back many years. They had wood bowls with metal picks and nutcrackers like my grandmother and mother had. It was so interesting and fun to learn more about them. Now I want to go back to Germany and visit the Nutcracker factories.
The scenery was so green and beautiful even in Winter. The clouds were hanging low and added to the beauty. Just after we stopped to take pictures of the roaring River, we heard a thump, thump, thump and pulled over to see the problem. Somewhere we drove over a nylon tie rope that had a metal clasp on one end. The metal went into the tire and caused a leak and the strap was hitting on the wheel well making all of the noise. Teslas are amazing as it showed how much air was still in the tire, We were about 8 miles from the nearest town and so we headed for the tire shop. We made it with air to spare! We walked around the little town while the tire was being repaired and found a Ben Franklin Store. I had not been in that store for about 30 years. It was fun to see how busy it was and all of the merchandise. It was the go to for crafts before Hobby Lobby and Michael's came to be. I loved the home town feel and the friendly people.
It started getting dark about 4:30 and it truly became magical. Just enough of Winter to give it atmosphere and the warmer temperatures to make it enjoyable.
After chocolate tasting, great Brots and sauerkraut, ice cream and pastries it was time to stop at the store and get some things for dinner and head back to the House to get warm on this cold Winter night.
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| The Night Lights |
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| Main Street |
The Drive back to Portland was another Adventure. It had rained down in the valleys of Seattle and Portland for the past two days and they were experiencing flooding and mudslides. Amtrak was halted for two days due to a mudslide. The Wenatchee River was fast and furious and beautiful.
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| Rushing water flowing to the river |
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| Bok a Bok Chicken |
We loved our time in Oregon and Washington. We were grateful that the weather going home was better than coming. We had a really nice drive back to Ontario to my Sisters house and after a good nights rest back on the road to Utah.
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| Preslee next to the Christmas Tree |
Our friend and neighbor, Janilyn Anderson was in the play and we always like to support her and attend a performance. It was put on by the Alpine Community Theater Group and was very entertaining. We took Emily and Preslee and they loved it.
The Christmas Spirit is Real this year. So many opportunities to see and do things.
We had a lot we wanted to do in a very short time. We needed everything to fall into place as we had planned. Always an adventure flying Standby.
We had a nice flight and arrived just in time for me to make a hair appointment with Tiffany at LA Hair. She has been doing my hair cuts for about 15 years and I still have not found a replacement in Utah.
Makes for a good excuse to have to go back to Texas for a day or two. She is always willing to schedule me even on short notice. I am good for the next few months.
We made our usual stop at ALDI to fill our suitcase with all kinds of delicious German treats. Oh how I miss shopping at Aldi.
Then we were off for some delicious food at Fuzzy's Taco Shop. A favorite place.
It is not Christmas without a stop a the Johnson Home. Max passed away this year and we knew it would not be the same. Santa Clause was missing on the front porch but our visit with Sally was pure JOY! We have been to their home on Christmas Eve for over 30 years. So glad we took the time to visit and share so many memories. Sally has always been a "mother" and best friend to me.
The purpose of our trip was to attend the UTA Graduation for a dear friend, Sharon Dan Chen. She arrived in the USA from China 7 years ago from China. I was contacted by a former American professor she had in China that asked if I would help find her a place to live and acclimate to UTA and life in the US. We fast became friends and I found her a room in my neighbors home.
She is a dedicated, determined woman who overcame so many obstacles to be at graduation. She arrived in the US planning to attend UTA to get her Masters Degree in Business, Human Resources. She had been married for 10 years, her husband was serving his obligatory 10 years in the Chinese Army. Their plan was for her to come and he would follow as soon as he was released. She found out she was pregnant just before she left China. Not in their plans, but did not change her plans. I helped her with Doctors and appointments and we looked forward for her new baby.
She finished her first two semesters and returned to China to see her husband and family during Summer break and had planned to return for Fall semester. She ended up having her baby, Mia in China and then returned to the USA. Her mother came with her to help with Mia. We welcomed her to the neighborhood and she was a big help to Sharon. They returned to China for the Summer break and made the decision for Mia to stay in China for a year so that Sharon could return and finish school. That was a huge decision and very hard on Sharon. She did hard things to fulfill her goals. At this time we left to serve our two year mission. Sharon found a new place to live that was more comfortable for the two of them. During this time the Chinese Government would not allow her husband to be released from service. She graduated with her Master's Degree and was accepted for the PHD program with a scholarship at UTA. Then ENTER COVID. That meant not being able to return to China during the breaks and not seeing her husband or parents for the next three years. She actually finished her PHD last year and was hired as a professor at TWU in Denton, TX. She has relocated to Denton and is enjoying her job. Her parents came from China (her father's first time to the USA) for her Graduation.
Sharon invited us to come and share in this special, hard earned time of Graduation. It was a great reunion with our former neighbors, Scott and Kay who also moved away to Arkansas. They made such a difference in Sharon's life and have helped her the past several years on her journey. They have truly been her angels and mentors. We are so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. Her husband has served 17 years in the Chinese Army and was just recently released. He is now working on joining his family - a long process. We all were treated to lunch at a Chinese Buffet and had a wonderful time meeting other people that helped in her journey.
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| Sharon, Mia, Dean of Business School and her parents |
After lunch we were off to the airport to return home. What a memorable 24 hours. So grateful for all of the people in our lives that have made such a difference and enriched our experiences.
2023 NATIVITY DISPLAY
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| My first Nativity on the left. 1964 |
In 1995 I had been asked by a couple of people about the idea of a Nativity Display in Arlington. I did some research and then asked the Stake Presidency if this could be an activity of the Stake. They did not let me know until October of 1995 and by December 1 we were holding our first nativity Display. We had about 250 Nativities that first yea and thought it was a great success. The rooms were decorated beyond even my imagination. We knew we had started a new tradition. It lasted for 19 years in the Arlington Texas Stake.
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| Mexico Ceramic sphere |
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| hand carved from Germany |
The white ceramic Nativity above was made 39 years ago by a dear friend, Karen Woodruff. I have always treasured it and display it in a special place.
This rack is filled with our European Collection. Wax molds from Austria and Bratislava. Wood carved pyramids from Germany, glass blown and paper from Czech Republic, ceramic from Mondsee Austria, Italian and homemade crochet from England. These all hold special memories.
We received our first Lladro from Brian and Beth this year. They went to Spain in August this year and brought it back to us. It was handcrafted in Valencia, Spain, the only Lladro factory in the world. A team of expert artists and designers keep alive ancestral trades and techniques to turn porcelain into dreams. I love the colors and the one piece design with Mary holding baby Jesus.
I also acquired the lantern that is a snow globe with continuous snow and lighting. It brightens the mantel and gives off a warm glow.
While we love sharing our Nativities and their representation of the Birth of Jesus Christ we love all of the people who come and share in the Spirit of the Season. This year we had about 100 people come and see. Special guests were Mick and Diane Smith. They were with us in Texas for the very first Nativity Display. They recently returned from serving in Scottsdale, AZ as Mission Leaders the past three years. We were so surprised with their visit and loved sharing with them.
On Monday evening, another special guest arrived - Jody VanDrimmelen. She recently moved from Texas to Utah and it was so wonderful spending the evening with her. Jody decorated the "White Room" in our Church display for several years. It was the final room of the tour and was made up of all White and Gold Nativities. She always made it such a special room - breathtaking for most who entered.
This piece from Israel was given to me by Bob and Jody VanDrimmelen. I worked with Bro. Van for many years and they traveled to Israel and brought this magnificent piece back as a gift to me. It has always been very special and is on my mantel year round.
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| Madonna and Child |
Again, I am so grateful for all of the family and friends that came and shared in the Christmas Spirit with us - it was the highlight of our Christmas.
I decided that instead of collecting taxes (chocolate coins) at our Bethlehem Dinner on Christmas Eve - always caused contention with the kids - we would go to the Mall and give at the Giving Machine. Preslee got to pick the items that we would give and it was a festive and heartwarming experience giving and seeing so many families there giving as well.
We began the day attending Church with a special Christmas Service. Three women in our Ward served missions in Germany. Sis. Palmer was asked to speak about the Song Silent Night that was written and sung for the first time in Germany. She wore her dirndl and told the story so beautiful. She missed the photo. It is always festive to wear our Dirndl's at Christmas Time. Andrea Motto and I pose for memory. I loved starting the day at Church - it set the tone for the whole day.
A friend, David Wilkinson came to our Nativity Display and shared an article about Jimmy Stewart and the film, Mr. Krueger's Christmas. It is a beautiful story of his experience in the filming of the story and the importance of the baby Jesus and about Love. We decided to start our evening with watching this little movie.
Our Traditional Night in Betlehem. Our tradition for over 35 years. A simple, yet delicious meal of chicken in Pita Bread pockets with cheese, salsa, lettuce, etc., roasted potato cubes, stuffed grape leaves, olives, cheese cubes, grapes, dates, dried fruits, nuts, chips and Salsa (Texas touch), fruit breads, baklava, and other desserts. Sparkling grape juice to drink.
You begin by browning the hamburger and adding fresh parsley, mint and dill.
You can use fresh or bottled grape leaves. At Christmas you usually can only find bottled. Remove from jar and rinse well with water and drain.
Add chopped tomatoes and other spices to meat mixture.
It is always a special time visiting Wasatch Lawn Cemetery to decorate the graves of my parents, grandparents and our Son, Eric. I love the view of the mountains and the peace it brings.
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| In the Shadow of the Mountain |
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
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| Traverse Mountain Mall |
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| Riverwoods |
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| Preslee, Orem City Center |
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| University Mall |
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| Water Show |
Preparations for Christmas Eve began a few days before. Oh, how we miss the Middle Eastern Market in Arlington TX to get all of the fresh authentic foods like fresh baked Pita Bread, olives, dates, and Baklava. We found a little market in Salt Lake but it did not have very much - just the Pita bread and it was not fresh.
CHRISTMAS EVE
This year was enjoyed by all of us. We had a small gathering of Emily, Logan and Preslee. I think this was the best year since we have been in Utah.
Having the Nativities all around and the beautiful Christmas tree really made it festive and special.
The food is simple and filling. No one goes hungry and it is nice just sitting around the table on the ground and eating. Not sure how many more years we have being able to sit on the ground!
I learned how to make stuffed grape leaves in Vienna Austria. I have not made them since and we decided to add it to the menu this year. I had the recipe from my friend in Vienna and I was able to get all of the spices that she used. The only problem is that it makes soooo many. We made about 60 rolls and it is good that they freeze well. They turned out so good.
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| stuffed grape leaves |
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| cheese and olives |
I learned how to make stuffed grape leaves in Vienna Austria. I have not made them since and we decided to add it to the menu this year. I had the recipe from my friend in Vienna and I was able to get all of the spices that she used. The only problem is that it makes soooo many. We made about 60 rolls and it is good that they freeze well. They turned out so good.
STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES
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| Wash, rinse, and drain rice |
Add in uncooked drained rice.
Make a sauce with Chicken Broth, Tomato Paste, and parsley. Heat in pan.
Line a pot with a few grape leaves. Place filled leaves tightly in pan, layering as you go. Pour sauce over when filled and cover with a plate so they do not float. Cover and cook 30 min. Remove plate and cook an additional 30 min. till done. The rice expands and cooks and fills the leaves plump.
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| Rice and Beef Mixture |
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| Spread out rinsed grape leaves and put 1 Tsp. filling on each leaf |
Line a pot with a few grape leaves. Place filled leaves tightly in pan, layering as you go. Pour sauce over when filled and cover with a plate so they do not float. Cover and cook 30 min. Remove plate and cook an additional 30 min. till done. The rice expands and cooks and fills the leaves plump.
Russ and I had a good time making them together and we really missed all of the missionaries who helped us when we made about 400 rolls for a Zone Conference. That was a lot of rolling!
When Dinner was finished we loaded into the Van and went to see Christmas Lights. Preslee loved it and we had a great time. The lights were magical especially the ones on Salem Lake.
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| Bridge across the pond |
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| Nativity |
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| Reflection on the Lake |
I had set up all of the Nativities and added one in the window seal of our guest bedroom. I added a window scene and it was dark and you could not see it. It was late - about 11pm - Russ is usually in bed by that time - and I asked if he could go outside and add a spot light to the window well. He was not happy ( I know it was a big request on a cold winter night). He went and got the light and added it to the window well. It was amazing what the light did to the scene. The power of the light of Christ in a Dark World is real. I am so grateful for His light and Plan that gives me direction in my life to Follow Him, Love as He loves and Serve Others.
This Christmas has been a lot quieter for us than we are used to. Even on our mission we were busy with making Christmas special for the missionaries. Russ has enjoyed the time to just chill and it has been a little harder for me to not have more to do. Lots of reading and Hallmark movies this week.
We end the year with a couple of really nice activities.
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| Entry of Home |
Her husband said, "I am and enabler. There is a limited amount of space, but we keep buying them." Oh, how I can relate - Faye Landham has the same spirit! They shared some very special stories with us about some of their Nativities and also being part of an International Organization for Nativity Collectors.
I have never seen anythings like this display. They have one whole room just for their Italian Fontanini Diorama. It is a whole village of Bethlehem with over 250 Fontanini pieces. It was better that the display in the Christmas Store in Leavenworth. As I mentioned above, I am becoming a Fontanini fan and have just started collecting them.
The set to the left portrays life in Naples, Italy int he 17th Century. Families competed with each other to have the most elegant elaborate and extensive scenes. Next to the Holy Family they placed shepherds, tradesmen and vendors of food and animals that were typical of that time in history. This set was created in 1990 exclusively for Neiman Marcus. They are now discountinued and have become prized collector's items.
This room was filled with Nativities made from unusual materials.
I loved how they decorated each room. It reminded me of the days we had decorators at The Arlington Texas Stake Center for each room. I was always amazed at the work that went into each room and the true gift of love from everyone who helped. It inspired me to do better at decorating next year my small display. I don't have Nativities that cost thousands of dollars like most of these on display, but they all serve the same purpose of sharing the birth of Jesus Christ. I have always felt the love of the craftsmen and artists who express their feelings about the birth of Jesus Christ. Some of my most simple ones have the most meaning to me. So grateful again that we were able to end our Christmas season with this beautiful display - adding to our traditions.
It has been about 8 years since we have been to a BYU Basketball game in the Marriott Center. Considering that 49 years ago Russ and I did not miss a game when we were dating. We had such a great time together and so many memories. Russ was such a fan and took it so seriously that he got to where he could not watch the games live and decided he was jinx to the team if he was in the arena. He preferred to watch the reply if they won and then could enjoy it without the stress.
Tonight the curse was broken. BYU vs. Wyoming ended with BYU on top by 26 points. Thanks to some neighbors who made it possible for us to be at the game. It was the very best way to end 2023. Hoping 2024 is a winning year on all fronts.
2023 is a year that was filled with so many experiences, adventures and happenings that blessed our lives, tried us to our limits, brought us Joy and broke our hearts. Through all of this we have found Hope and Peace through Jesus Christ. We have witnessed the blessings that come from people accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives, the blessings of Temples, the strength that comes from studying the scriptures and more dedicated scripture study. We know that each day is an opportunity to draw closer to God as we rely on Him, follow Him, study and Pray no matter what the day brings. In all things we know that He is aware of us - our challenges and trials are the beginning not the end - a way that can draw us closer to Him. We are so grateful for our family and friends who bless our lives every day. We have friends from all over the World and we are so blessed by those associations and friendships. It has expanded our love and understanding of more of Heavenly Fathers Children. We are grateful to be in Utah and having the new experiences and making new friends - a slow process but still good.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Grimmett's
