Santa Claus is Coming to...Church

Every year around Christmas our church would have a dinner for all of the ward members. There was always a talent show to enjoy while we ate. The talent show was performed by some of the ward members and often was a family and/or someone singing or playing the piano.

At the end of the night all the children would gather around the base of the stage and wait for Santa Claus. I remember listening for the sound of his jingle bells as he ran into the church house and onto the stage.

All of the children would form a line on the stage and wait their turn to sit on Santa's lap. I remember being excited to sit on his lap, so I could tell him what I wanted for Christmas. Santa would then hand over a brown paper sack which contained peanuts (in their shells), an orange, and a candy cane.

As a child I looked forward to the ward Christmas dinner every year just so I could see Santa Claus. Now that I am older I find it strange the church would have Santa Claus visit. I feel Santa Claus is too commercialized and takes away the true meaning of Christmas and removes us from the spirituality. I feel he doesn't belong at a church event. I would rather have the church focus on Christ and his birth.

NOTE: The picture above is of me and my two older sisters (Rebecca is wearing a blue dress and Teresa is wearing a pink dress). I believe the picture was taken in 1969, when I was three years old.

Aunt Mary and Aunt Kathy

I love this picture of My dad's youngest sister's, Mary (yellow shirt) and Kathy (plaid shirt) with my two older sisters (Rebecca front and Teresa back) and I (middle). I love how my sister's are wearing matching outfits.

We are sitting on my parent's car in our carport. When I was a teenager the carport was turned into another bedroom and a bigger shed (for my father). I believe my Grandpa Poulsen and our neighbor Mr. Norris and his son Stewart, helped my dad do the addition to our house.

My aunt Mary and aunt Kathy were not much older than us three older girls and they felt more like our cousins. They lived in Arizona and we lived in Utah, so we only seen each other once and/or twice a year (summer and sometimes Christmas).

I loved spending time with my two aunts, who have been such great examples to me. When I was a teenager, I remember Aunt Mary always saying; "Beauty is as Beauty does." I even have a letter from Aunt Mary with that saying in it. It wasn't until I was much older and found out Grandma Poulsen used to always tell her children the same thing.

I always thought my Aunt Kathy was older than Aunt Mary, because she was taller. It just seemed right that the taller aunt was the older aunt. I'm sure other's assumed the same thing. Poor Mary, growing up and always having people think she was the baby. I bet now that she is older she doesn't mind people thinking she is the baby!

The Sister's I Remember the Most!

I have 5 sisters, but the sisters I remember the most in relation to my childhood are my two oldest sisters. Teresa (on my right) who is 5 years older and Rebecca (on my left) who is 3 years older than I.

I love this picture of us 3 girls sitting in our front room. I am holding 2 dolls. The small doll is mine, but I cannot remember her name, and the big doll is my sister Teresa's named Miss Beasley. We didn't have a lot of dolls, like girls now days have. And we didn't think anything about it. I think that was just how it was in those days. I know we had more toys than our parents, so it probably still seemed like a lot of toys to us!

I shared a room with my 2 older sisters, after our aunt Judy moved in. Rebecca and I shared a bunk bed. I slept on the bottom and Rebecca slept on the top of the bunk. Teresa's bed meet our bunk bed in the corner of the room, as if to make a letter L. I remember we use to tickle each other's backs at night. I would tickle Teresa's back or she would tickle mine and some how Rebecca and Teresa would work it out to tickle each others backs. They both must have gotten a sore arm from reaching either up or down! I think I had the better end of that deal, for sure!

My Mom's comments: The doll was Teresa's favorite. It was the only time she got excited over a present she got. She was a lot like dad, quiet over presents.