Planning Christmas with S. Trauntveins

Kimberly wrote: It looks like we are coming Christmas Day. We have church at 11am, so we will be down around 2:30 or about. Snow permitting. :-)

Myrna wrote: That means you will not be down for Christmas Eve? Love, Mom

Kimberly wrote: Correct, sorry. :(

Myrna wrote: Kirsten will be here Christmas Eve and will leave sometime Christmas morning

so they can get back to Colorado for Jared's work on Tuesday. Love, M

Kimberly wrote: What time Christmas Eve? We need to be at my parents around 4 pm. So we
could come early Christmas Eve leave around 2 pm. 

Jul

People in Denmark often have different views on Christmas, or "Jul" as we call it (the Christian word Christmas/Kristmesse never quite caught on in Scandinavia). The main festivities take place on the 24th of December (a normal tradition in Denmark is to have a big celebration the evening before the actual holiday). People go to mass either before noon or at midnight (the only time of the year the churches are full). In the evening people have a traditional dinner with their family (including grandparents, oncles, aunts and such). Afterwards they join hands around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas songs while walking around the tree. Afterwards, the presents are opened and sweets are served. People enjoy the company of their relatives until midnight mass or until they go to bed.

The christmas meal:
The most common meat eaten on this day is roasted pork with a crisp skin (the pork dates back to heathen times, where the largest pig would be sacrificed to Frey, the god of fertility). Other animals eaten on this evening could be duck or goose (newer tradition), some people (especially in southern Jutland) also eat sausage. To go with the meat, we eat two kinds of potatoes (boiled, and some roasted with sugar in a frying pan), red cabbage, and lots of thick brown gravy. The dessert is normally ris a' la mande (a Danish invention with a french sounding name), which consists of rice porridge, whipped cream and chopped almonds. In the ris a' la mande we put a whole almond, and the one who finds it, wins a prize (the dessert and the almond-prize is a rather new invention, not more than hundred years old).

All through the Christmas season people gather at christmas lunches, where they eat too much and drink "snaps" and of course strong Christmas beer. People also drink a lot of "gløg", which is warm red wine with chopped almonds and raisins. (Of course, members of the LDS Church do not drink.)

The Santa Claus figure is very popular in Denmark, due to the heavy American influence. The tradition of giving out presents has been popular in the broad population only for about a hundred years or so (this of course is also connected with the poverty among the masses before WWI). The still living traditions, which are very old, are the eating of the pork and red cabbage. Danish folklore contains a lot of superstitions and ancient rituals connected with Christmas, that I don't want to waste your time by naming.

Sharon Boyce's Parents‏

Hi Myrna and family,

 

Sharon Boyce is mom and dads great granddaughter.  She is the granddaughter of Roberta and I.  She is the daughter of our daughter Peggy and her husband Ernie Strong.

 

We have heard some wonderful things about Kirsten and her husband.  When Sharon and Tim were living in Colorado, Kristen tended Sharon and Tim's son (Ammon) for her, she brought food to Sharon, and Kirsten's husband fixed Sharon's teeth.  I'm sorry that I don't remember Kirsten's husband's name.

 

We have been so appreciative of how Kirsten and her husband treated Sharon and her family.  They performed many acts of kindness.  We feel a great deal of love for them, 

 

Sharon's cancer is in remission right now.  However, the damage done to her by the Chemo.

has been devastating to her health.  She is on oxygen, she has a great deal of scar tissue around her heart, she retains a great deal of water in her tissues, and has damage to her mouth and teeth.  Sharon is a fighter, and has a positive attitude

 

Sharon and Tim have a new baby girl who is about two months old.  Tim did get to come home and see that new daughter soon after she was born.  They didn't think they would be able to have more children after the Chemo.

 

Apparently, Tim had a congenital aneurysm that ruptured.  It is so sad.  He was a great husband, father, and grandson in law.  We will miss him.

 

We had our family Christmas party on December 18, and Sharon, Ammon and Grace (the new baby) were t;here.  Grace was Roberta's mother's name.

 

The viewing will be this Thursday, and the funeral will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday at a ward in Farmington.  That is where Tim's parents live.

 

Well,  our thanks again for your concern, and for Kirsten and her husband's help and love.

 

Love,

 

Gordon and Roberta

 

 

Gordon Smith

Boyce

Dear Family,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a great New Year. We want you to know that our grandson-in law, Timothy Boyce, while serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, suffered a ruptured aneurysm in his head. He was flown to Germany for medical care. He made it through the night, and long enough for his brother to fly up from his service tour in Afghanistan to see him, then life support was taken from Tim. His brother will accompany Tim home. This should take about 5 days.

The services for Tim are pending, possibly before Christmas.

Tim was home to see his new little daughter, Grace, recently. She is 2-months-old, and has a brother Ammon who is 4-years-old. Ammon talked to his dad on the phone recently and said, "Come home soon dad, I'm tired of being the man!" Sharon, Tim's wife and our granddaughter (Peggy and Ernie Strong's daughter), has cancer which is in remission at this time. She has other health problems stemming from the radical cancer treatments she received. She is a "fighter," has a great attitude about life, and is a very special young lady.

Your friendship and prayers in behalf of this family are greatly appreciated.

Again, we hope all is well with you and yours, and that you have a Merry Christmas.

Gordon and Roberta Smith

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Timothy Boyce, Gordon's Grandson-in-law

Dear Family,

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a great New Year.

We want you to know that our grandson-in law, Timothy Boyce, while
serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, suffered a ruptured
aneurysm in his head. He was flown to Germany for medical care. He made
it through the night, and long enough for his brother to fly up from his
service tour in Afghanistan to see him, then life support was taken from
Tim. His brother will accompany Tim home. This should take about 5
days. The services for Tim are pending, possibly before Christmas.
Tim was home to see his new little daughter, Grace, recently. She is 2
months old, and has a brother Ammon who is 4 years old.
Ammon talked to his dad on the phone recently and said, "Come home soon
dad, I'm tired of being the man!" Sharon, Tim's wife and our
grandaughter (Peggy and Ernie Strong's daughter), has cancer which is in
remission at this time. She has other health problems stemming from the
radical cancer treatments she received. She is a "fighter", has a great
attitude about life, and is a very special young lady.
Your friendship and prayers in behalf of this family are greatly
appreciated.
Again, we hope all is well with you and yours, and that you have a Merry
Christmas.


Gordon and Roberta Smith
© 2013 MicrosoftTermsPrivacyDevelopersEnglish (United States)

     

Myrna wrote to Donnette Smith: My daughter, Kirsten, called me from Colorado Springs to tell me that her husband's cousin, had been stationed in Iraq. He had a massive aneurysm of the brain and had had all life support removed. He was married to one of Aunt Pearle and Uncle Fred's granddaughters. Her married name is Sharon Boyce and I was wondering if you knew her or knew of her. Kirsten was unclear who the parents of Sharon are.

 Kirsten said she had spent time with Sharon and her husband when they wereliving in Colorado before he was called up to serve. She is quite concerned and wonders if there is a way to offer sympathy to the Smith side of the family.

Love, Myrna Trauntvein 

Donnette wrote: Myrna, you might be interested in this. Aunt Pearle’s great granddaughter’s husband died. Myrna is Raymond Smiith's granddaughter. He was Grandpa Herbert W. Smith's next younger brother.

The rotating gift list.

David asked me to remind him who he had for Christmas this year. He has AnnMarie and family.

Are you coming up for Christmas Eve? If you are, do we need to have dinner at 3 p.m. so you can get back home at a decent hour? That would put you home about 7 p.m. Right?

If you are not coming, let me know. I will then have Jim bring down your gifts when he comes to get David for the game.

Love, M

From Barbara for the Newsletter

Barbara wrote: Hi: Sorry it has take me so long to get back with you. I was waiting to 
see what David was going to do. He is on call all week this week and right up to the time they leave for Mexico.

Bree is doing so much better. So is David. We are all managing in this little house which just amazes me. They are both handing me their paychecks and I am paying bills. The car is caught up, and everything else is under control. Bree takes her medication and is doing just fine. She is going to her meetings and David is going with her.

We haven't had a major crises is at least 3 weeks. The kids don't know what  to do with the status quo so they are picking on each other, but that is changing too.

It feels really good to say these things. Bree is working and just handed me a $1,400 check.

I wish you all the most best Christmas, Myrna. We love you and wish we could be there for your Birthday.

Barbara

Myrna wrote: David asked me to remind him who he had for Christmas this year. He has AnnMarie and family.

 It sounds like you are not coming so I will have Jim bring down your gifts when he comes to get David for the game.

Love, M

Barbara wrote: I love the card, thank you. I finally got to look at it. It really is 
great. I love you too, Myrna. You are a very good person and I am glad you 
are in my life.

Raymond

Dear Myrna,
Did you get a letter from BYU about your grandfather being a Mexican
Border Volunteer. I took so long getting Richard's rememberances of the
war ready to send - and just sat on it for so long - and finally got it
mailed last week. I had Richard's remembrances and pictures and Claude's
and Raymond's pictures and the pages you and Richard signed giving them
to BYU.

Anyway - Richard got a letter from them which I will enclose. I hope you
can read it.

Donnette