Oinkers now 2008
New Oinkers
Like most of us, I love this time of year. I have very fond memories of Christmas as a child and on throughout my life. I attribute this season so some of my most happy times. Here are just a couple of the memories that come to my mind.
When I was young, it was really hard for me to let go of Christmas. When it was over, I wanted to keep the tree up through the whole year. I know that my Mom kept the tree up longer than she wanted to, because I would get so sad when it was gone. You know that song, "I cry the day I take the tree down?" I know that some tears were spilled as we put that evergreen away. I am sure that there were years we had the tree up way into February. The tree is not the only thing I had a hard time letting go of. Christmas music is probably my favorite of all genres of music. I would literally listen to it year round. There was one year when this was quite annoying to my other family members. I was repeatedly asked to turn it off, turn it down, or just listen to something different. My wonderful father knew how much I was enjoying my music, so he came home one day with an old portable tape player and some headphones. He said that he had just put in some new batteries, and I could listen to my music as much as I wanted and no one else would bug me. So I did. A LOT. I had quite the stash of Christmas tapes and I listened to my hearts content. Thanks Dad.
Going back a few years, I was 5 yrs old. I had become VERY attached to my baby blanket. It was just a simple tied quilt with a flannel backing. It had carebears all over it and I loved that thing. I was also a thumb sucker as a child. I am sure I was quite easy to appease because all I needed was that blanket and my right thumb stuck in my mouth. My Mom tried numerous times to get me to stop sucking my thumb, and nothing worked. She took away my blanket several times and I always ended up with it in the end. However, she did finally take it away for good and I was devastated. I felt so lonely, especially while falling asleep. I so wanted something to replace this security. This is just a preface to the actually story coming . . .
My Grammie worked in a jewelry store when I was young.
Vandenberg's. It was also a little gift shop as well. They had an especially impressive array of collectible dolls and stuffed animals. Around Chrismtas time around the time I was 5, I spent a large amount of time in the store. I don't know why, but I seemed to be there often. I would go in and go straight to the section with the stuffed animals. I had made a friend in that part of the store, and he sat on the top shelf. His pink fur was plush and irresistable, I had to touch and pet it. His tail was curly and adorable. I just had to push my nose onto his big round nose and I just couldn't put that guy down. If you haven't guessed, he was a pig. The best part about this stuffed friend pig of mine, was that he was larger than life. He was the biggest stuffed pig I had ever seen. He was just smaller than me and I loved to cuddle him and squeeze him.
I so looked forward to the times that I went to visit Grammie at the store because she let me spend as much time as I wanted with my pig. I carried him around with me as if I owned him. I even called him "my pig." You can imagine my horror when I walked through "Vandenberg's" one day and rushed back to greet my pig. HE WAS GONE! GONE! I asked Grammie, with big tears in my eyes, where he was. She said that I shouldn't worry about my pig, he was okay. She had a little smile on her face and it made me kind of suspicious. I got it into my head that she had hidden him in the stock room. I snuck a peak in that room a few times, but never found my pink, plush friend.
Then it hit me, someone must have bought him. He was gone forever. I would never see him again. But then, maybe MY Mom bought him and he was waiting for me at home. YES, that was it. Mom had bought him for me for Christmas. Since I already knew that Mom hid most of our gifts in her closet, I searched that closet just as soon as I got home. Not there. No pig. Actually, I didn't find any gifts. Mom must have realized that she had snooping children in the house and she had to move their surprises to a new location.
Skip forward, Christmas Day. It was a very wonderful year. I got a new doll that when you touched her hand to a little butterfly on her head, her hair grew. Then you cranked her arm up and down and her hair retracted into her head again. She was precious. I can't remember anything else but one thing. There was a particularly large package under the tree that seemed to be bulging at the seams. The wrapping paper was awkwardly placed around a bulging box. Obviously the contents of the box were spilling out. AND, it had my name on it. For some reason, I didn't put it together at that point that it may be my pig. I opened the huge package with confusion and as the paper was ripped from the box, my breath was taken away. A beautiful, fluffy, larger than life, stuffed pig sat there waiting for me. I gladly took him from his cramped quaters and didn't let him go for YEARS. Literally. He became my new obsession. I no longer cared that I didn't have my baby blanket. Oh, and I named him Oinkers.
I still have that pig. He was my constant companion. He went with me to every slumber party. He was in my arms every night as I fell asleep. And, he accompanied me as I left home and headed to college. He has been with me when I was happy and sad. Never to judge or let me down. He was my best friend. Oh, my Oinkers. As the years went on, and after he received so much love, he became quite disheveled. His fur fell out in numerous places, and his fluff got squished into almost nothing. Mom and I tried to wash him, but this only deteriorated his state more. Now Oinkers is helplessly stained and mangled. I keep hoping that he will be like the Velveteen Rabbit and turn into a real pig. He certainly received enough love to qualify. I could go on for ages about the journey of Natali and Oinkers, but I will spare you all.
I guess in closing, I want to say this. I have received countless gifts over the years. Some expensive, and some less so. Some that were straight from the top shelf of a store, and some that were made by hands of loving family members. But, as I think back, I can remember so few of them. Not that they weren't important to me and not that I didn't love them. But, my memory serves me better than that. What I remember most about Christmas is the Love. All of the gifts I received were because of Love. Love envelopes the whole season. My Mom and Dad loved me and they only wanted for me to feel that love. God so
loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. And Christ loved his fellow man, so as to die for all of us. I love Oinkers, but mostly what he was to me. He was LOVE. I hope I can remember than love, along with all the gifts.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Natali's close up.
A little bit of an engagement pic, but oh well. I like it.
Merry Christmas with the snowflakes behind us.
Cool red door.
Bryce's favorite.
Oh! how we are in love.
Bryce's close up.
My favorite, and the one we sent with our Christmas cards.
From Right To Left - Conner, Steve, Chelsea, Lori, Ivan, Summer, Bryce, Natali, Dallin, and Haley
All Laughing and enjoying each-others company! Haley is still posing for the pictures.
Chelsea, Conner, Steve, Kailey, Lori, Ivan, Summer, Bryce, Natali, Dallin, and Haley
Last but not least of our pictures. The best part of these pictures was that they were taken by our uncle Bryce Goodwin and they were just snapshots in his backyard. Pretty darn good don't you think.
Oinkers now 2008
New Oinkers
I volunteered at the YMCA Christmas Tree Sale the other night. I have done it in the past, and I really think it is fun. We NEVER bought a tree growing up. If we had a read tree it was one that we cut down ourselves. So this idea of going and buying a real tree is quite novel to me. People are always happy to buy a tree and they have a little TV in the trailer that I watched Christmas Shows on while I waited for customers. Anyway, I gathered some branches that had fallen off and been cut from the trees and I made a little Christmas swag! 
First thing Bryce said when he saw it was, "Sure is better than paying 50 bucks for one." I think that means that he liked it.
A very pretty tree. Whitney and I went to the tree lighting downtown and then to the Festival of Trees. It was fun, but I got all bundled up for the cold and then the tree building was HOT. I had leggings on under my jeans, three shirts, a sweatshirt, my coat, my gloves, and a scarf. I was not cold. I tried to shed layers for this pic, but I still have a thousand on.
Mulan was my favorite part of the show. This dragon was very long and very beautiful.
I think most the kids in the audience enjoyed this the most. Finding Nemo! Here is Dori and Marlin talking to Bruce the shark. Unfortunately, Whitters was really sick the whole time. I felt so awful. I would look over and she would be just uncomfortable and in pain. Sorry Bub, it was a good show.
