December 22

As Christmas approaches, I'm going to remember what I can--when I can--about what happened three days before Christmas.

2012. It was our day for Christmas. I got the very laptop I'm writing on now, and I gave my parents Mapping Mormonism, which I had worked on. Then we went to Chuck-a-Rama and I got some peppermint hot chocolate, which my mom also did. That night we watched Miracle on 34th Street.

2011. Since the car I usually drove was in the shop, I drove my mom's Rav to work. We had our weekly Thursday meeting, and they told us we would have to come at 6 the next morning, but then one of the leads told me I didn't have to come in the next day, which was rather exciting news. I went with my parents to my grandparents' house, since my uncle Paul was visiting. While we were on our way there, Elvis's "Blue Christmas" came on and my mom said she didn't like it when he sang like that. At my grandparents', she made fun of Paul's ponytail, and wanted his stepson Pat to agree, but he also had long hair. She said that his, though, looked better.

2007. We biked around, contacting. We saw an accident, so we went over to help. It was actually a member of the Church, and she asked for a blessing. I did the anointing, but I had never done it so it was really awkward and I didn't know what to do. We had the Greenbluff ward party. Elder Chun and I went around and talked to people. It wasn't my preferred thing to do, and in fact I think few missionaries would have done so. Elder Chun wanted to take home leftover pies, which I didn't understand, since he didn't end up eating any. We took dinners with us to give to people, and that night we stopped by Kristy Whalen/Doug Turnidge's house to give them a meal. We set up an appointment with Kristy to come back later. When we got home, I remember Sister Welsh asking where we had been, and I said we'd been at the ward party. She said, "There was a ward party?" I specified that it was the Greenbluff Ward--at that time I didn't know whether the Welshes were in the Northpointe or Greenbluff Ward. This is my journal entry for the day:
"Today we tried to contact some part-member families. We spoke with one member whose family (not members) wasn't home. He agreed for us to come back.

"On our way home we saw where a traffic accident had taken place. We got out to help. A younger girl was all right but a little flustered, obviously. The other was crying and said her head and neck hurt, although she was able to walk and sit on the curb. She actually informed us she was from the Greenbluff ward and asked for a blessing. I did the anointing which was embarrassing since I didn't really know how and I had many pauses. It was a little strange doing a blessing right there on the road with another man present. But we were in the right place at the right time and it was an amazing experience.

"The Greenbluff ward had a ward party. I feel so dumb being a green missionary from Utah. Elder Chun has actually been quite considerate about not letting people know I'm new. Everyone likes him. They only like me to say prayers.

"We taught a lady named Debbie today. Her boyfriend's children agreed to baptism. Debbie has to get married because she is living with her boyfriend. Walt is fine with her baptism but has been listening to some anti-Mormon drivel. It is a delicate situation with her."

1996. I think we got gifts from Primary that were candy canes decorated like reindeer.

Unfortunately, that's all I can remember.