{"chapter_no":"10","chapter_title":"Christmas Eve in the Grand Family Room","book_id":"3","book_name":"Springville","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"427","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":3,"page_content":"

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Chapter 10<\/p>

Christmas Eve in the Grand Family Room<\/h1><\/p>

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The Chandler home is the scene of a large family gathering on Christmas Eve—Jerilyn, the great-
grandmother, accompanies the family in Christmas carols on the piano.<\/i><\/p>

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Christmas Eve had arrived to Springville, and to all cities and towns throughout the
world. To a passerby walking along the sidewalk of 1100 East, the Chandler home at night was
like a storybook cottage––icicles on the rooftops glittered among the colorful lights; the lights
inside created an orange-yellow glow through the windows, the frost outside giving them the
appearance of large creamsicles; the exterior of the house, a combination of wood trim and
stucco, seemed equally delicious in appearance, as if made of gingerbread, and by getting close
enough, morsels might be broken off and eaten. <\/p>

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Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow was everywhere! Upon the neighborhood sidewalks, the front
porch, the back patio, the garden, and heavy upon the limbs of the fruit trees in the orchard out
back. Pushed from the street by large plows, record deep drifts of snow were visible throughout
the city. Guests to the Chandler home, therefore, smartly parked their cars in areas cleared of
snow and walked, arms laden with gifts, to the front door. The freezing air and the cold darkness
of a winter’s night were made warm and inviting by the terrestrial light of the moon, the
brightness of the crystal-white snow, and the beautiful lights of Christmas. <\/p>

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At half past seven, the house was already a grand festival in motion. All of the Chandler
children had been able to come this year. The house overflowed with smiles and the joyful
laughing of grandchildren. Surely, this Christmas Eve party would be a joyous occasion! <\/p>

 <\/p>

Upstairs, the front room and dining room were filled with activity, and decorations were
plentiful. Upon the front door was a wreath of green holly and a red bow. In back, centered
between the white French doors that opened to the patio, was another with a golden bow and
many shiny gold ornaments. There were candles, candy canes, ribbons, gingerbread men, and
snowflake garlands. Small wreaths, pinecones, colorful dinner placemats, and other handmade
marvels of Christmas were laid out upon the tables and hung upon the walls. Delicious food was
everywhere––freshly baked pumpkin bread, dinner rolls, apple butter, slices of glazed ham,
eggnog, hot chocolate, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, tree- and star-shaped cookies
with lemon-flavored icing, apple pie, and a multitude of fruit cakes. <\/p>

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But it was downstairs where Kathleen’s charming vision of the Christmas season came
into full bloom. Several steps down through a twist of the staircase, one encountered a short <\/p>

hallway and another set of French doors leading to the family room. Designed to be extra-large
in both length and width by the previous owner, who was a home builder, and having a ceiling
two feet higher than a normal basement construction, the family room was elegant in every
detail. The room had been made larger still through a remodeling project when the older children
had moved away from home and the three adjoining bedrooms became available. The walls
connecting the bedrooms to the family room were removed, while all support beams were left in
place or added to as needed. The family room and the connecting rooms were redecorated with
matching paint, wallpaper, and molding. The old carpeting was pulled up and an attractive new
hardwood floor laid down. Kathleen’s intent had been to remake the entire downstairs into a
small ballroom, one that would accommodate large family gatherings on occasions such as this.
The family room and bedrooms downstairs were of no practical use anymore, so she decided to
revitalize the unused space for family gatherings such that the children might make the effort to
return home every year and enjoy their family heritage.<\/p>

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Entering through the large doors in the center of the room, a visitor might have noticed
first the fireplace and brickwork in the far left corner. A roaring fire was already blazing, the
sounds of crackles and sparks flying, and a slight scent of smoke in the air. To the right of the
fireplace stood the Christmas tree with an assortment of colorful packages underneath. Shiny
ornaments, some very old and brittle, adorned the tree, along with miniature lights, tinsel, rings
of garland, toy soldier chocolate candies, tiny candy canes, and other such delights. <\/p>

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Left of the fireplace, and away from the heat of the fire, stockings hung on a nearby wall.
There was one for every grandchild, each with a child’s name stitched upon it. All of these were
made of red, green, and white colors, with woven patterns of Santa Claus, sleighs, reindeers, and
elves. The stockings, their contents, and their location in the room were well known to the
children, who expected to find exciting gifts, especially money, from Grandma during the
Christmas visit. But for Kathleen, the stockings were a reminder of the nurturing, care, and love
each grandchild needed as he or she grew in the gospel year after year.<\/p>

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By eight o’clock, everyone had finished eating and had started to move to the family
room downstairs. Within minutes, all were seated on chairs or on the floor, ready for the main
events of the evening to begin. <\/p>

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At the piano was Jerilyn, Kathleen's mother and the great-grandmother of all. This was
her third Christmas without Reed, and Jerilyn was back to her old self. Indeed, to be here and to
see the children and grandchildren all gathered together in celebration, the youngest children
wearing outfits designed especially for Christmas, gave her much to be grateful for on this day. <\/p>

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At her advanced age, Jerilyn was still a master of the piano. When she touched the keys,
the talking died down, and the mood in the room quickly changed. The whole family, led by her
accompaniment, started to sing. A few recognizable carols were sung first for the kids to enjoy—
\"Jingle Bells,\" \"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,\" \"Frosty the Snowman\"—and then selected
packages from under the tree and the stockings near the fireplace were opened. <\/p>

The adult women then performed a special arrangement of “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
It was sung a cappella, quietly and reverently, with Jerilyn standing to sing with them.
Afterward, the room became silent.<\/p>"}