The book and the movie!

We saw The Theory of Everything a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  I had been reading Travelling to Infinity:  My Life With Stephen Hawking, and so was interested to finish it to see how it squared with the film.

It is an interesting book for many reasons.  First of all, it is a pretty accurate portrayal of a complex man - at least according to all the sources.  There is a lot of history and science involved.  Jane Hawking, the author, was a literature major and her observations and field of study are richly outlined too.

 I believe it paints a portrait of a brilliant man who survived by asserting his powerful ego on all those around him.  Perhaps this is how he survived and how he was able to contribute so significantly to mankind.  But it was at a very high cost - a cost that cannot always be justified.

The movie lead some to believe that Stephen nobly left Jane so she could find happiness with someone else.  I was interested to finish the book to see if this was true.  It was not the case - Stephen Hawking exacted a very heavy price from his wife and his children and other family members.  Fortunately for him, as he has married and divorced twice since leaving Jane, his family still loves and cares for him.  They treat him well and include him on holidays when he might otherwise be alone.

They are the brilliant ones!

On the 25th day of Christmas,

Christmas comes and goes so quickly - when you are older anyway!!

Fortunately we keep celebrating until the New Year comes - and even sometimes beyond.

Excited for the arrivals beginning on Saturday!!

On the 24th day of Christmas,

it was Christmas Eve.  If I was really on the ball, I'd be able to find the 3 rather bad photos we have of our honeymoon in Santa Barbara.  But I'm not.  On the ball that is!

That was our first Christmas Eve - on our honeymoon in SB. It was a Sunday so we went to church.  We didn't tell people we were newlyweds - but maybe they guessed?  It seemed so other-worldly to introduce myself as Barbara Terrill!

Back in those days, nothing much was open on Sundays - we did find a dingy little restaurant for dinner - Harry asked the guy if I could have a child's plate because I didn't eat much then!  (He said okay.  I think we were the only customers in the place - times were different then!!)

It was beautiful though - blue skies, ocean breezes wafting in through our hotel window, falling asleep to the sound of the surf.  We truly wondered why we were going back to Provo!

But back to Provo we went, and then it was our 2nd Christmas Eve - in the house on 7th North.  And our first tree.  Happy times.

Christmas Eves have been happy times in our lives.

Tonight will be another one!

On the 23rd day of Christmas

is Joseph's Smith's birthday.  This photo has nothing to do with that - but it was taken after the family had gone to look at the lights at the temple.

We look for connections wherever we can.

And I was supposed to get a new scanner - which I did get - but my computer isn't "reading" it yet.

Why is it all so complex??

On the 22nd day of Christmas

Harry and Barb got married.  47 years ago.  A great day.  A great 47 years too.

On the 21st day of Christmas

Pretty sure that 47 years ago on the 21st day of Christmas - i.e. Dec. 21st - I was excited about getting married the next day!!

More photos - the same ones you see every year actually - will be forthcoming!

On the 20th day of Christmas

So this is maybe the late 90's?  We started having Clayton Family Christmas parties with whomever was around.  We drew names and exchanged gifts - Dad put his Santa hat on and passed them out.  We often had pizza and some talent numbers too.  Also started the pinata drill - how can you go wrong with a pinata full of candy and a baseball bat??

A nice bunch!!

On the 19th day of Christmas

Harry and I got married in December of 1967 - and getting married made me an aunt - and Scott - and his sister Karen - were the niece and nephew who did the honors for me.

And today is Scott's 51st birthday!

So happy day to you Scott - and thanks for the introduction to the wonderful world of "aunthood!"

On the 18th day of Christmas

The 18th day of December brings peace, and joy, and 7 decades for Harry to celebrate!!

On the 17th day of Christmas

Found another Messiah Sing Along photo.  I would guess 2008?  Eve looks like a 5 year old?

Anyway, it's a great part of Christmas in our family!!

On the 16th day of Christmas

Bonny and Bruce got married on the 15th,  but their reception was not until the 22nd - so the Christmas season continued to be full of wedding work - but it was spread out, so not as stressful as it might have been.

And it was nice to be continuing the celebration!

Although Noah was keenly disappointed to discover that the "party" we kept saying we were going to have was really not a party to his way of thinking!!

So he was delighted to leave and go to Andrew's for a sleepover - his idea of a party!

On the 15th day of Christmas

Bruce joined our family - a great day - and it's just been getting better all the time!

 

A perfect day for a wedding.

 

And a perfect photo to commemorate the occasion!

On the 14th day of Christmas

This looks like a holiday photo from the 60's - Ernie, Scott, Frances, Helen, and Grandmother Taylor.  This may even have been the year I met the family - while Harry was on his mission - this is how I remember everyone anyway!

 

 Christmas 1971 - the last time we came for Christmas - until we moved back to CA in 1979.

Mary Taylor came one year at Christmas - this is the early 80's - we still had the shutters!

There are lots of Christmas memories - not so many photos!

On the 13th day of Christmas

This was the family holiday photo in 1989 I'm thinking.  In 1990, Harry was away at school - so his hair was shorter!!

The little girls had matching dresses that I loved - hope they loved them too!

And Noah - sandals and white socks with his shirt, tie, and suspenders - what was I thinking??

This was the last family photo before in-laws joined our ranks.  And it's been fun watching the family grow and change over the years.

25 years ago - that's a long time!!

On the 12th day of Christmas

This photo is entitled in my files as "Cosmo at the Wedding!"  Don't you love it??

As I recall, he was a bit perplexed at the piles of presents in the living room as we sat with Bonny, Bruce, and lots of extended family of Bruce - and our family - to open the wedding gifts.

And, of course, the famous line, "Is this Christmas?" spoken by 5 year old Hannah!!

It was a wonderful time for our family - but it was a bit chaotic!!

On the 11th day of Christmas

Christmas 1998 found us renting a little place in Laguna - it was fun.  We have tried lots of locations for the yearly family gathering - we are a big group now, so we are somewhat spread out - that is, somebody stays with Harry and Dawn, somebody - maybe a couple of somebodies - stay at our house - and the "locals" drive back and forth.

I still dream about finding a wonderful spot that fits us all and is festive, bucolic - and cheap!

Will let you know when I find it!

On the 10th day of Christmas

It can be tough to get everyone in a big group together for a family photo.  We didn't do it often in our family - in fact, the only other whole group photos includes the ones taken at Lyn's missionary farewell and photos taken at Bill's wedding.

But Christmas 1971 found everyone home - in the months following, others would be heading off on missions, so we had to "seize the moment!"

And actually, Harry and I never again went down for Christmas.  We went in the summer instead, when I could stay longer.

And then we moved back to California.

It's still tough to get together for family photos!

On the 9th day of Christmas

When Harry and I chose December for our wedding, Frances came up to me and said, "How could you do this?"  She was sure it was the worst choice for a wedding month! 

It's not terribly convenient for those who are not the bride and groom - I've been the mother of the bride for two December weddings.  But it's really great for the bride and groom, so I really didn't mind!

You spend many years not really being able to celebrate your anniversary, but you can "celebrate" other times.  For several years, Harry and I would go to a hotel in Pasadena for our anniversary - and do all of our Christmas shopping!  It was a great little get away!

December birthdays have their issues too.  But December and Christmas and lights and festivities can be a wonderful backdrop for all kinds of things!

On the 8th day of Christmas

This would be a Santa photo from 1972 - no one looks very excited about it do they??

I think all of our "with Santa" photos come from ward Christmas parties.

On the 7th day of Christmas

Christmas in the Rock House - long ago - I did a lot of sewing then - as you can tell!

It was a happy time though - not that now isn't happy, but it almost seems idyllic in retrospect.

That's what's great about Christmas memories - they "grow" with time!

On the 6th day of Christmas

Everyone was home for the holidays in 1988!  And everyone continues to come home for the holidays.  It's one of the things I love about the holidays!!

On the 5th day of Christmas

"my true love gave to me, five funny hats!"

Love the New Year's celebrations that are part of Christmas at the Terrill house - and the hats - such an integral part of the celebration - funny, since we're really not a hat-wearing clan.

Remember the year of the "tiny hats?"

What will it be this year??

On the fourth day of Christmas

Nebeker's prints, sent to us each year for Christmas.  What a treasure we have.

We keep them up year round, but at Christmas they seem extra special!!

On the third day of Christmas

We missed Marjorie at Thanksgiving - and we will indeed miss her this Christmas.  She has been part of our Christmas celebration for the last 14 years!  

These three ladies added to the holiday spirit for us all.

Happy memories are the best!

On the 2nd day of Christmas

We drove up to Bakersfield in December of 1987 - it was the 18th in fact, because it was Harry's birthday - but he was working or something, so he didn't go.  I drove up with Pop and Helen.  And I know I took Noah, because he was a babe in arms - he is shown here with Melissa - but I'm not sure if I took the other kids or not.  Maybe they remember.

December is full of weddings in our family.  Well, maybe not full, but Bonny and Bruce and Matt and Eliza and Scott and Shelly and Harry and Barb all chose December for their nuptials!!

That sounds full enough!

 

Contrary to popular opinion, December is not the worst month to get married.  It's actually a great month - all the world is alight with sparkle and shine - and it feels like it's just for you!!

The First Day of Christmas

December in the Terrill household now holds a lot more holidays than just Harry P.'s birthday - and our anniversary - and my sister Mary's birthday - and my brother Bobby's birthday - I guess it's always been a busy month, now that I think about it!

(I recall wondering how my mom managed Christmas and new babies in one month - I was there - all seemed fine - I guess it can be done!)

But I thought I'd do some random "Days of Christmas" posting - since it was nice to have a format for the month of gratitude in November.  Perhaps there's a format that could keep me organized for January??

At any rate, December of 1990 was a busy one indeed - Bonny married Bruce - that involved a number of projects - not the least of which was keeping everyone on my radar!!

But I look at this family photo - when we hired the photographer for the wedding and reception, I said, "All I want is a good family photo" - I realize that I not only got a good photo, but we got lots of happy memories - and a wonderful son-in-law.  But more on that on the 15th!!

For now, I'm thinking I will start bugging Harry to get the Christmas decorations down from the rafters in the garage.  And maybe think of a better place to store them so I don't have to bug him each year!!