.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Pictures from the 1970's. Rapid City, South Dakota

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove,

Merry Christmas!
A Very Merry Christmas from the Fortress to you. It's a bright, sunny, almost warm Christmas Day in Pleasant Grove. What a blessed relief from the tomb we've existed in for the last week. Gray, thick clouds, drizzle, snow - all in an endless cycle broken only by the blackness of night.

Last night many of us gathered at Jilane and Kevin's home for our yearly white elephant gift exchange and overindulgence of Christmas Confectionery. The thirty or so of us moved in unison from her living room (where the gift exchange took place) to the kitchen to graze on everything from chips and artichoke dip to home made chocolate ice cream to the ever present and never welcomed chocolate covered cherries - the bane of Christmas Celebrations (along with the gift of the unloved - fruit cake).

Today we opened gifts and watched Chaz, Brayden, Brock, Brooklyn and Kennedee contort themselves across the family room floor to the music of their new visual XBox attachment. Its the one that allows you to play without a controller (you use your body to control the game - kind of like the Wii).

I joined Luella and Charles afterwords to help Luella with her "presenting of the gifts" to Charles. Dad never was one much for Christmas, so getting him to stay put long enough to open gifts can be a two man job.

In the end, and about one hour later because of the length it took to open one gift and then the time required to discuss its price, material, size, color and whether or not its collar stood up or layed down) it was decided that he would keep one of the gifts (a baby blue golf shirt) and the others would go back.

This afternoon we will be trekking to Highland to enjoy Kim and JD's company (but mainly to enjoy JD's yearly spaghetti with homemade DelGrosso sauce). Before leaving I'd like to post a few pictures from our time in Rapid City, South Dakota. These were taken in the 1970's.

Lisa Williamson about 1976. This picture was taken from a picture frame which once belonged to Grandma Elda.

The opposite picture in Grandma Elda's frame was this picture of Kim and her first born, Forrest. I found the pictures in the garage while I was looking for a garbage bag. I'm afraid the sun robbed them of their color.

Lisa and Annette in the late 1970's. Halloween. This picture was taken in front of our neighbor's home (the Holtzes).

Annette Williamson

Lisa with our two neighbor boys (Glenn and David) in our living room at 38th Street.

The following pictures were taken in the chapel of the Rapid City Mormon church before the church was remodeled and a new chapel was built (1978). As children, we spent countless hours in Sunday School, Sacrament, Primary, Seminary and Priesthood meetings sitting on those blond benches. Each of us took our turns standing on the pulpit giving our first public speeches. Aw, good and bad memories..........



Have a Great Christmas!

Simply,
Victor