Christmas Time Memory

So, for Dad's Christmas Party he asked all of us to write down our favorite Christmas Time memory. I wrote mine a few hours before the party after talking with JoJo and listening to her favorite memory. My memory, just like all memories, makes me smile :)

Favorite Memories of Christmastime: Turbo Sledding

Remember the time when we used to have an old two-tone Chevy van with textured vinyl bench seats and everyone had an assigned seat? Remember bundling up in 3 + layers of warm winter clothes and getting psyched out for the sleigh ride of our lives? Remember driving to Springville, UT – being sure to take the back roads – to scope out the spots for the perfect sleigh ride? I remember those times and they constitute one of my favorite memories of Christmastime,

I remember driving to Springville, with Dad in the Captain chair, Mom as the co-Captain and then JoJo and Sue in the front bench row, me and Josh in the middle bench row, and Kristie and Jason in the last row. We each were bundled up with at least 3 layers of clothing (but still not enough padding on the hind quarters), and we’d all be wearing the handmade hats Grandpa Next Door made – the ones with the balls on top – and anticipate the homemade fun of Turbo Sledding.

Once THE spot was located and thoroughly scoped out, Dad would attach the old metal sleigh to the back of the Chevy van and the “lucky person or persons” would fight to hold on as tightly as they could. Everyone else crammed in the back of the van, leaving the side-by-side double doors open to “catch” the action, and Mom would be filming us with the larger-than-life video camera (which weighed about 8 lbs!)

We’d sit on the wooden slats of the metal sleigh wondering if we had a tight enough grip or debating if we should move our hands to a different spot to hold on, and then suddenly, Dad would gun the van and pull us across the frozen back roads of Springville, UT, at Mock speeds. There was no steering of the old metal sleigh – one could only surrender to its course and hope that your fingers would still be attached after you crashed and burned. Sometimes, if you didn’t crash & burn soon enough, Dad would start to sway the van across the road; and if that didn’t throw you, he would exaggerate the swaying and the centrifugal force would definitely do its work on you! I still remember looking at everyone crammed in the back of the van behind the open doors – Mom with the mega video camcorder, and siblings with their stocking hats on – each trying to hold on as the swaying by Dad began. Luckily, Turbo Sledding could only last so long, because eventually, one of us would get hurt.

Thank heavens too! Because we knew as soon as that happened we were really having fun J After everyone had enough of Turbo Sledding, we’d all pile back into the Chevy, fight over our assigned seats, and head towards Grandma & Grandpa Springville’s house for some hot chocolate and hard marshmallows. Grandma & Grandpa Springville were waiting for us (somehow they knew we had just been Turbo Sledding) because they’d always have the hot chocolate ready. Jo, Carly, and I thought the hard marshmallows were some form of variation from the soft mallows, but we know the difference now. Grandpa would snatch us in his arms as he sat by the door, and rub his whiskers all across our faces and hands. We’d shriek “No! No!” but then we’d nonchalantly beg for some more. Grandpa gladly obliged.

I’m glad to have this memory. I still look to the West side of the highway at the back roads to see if anyone else is creating this wonderful, homemade fun of Turbo Sledding. Thanks Mom & Dad.

Love,
Amanda