Christmas GRATITUDE and GIVEAWAY

Christmas Eve in 1986, when I was 9.5 years old, was a memorable one.

We had just moved to Utah that June after living in Hawaii for 10 years. My Dad had worked at BYU Hawaii in Administration after working as an English professor. They didn't need him anymore, thus our move to Utah. We came to Utah not knowing what was going to happen, where we were even going to live.

We spent our first night in Utah in the airport. We all had our Sesame Street sleeping bags as part of our carry-on, and slept in them in a waiting room. I remember how cold it was during the night. I don't ever remember being that cold.

The next morning my parents were on the phone with friends trying to figure out where we were going to stay for the next little while until we found a home. A loving family let us stay in their Cabin in Parley's Canyon until we were able to find something.

We finally found a home in Orem, where my parents still reside today. Finding work was another story, and one that continued to be a trial for my parents for many years, even as we speak.

That first Christmas in Utah, like I said, was memorable.

We were all upstairs in the living room listening to Christmas music, playing games, etc, etc...when suddenly there was a knock at the door. We all rushed at the top of the stairs to see who it was (just imagine 8 kids with anticipation peering over the railing, shoving each other out of the way to get the best view).

It was Santa Claus! He came in with a big bag of presents. We couldn't believe our eyes! He walked up the stairs, pulled them out one by one, and set them under the tree. I looked at each gift and noticed it had a number on it, this number meant it belonged to the sibling with that age. We all sat and watched as Santa pulled my Mom in close to sit on his knee. He handed her an envelope. I remember she burst into tears after seeing the money that was in there. I don't know how much it was, I just remember the feeling of gratitude that someone did that for us. We never knew who it was, but that memory and other memories of generosity and selflessness at Christmas time will forever be ingrained in my mind.

With that said... I'd like to pay it forward and offer a free photo session to one deserving family in the Utah County/Salt Lake area (or you know they’ll be around these areas in the near future) Know anyone? Post a comment on my photography page here and let me know why you or they deserve it, and I'll announce the lucky family on Christmas Eve.

PLUS…the person who refers the most people to my photography page will get a special prize as well. The people you refer will need to write a comment on here letting me know who sent them (that’ll help me keep track of who referred the most) READY. SET. GO!