December 14 -- Amy

To get to the study in our West Valley house, you went downstairs, through the playroom, past the storage room, past the bathroom, to the door was just before and to the right of Mike and Jeff’s room. Going into it, you almost always had to turn on the light because there was only a small, basement window with an opaque cover over it under which only really determined plants grew (like cheesy weeds and morning glory). There was a brown pull-out couch that was only really pulled-out into a bed when the Thalmans came to visit. There was the large roll-top desk with the only computer in the house. Everyone used that computer to type reports and play computer games that were on floppy discs, black, square-sized sheets that all looked the same but one had PacMan.

The most impressive thing about the room, however, was that about 4 feet above the ground up to the ceiling were shelves filled with books. Many of them were Dad’s books on Mormon history, but there were others—Greek myths, Mom’s copy of Mrs. Mike, and textbooks. From those shelves I also came across an old paperback book that inspired The Sound of Music. It was written by the woman I thought of as a cheery Julie Andrews, but it became clear that Maria von Trapp and The Story of the Trapp Family Singers was not quite like the musical. Although Maria had her own mind, she was strict, and there would be no marionettes about goatherds or play clothes made from old drapes. But I loved reading a section about how she changed their first Christmas together.

When Maria came as a governess, Captain von Trapp was often traveling and when he was home he was affectionate but often distant. The children, who had their own tutors and things to do, did little together. Maria decided they needed to celebrate Christmas—together. She had the gardener cut fir boughs and, with the children, made a wreath. They figured out how to hang it in the room so they could lower and raise it every night to light the Advent candles. She taught them songs and they came together every night of Advent. She also had them draw a name of a family member who, during advent, you did nice things for in, at least one every day. The Captain returned from his trip and was surprised and pleased that, through this, their house became more of a home. Maria’s devotion to Christ led her to reach out (through music and activities) in a way that helped draw them all together. And each year that I get to sing with your or play Christmas carols on the melodica with you, I feel drawn to you, and to God, and feel peace and hope.