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An Old Time Western Christmas

Many times I sit of when I was a youngster under the age of five when I lived in Kaycee, Wyoming. All of the traditions we had when I was a child that still to this day brings back joyous memories and warmth in my heart.

Our traditions were almost similar to some but in a way a lot different since we grew up the 1800s way of doing things on the ranch. We had traditions such as going out with my grand daddy with our sled and hand cutting down the Christmas tree in our woods behind our house, then loading the tree on our sled to bring it back home to set it up in the living room next to the fire place.

Another of our traditions was while my grand daddy and my brothers were setting up the tree and getting it straight us girls (a family of 8 grand children) would be in the kitchen with my grandma making crafts and Christmas decorations for the door and the tree. We would make stars out of shell noodles, paper chains, popcorn balls and paint these different colors, we would make chains out of wire, paper cut outs to place on the tree and Christmas stars and decorations out of dough.

Grandma would make a huge turkey, home made mashed potatoes, a ham, home made bread and biscuits, apple pies from scratch and last but not least her famous pumpkin pie. Oh the aroma in that kitchen I can still smell to this day. All of us girls would help her in the kitchen as well preparing all of the food.

When the wranglers and their families came in for supper we would all gather around the piano as my grandma would play Christmas songs and sing carols until it was time to open the presents. After singing Christmas carols we would all gather around the table and grab a plate of food and fill our selves so full of grandmas great cooking.

On Christmas day grand daddy used to always hitch up a team of horses to the sleigh to take us kids for a sleigh ride. Oh what a joyous time we all had when I was very young living with my grand daddy and my grand mother.

These are the joyous Christmas traditions that times I miss the most.