Three special Christmas memories from the hearts of three local women

By Serena Lapointe

When it comes to the holidays, what makes it extra special are the unique touches each family
adds, and the memories those special pieces bring to the celebration. Whether that be a recipe
one family member is known for, that everyone looks forward to eating at the family gathering,
or a gift someone is known for gifting, like handmade sweaters, mitts or a special ornament.
Each family, no matter the size, does things a bit differently.  
For Kelsey Miller, her family does something they call The Christmas Fish. “On Christmas Eve,
my grandpa would hide behind a curtain draped across a doorway, and all of my family would
start, youngest to oldest, and cast a rod (usually a broom pole with a bag tied to the end) over
the net and fish for small gifts. A few rounds for everyone later, there would be odds and ends of
all kinds fished out, especially single-shot Nerf guns,” she explained.
From there, the Christmas war would start. Miller said the experience with her grandpa when
she was younger became a core memory, and she knew that one day, she would continue it
with her own children. “My dad is the Christmas Fish for my siblings and our kids now, too.
Someone usually gets a prank gift, like flashlights, garden tools, and little things that are handy
to have. The kids usually don’t see the person behind the blanket/curtain, so it’s exciting to see
the rod wiggle like they’re catching a big fish,” said Miller.
On a post in the Whitecourt Rant and Rave, where I asked residents to share a Christmas
memory with readers, an anonymous user shared a heartwarming memory that rose out of deep
grief and became an unforgettable gift. “In the last few years, my family has been struggling with
the loss of my dad, and the loss of my partner’s mom,” she began.
“Last year, when Christmas morning came, we woke up and sat around the Christmas tree to
open presents. I opened one that my partner’s mom gave him for me. It was a stone that you
put your baby’s handprint on. Her idea was to use it for my pets, but I saw the baby on the
package and immediately started to sob. My partner comforted me and asked me if I was
alright. I explained that I wanted a baby so badly. So, to have this gift remind me I didn’t have
the baby I so deeply longed for was difficult.”
A week later, on New Year’s Day, she started noticing some patterns that stood out as odd. She

was tired and hungrier than normal, and even her boss commented that she had a little bag of
chips in her pocket to snack on. She was asked if she was pregnant. Of course, she said no.
But on that day, the first day of the new year, she decided to lean into the possibility and have a
little hope. While at the store to grab a lemon pie for supper and her partner’s grandfather’s
house, she grabbed a pregnancy test. That moment of hope would change the course of her life
forever. “I just had a feeling! And on New Year’s Day, I found out I was pregnant with my very
first baby. Christmas, a time of year that was so sad after such devastating losses in our family,
turned beautiful because I was blessed with my baby girl! It will forever be my favourite
Christmas I have ever experienced. It changed my life.”

From traditions passed down through generations to moments they’ll never forget, the next local
memory to share comes from Shannon Fluney-Acker, who has collected memory-filled
Christmas decorations over the years, each with a story to tell.
“My oldest son wanted to throw me a surprise birthday party one year. His reason was so
simple
and so sweet. He told my mom he wanted to do it because I never get to have a birthday party.
He was only eight years old at the time, so he asked her for help,” she started. “They planned
everything together. They bought a cake and invited family and friends, including my Aunty Ann
and Uncle Maurice. I was completely surprised.”
Since her birthday falls on December 1, Fluney-Acker received Christmas-related gifts. “My
Aunty Ann and Uncle Maurice knew how much I loved Christmas, so they gave me a beautiful
Santa Claus figurine. From that moment on, he has had a special place in my home every
Christmas season.”
Since losing her Aunty Ann, it has become even more special. “He is one of my most cherished
decorations. She is missed every single day by her family and friends. Every year when I
unpack that Santa and place him in his spot, I am taken back to one of my favourite days,
December 1st, 2006. I think of how loved I felt, how meaningful that gift was, and how deeply
my aunty loved her family. That Santa is not just a decoration. He is a reminder of a beautiful
moment, a beautiful woman, and the love that still surrounds me,” said Fluney-Acker.
In another corner of her home, Fluney-Acker has another special display, a Christmas Village

that started before she met her husband, Darrell. The pair began dating in December 2005 and
moved in together the next year. While setting up for their first Christmas in the house, she
unpacked three Christmas village pieces that he had collected years prior. “He had no idea what
he had started with those three little pieces,” she smiled.
What started small is now a big part of their Christmas décor. “Every year we add something
new, sometimes a grand, show-stopping piece and sometimes a tiny one that simply makes us
smile. But each addition becomes part of the story we are building together. It was never just a
village. It was a reflection of us, year by year,” said Fluney-Acker.
As would only make sense with someone who loves Christmas, the pair got engaged on
Christmas Eve 2006 and were married on December 22, 2007, outside in their backyard,
surrounded by a winter wonderland. “I won’t say the Christmas village is the reason we have
stayed together all these years, but it has become a reminder of the magic of our beginning.
Every piece holds a memory, every light carries a piece of our journey, and every Christmas,
our
little village grows just as our love.”