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Celebrating the Season
November 24, 2010
PHOTOS COURTESY JANICE HOLT
(from left) Before Janice Holt of Salina returned from her LDS mission to Spain in 1980, she and Manolo Porras knew they would eventually marry. But first, Manolo (far right) had to fulfill his military obligation to his native country. Manolo Porras and Janice Holt shortly before their marriage, which occurred a month after Christmas, 1981. By Christmas, 1983, the Porras’s happiness had increased with the birth of their first son, Jonathan.
Janice and Manolo Porras Holt - Salina
Ever increasing happiness
Editor’s Note: Janice Porras, a writer for the Salina Sun, says that when she was assigned to write about a family’s Christmases during the decade of the 1980s, she immediately thought of her own family.The 1980s were an unusually eventful and rich decade in their lives. In this story, she explains why.
By Janice Porras
C
hristmas in the 1980’s, in many ways, was like Christmas in any other decade. It was filled with decorations, snow (at least in our area), food, carols ringing through the air, bustling people trying desperately to get ready, gift giving, anticipation, mystery and the feeling of the spirit of Christmas. All of the activity and emotion increase as the big day draws closer. Big companies see an increase as well, in income, as they compete to make toys that will appeal to youngsters. This, in turn, increases Dad’s and Mom’s blood pressures as they worry about whether they can afford everything on children’s wish lists. The Atari 2600 was one such sought-after item in the ‘80s.Another technology-oriented toy was Electric Football. But there was still a wide variety of toys for the humbler folk or those who felt technologically behind the times. The Pogo Ball was making an attempt to take over the
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Janice and Manolo Porras’s joy continued to increase after the 1980s as they added more members to their family. In the front row in this recent family photo are Benjamen, their youngest son; Jackson, a grandson and son of their oldest son, Jonathan; Manolo and Janice. In the second row are another son, Joseph; son David; daughter-in-law Helen and son Jonathan; and son Anthony and his new wife, Paulina.