Christmas Eve with the Jenkins

Ashley Halverson

Informant: Myself

Karyn Halverson’s Facebook Page

17 February 2014

Title:

“Christmas Eve with the Jenkins”

Genre:

Photo

Informant:

My name is Ashley Coral Halverson. I am a nineteen year-old female. My father is in the military, so I have spent my life moving around the country and overseas. Though my family is currently stationed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, an Army Post where most of the Army’s helicopter training takes place, I am currently attending college at Utah State University. I am Caucasian, of Scandinavian descent, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am currently unemployed as I focus on my studies. I enjoy reading and writing, which has prompted me to pursue an English Major with an emphasis on Creative Writing.

Context:

This picture was taken on Christmas Eve, December 24^th, 2013. It is tradition in our family to have dinner with Uta and ElRay Jenkins in their home on Christmas Eve, and we have done so each year that we have lived at Fort Rucker, Alabama. This Christmas was special in that my dad, who is a Colonel in the US Army, was home on R&R from Afghanistan. My mother took the picture, so she is not included in the photo, but my father, Scott Halverson, my brother, Joshua Halverson (17), and my sister, Taylor Halverson (13), are present. In this picture, we are seated on the couch in the Jenkins’ living room. The next day, my mother, Karyn Halverson, posted it as her “cover photo” on Facebook. I then saved it to the hard drive of my computer in order to use it in various projects and Facebook posts. While on my mother’s Facebook page, the photo received 62 “likes.”

Text:

Texture:

This photo depicts the obvious closeness between my family members. This picture was not posed; we were already sitting like this when my mom told us to smile for a picture. We were squished together on a two-seat couch, enjoying having our dad home before he had to leave again, excited for Christmas Day. The love we feel for one another and the gladness we felt at my father’s homecoming is clearly visible in this photo.

Meaning:

This photo will always remind me of the opportunity I had to spend time with my father and the rest of my family. He is still in Afghanistan and will be until June of 2014. As such, this picture was taken during a precious moment that we all shared. Christmas is one of our favorite holidays; now that I am in college and my father is away, it is the only time that our family can come together as a whole. In spite of the distance, this photo reminds us of our love for one another and the belief that we have the opportunity, as a family, to be together forever. 

Ashley Halverson

Utah State University

Professor Bonnie Moore

English 2010-0035

12:00-1:20

Spring 2014