My reason for writing is twofold:
1. Gab keeps harassing me to update, and
2. It's been since February since I last wrote, so. That's 2 months.
Anyway, a few areas of interest, latey:
1. The weather. I mean, SERIOUSLY. It has been so gorgeous! I am absolutely an SAD victim, and the sun's warm rays just speak to me. I certainly hope that we can enjoy at least another month of this glory before we plunge into hot sticky humidity.
2. American Idol. Yeah, I don't know. Now that I'm home again, I have allowed myself to indulge in one entertaining tv show (of course, aside from The Office). I just clapped out loud for Melinda Dolittle in my living room. She is outstanding. I just adore her. I don't know if she heard me or not (probably not), but her performance was just fantastic.
3. Graduation. Yes, that's right. I graduate in 3 weeks. I realized that it won't really hit me until next Fall. Summer is always vague of school, but come next Fall when everyone is registering for classes and I am just hanging out with my job in October, it will be weird. No more homework at the end of the day. No more lecture halls. No more campus. Exciting, but also kind of sad. I am kissing a big time of my life good-bye. It has been an experience-- on that I will miss.
4. Food. Well, this is always a topic of interest. However, tonight I was able to enjoy supper at A&W with my parents, and that was just marvelous. A big ol' chili dog, a basket of fries and a rootbeer float- I mean, you just can't beat it. We ran into some friends, chatted awhile. I love that small-town feel in Morton. And recently, I had a giant peanutbutter cup dessert at Uno's, and that was really exciting.
5. Exercise. Now that the weather has warmed up, roller-blading and running become a more enjoyable means to nurture my cardiovascular needs. Ok, story time.
So, last week, I am out roller blading. I only have 2 blocks to go, as I am going to my house from Dairy Queen. Which means that I have a chocolate blizzard in my hand. Usually I haul, and usually, I am in the street. But tonight, with ice cream in hand and phone in the other, for some reason I end up on the cobblestone-like sidewalk that runs along 1st Street.
So there I go, tucking my phone in my pocket and taking a bite of my blizzard. Well, as I get ready to roll down the little ramp into the street, in the darkness of the night, my rollerblades catch an unknown object and I find myself smack flat on the sidewalk. There was no tripping involved, no stumbling. Stumbling would have been great. But, no. Just SMACK. My knees took the brunt of it, and my hands were scratched and bleeding. My blizzard had planted itself on my neck and in my hands, and all over my face. It was kind of an emotional time, especially since I lost my ice cream.
I lay there, face down on the sidewalk, trying to decide what to do. The only thing that would escape my mouth were small little whimpers, and it was then that I decided to peel my body off the ground and limp home.
I'm fine. My knees are brown & blue, and I have a couple of nice scabs on my hands. Other than that, my spirit was not crushed (because no one saw me) and it only gives me good story-telling content until I do something even more stupid.
Alright... that's enough for tonight's update. I wouldn't want to jump in full-force; that might be too much, so this light-hearted material will have to do for now. Talk at you later. Love ya'll.
T
1. Gab keeps harassing me to update, and
2. It's been since February since I last wrote, so. That's 2 months.
Anyway, a few areas of interest, latey:
1. The weather. I mean, SERIOUSLY. It has been so gorgeous! I am absolutely an SAD victim, and the sun's warm rays just speak to me. I certainly hope that we can enjoy at least another month of this glory before we plunge into hot sticky humidity.
2. American Idol. Yeah, I don't know. Now that I'm home again, I have allowed myself to indulge in one entertaining tv show (of course, aside from The Office). I just clapped out loud for Melinda Dolittle in my living room. She is outstanding. I just adore her. I don't know if she heard me or not (probably not), but her performance was just fantastic.
3. Graduation. Yes, that's right. I graduate in 3 weeks. I realized that it won't really hit me until next Fall. Summer is always vague of school, but come next Fall when everyone is registering for classes and I am just hanging out with my job in October, it will be weird. No more homework at the end of the day. No more lecture halls. No more campus. Exciting, but also kind of sad. I am kissing a big time of my life good-bye. It has been an experience-- on that I will miss.
4. Food. Well, this is always a topic of interest. However, tonight I was able to enjoy supper at A&W with my parents, and that was just marvelous. A big ol' chili dog, a basket of fries and a rootbeer float- I mean, you just can't beat it. We ran into some friends, chatted awhile. I love that small-town feel in Morton. And recently, I had a giant peanutbutter cup dessert at Uno's, and that was really exciting.
5. Exercise. Now that the weather has warmed up, roller-blading and running become a more enjoyable means to nurture my cardiovascular needs. Ok, story time.
So, last week, I am out roller blading. I only have 2 blocks to go, as I am going to my house from Dairy Queen. Which means that I have a chocolate blizzard in my hand. Usually I haul, and usually, I am in the street. But tonight, with ice cream in hand and phone in the other, for some reason I end up on the cobblestone-like sidewalk that runs along 1st Street.
So there I go, tucking my phone in my pocket and taking a bite of my blizzard. Well, as I get ready to roll down the little ramp into the street, in the darkness of the night, my rollerblades catch an unknown object and I find myself smack flat on the sidewalk. There was no tripping involved, no stumbling. Stumbling would have been great. But, no. Just SMACK. My knees took the brunt of it, and my hands were scratched and bleeding. My blizzard had planted itself on my neck and in my hands, and all over my face. It was kind of an emotional time, especially since I lost my ice cream.
I lay there, face down on the sidewalk, trying to decide what to do. The only thing that would escape my mouth were small little whimpers, and it was then that I decided to peel my body off the ground and limp home.
I'm fine. My knees are brown & blue, and I have a couple of nice scabs on my hands. Other than that, my spirit was not crushed (because no one saw me) and it only gives me good story-telling content until I do something even more stupid.
Alright... that's enough for tonight's update. I wouldn't want to jump in full-force; that might be too much, so this light-hearted material will have to do for now. Talk at you later. Love ya'll.
T
Well...
IT has been quite some time since I last posted. The Lord continues to work in my life and teach me numerous lessons as the days go on. I love being able to come back and recount some of these times for you all as a testimony to His faithfulness and wonderous ways.
I will share a story about my dad... a few years back, my dad became extremely ill with what was supposed to be a terminal illness called primary schlerosing colitis. The doctors at Mayo told him that he probably would not ever get better and we even discussed the possibility of my dad getting on a list for a new liver if it came down to it. After a few more tests and a procedure that helped to return my dad to a somewhat healthier state, we elisted many prayers for him and my dad came home.
During this time, my dad started reading a book (I believe it's called God's Way) about eating healthier according to what our bodies were created to enjoy, such as raw vegetables, barley, etc., as well as juicing vegatables to get the full nutrional value. He started juicing and made a glass of carrot juice every morning. He also started taking barley pills, as well as eating raw vegetables for lunch and overall changing his diet.
With this change in diet as well as many prayers from loved ones, my dad recovered into a wonderfully healthy state, and during his yearly check-up at Mayo Clinc, the doctors were astounded at his come-around.
"Whatever you are doing, just keep doing it," they told him. This usually did not happen.
I have always thought of my dad as a very healthy, strong individual who takes care of his body and is always in excellent shape. My dad is the power figure in our family; not because he overpowers people or tries to control others, but because in his quiet, gentle, and friendly way, he is the pillar of strenth that glues our family together. He has always been my knowledge base- whenever I have a question, I got to him, and he will always have the answer. He is also a fountain of wisdom with spiritual matters.
Anyway, 2 weeks ago, my dad was schedulded to go to Mayo Clinc for his annual check-up. About a week before his appointment, he started to feel sick. My dad has a high pain tolerance, so usually it takes something pretty painful in order for him to admit to any sort of problem. When he readily admitted to not feeling well and looked it in return, we knew something as amiss. We continued to pray and just hoped that it was not him getting worse, but knew it was rather grand timing as his appointment was coming up, anyway.
My parents left for Mayo's on Sunday. That night, I got a phone call from my sister telling me that my dad was not doing too well.
What happened is this: My mom and dad arrived at Mayo's Sunday evening, and checked into the hotel. They were going to meet up with some friends of theirs that happened to be there at the same time, but my mom nixed the idea when she saw how sick my dad felt. Shortly after eating a little supper and then going to the hotel room, my dad layed down for awhile. My mom looked over after awhile and noticed my dad was shaking all over. He was white and clammy, and his pulse was very weak. She promptly got my dad a wheel chair and wheeled him down to the car, as he could hardly walk. She took him to the hospital, which was not far, where my dad got checked into a room.
The doctors checked him over and kept him overnight, not sure what the problem was but guessing that it was one of two things: either the return of his earlier illness, which could mean major complications and even cancer, or it could be his appendix. They were leaning more towards cancer, which was not looking good.
On Monday, the surgeons immediately decided to do exploratory surgery. Once they were opened him up, they found that his appendix had ruptured. There was puss and infection everywhere, and they had to clean him up extremely well. They guessed that they had ruptured the night before, and the pain he had been experiencing all week long made sense.
As the doctor told my mom the news, she was relieved in that it coud have been worse, but the doctor also expressed how serious this really was.
"He is a sick, sick man," he explained. "He will only get worse before he gets better, and will take at least 3-4 weeks to heal."
One of the head doctors that has dealt with these cases before said that in all his years, he had never seen an appendix rupture that bad. He expressed that we were lucky that a hospital had been near- otherwise, my dad could have gone into shock and died.
The doctors had him stay at the hospital for a week. They said that there was a 50% chance of him developing an infection, but he never did. Because of this, he got to come home the next weekend. He has been home for a week, and now him and my mom are in Florida (a trip that had already been planned) and he is recuperating in the balmy weather. He will probably be home for at least 2 more weeks from work after that.
The many prayers that went up for my dad were definitely felt by him and our family. So many caring individuals sent cards, gave gifts, and stopped by. It is so humbling and comforting to know that we are surrounding by such a caring body of loved ones that is there at your side right when you need them. And just as my dad has always been able to do, he is recovering at a miraculous speed. I account this to none ofther than our Great God up in Heaven who hears our prayers and heals in bountiful ways.
This story is just a testimony of God's amazing healing powers and his workings of placing people in the right place at the right time.
Thank you for letting me share, and I apologize for the length... I love you all! T
IT has been quite some time since I last posted. The Lord continues to work in my life and teach me numerous lessons as the days go on. I love being able to come back and recount some of these times for you all as a testimony to His faithfulness and wonderous ways.
I will share a story about my dad... a few years back, my dad became extremely ill with what was supposed to be a terminal illness called primary schlerosing colitis. The doctors at Mayo told him that he probably would not ever get better and we even discussed the possibility of my dad getting on a list for a new liver if it came down to it. After a few more tests and a procedure that helped to return my dad to a somewhat healthier state, we elisted many prayers for him and my dad came home.
During this time, my dad started reading a book (I believe it's called God's Way) about eating healthier according to what our bodies were created to enjoy, such as raw vegetables, barley, etc., as well as juicing vegatables to get the full nutrional value. He started juicing and made a glass of carrot juice every morning. He also started taking barley pills, as well as eating raw vegetables for lunch and overall changing his diet.
With this change in diet as well as many prayers from loved ones, my dad recovered into a wonderfully healthy state, and during his yearly check-up at Mayo Clinc, the doctors were astounded at his come-around.
"Whatever you are doing, just keep doing it," they told him. This usually did not happen.
I have always thought of my dad as a very healthy, strong individual who takes care of his body and is always in excellent shape. My dad is the power figure in our family; not because he overpowers people or tries to control others, but because in his quiet, gentle, and friendly way, he is the pillar of strenth that glues our family together. He has always been my knowledge base- whenever I have a question, I got to him, and he will always have the answer. He is also a fountain of wisdom with spiritual matters.
Anyway, 2 weeks ago, my dad was schedulded to go to Mayo Clinc for his annual check-up. About a week before his appointment, he started to feel sick. My dad has a high pain tolerance, so usually it takes something pretty painful in order for him to admit to any sort of problem. When he readily admitted to not feeling well and looked it in return, we knew something as amiss. We continued to pray and just hoped that it was not him getting worse, but knew it was rather grand timing as his appointment was coming up, anyway.
My parents left for Mayo's on Sunday. That night, I got a phone call from my sister telling me that my dad was not doing too well.
What happened is this: My mom and dad arrived at Mayo's Sunday evening, and checked into the hotel. They were going to meet up with some friends of theirs that happened to be there at the same time, but my mom nixed the idea when she saw how sick my dad felt. Shortly after eating a little supper and then going to the hotel room, my dad layed down for awhile. My mom looked over after awhile and noticed my dad was shaking all over. He was white and clammy, and his pulse was very weak. She promptly got my dad a wheel chair and wheeled him down to the car, as he could hardly walk. She took him to the hospital, which was not far, where my dad got checked into a room.
The doctors checked him over and kept him overnight, not sure what the problem was but guessing that it was one of two things: either the return of his earlier illness, which could mean major complications and even cancer, or it could be his appendix. They were leaning more towards cancer, which was not looking good.
On Monday, the surgeons immediately decided to do exploratory surgery. Once they were opened him up, they found that his appendix had ruptured. There was puss and infection everywhere, and they had to clean him up extremely well. They guessed that they had ruptured the night before, and the pain he had been experiencing all week long made sense.
As the doctor told my mom the news, she was relieved in that it coud have been worse, but the doctor also expressed how serious this really was.
"He is a sick, sick man," he explained. "He will only get worse before he gets better, and will take at least 3-4 weeks to heal."
One of the head doctors that has dealt with these cases before said that in all his years, he had never seen an appendix rupture that bad. He expressed that we were lucky that a hospital had been near- otherwise, my dad could have gone into shock and died.
The doctors had him stay at the hospital for a week. They said that there was a 50% chance of him developing an infection, but he never did. Because of this, he got to come home the next weekend. He has been home for a week, and now him and my mom are in Florida (a trip that had already been planned) and he is recuperating in the balmy weather. He will probably be home for at least 2 more weeks from work after that.
The many prayers that went up for my dad were definitely felt by him and our family. So many caring individuals sent cards, gave gifts, and stopped by. It is so humbling and comforting to know that we are surrounding by such a caring body of loved ones that is there at your side right when you need them. And just as my dad has always been able to do, he is recovering at a miraculous speed. I account this to none ofther than our Great God up in Heaven who hears our prayers and heals in bountiful ways.
This story is just a testimony of God's amazing healing powers and his workings of placing people in the right place at the right time.
Thank you for letting me share, and I apologize for the length... I love you all! T
Alright... alright. Here is something fun for everyone.
Your job is to figure out what shoe represents which person's personality. Here are your choices:
1. Abby Klopfenstein
2. Kristi Daniel
3. Tricia Plattner
4. Tammy Sauder
5. Stephanie Gerst
6. Taryn Kaiser
Happy guessing! Love you all! T
I have decided to make an exception and post a Top Ten on a Thursday. Let me note that I had every good intention of posting it on Tuesday with a lot of pictures & extensive detail. As I am taking off later today on vacation, I don't have time to create a scrapbook out of it, so I am just going to follow the normal procedure.
Today's top ten is Top Ten Birthday Memories. The reason this is appropriate is because I recently celebrated my 21st on Tuesday.
1. Turning 5- My good friend, Abi Witzig, and I went to Chuck E Cheese together and ran our hearts out, and then we ate pizza and chocolate cake.
2. Turning 1- Seated on my grandma's living room table, I got to hold my birthday cake and be the first to dig into the frosting- with my hands.
3. Turning 7- My mom made me a pink & white cake with a variety of candy decorating it, including lolli-pops that stuck out all over. Needless to say, all of my cousins loved this cake because they all got to enjoy a sucker.
4. Turning 11- This was about the year I started having my "friend sleepovers," which is when I invited all of my friends to come over for dessert, crafts, and a big sleepover in my basement. The tradition carried me through being a senior in High School.
5. Turning 12- On this year, we celebrated my birthday on New Year's with my big Kaiser family. We were at my aunt's that night, and this was the year of our big snow storm when we received a foot or more of snow on the ground.
6. Turning 20- Two of my friends, Kristi and Heather, told me that they would take me out for supper at Chile's for my birthday. I walked into the restaurant only to see about 12 of my friends already seated there- waiting to surprise me! To top off the evening, the waiter at Chile's sang "Happy Birthday" to me.
7. Turning 18- My friends all came over for cookie monsters, and then we celebrated in the basement and made a video to record our memories.
8. Turning 21- On the morning of my birthday, I had planned to go out to breakfast with 2 of my friends at 8:30. At 7 a.m., I awoke to a loud CLANGing sound and a chorus of female voices singing "Happy Birthday" to me. After this rude awakening, they all took me over to Kristi's for breakfast.
9. Turning 16- This is the year I received my first set of wheels- even if it was a bike. It was a nice bike, though, and one that I have used for a good source of transportation. This birthday party with friends consisted of playing the famous game, Mafia.
10. Turning 20- This year was packed with memories- on the actual day of my birthday, I was in Florida. At 5 a.m., I was awakened by my 3 room mates (who were with me) who yelled "Happy Birthday!" and played the trip theme song, and opened 2 doors that showed me a big birthday banner that they had gotten up early to create. That day, we all went sailing in Miami on a sailboat.
What memories... and if anything, looking back and remembering all of this just proves on thing: I have great friends! Anyway, pick your favorite memory or one that you can relate to, and I'd love to hear your birthday stories/memories, too!
Love you all, T
Today's top ten is Top Ten Birthday Memories. The reason this is appropriate is because I recently celebrated my 21st on Tuesday.
1. Turning 5- My good friend, Abi Witzig, and I went to Chuck E Cheese together and ran our hearts out, and then we ate pizza and chocolate cake.
2. Turning 1- Seated on my grandma's living room table, I got to hold my birthday cake and be the first to dig into the frosting- with my hands.
3. Turning 7- My mom made me a pink & white cake with a variety of candy decorating it, including lolli-pops that stuck out all over. Needless to say, all of my cousins loved this cake because they all got to enjoy a sucker.
4. Turning 11- This was about the year I started having my "friend sleepovers," which is when I invited all of my friends to come over for dessert, crafts, and a big sleepover in my basement. The tradition carried me through being a senior in High School.
5. Turning 12- On this year, we celebrated my birthday on New Year's with my big Kaiser family. We were at my aunt's that night, and this was the year of our big snow storm when we received a foot or more of snow on the ground.
6. Turning 20- Two of my friends, Kristi and Heather, told me that they would take me out for supper at Chile's for my birthday. I walked into the restaurant only to see about 12 of my friends already seated there- waiting to surprise me! To top off the evening, the waiter at Chile's sang "Happy Birthday" to me.
7. Turning 18- My friends all came over for cookie monsters, and then we celebrated in the basement and made a video to record our memories.
8. Turning 21- On the morning of my birthday, I had planned to go out to breakfast with 2 of my friends at 8:30. At 7 a.m., I awoke to a loud CLANGing sound and a chorus of female voices singing "Happy Birthday" to me. After this rude awakening, they all took me over to Kristi's for breakfast.
9. Turning 16- This is the year I received my first set of wheels- even if it was a bike. It was a nice bike, though, and one that I have used for a good source of transportation. This birthday party with friends consisted of playing the famous game, Mafia.
10. Turning 20- This year was packed with memories- on the actual day of my birthday, I was in Florida. At 5 a.m., I was awakened by my 3 room mates (who were with me) who yelled "Happy Birthday!" and played the trip theme song, and opened 2 doors that showed me a big birthday banner that they had gotten up early to create. That day, we all went sailing in Miami on a sailboat.
What memories... and if anything, looking back and remembering all of this just proves on thing: I have great friends! Anyway, pick your favorite memory or one that you can relate to, and I'd love to hear your birthday stories/memories, too!
Love you all, T
Well, it's been awhile. So I decided to write. I figured the returning readers were getting sick of staring at that Christmas tree clip art.
I am on my last month-long "break" of my life. Next year at this time, I will have a job, and there will be no such thing as having 4 weeks off to run around and do as I please. Today is the first day that I have had to myself, believe it or not. Every other day has been packed with activities, helping, and socializing.
I awoke this morning and laid there for a few minutes, trying to guess what time it was. "About 9 or 10," I thought. I felt refreshed, but the day was bright and it seemed like morning outside.
Wrong. It was after 12. I shuffled downstairs and helped myself to the box of Krispe Kremes that was sitting on our kitchen counter.
"Dad suggested we get those for you, but I figured it is because he wanted them," my mom told me. I don't care why anyone bought them, just so long as I got to eat one! They melt in your mouth, I tell you.
After breakfast at noon, I showered, picked up a few things, and played a game of online euchre. I am now officially bored. I guess I forgot how boring having time on your hands really is. After this post, I plan to get out of the house and start the productive part of my day, but it's sad that it is already 4 p.m. Sad, but not really- as far as I am concerned, EVERYONE should be allowed to have at least one day like this entitled to them a month- a day where you get to kill time in whatever way you please. Because when it comes down to it, relaxing is something no one ever finds time for anymore.
I leave for Arizona in a week. I am taking 5 of my great friends down to stay at my aunt and uncle's place, and am I ever excited. I have been checking weather.com every day, and it stays in the high 60's and sunny. I just hope that people don't think we're crazy when we're out in our swimming suits and everyone else is in winter coats. That is winter to them, as they are used to 110 every day in the summer. I'll take high 60's, thank you- I can't wait for the gorgeous weather and scenery! I know that no matter what, we will have fun because of the amazing people I will be with, and the wonderful place we have for our stay.
Another milestone coming up is my 21st birthday on January 2. It's so weird. I still feel like I'm 16. If someone asked me what age I would always feel like, it would be somewhere in the teen years. Time goes by so fast, and I don't realize it until I look back on pictures and remember all of the memories I have from Jr. High & High School. It is amazing how fast you grow up and mature, not only in how you look but especially in how you act and make choices. It is also exciting to see how you have matured in Christ-- an area that is so important! One thing I am so thankful for is the idea that I gave my life to Christ so long ago, so my relationship with Him has only strengthened through the years.
Alright. Well, this post made me hungry, so I am going to go eat a banana with some peanutbutter. If we're out of bananas, maybe an apple. Love you all. T
I am on my last month-long "break" of my life. Next year at this time, I will have a job, and there will be no such thing as having 4 weeks off to run around and do as I please. Today is the first day that I have had to myself, believe it or not. Every other day has been packed with activities, helping, and socializing.
I awoke this morning and laid there for a few minutes, trying to guess what time it was. "About 9 or 10," I thought. I felt refreshed, but the day was bright and it seemed like morning outside.
Wrong. It was after 12. I shuffled downstairs and helped myself to the box of Krispe Kremes that was sitting on our kitchen counter.
"Dad suggested we get those for you, but I figured it is because he wanted them," my mom told me. I don't care why anyone bought them, just so long as I got to eat one! They melt in your mouth, I tell you.
After breakfast at noon, I showered, picked up a few things, and played a game of online euchre. I am now officially bored. I guess I forgot how boring having time on your hands really is. After this post, I plan to get out of the house and start the productive part of my day, but it's sad that it is already 4 p.m. Sad, but not really- as far as I am concerned, EVERYONE should be allowed to have at least one day like this entitled to them a month- a day where you get to kill time in whatever way you please. Because when it comes down to it, relaxing is something no one ever finds time for anymore.
I leave for Arizona in a week. I am taking 5 of my great friends down to stay at my aunt and uncle's place, and am I ever excited. I have been checking weather.com every day, and it stays in the high 60's and sunny. I just hope that people don't think we're crazy when we're out in our swimming suits and everyone else is in winter coats. That is winter to them, as they are used to 110 every day in the summer. I'll take high 60's, thank you- I can't wait for the gorgeous weather and scenery! I know that no matter what, we will have fun because of the amazing people I will be with, and the wonderful place we have for our stay.
Another milestone coming up is my 21st birthday on January 2. It's so weird. I still feel like I'm 16. If someone asked me what age I would always feel like, it would be somewhere in the teen years. Time goes by so fast, and I don't realize it until I look back on pictures and remember all of the memories I have from Jr. High & High School. It is amazing how fast you grow up and mature, not only in how you look but especially in how you act and make choices. It is also exciting to see how you have matured in Christ-- an area that is so important! One thing I am so thankful for is the idea that I gave my life to Christ so long ago, so my relationship with Him has only strengthened through the years.
Alright. Well, this post made me hungry, so I am going to go eat a banana with some peanutbutter. If we're out of bananas, maybe an apple. Love you all. T
Top Ten Christmas1. Putting up your Christmas tree and hanging ornaments on it
2. Singing Christmas carols
3. Making Christmas cookies
4. Eating candy canes
5. Stuffing stockings
6. Wrapping gifts
7. Shopping
8. Ice skating
9. Mistletoe
10. Christmas music
I have an anecdote to each one...
1. Putting up your Christmas tree- Every year, the tradition has been this: the day after Thanksgiving (a Friday), our family would get up real early and go to a tree farm and pick out a live tree. There was typically a fight between two split groups about which tree was "the best." Soft needles, or hard? Tall, or short? Full, or skinny? There are just so many decisions to be made. However, sadly enough, a few years ago we discontinued this exact tradition. It all changed when we built an addition onto our house, and ended up with a great room with a tall ceiling. Much to my mom's dismay, we decided to buy a "fake" Christmas tree, something she thought she would never do. Despite the doubts, we have really enjoyed our "tall" tree with lots of ornaments that seem to multiply on a yearly basis. We now use that Friday for a great big breakfast to fuel ourselves for a day of splashing our house with decorations.
2. Singing Christmas carols- Our church goes Christmas caroling every year on a select Sunday evening. It is always fun going around with one of five or six groups and harmonizing in beautiful Christmas melodies. Our audience always enjoys it, and so do the singers! Afterward is a yummy supper of chili, hot dogs, and hot chocolate.
3. Making Christmas cookies- Mmmm. What is Christmas without good, Christmas baking? Every year, my friends and I get together and bake all day long, and then deliver our goodies to the elderly. It is such a fun tradition that we promise we will never let die out!
4. Eating candy canes- I LOVE candy canes. One thing I would note, though, is the shape... I mean, I know they are called candy CANES but it is such an awkward shape to eat. A favorite of mine is to make brownies, frost them with chocolate icing, and then crush up candy canes to put in the frosting. What you get is a delicious blend of chocolate and peppermint. Who could resist?
5. Stuffing stockings- Or pulling items out of them! My siblings and I always "opened" stockings on Christmas morning (and presents on Christmas Eve). I love the idea of reaching into a deep, soft stocking and wandering what it is your fingers are grasping.
6. Wrapping gifts- I actually despise this task. I am not a good gift-wrapper, and usually resort to finding a holiday bag that I can stick my gifts into with tissue paper all pretty spraying out of it. On the other hand, my mom is probably the best gift-wrapper I know, and always adds little bells, ribbons, sparkles, and bows to her gifts as an extra touch. My dad is a very computed wrapper, with all of his creases and folds measured out to the inch. Then there is me... if there was a way to wrap presents in Adobe Photoshop, I'd do it. I think I am just too impatient.
7. Shopping- I LOVE to shop, but another pet peeve of mine is people, people EVERYWHERE! Not that I don't love people, and not that I don't love seeing them out and about during the holiday season. Sometimes, though, people in big crowds tend to move very slowly and less seldom, and my natural instinct is to move at a very different pace than that. I can become frustrated when there are large auras of people who are blocking where I need to be, when I need to be there. However, I must say that everyone who is out always shines Christmas joy and it is an exciting time of year to be out... especially for shopping deals. :) Yay for door busters.
8. Ice skating- Who doesn't love the notion of ice skating on a desolate frozen pond OR on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on a frosty evening? How romantical and fun! Especially when you can pull off a triple axel!
9. Mistletoe- Hmmm... all I can say is, watch where you're standing.
10. Christmas music- One of my favorites!! What a way to share the joy of the season... I love tuning into my most-listened to station to hear Christmas music playing hour after hour. I know it is a little over-the-top to play it nontstop from Thanksgiving until Christmas, but it honestly gets me pumped. LOVE it.
What are your anecdotes, stories, memories, or thoughts? Please share them!
Love you all, T
