1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?Hot Chocolate! It’s the perfect drink to curl up with a good book and a blanket in front of the fire!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?Depends on the present. Usually there are presents from everyone wrapped, then Santa fills the stockings, some wrapped some not, and then if he brings a BIG gift…it is not wrapped.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?I have two trees (both happen to be in storage this year) one has white lights and one has colored.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?There is really no point…I have given up!
5. When do you put your decorations up?When I get to I want them up November 1st, but I try to make myself wait until after the Thanksgiving meal.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?My mom’s hamwiches on Christmas eve…YUMMY!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:Every year that we lived in Kenya my parents hosted a city wide open house party. This was scheduled from noon till whenever we shut down for the evening, everyone from missionaries to Indian businessmen, to members of our church, and friends from the Eldoret club came. I think the first year we had maybe 70 people show up, by my senior year it was tradition in our town and I think at last count we had over 300! J Some of the best memories of my life were centered around those days. All races, tribes and tongues coming together to live, laugh and love.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?You mean that he is real? Um I don’t remember how I found out, but I remember being really angry at all the people trying to tell me he wasn’t. I am almost 30 and I still believe……
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?Yes, it is always an ornament from my mom to add to our collection for our future (or my current) household.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas treeLights (duh), some breakable balls, personal ornaments, homemade ornaments, gifts from friends….every one has its own story of how it ended up on our tree.
11. Snow? Love it or Dread it?Love love love love!
12. Can you ice skate?I have done it a couple of times, would love to do it more often.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?hmm….there are several.
One year, right after we moved to Africa, my mom made matching PJ’s for my cabbage patch babies (one boy and one girl) and I got a cradle to use to put them in. I loved that year.
I got the game of LIFE…I had always wanted it and I remember holding it up and yelling “LIFE!! LIFE!! LIFE!!”
Oh and in the foggiest traces of my memory I remember on year, I was probably 3 or 4, and I got a Strawberry shortcake sleeping bag and strawberry shortcake pillows that my gran had made to match. I remember that the biggest box under the tree was for me…..happy times.
14. What's the most exciting thing about the Holidays for you?Holidays are actually hard for me because no matter where in the world I am I am always far away from someone I love. I guess really the most exciting thing is to hear about and relive in my mind the birth of Christ…he also knew what it was like to be far away from the ones he loved.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?You are kidding me right? There is no way I can pick just one. Cherry pie probably tops the list.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?My dad reading the Christmas story out of both Matthew and Luke on Christmas Eve.
17. What tops your tree?A big bow.
18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving?Definitely giving….I am like a child opening a gift when I watch someone open what I have taken time and effort to find and wrap for them…I love it!
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
I miss you most at Christmas time – Mariah Carey, describes my heart
Light of the World – The Martins, describes the reason.
20. Candy canes?Question or a statement here? Dumb.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Update and stuff like that
Two...yes that is right...only two days till I sign the papers that free me from the Albatross that is my home in Abilene! I am so excited I am almost beside myself. I am making ABSOLUTELY NO PROFIT on it and I don't care! I will be done with it. No more paying the mortgage, no more renter horrors, no more staying awake at night worrying it will burn down, NO MORE!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
On that same day, Friday the wonderful 15th. I will be paying off my car! Yeah!!!!! At 211,000+ miles my little "Franny" is still running strong, she needs a screw tightened her and there, but she proudly takes me where I need to go.
All this money freed up, whatever will I do....well though I would love to use the extra flow to sit tight and pay off some bills, instead I will be finding a place to live and paying rent...joy joy! (readers in the Dallas area, looking for a great place in Los Colinas, or similar let me know if you know of inexpensive there-readers in other parts of the world, please pray that God leads me to exactly the place that I need to live and be.)
My parents have been stateside now for a little over a month and I have only seen them twice. The first was when I drove over to Atlanta to pick them up. And the second was a couple of weeks later the weekened of the 19th. I flew into NC to suprise my mom for her birthday. I was able to very successfully pull this off with the help of my Dad and A. Pam. They simply told her they wanted to go shopping, but they needed to stop by the airport to pick up a package first. My mom, never one to question, said ok. As they pulled up my dad said, "there is the package", and my mom is looking for a box on the ground. Instead I walked up to the car! It was the best look on her face ever! I wish I'd had a camera to capture the moment!
Good news in the brother department. Healthwise, both are doing better though still not totally up to par.
Devin is having a fairly successful transition. I know this in large part to all of you who are praying for him and I am thankful to each one of you. Through a series of wonderful miracles, he is going to be attending Liberty University in the spring on a scholarship that will pay all but his housing! We did not think that this was going to be possible this school year and were prepared for him to go to a community college in Lynchberg for a semester instead. However, God had bigger plans and Devin will be able to live on campus and attend Liberty.
Derek has decided to leave the soccer world for a time and having sold his car, and planning on selling most of his other earthly possessions will hopefully be making his way back to Africa with my parents in February. His purpose there is unknown as of yet, but he hopes to make a bit of a life change and perhaps begin to do some freelance writing which is his passion.
Christmas is quickly approaching and this year time will be spent both in Missouri and in Texas with the respective families there. As long as I am with my parents and brothers I will be happy.
That's all she wrote for now.....
On that same day, Friday the wonderful 15th. I will be paying off my car! Yeah!!!!! At 211,000+ miles my little "Franny" is still running strong, she needs a screw tightened her and there, but she proudly takes me where I need to go.
All this money freed up, whatever will I do....well though I would love to use the extra flow to sit tight and pay off some bills, instead I will be finding a place to live and paying rent...joy joy! (readers in the Dallas area, looking for a great place in Los Colinas, or similar let me know if you know of inexpensive there-readers in other parts of the world, please pray that God leads me to exactly the place that I need to live and be.)
My parents have been stateside now for a little over a month and I have only seen them twice. The first was when I drove over to Atlanta to pick them up. And the second was a couple of weeks later the weekened of the 19th. I flew into NC to suprise my mom for her birthday. I was able to very successfully pull this off with the help of my Dad and A. Pam. They simply told her they wanted to go shopping, but they needed to stop by the airport to pick up a package first. My mom, never one to question, said ok. As they pulled up my dad said, "there is the package", and my mom is looking for a box on the ground. Instead I walked up to the car! It was the best look on her face ever! I wish I'd had a camera to capture the moment!
Good news in the brother department. Healthwise, both are doing better though still not totally up to par.
Devin is having a fairly successful transition. I know this in large part to all of you who are praying for him and I am thankful to each one of you. Through a series of wonderful miracles, he is going to be attending Liberty University in the spring on a scholarship that will pay all but his housing! We did not think that this was going to be possible this school year and were prepared for him to go to a community college in Lynchberg for a semester instead. However, God had bigger plans and Devin will be able to live on campus and attend Liberty.
Derek has decided to leave the soccer world for a time and having sold his car, and planning on selling most of his other earthly possessions will hopefully be making his way back to Africa with my parents in February. His purpose there is unknown as of yet, but he hopes to make a bit of a life change and perhaps begin to do some freelance writing which is his passion.
Christmas is quickly approaching and this year time will be spent both in Missouri and in Texas with the respective families there. As long as I am with my parents and brothers I will be happy.
That's all she wrote for now.....
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Christmas Spirit
As you saw in my last post my mind has been very much like Cindy Loo Who's when it came to Christmas. I am not quite at the level of my favorite Grinch, but definately pondering. Discombobulated I believe is the wonderfully descriptive word Cindy chose.
About a week ago, my dear friend Chad K. came to town to visit. He was staying at the house of other friends, but normally when he comes to town we all spend the whole weekend together. I however, was in Grinch mode, and though I would have loved to have spent time with everyone, truthfully I was just in a bad mood that would have brought everyone down. Needless to say I avoid human contact.
Chad knowing that being "un-Christmas-y" was simply not me took the time to make "Amanda's Christmas Mix '06". A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful suprise that came to me in the mail yesterday!
For those of you who may be discombobulated as I was, don't sit at home wallowing in it. Get out. Watch some children play, make a christmas mix '06 for yourself, bake some banana or pumpkin bread for someone you love and remind yourself that Christmas is not for wallowing it is for remembering the Joy of Jesus' birth, for loving family (or friends like family) a little extra, and for even a moment having "Peace on Earth".
What a wonderful demonstration of Christmas Spirit! Thanks, Chad! Love you sweet friend!!
About a week ago, my dear friend Chad K. came to town to visit. He was staying at the house of other friends, but normally when he comes to town we all spend the whole weekend together. I however, was in Grinch mode, and though I would have loved to have spent time with everyone, truthfully I was just in a bad mood that would have brought everyone down. Needless to say I avoid human contact.
Chad knowing that being "un-Christmas-y" was simply not me took the time to make "Amanda's Christmas Mix '06". A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful suprise that came to me in the mail yesterday!
For those of you who may be discombobulated as I was, don't sit at home wallowing in it. Get out. Watch some children play, make a christmas mix '06 for yourself, bake some banana or pumpkin bread for someone you love and remind yourself that Christmas is not for wallowing it is for remembering the Joy of Jesus' birth, for loving family (or friends like family) a little extra, and for even a moment having "Peace on Earth".
What a wonderful demonstration of Christmas Spirit! Thanks, Chad! Love you sweet friend!!
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