Wanna Be a Steader!

Graduated Our "Baby"!

Well, 16 years ago, when we started homeschooling, we knew this day would come.  But I can't believe how QUICKLY it did!  Saturday, we graduated, Jenna - our 'baby'!  She didn't want the big outdoor ceremony like we did for Jasper in '06 (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Buckeyeblog/153294/) , she just wanted an open house - a more social event.  We DID, however, still get her a tassle &, of course, a diploma.  And I am still putting together her memory book. 

It was a beautiful day & we had over 100 people between 1-9:30p.m.!  One of Jenna's dearest friends, Hannah S., put together a great slide show that was repeating on our T.V. whenever anyone wanted to take a retreat from the slightly high humidity or get a piece of cake (kept inside so it wouldn't melt - lol) after their hambergers & hotdogs.

It was a great day!  Here are a few pics for you to enjoy...

Jenna w/some of her Besties!

Jasper (DD#1 on right) w/life-long bestie, Beth, & her new beau!

Ty (in the middle)...a.k.a....Daddy...a.k.a....my sweeite...a.k.a....grill master!  And co-horts.

Proud grandparents.

Various awards, trophies, newpaper articles, graduation tassle, diploma, Golden Angels homeschool volleyball team pics, etc.

THE diploma.  (Thanks HSLDA!)

VOLLEYBALL!!!!!!!!!

 And what's a cookout w/old friends if it doesn't end in a grudge water fight?!  (There's history behind those water fights!)  lol 

It was a great day!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

The Diagnosis is in...

...my mom was diagnosed with dementia leading into Alheimer's. My brother & I have some hard decisions to make. Please keep my family in your prayers. Thanks.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Jenna's Senior Pictures

Here we are, getting one step closer to the end of our 16 years of homeschooling everyday.  Jenna's academics are finished and we are looking forward to her graduation Open House in June.

In the meantime, a dear friend of ours (who just happens to be her BFF's dad) took her Senior pictures this weekend.  I think they turned out very well.  Here's a few...

When did all my babies grow up?  Time passes SO quickly...ONE MORE REASON TO HOMESCHOOL!  Think of all the precious time we would have missed with our daughters if they had been away from us all those years.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Prayer Request...

Please keep our family in your prayers…my DH was laid off this morning, VERY unexpectedly…no severance. 

Thanks SO much.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim

A Great Weekend!

I hope everyone had a blessed Resurrection Day! We had one of our best ones. After 4 months of being at our new church and not being involved in a ministry yet (b/c we're not members - totally understandable!), it was such a blessing to be allowed to play in the orchestra - to play flute and hammered dulcimer as a praise offering again! We also had a pleasant afternoon w/my mom.

Thank You, Lord, for EVERYTHING!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim<><

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!

I'm so hoping that all of you will have a blessed Easter. ALWAYS remember what Jesus did for YOU.

I Tim. 1:15-16 - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in ME, THE WORST OF SINNERS, CHRIST might display HIS unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on HIM and receive eternal life."

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

New Hair Style!

A girl only crosses the 1/2 Century mark once in her life-time...if she's blessed to do so.  And as an early celebration, my sweet hubby let me get a new do! 

Here is the 'basic' look.

Here I am thinking how silly I feel taking pictures of myself!

Hmmm...I don't know...this might have been my favorite except that the flash only reflected in one eye!  Sheesh - how weird is that?!  Ha!

Anyway...there's the new do!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Happy Birthday, Jenna!!!

Happy birthday to the most wonderful 18 year old I know!! 

Happy birthday JENNA!!! 

I love you, Sweetie!

Mommy <><

Winter Frustraions...

Oh PLEASE tell me that the groundhog WILL NOT see his shadow on Feb. 2nd!!  The snow is beautiful ... when you don't have to be out in it.  Although...it does make some good photos. 

As I type, Ty is trying to get our driveway snow-blowed out.  The snow has tapered off a little and he's taking his chances.  He has to...his car is STUCK on the part of the driveway that's next to the porch! 

Let me tell you what happened this morning.  Jasper (dd#1) was scheduled to work at the dept/hardware store she works at in the town 8 miles from here.  Normally, about a 10 minutes drive...right?  EVEN THOUGH we had heavy snow ALL NIGHT and EVEN THOUGH we already have the foot of snow promised and at the rate it's snowing, we'll have more and EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING around it closed - including the military base DH works at - when Jasper called in this a.m. to see if they still wanted her to come in and work her 9/5 shift they amazingly said, "yes"!!  This rediculous young woman said that she came in on the main roads and it was OK; besides SHE'S from Wisconsin (or Minnisota or something) and THEY don't let weather like this stop THEM.  (Eh-hem)  Jasper was too stunned to think to tell her that WE live in a rural area and we will be lucky if we get plowed out (the county is conserving on salt this winter...riiiight).  So...Ty got all bundled up, dug out the car and let it run and took her in.  The drive that normally takes 10 minutes took them 35 to get there!  It was over an hour before Ty got back home.

Now...at 11:30a.m. Jasper called and said that Daddy could come and get her b/c they were letting her go home!!  Ack!  Since we've had so much MORE snow since 9a.m. let me show you what my dear Ty is now going through...

  Here is my sweetheart RE-digging his car out.  Notice that he had to dig out a TRAIL to his car...

By the way...here's MY car.  Glad I'm not going anywhere today.

After my dear hubby got his car dug out, since he was waiting for the snow to stop before he started the snowblower, he had to TRY to get out of the driveway.  Notice I said, "try."

Here he is trying to retrace his old path from earlier this morning.  Except...NOW...the snow is so deep that it's lifting the car so the tires spin off the ground!

While I was standing on the front porch cheering my Baby on, here is where it all ended.  With about 15-20' left before he got to the road, and while we still have a transmission, he had to give it up.  We called Jasper and told her that if she wanted to come home today that someone from work would have to bring her home!  lol  She found a compassionate soul and just walked through the door.  She had to pass her dear Daddy snowblowing the driveway so he can move his car on the way in.   

Thank you, Menard's, for making our day eventful.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

If my dear Grandpa (Daddy's Daddy) were alive, this would be his 111th birthday!  Isn't that amazing?!

This is Grandpa & me around my 4th birthday - 1963.  To me, THIS IS Grandpa ... bibbed over-alls (must be pronounced "over-Hauls") and on many days a train engineer's cap.  When I was little I couldn't decided who would have made the better President, him or my Daddy.  lol  He sang the best little ditties, made the best funny faces and was the most willing victim for me to comb his hair.  When we visited their house my seat at all meals was always on the step-chair next to Grandpa.  I would always tease Grandpa about how he piled all of his food on his plate on top of each other instead of each item having it's own place; he said that he learned to eat that way in the Army in WWI and it's worked just fine for him ever since.  Whenever Grandma would ask him what he wanted to eat he would call out, "Chicken, pie, cake and dumplin's!"  lol  Don't know where that came from, but all of us grandkids thought it was so funny.  

Grandpa gave us a true love for the outdoors.  Being from Kentucky and then moving to southern Ohio as a young man to find work off the farm at the steel mill and raise his family, he still settled in a rural area on a small farm of his own among the wonderful foothills of southern Ohio.  And I DO mean among them...their back porch stepped right out and up onto the bottom slope of one of those hills!  I loved the house he raised his family in and lived in until I was around 12 or 13.  It was so homey and comfortable.  My favorite bedroom in our own house is Jenna's, it is a dormer room and is shaped just like my Daddy's room "back home."  It has the same "feel", if you know what I mean. 

He would take my brother and me on wonderful long hikes through the woods looking for Indian arrowheads, obsidian rocks; following creeks and catching crawdads and skipping rocks; climbing the hill in back of the house picking our weight in raspberries!

Grandpa knew all kinds of Indian lore and was the best storyteller.  There is discrepancy among his family as to whether his generation is 1/4 or 1/8 Cherokee Indian.  I'll tell you this:  it certainly showed in the dark, handsome features of my Daddy!!    

I can remember being very little - probably around 5 - and while we were sitting on the front porch swing I told him that since my other Grandpa (my mom's dad, Poppie) died before I was born that I love him more than any of his other grandkids 'cause I love him enough for two!  I think I saw a little glimmer of a tear in the corner of his eye.  I can hardly keep from tearing-up myself just thinking of it.

Grandpa fought in WWI in the Army.  He would never talk about it to me except to show me the scars his still had on his hands from crawling through and climbing over barbed wire and to tell me that 2 of his best buddies were shot and died shoulder-to-shoulder w/him, one of each side of him.  How does a young farm kid from Kentucky deal w/those things?  Above is his flag.  Tucked inside of it are his discharge papers.

Well...Happy Birthday, Grandpa!  I love you, I've missed you since you left just days before my 17th birthday and I do SO wish my husband and children could have known you.  You were the best on earth and I can't wait to see you when I get to Heaven!

I'm gonna walk with my grand-daddy

And he'll match me step for step

And I'll tell him how I've missed him

Every minute since he left

Oh, and then I'll hug his neck!

{from:  "When I Get Where I'm Going"}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Zfx5qra_g

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

It's COLD and It's Getting COLDER!!!

I've been watching the wonderful winter snow show outside our windows.  My computer is right next to a set of floor-to-ceiling-wall-to-wall windows so I can watch all that beautiful, fluffy, white stuff come tumbling down.  It's beautiful.

It is 11:43a.m. right now and it is about 18 degrees and the temps will fall into the 0's tonight w/the high being around 6 degrees tomorrow.  And the snow is to continue to about 5" - which I THINK we have now! 

Here are some pics that I took about an hour ago - there's AT LEAST another inch since then...

This is looking across the road in front of our home.  This neighbor's home sits waaaaaaaaay back off the road and this is also where deer, fox and coyotes come up to the road in morning and evenings.

For those of you who read an entry from a few weeks ago where I told you that we took down that HUGE Blue Spruce Pine...here's how the front looks now.  Now we can actually SEE out of our front windows!  Yea!  Anyway, as I said, these pics were taken about an hour ago and NOW the snow is up to the top of the porch and absolutely no grass is showing.  So...until Maggie goes outside, it's lovely. 

Here you can see down our looong driveway.  It even goes back another 25' behind that little shed at the end of the drive.  Since we are JUST inside our little town's limits we have a nice big lot.  Since the original part of our house was built 170+ years ago and our lot is so big, I wonder if our house had actually not been inside the original town line...hmmm...something to investigate.

Well, I just found out that the family wants me to make Taco Soup for supper, so I'm going to have to dig the car out and run to the store for a couple of items before it gets any deeper. 

Stay warm!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

The Comfort of Old Books

Something that I dearly enjoy is the reading old books.  My collection started off w/my dear Bigmom's (maternal gr-ma) copy of her McGuffey's Second Reader.

I can still hear her reciting some of her favorites...

Once there was a little kitty,

White as the snow;

In a barn he used to frolic,

Long time ago.

In the barn a little mousie

Ran to and fro;

For she heard the little kitty,

Long time ago...

She passed away in 1977, at 90, and could still recite so many of the stories until shortly before she died. 

So, as the years progressed I added more to my humble colletion.  Then, as I started homeschooling my daughters, I began collecting antique school books and we have actually used many as a part of our schoolwork.  The McGuffey Readers and Ray's Arithmetic, especially.  I even wrote about these as the subject of one of my TOS columns "The Lesson Planner" last year.

Most of the antique books I keep displayed on an antique school desk that my Daddy refinished for me. 

It's a little crowded right now, but until Ty builds (or buys) me the bookshelf he's been promising me for the last several years (eh-hem), it will remian in this little corner of the living room w/my hammered dulcimer music books and other books stacked around it.  It's so nice to just pick up the 1894 leather-bound volume of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and even though I have an entire set of reproduction McGuffey's I still like to look through Bigmom's or even the Fourth Reader I have that someone wrote "Feb. 20th, 1896" inside the cover.  When we want an older view of Ohio history we can turn to our 1933 volume of "History & Geography of Ohio."

I have often thought what my Bigmom and my Grandpa C. would have thought of our homeschooling.  I remember having conversations w/both of them about how odd it seemed to me that they had to BUY all of their schoolbooks!  It was so foreign to me!  Wouldn't they laugh if they knew that NOW WE have to BUY all of our schoolbooks?  lol 

There's nothing like an old book - even if it's a reproduction.  Holding a bit of history in your hands, especially when it had belonged to someone you loved, makes learning more enjoyable and even more interesting.  Not only to me, but it did to my daughters, too.  How cool I would have thought it to be to actually be learning out of the same book MY gr-grandmother used in HER schooling?!  I'm glad my daughters had that privilege.  Wow.  

How special.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><   

I'm FREEZING!!!!!!!! Is it Spring Yet?!

I know it's not ALL that cold - it's in the 20's - but it's that bone-chilling, windy kind of cold that just comes in from weird places into the corners of your house and keeps you all humped-up and walking in quick jerks instead of smooth strides.   

Which makes me ask - IS IT SPRING, YET?

Cos if it is then we get to go to our time-share in Florida!!  So, if you're cold like I'm cold, I'll show you something to warm you up...

This is the view from the front door

Yep...below is a hot tub, a lovely pool, 100 yards of white sand and THEN...the Gulf of Mexico!  Ahhhhhhh!!!

Here is my view from the beach-side of the pool.  When I look up from my book and slightly to left I see this...

When I look up from my book and look slightly to right I see this...

But one of my favorite 'things' to see at the pool is THIS...

...That happy vacation smile.  Is it spring, yet?!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Celebrating Pictures!!!

OK...I am about the biggest techno-idiot around so bare w/me as I celebrate that I NOW know how to up-load pics from my Christmas camera!  WOOHOO!!!  So, if you don't mind, I'll treat you to a few...

This is my little tribute to my Daddy and my Gr-pa's service to our country.  My gr-pa (whose flag you see) was in the Army during WWI and my Daddy (whose dog tags are hanging on the flag ~ my brother as our Daddy's flag) served in the Navy during WWII.  Two wonderful men.

Of course, I can't let the season totally slip by w/o a pic of our Christmas tree!

So many blog friends show pics of their beautiful and homey kitchens and I wanted to give you a glimpse into mine.  It may not be the most beautiful kitchen in the world, but it's homey and cozy to me.

A while back I shared about how I like to use tins and old canning jars as extra cannisters, here's an example of my canning jar cannisters..

This is one of my favorite things, my Hoosier Hutch.  You can see a few extra cannisters and some tins to the side that I keep bulk items like large sacks of flour, sugar, Sucanat, etc in.  Also, haning on the side is my gr-ma's apron that I wear and my dd#2's apron hanging under it.

Above are some other favorite items of mine...the last Christmas before my Daddy died he made me this great shelf for my tin collection; it also has a plate groove.  Below that is my sweet gr-ma's old picture of The Last Supper; she had it hanging in her kitchen, too.  Below that is a very detailed cross-stitch that I did several years ago - it is so detailed that it took me 2 months to do!  It has all sorts of kitchen items on it.

Now, many of you know that I bake Flaxseed bread as our family bread.  Just so happens that I baked a loaf today and I thought I would show it to you.  I love this recipe, it bakes mighty high! 

By the way...that old cookie jar w/the lion on it was my sweet gr-ma's, too.  There's been 4 generations that have enjoyed many-a cookie out of it! 

Hope you enjoyed my experiment w/my camera!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

JASPER IS 21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 21st birthday to my wonderful answer to prayer ... Jasper!!  I treasure you and it has been my joy and priviledge to be your momma and to have homeschooled you during your school years. 

Remember that you are the apple of God's eye and that you are created with a purpose for His Kingdom.  Happy 21st birthday, Baby, and many, MANY more!

Love and blessings to you, Mommy<><

Christmas Eve Picture

Here's a picture our pastor took of us at church on Christmas Eve.  (WOW!  Do I need a haircut!!  )

I hope you all had a happy and blessed Christmas and that your New Year will be even MORE happy and blessed!!

If you would, PLEASE keep us in your prayers.  Sunday was our last day at the church we have worshipped and served at for the past 12-1/2 years.  It's a 70-mile round trip and we feel that the Lord is leading us to serve closer to home.  We have a few churches 'on the list' to try, please pray that we will be sensitive to the Lord's leading and land where HE wants us.  Thanks.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

The Post-Thanksgiving Lull...

Thanksgiving is over and not only was it a day to be thankful, but I am thankful for how it went.  In this cold but sunny day, I am so grateful with how the Lord answered my prayers and calmed some odd family dynamics.

I awoke between 7-7:30a.m. and got a batch of fresh herb bread dough going and then prepared and set the turkey to baking.  As my family woke and after they had quick breakfasts of cereal, I set them to working!  lol  All the last-minute dusting, sweeping and toilet cleaning for my mom's inspection - er, uh - I mean, everyone's comfort and enjoyment!    

But we had a great day.  Some friends of ours who have to drive past our home to have their Thanksgiving at some relative's who live 1/2 hour past us came and visited us for about an hour.  I enjoy talking to friends while I cook, it makes the time go faster and more pleasant.  Just after they left, the first of our guests for the rest of the day arrived - a friend of our 2 dd's who has a new baby and our family (and another family from our church) are ministering/mentoring her, and other friend came, too.  Just after they arrived, my family - mom, brother and his girlfriend - came.  I have to say that - THANKFULLY - my brother was on very good behavior and only one quick little attempt at an opposing politcal comment was made but I told him that I didn't want to have those conversations today and (wow!) that was it.  PTL!! 

We had so much wonderful food - truly a feast:  I made the turkey, the obligatory green bean casserole, salad, homemade herb bread, cheesecake, veggies w/my homemade dill dip (better then store-bought, if I do say so myself!  lol), cheese tray and homemade punch.  My mom brought the stuffing, cornbread, mashed potatoes w/sour cream, chives and cheese (!), red velvet cake (homemade!), home-grown corn and sweet potatoes, while my brother brought shrimp and cocktail sauce.  It seems like I'm missing something, but believe me, we DID NOT lack anything good! 

I would also like to tell you all that I am thankful for all of you who take the time to read, to comment and to leave messages and/or e-mail me.  I praise the Lord for the miracle of the internet and the fun of blogs that have brought us together and the friendships made.  You have made such a precious, comforable nest in my heart.

Blessings to you all...

Kim Wolf<><

Days Gone By...

Off and on something comes up about my modeling days and some of you will contact me by message or e-mail and ask about it.  I modeled from the time that I was 9 until - literally - days before I married at 25.  I also doubled as a make-up artist from 19 to around 32.  I know...if you know me now you'd think that was impossible!  lol  I often say that I'm rebelling as I've given up the suits and 4" heels for jeans and Burkenstocks!    And I'm MUCH happier now!!

But, I thought I'd share a few of my portfolio pics with you...

This is from my very first portfolio shot in 1969 at age 10.  I had done a couple of runway shows before I even had a portfolio.  I was with this agency until I was 16.

Different agency. This was from 1977, age 18, taken in Downtown Dayton, Ohio.  I always loved location shots and doing commercials.  I really enjoyed the switch on a 'formal' look by going w/a tux instead of a long gown.  I wish I could find a still of the "Arby's Days"...I used to do local Arby's commercials.

This was a fun headshot taken around 1980, age 21.  I actually had a MONSTEROUS stack perm and calmed it down for the day's work!    At this point I was also teaching at this particular agency part-time, working the Clinique counter at a dept. store full-time and trying to have a social life.  I made myself sick and was hospitalized shortly after this was taken.  That's when my modeling started to take a back seat ... my agency was NOT amused.  I wasn't there that much longer and ended up going free-lance, which actually paid more anyway.  So it worked out in the end. 

Well, there's the show.  It certainly seems like looking at a movie of another person's life now, and, in many ways, it is.  I wasn't a Christian until I was 23 and the Lord is SO gracious, forgiving and good to me!  I went through a broken engagement from an atheist, became a Christian in 1982 and married my wonderful Christian husband in 1984.  I am undeserving and grateful!

 As a side note...the last time I modeled were the last 2 months before we married, in 1984, in a wedding series that traveled to about 10 different stores.  The wedding gown I had picked out for our own wedding happened to be in the show and the coordinators let me wear it in the shows in one of my sets!!  My sweet Ty, when he would take me to some of the shows, knew which "bride's maids" walked out before me in the set when I wore my gown and he would lower his head and look at the floor until that set was over so that he wouldn't see me in my gown until I walked down OUR isle.  Wasn't that sweet?  He said that whenever I walked out in that gown the audience would ooo and ahhh and it was a terrible temptation to look.  lol 

So, there you have it.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

CHRISTmas Questions Part II

Got this one from Jen...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  YES! lol  Usually bags for friends and wrapping for family.  Don't know why, it just ends up that way.  My FAVORITE wrap is brown paper tied w/twine or raffia w/some sort of CHRISTmas Stampin' Up stamps.

2. Real tree or Artificial?  We used to do the real ones, but I pick up quills ALL year, so we have used a fake one for years.  Last year, however, we got the most wonderful tree!!  It's very rustic - just the way I like it - it has just a touch of "snow" (so it doesn't look 'cheap') and pine cones and we put only vintage and rustic ornaments on it.  LOVE IT!  I hate to take it down!

3. When do you put up the tree? If not the day after Thanksgiving, then the weekend following.

5. Do you like eggnog?  No. 

6. Favorite gift received as a child?  Hmmm...my Barbie Dream House.  I'm old enough that it was the second edition, still cardboard, but it was WAY cool!! 

7. Hardest person to buy for?  My mom.  She's very well off and has 2 of everything.

8. Easiest person to buy for?  My dog, Maggie!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?  Yes; it's the one my family has had since I was about 3 years old and is starting to fall apart.  I'd like to get replacement Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus and a few animals from the company that does the wooden angels for all occasions (shoot, can't think of the name).  While I'm at it ... I CAN'T STAND to see the wise men in a nativity scene!!  They didn't find Jesus until He was 2 years old, for Pete's sake...so put them waaaaay over on the other side of the house that they can make a journey of it! 

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?  Both.  If I have your e-mail address, you'll probably get an e-mail; family and friends w/o e-mail get cards. 

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  OK...I'm serious here...no joke...My dear grandma was a very frugal gal, having lived through the Depression she was always thinking of USEFUL things to give.  The first CHRISTmas we were married she gave us a can of Crisco w/a bow on top!!  lol 

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  White CHRISTmas.

13. When do you start shopping? Usually in December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  Yes.  'Nuff said.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  My mom's stuffing!

16. Lights on the tree?  White.

17. Favorite Christmas song?  O Holy Night and I Wonder as I Wander.  I have a really beautiful arrangement of 'I Wonder...' that I worked out on my hammered dulcimer.

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home?   We usually go to my mom's house.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer’s?  Possibly...um...no.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  A rustic star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?  We have our OWN family CHRISTmas on CHRISTmas Eve morning - when the girls were little we were always rushing all over the place and we weren't making OUR OWN memories and they couldn't enjoy their news clothes or toys.  So, when our oldest was about 5 we started our own tradition on the day before. 

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year.  The emphasis on Santa and stores putting up CHRISTmas - eh hem - I mean 'holiday' decorations BEFORE halloween!! 

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  Rustic, vintage.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Didn't I answer that?  My mom's stuffing.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?  A digital camera.

CHRISTmas Memories

The holidays are near so I want to know...

1.
Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
 Hot chocolate!

2.
Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
 Nope, never did the Santa-thing.  Jesus supplies the gifts – that’s what we’ve always told them.

3.
Colored lights on tree/house or white? 
 White

4.
Do you hang mistletoe? 
 yes

5.
When do you put your decorations up? 
  always right after Thanksgiving :) 

6.
What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? 
My mom’s stuffing.               

 7.
Favorite holiday memory as a child: 
When I was about 11, I couldn’t sleep one Christmas Eve night and I had my radio on.  It was about 2a.m. and Nat King Cole’s “Chestnuts Roasting” came on while huge, fluffy snowflakes floated down outside my windows.  Ahhhh.

8.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? 
 2^nd or 3^rd grade.
9.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? 
Yes.  So that OUR family can make our own Christmas memories, we open our own presents on Christmas Eve morning so that it’s not interrupted by having to leave to go to someone’s house.

10.
How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? 
  We got a new Christmas tree last year that is very real-looking w/just a little ‘snow’ and pinecones on it.  We put away many of our more trendy ornaments for the girls to have one of these days and now only use the more vintage and backwoods-looking ornaments.  It’s very rustic and I LOVE IT!!
11.
Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I love snow...especially when I’m inside looking out!

12.
Can you ice skate? 
  That’s up for interpretation…I’ve roller skated all my life and only ice skated once.

13.
Do you remember your favorite gift? 

Christmas of 1998, Ty got me my hammered dulcimer!!

14.
What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? 
Remembering God's gift to us in His Son Jesus and having my family all together for Christmas. 

15.
What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
 Pumpkin pie and red velvet cake.

16.
What is your favorite holiday tradition? 
The big family meal – everyone together and happy.

17.
What tops your tree? 
 A rustic star

18.
Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Definitely giving 

19.
What is your favorite Christmas Song? 
  O Holy Night and I Wonder as I Wander

20.
Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? 
 Yum.

21.
What do you want for Christmas? 
A digital camera

22.
Do you attend an annual Christmas Party? 
 Ty’s work and – if can call it a party – our annual Christmas Eve service.

23.
Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? 

When I was little we dressed up for the meal.  Now we just wear ‘nice’ jeans and maybe a ‘dress’ blouse/shirt or sweater.

24. Do you own a Santa hat?
 nope – don’t do the Santa-thing here.

25.
Who do you normally spend Christmas with? 
Our family ~~ Christmas Eve day is for our own family; the weekend before Christmas day is w/Ty’s side of the family, Christmas Day is usually w/my side of the family.