It's a busy Monday. But, would we really have it any other way during the holiday season?
Wow! What fun we had last night, sipping cocoa, watching Survivor, and having a cut-throat -no-holds-barred-Ornament Exchange! All I have to say is... watch out for those Schnepp Sisters! They can play a mean game of... Pirate Ornaments. Last night's participants are anxiously waiting to see the unwrapped version of the ornaments for which they fought so hard. We won't make them wait another second. The ornaments are listed by number and the individual who won them. Drum roll, please...
Santa Claus or Bust!
Today, Cassie P - one of our fun and loyal readers - is taking a road trip to Santa Claus, Indiana especially for us. She is road tripping with a friend (Samantha), so that they may hand deliver our letters to the post office for an authentic Santa Claus postmark. Along the way, I've presented Cassie and Samantha with some "challenges." Join me in rooting them on. Then, later today or tomorrow, look on Highlowaha for Cassie's account of their adventures. It will be posted as a separate blog entry. Cassie's tasks include:
- Get a photograph in front of the cross streets, Kringle Way and Christmas Blvd.
- Have one of the 25 flavors of hot cocoa served at the Silent Night Cafe
- Select one of the over 100 candy canes from Santa's Candy Castle, home of the World's Largest Candy Cane Selection!
- Find out one fun fact from the Santa Claus Museum
- Volunteer to reply to one of over 15,000 letters mailed to Santa Claus this holiday season.
- Get their picture in front of at least 3 Santa statues (ideally holding a sign saying, "Merry Christmas from Highlowaha."
- Meet, and serve as HLA ambassador, to Melissa - our point of contact in Santa Claus.
- Of course, mail our Christmas letters and cards!
- Drive safely and have fun
Ornaments, Ornaments, Ornaments
As follow up to last nights Ornament Exchange, I thought we could spend today talking about some of our favorite and most prized ornaments. I've included one of our family favorites.
The story goes that Santa dropped this pocket watch in our living room one year while he was delivering presents to our house. That was the story we told Ricky when he was six years old and it still holds to this day. Ricky is, in fact, in charge of hanging the pocket watch on the tree each year. He's had fun sharing the story with Matthew and I'm sure he'll do it again when Jack is old enough. Ricky, of course, has made us promise that HE gets that ornament when he grows up and has his own family. I love that he's so adamant about having it. It means, in some small way, the tradition means something to him.
How about all of you? Do you have a favorite ornament or holiday decoration? Tell us about it? And, if you don't have one... how about sharing the favorite holiday ornament you've seen while out shopping this year.
As for me.. I am off to Houston for the day and won't be back until late tonight. I'll count on all of you to keep the community going and I'll look forward to reading what you had to say when I return.
Signing off until tomorrow...
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12 comments:
What a fun ornament exchange last night!! Too bad I didn't think to wrap a Penn State ornament in Ohio State paper, because O'm sure Tera and Treye would have een all over that! (Love ya Tera and can't wait to see you guys over the holidays!)
My favorite ormament is probaby the Yellowstone ornament hanging on our tree; however, I am also a fan of the fishing lure garland (see pic from yesterday) we put on our "rednek Christmas tree."
I love my ornament...
I couldnt begin to pick a favorite ornament. Each year since 1988 when I got engaged my husband bought me ornaments for my tree. They meant something significant going on at the moment. In 1989 I was married so I got the "1st Christmas" ornament, in 1989 we purchased our house so I got the "Our First Home" ornament and then in 1990 I got the "First Baby" ornament for the birth of Michael. It has been the same since. The most precious ornaments to me are the ones my kids made as pre-schoolers. I remember how proud they were to run home and make me open my present because as Michael would say "Mom if you knew what this was you would not want to wait." Of course he always won. Still today he cant wait until Christmas to give gifts ( we make him wait now).
Every year I purchase an ornament for each child that signifies their life at the given moment. When they get married (of move out) I will give them their ornaments and they can start their tree. I however will have a tree that looks bald and have to buy all new ones. I hope I have the strength to give up my memories .
Now that you are all bored with this story.... I hear the crickets LOL I will check in later. Christmas is my favorite time of the year so I tend to get carried away ( in every department)!!!!!
Have a great day HLA:)
Yay! Snowmen! I love snowmen!! I got a snowman ornament!! Yay me!!!
Can I copy Maureen's story??? Just change a few of the years?
Our New home, Baby 1st Christmas ... and then ornaments that we can put their picture in, or something that reflects their sport or hobby, bubba has tons of hockey skates, sissy has been getting diva ornaments....so, as a wedding gift, they will receive a ton of memorable ornaments, (I sign and date them).
Sissy helped me decorate this year, and was ooohing, and aahhing over every ornament she was putting on the tree. I think it finally clicked why we were putting up the tree with special and unique ornaments, that have meaning behind each one! ( guess you have to be 13 to have a new outlook on things happening in your own house)
Happy Day!
I might need to adopt kids to fill my tree once mine move out LOL
Treye and I have put up a tree the last 4 years together (2 years in KY, 1 in PA, now in OH). His mom used to work at American Greetings so she's given us a TON of ornaments. None of them really have any meaning to me, but I hope that we can start our ornamet collection together now that we are celebrating our first Christmas together as a married couple.
Back at my parent's house I used to hang ornaments that I made as a child. My mom has kept those and I'll be getting them once we're settled in to a house...this apartment isn't big enough for everything! Those obviously have more meaning than the ones we put up now.
My parent's tree is amazing...my mom really should go in to the tree decorating business. This year I think the tree is coral and gold? It's beautiful! Again, no special ornaments.
I guess that since I don't have a favorite ornamet, the one I won this year in the ornament exchange will be my favorite :)
Have a great week everyone!
Claudia -
Will you be emailing us the address of the winner of our ornament so we can hopefully get those out before Christmas?
IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!
Santa Claus, IN is a BUST today! :-(
The weather here in IN is horrible, and me and my friend, Samantha, have been forbidden by our mothers from driving there today. A cold front has moved through the entire southern part of IN, moving west to east, so we would drive straight into it. The temperature has steadily dropped from 60 degrees at about 5 this morning, to now around 30 degrees! It has been raining all morning, and roads are now supposed to freeze...wonderful! Snow/sleet is expected between now and tonight, and 1-2 inches of snow tonight.
NEVER FEAR HLA FRIENDS!!!
Cassie P always has a back-up plan...
More news to come later. STAY TUNED!
cspagradstudent- Katie
It was a great game and had us Griz fans nervous the entire game. I will look forward to putting your ornament on teh tree along side the one I got from Claudia!
Is there anyone on here with ties to the Richmond Spiders and want to make a small ornament bet for the game this Friday?
Not sure I had a favorite ornament, however my father buys me a set of Disney characters every year so I can choose what theme I am decorating. I hope to have a house someday that I can have more than one tree so all the ornaments can be used.
My favorite ornaments are the ones I received from my aunt for so many years in a row. Her sister-in-law makes ornaments, and so for many years, I would receive an ornament. One of the years I was very into ballet, I received ballet slippers, another year I received a pink angel playing the guitar with the words "silent night" on it. They are all so special to me because on the back of all of them is the year, and the words, "love, aunt susan". I look forward to having my own tree and putting them on there. I think next year is my first year for a tree of my own.
I also love some of our home-made ornaments we gave to our parents. One in particular, my younger brother and I fight over every year because we both think we made it. The thing is, I have a funny memory when it comes to things like this, and I know for a fact I made it. I was in the 2nd grade- I can picture it like it was yesterday. Of course, I'm sure he'd give you a similar argument! Oh the joy of siblings!
Happy Monday, HLA!
Cassie P.~ listen to your mothers!
I can't really recall a favorite ornament though I love to see the ones that I made with my picture on it and of course the ones that my boys are now making with their photos.
The first year I was married I didn't have any ornaments and I think we may have been tight on funds so I took old pictures and cut them into holiday shapes, glued them to green paper, added a gold edge and a gold ribbon and voila~ a tree full of picture ornaments. I look forward to seeing them each year.
I think that is the sweetest story about Ricky now sharing the story with his little brothers. I love that he has declared ownership of the ornament and can totally see him passing it down to his kids someday. :)
I have posted in last night's comment section ...
Kristen ... great idea ... would you have been able to buy OSU paper though?
Maureen - I love Michael's rational for wanting you to open gifts early!
Cassie P and Samantha - have no fear - we're all a-ok with you staying out of a winter storm. Safely comes first!
My favorite ornaments are probably my 12 days of Christmas ones that my aunt gave me in a series over the first 12 years of my life.
P.S. - NOT CUT-THROAT :) You guys should hear some stories of the Schnepp Sisters during Christmas time from years past!!
AND ... I'm heading from Starbucks back to my house ... with the hopes that I don't get blown away. I'm being introduced the desert winds!
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