Where are we?

A married couple was driving on a cross country road trip. As they entered a town, they began to fight over how to pronounce its unusual name. After arguing for about 15 minutes, they stopped to get something to eat. Before they ordered, the husband asked the lady at the counter: “Could you please slowly pronounce the name of where we are?” The woman looked back at him and said: “Burrr-gerrr-kiiiinnnnggg.”

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Down Memory Lane…

Here is another top ten list for your enjoyment! This is a list of my top ten favorite Christmas memories from years gone by. Some of them may be as recent as last year, and some are from “back in the day”. (lol) I love this time of year, and I had so many memories to choose from, so it was really hard to narrow it down! I reserve the right to change, update, or re-order this list at any time without prior notification. Okay, let’s get started!

#10. My stepsister Katrina and I made a gingerbread house together when she was about nine or ten years old. We ate most of the candy and frosting, but we tried to save a little of it to put on the house! Ha ha, just kidding! Katrina is now about to turn 17! That just blows my mind!
#9. When I was in fifth grade, our class put on a Christmas play for the whole school and all of our parents. In the play, I was Tiny Tina the Elf. In the first scene, I “accidentally” got trapped in a box of toy frogs. I was perfect for the part because I was the only kid who could actually fit in the box!
#8. In 2004, my friend Darcy and her family hosted their first annual “Elf Party”! They invited their friends and family over and we all watched the movie Elf together and had a fabulous time! That year, I went to the party wearing the above mentioned elf costume from my fifth grade play! Yes, it still fit me perfectly after ten years! That’s one more advantage to having dwarfism! It was so much fun to wear that again! The Elf party has become one of the major highlights of the season for me every year! (To see more about Darcy and her husband Greg, click on “The Dansons” under my blogroll.)
#7. One tradition our family started when I was growing up was that each of us made a book of coupons to give to the other family members. We would all get very creative, and it was really fun! I would give my mom coupons that said things like “Good for 10 free hugs” or “Present this coupon and I will clean my room spotless without complaining.” Coupons I received included things like “A dinner date with dad” or “One hour of board games with Jeremy”.
#6. I always love visiting with family during the holidays. Some of my favorite memories of the past few years are from when we went to Missouri during Thanksgiving or Christmas time to visit with my Uncle Steve, Aunt Mindy and their family. I love going to Silver Dollar City with them and doing all the great Christmas things there. The family friendly theme park has incredible Christmas lights everywhere, a humongous Christmas tree that flashes lights in time with music, fabulous hot chocolate, parades, and a first-rate production of “A Christmas Carol.” I also love riding the train around the park, including a “stop at Grandpa’s house” to listen to him tell the Christmas story. If you’ve never been to Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri, I highly recommend it!
#5. I love our Christmas decorations. My favorite things are: a little house that lights up, a singing teddy bear, a dog that barks Christmas carols, my VeggieTales snow globe, and all of our special ornaments on the tree. I also love our calendar that has a pocket for each day and a little mouse that goes from pocket to pocket until he gets to Christmas Eve. I love getting all these things out of storage each year!
#4. When I was growing up, we’d occasionally take family trips to Montana to see my Grandma and Grandpa Johnston. We spent several Christmases with them, and I have very fond memories of our time there. They always had lots of snow, and I remember being all bundled up in a snow suit and boots! We used to ride a sled down the hill behind their house. I remember riding down with my dad; holding on for dear life! We made snow angels, snow men, and did all those wonderful “White Christmas” activities that we aren’t able to do here in Texas!
#3. When I think about Christmas, I always think about being on stage! My brother Jeremy and I were in musicals at church almost every year! They were so much fun! I sang my very first solo in a Christmas musical when I was four years old. Actually, it was just one line of a song called “Christmas Is A Time For Children.” I sat high up on a stool so I could be on the same level as the other kids, and when my friend Tiffany handed me the microphone, I sang, “The little baby Jesus was a kid, ya know!” The next year, I was in a musical called “Arch the Angel”, and I was the little angel who hid behind a star. At age 6, I sang “Silent Night”, and then a year or 2 later, I took part in a trio with 2 other kids singing “Come See the Lamb”. At this time each year, my mom and I always talk about those great musicals, and we have been known to spontaneously break out into one of those songs!
#2. I LOVE baking Christmas goodies! When I was a kid, our family would all spend time in the kitchen together making cookies, fudge, and all kinds of yummy things! Some of my happiest memories are of me and my mom in the kitchen, rolling out cookie dough and singing along to Christmas music. We still bake together every year. Our favorite things are Russian Tea Cakes, Melting Moments (delicate cookies with lemon frosting that melt in your mouth!) peanut butter balls that are covered in chocolate, and chocolate pecan squares. My dad and I make our traditional sugar cookies at his house too. He’s gotten really good at it! He makes all kinds of interesting shapes, and I help with the frosting.
And now, here is my NUMBER ONE favorite Christmas memory!!
Drum roll please…
#1. Last year was Baby Ashlynne’s first Christmas. She was about 7 months old, and she had just mastered the art of crawling. After we had finished opening our presents, we were watching her crawl around the living room and play with her toys. All of a sudden, Ashlynne came crawling over to where I was sitting on the floor. She pulled herself up and wrapped her little baby arms around me in our very first hug! It was such an amazing gift, and I will never forget it. (To see videos of Ashlynne, click on “Our Little Peanut” under my blogroll)

Merry Christmas to you!! Please enjoy this special time of year. Take a minute to recall your favorite memories too!

Weird Winter Weather!

This week the weather has been so fascinating! On Tuesday we had a high of 78 degrees. On Wednesday the temperatures were in the 30’s and we actually got snow! I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve seen snow here! All the kids in our neighborhood were outside playing, shouting and squealing with delight! It was fun while it lasted. Tomorrow the forcast calls for highs in the mid 70’s again. Wow! What a ride!

Top Ten Books of 2008

Did you watch Barbara Walters count down the ten most fascinating people of 2008 last night? Now I feel like making my own top ten list! So, here is a list of my top ten favorite books of the year.

1. The shack
By William P. Young
2. So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore
By Jake Colsen
3. He Loves Me! Learning To Live In The Father’s Affection
By Wayne Jacobsen
4. Redeeming Love
By Francine Rivers
5. Captivating
By John and Stasi Eldredge
6. Blue Like Jazz
By Donald Miller
7. Anne of Green Gables Series
By L. M. Montgomery
8. Mansfield Park
By Jane Austen
9. The Last Jihad series
By Joel C. Rosenberg
10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series
By Ann Brashares

Well, there you have it! Be on the lookout for more Top Ten Lists from me in the near future!
I hope you’re enjoying this Christmas Season! We only have 2 weeks and 6 days left!