A Little German in Our Christmas

In '92 (I may be wrong, could be '91), my grandparents & uncle were a host home to an attractive, young German boy named Philipp. When my sister & I met him, we were in love immediately. He was SO cute (I'm sure that's what we said back then). Still today, I can smell his cologne in my mind. Mhmm. Anyway, enough about how handsome Philipp was & back to the real story. Having not seen his family since he left them months before, his family decided to spend Christmas in the states-MO in particular, St. Louis..St. Charles CO.-our house! We had never really been accustomed to being around persons from other countries so my sister & I were quite eager to meet this family & take it all in. We worked diligently on welcoming signs featuring the Arch (complete with stats compliments of me!), Zoo, & the Science Center & other landmarks of the area. We carried our nicely handcrafted pictures/signs to the airport with us & the moment Philipp spotted them, we proudly held them up as high as our little arms could reach. We all looked on as Philipp & his family embraced warmly. Over the course of the next few days, things would prove to be rather interesting. Philipp played translator between his younger sister Anna (who was about 8 or 9 at the time) & Haley & me. He would also have to help out his father as his English was minimal. Thankfully, his mom did speak English fairly well. We enjoyed gifting them with mementos of St. Louis & they were kind enough to bring us some tokens from Germany. We carried them to the Arch & they were fascinated by the monument & very entertained by the means of transportation to the top of the Arch. We went to Union Station & they spent a significant amount of money there on shoes, purses, flags, etc. Philipp's family was rather well-off financially so for them to do so, was nothing. They kept insisting that they would like to buy Haley & me something while there. Having been taught to politely decline, we did so. However, they continued to ask us to pick something out that we would like to have. Philipp finally spoke to our parents & informed them that they needed to allow his parents to do so for us because we were insulting them but turning them down. Of course, Haley & I each tried to find inexpensive items. I don't really remember but I think I may have picked out a sweatshirt or something (though everything they were looking at for us was $75.00+) while Haley picked out one of those awful looking Troll dolls that were "in" at the time. On Christmas Day, our family gathered together as we always do & like usual, the adults conversed while the kids played. I vividly remember us singing "Silent Night" & the Klusmeiers singing in German as we sang in English. My Cousin Lisa was only a few years old at the time & I remember her telling Philipp's dad, "You don't know it!" Her little mind could not comprehend the concept of another language. We have that moment captured on video to laugh at over & over. It is not very often that a family gets to experience the joy of celebrating Christmas with those of another culture so for us to get do so was a real treasure. Definitely, one of my favorite Christmases. In 2000, after traveling to Europe with her high school German class, Haley remained in Germany for an extra 2 weeks to visit with her friend Stefanie (who was a foreign exchange student Haley befriended in high school) as well as stay with the Klusmeiers. They took her to several castles, etc. She enjoyed her visit with them immensely. I have not been to Germany (or Europe for that matter) but I hope that one day, I will make it to Germany to see this family that we had such fun with.

Unexpected Gift, the Best Gift

As with every Christmas, I receive many presents & this year, was not any different. Though I am appreciative of all that is given to me, it is all unnecessary. This year, the gift that brought the most happiness to me was not found within a box opened up on Christmas Eve or cash found in an envelope. No, this gift was not waiting for me beneath the tree. This gift arrived via the USPS in our mailbox on Christmas Eve...a Christmas card. To many, opening your mailbox to find something other than bills or junk is quite welcoming I'm sure. Which, I am just the same-I can do without the headaches of it all. Since childhood, I have always been over-excited to receive a card or letter from friends. At Christmas time, it is always nice to get Christmas cards & learn how people have been through the year. This card, was no ordinary card though. You see, after the U.S. invaded Iraq & the war began, I set out in search of soldiers to write & mail care packages to. Honestly, I do not remember how I got his name but I received info. for a man named Matthew. I mailed him goodies every once in a while & he & I would e-mail regularly to one another. Once he returned home, I heard from him a few times but not for very long. Having not heard from him in several years, I had (please forgive me Matthew!) not thought about him at all. When I retrieved the mail on Wednesday evening & began to sort through, I noticed an envelope addressed to me with a return address sticker for Matthew. I was surprised to have gotten a card from him & as I read it, tears began to fill my eyes. Matthew wrote, "Heather, Thank you for everything while I was deployed. Because of folks like you, it keeps us going." That was just a line from his card to me & while that may not seem like much to many, that meant the world to me. Matthew is now retired from the military & lives here in MO with his wife & 2 sons. After he returned home, we discussed meeting sometime face-to-face. I am eager, after these several years have passed, to reconnect with Matthew. I hope to meet his family & thank him in person for his service to this great nation. Thank you Matthew, for giving me a wonderful Christmas gift!

I Smell Like a Pancake!

As a child, just the very smell of breakfast foods made me nauscious. When our family would travel to Alabama to visit my mema & papa, we'd often stop at McDonald's before leaving town in the morning. While my parents & sister would order an Egg McMuffin or Sausage Biscuit, I'd be ordering a milk shake or sundae. After many years, I have finally come around to eating some breakfast foods but breakfast is not my favorite meal by any means. Tonight, I got off work & my parents & I went to have supper at Denny's. As I looked through the menu, I noticed a new item-the Grand Slamwich (or something like that); shaved ham, seasoned sausage, bacon, American Cheese, mayo & a Maple glaze all on grilled Potato Bread. I contemplated at great lengths whether or not I should give that a try or get my usual, Moons Over My Hammy. I decided to step out of the box. Knowing full well that I was not going to care for the Maple glaze, I asked for it to be left off. Our waitress brought our food out, sat my plate before me & immediately, my nose found the smell of maple. For a moment, I wondered if I was just smelling the pancake bites & syrup belonging to the people behind us. I took my first bite & knew right away that something in my mouth was maple-flavored. I ate as much of the sandwich as possible before getting sick of it. I did not "see" anything that looked like a maple glaze on it but then again, I was looking for a colored glaze & found nothing. I thought that it may have been that the bacon had that flavor. I passed it to my dad to try because well, he'll eat almost anything. He even said that he didn't think it was very good-too sweet. Though I had a few remaining bites on my plate, I had to pass on them. I couldn't bear to eat another bite. I stepped out & now I know, I won't be stepping out for that again. Unfortunately, since my return home, I've washed my hands multiple times & yet, they still like maple. The smell is sickening to me--takes me back to childhood rides in the car having to smell the breakfast food. I hope that soon, this smell will go away.

Pet Peeve of the Potty!

After taking in a good bit of water this morning, around 11:00 a.m., I was needing to use the facilities (aka, the restroom, bathroom, washroom, ladies room) at work. I headed on in & made my way into one of the 2 available stalls (which, we have 3 but one has been out of order for over a month. Doesn't it seem logical to get that looked into?) ready to conduct business when I realized something. I noticed that there was no toilet paper in the holder. The roll had been emptied out & whoever used the last smidget was kind enough to bring forth another roll but they couldn't go the extra mile & put it in the holder. Nope, too difficult I guess. Instead, they sat it on top of the holder to allow someone else to have to put it up. Now, I realize that putting t.p. in a holder is not a difficult task & that I probably shouldn't be complaining about it but..seriously, how hard can it be? This irritates me to no end. The one advantage to my sister being gone is that I do not have to deal with this at home now. For years, I would walk into the bathroom to see a roll of toilet paper sitting on top of the holder just waiting to be put away. I would question Haley as to why she could never take care of the matter. I don't recall ever really getting an answer. I just know that it drives me CRAZY! Am I the only one that feels this way?

Roll Tide

For those who have never been to a football game in the south, you may not understand just how passionate the Southerners are about the game. As much as I live for Cardinals baseball in the summer, I think they are 10x more devoted to football. They eat, sleep, dream football--their very breath is football. I had the opportunity to go with my Uncle to the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) while I was in Dixie for Thanksgiving. I had been to a game many years ago but my recollections were few aside from the fact that there were a lot of people. As we headed down the highway to Tuscaloosa, nearly every vehicle in sight had either an Alabama flag, bumper sticker or magnet on it. We made our way to the parking garage & as my Uncle paid the parking attendant, she let out a big, "ROLLLLL TIDE!" In return, my Uncle did the same. From the time we stepped on the elevator to head to the bus stop to carry us to the stadium to the time we sat down in our seats people were yelling "Roll Tide." Alabama had added onto their seating at the stadium since my last visit so I was mesmerized by the size of the place. I had a suspicion that things would be loud but until things got rolling, I had no idea the magnitude. And then...it all began. The Bama players appeared, the band played & the cheerleaders cheered..as did the 90,000+ seated in the stadium. The noise was deafening. I have been to a number of playoff games at Busch Stadium & heard the roar from the Cardinals fans, I've been in sold out arenas for different events where people were erupting with chants & cheers but nothing can compare to the volume coming from Bryant-Denning Stadium that afternoon. The Bama diehards are rowdy anyway but I knew that they would be even more fired up for this game. In just the first few minutes of the game, the people were already on the edge of their seat as if it were the final minute in the 4th quarter & the game was tied. Auburn had beat Bama a consecutive 6 times prior to this meeting & Bama being undefeated thus far, had to beat Auburn this go around. I assumed that the Tigers would at least put some points on the board but when the game was over & done, they had the door slammed on them with the Tide winning 36-0. Talk about an explosive victory!Before we even went to the game, I was a bit fearful that the game itself may be a little too slow & boring for me as I had been used to watching Mizzou football--Mizzou scores fast, quick & often, generally scoring at least 40 points in a game. Alabama on the otherhand, does not. If there were a game for me to see, I was at it though. I did not leave disappointed nor did any other UA fan. The only ones that left with their heads hanging low were those in the orange & blue shirts. I am eager to go to another game there in Tuscaloosa--they will be adding another 10-15,000 seats soon. That should make for a good weekend of hearing loss!




**Note that I will try to get a couple of the videos I shot up as soon
as possible. I'm having difficulties uploading them onto here at this time.**

For the One Who'll Drop to His Knee For Me...

As we all know, tis' the season of love-love in many different fashions. Love of the ultimate-the birth of our Saviour, love towards those less fortunate & of course, love as in "Love is in the air" in a romance kind of way. We all know individuals that have gotten engaged during the Christmas season be it this year or years gone by. I already know of one this year. On Sunday afternoon, while perusing the aisles at Target, I saw a giddy young couple scanning every item within reach to add to their registry. As I looked, I saw a big diamond ring on the girl's hand. Then, on my return home, I had the radio on. In the midst of the music came the commerical from the Shane CO. advertising that Christmas is the time for romance & every girl dreams & waits in expectation of an engagement ring at this time of year. "So, hurry into the Shane CO. today to buy that special ring for your loved one. Make this a Christmas she will never forget." Now, it is no secret (I don't think anyway) that I pray that one day, God will see fit to bring me a husband (I'll write about that in the days ahead). But...may I just ask a small favor from those of you that I call "friend." If the day comes that I should be in a serious relationship & it looks like things are progressing towards happily ever after, could you fill my mystery mate (he's a mystery to me right now) in on something for me? Could you just let him know that if he is considering dropping to one knee, saying some beautiful things to me that will make me cry & then presenting a ring to me that I would like to be somewhat surprised? I will not be surprised if he chooses to do so during the Christmas season--especially on Christmas Day or Eve. Since the rest of the world seems to get engaged on big holidays (Christmas, New Years, Valentines, 4th of July), I would be assuming that such would be true for myself. Also, if it looks like things are headed in that direction, please let him know that he is capable of picking the ring out by himself. Or, if he needs help contact my family or Crystal. I often wonder...where is the element of surprise if you go to the store so that you can show the guy your "perfect" ring? I would like to think that as long as I've waited & as long as I'll continue to wait, I'll be so surprised & swept off my feet that I'll be speechless. Oh...and last but not least, when that day comes, I don't need an audience. Then again, if someone is ready to ask me to spend the rest of my life with them, they will probably know me well enough to know that I do not like all eyes being upon me so a proposal at a Cardinal's baseball game would not be the way to go. Just some thoughts during this season of love.

Covered in Peppermint Milk Shake

When my uncle learned that I would be joining my parents in the trip down to AL for Thanksgiving, he informed me that my dad & I would have to make a decision as to which one of us was going to go to the Alabama/Auburn game with him. My dad was gracious enough to allow me to go (which, I will write about that experience in my next entry). I went to a Bama game many years ago & to be quite honest, the only thing that kept me captive was people watching & the music. Years later, I still am not a football expert but I now have an understanding of the game & enjoy the sport. I was more anxious about my return trip to the stadium than I was in my younger years. My uncle & I got on the road & all too soon were lined up with hundreds of others waiting on the highway in traffic. We finally made it into Tuscaloosa & Uncle Rog was kind enough to stop by Chic-Fil-A so that I could pick up some lunch. Having seen their Peppermint Chocolate Milk Shake featured on commercials, that was a must have. Once I had received my food, we went ahead & drove to the university & parked in the garage. I spent some time eating my food & once I was done eating, I began on my milkshake. Rog & I decided to head towards the bus pick up line to be carried to the stadium. Meanwhile, I was still downing the shake. Once we arrived to the line, I began to wonder if I would be able to take my shake with me. Of course not--there was a sign stating no food or drinks were allowed. At this point, I noticed a trash can was just feet away from me. Rather than walking completely over & seeing to it that the shake made it all the way into the can, I just tossed it confidently knowing that it would make it into the can. Well, it did make it into the can--just not into the main hole for trash. Since it hit the outer rim, the lid popped off sending the remainder (which was about 3/4 of the cup) flying everywhere. I was on route back to the line & had no knowledge that such was even taking place until I turned back around & saw that not only was my milkshake all over the place but everyone was staring at me. I then saw a man close by who was covered in my milkshake. This was no ordinary man you see--he was an Auburn fan dressed in Orange & Blue from head to toe while I stood in line with my Alabama shirt & Alabama coat. You can imagine how that must have appeared. I immediately began to apologize the best I could (through my laughter--I was bent over double cracking up). My uncle assured the man that I did not mean to do such (though, my uncle was proud that if the accident had to happen, it went all over an Auburn fan rather than a Bama fan). Lucky for me, the man was not angry & was OK with it. Talk about embarrassing! Would this be an indicator that Bama would cream the Auburn Tigers? Now, a week later, all I can think about is my need to go to Chick-Fil-A to get another shake so that I can enjoy it in it's entirety. If you know me well, you know how deeply I LOVE ice cream. Having to part ways with the Shake was not the easiest thing to do but necessary. I was fine with it until I saw it splattered everywhere--that man was getting to enjoy my Peppermint Milk Shake!

Black Friday

On the day often called "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving), my family & I, like most, headed to the stores. I had looked at the ads prior to our darting out & was on a mission. We entered into Wal-Mart & split ways--each of us going to the specific areas in which our items were to be found. I searched & searched for a particular item when my mom found one sitting on the floor in the middle of the aisle. I figured if was there, it was fair game. I grabbed it & threw it in the cart. The search continued for the rest of the merchandise desired. My Mom & I looked up & down, side to side, behind things, on the floor, etc. & it was to no avail. Apparently, I did not arrive early enough to beat the others that were racing for the items. Meanwhile, my Dad & Uncle were in another part of the store coming up short--everything they were in search of was sold out. As we left, I thanked my parents for all of the years they waited to get into the stores, stood in long lines & then raced in as fast as they could just to get my sister & me those Cabbage Patch Dolls or other must-have toys. Though not a parent myself, I caught a glimpse into what it must have been like for them & I must say, I believe it's not worth it. Just that short amount of time wore me out & made me wonder why in the world anyone would go to such trouble. Now, I realize that for some things you are getting them at a significantly lower price than usual but I just don't know if it's worth the effort in my opinion. But hey, that's just me. A while after the shopping excursion, we stopped by my uncle's work to install the webcam he bought in order to talk to my sister. Unfortunately, once it was set-up, she was not online so we weren't able to communicate. We left there & made our way to Shorty's-a dive outside of town that my dad had been dying to try for several years now. Shorty's does not appear like anything special on the outside (in fact, it appears more like a hole-in-the-wall dump) yet, there are always plenty of cars there. Usually, such is a great indicator that a place is good. So, we finally ate at Shorty's. Shorty's is just an inexpensive little joint featuring bbq, fish, burgers, etc. I wouldn't say it was the best place I've ever eaten but it certainly was not bad--especially for the price. My Cousin Melissa was in contact with Haley via MSN Messenger & was relaying messages for us to Haley--to stay online & we'd head back to my uncle's work. Thankfully, after a bit of confusion, we made the connection & were all able to see Haley's face & talk to her. I know that such puts my Mema & Uncle Rog at peace--having the ability to actually see & talk to her to know she is OK. We usually see a movie while we are down there--this time was no different. Having seen the previews for Four Christmases, we decided upon going to see that show. $6.50 to get in & for those who have yet to see the movie that are considering it, do not waste your money on it. For starters, the movie was only about 1 hr. & 15 min. long. Secondly, it really was not that funny. Third, the movie consisted of a great amount of sexual humor & references and lastly, there was not a whole lot about it that involved Christmas. Last year, I saw Fred Claus & hated it. Remember, the star of that movie was Vince Vaughn. As you may know, Vince Vaughn is also one of the lead actors in this film. I have determined that Vince Vaughn in a Christmas movie = huge let down, waste of time and unwise use of money spending.

Wacky Time in The Woods

While at the Headrick Household for Thanksgiving, I had a brilliant idea. Having done a photoshoot ourselves there a couple of year ago, the pictures of Haley & me turned out wonderfully. I did not see any reason I could not take all of the kiddos out into the wilderness & snap some great pictures as well. Boy was I wrong! Let me just say, 3 year olds & photo sessions don't go hand-in-hand. Eager to get outside, all 4 children put their shoes & coats on & were ready to go. My Cousin Chanda & I led them out the doors & we began our walk to the pond behind her grandparents house. I asked all 4 kids to sit on the ground together. While they listened, Hannah (the 3 yr. old) did not want to stay seated for long, Adri (5) was not interested in looking at the camera & Ian (10) would much rather have been doing something else than having to sit there with his 2 sisters & Hannah. Rose (7) was the only one cooperating with my big plan. After 2 tries for the group picture, all kids were up & on the move. The ground was covered in leaves & I was out prancing around in dress shoes that had no grip or resistance--only leaving me to slip & slide in the foliage. Meanwhile, up ahead of me were the kids running all over the place as Chanda chased after Hannah. I decided it would benefit me to make it to the top of the hill so I would be walking on a straight path. Unfortunately, the climb up was not as easy due to my choice of footwear for the day. As I tried to anchor myself to a tree & pull myself up, my feet began to slide...all I could do was laugh hysterically. It's a wonder the whole mountain did not hear me. Sweet little Rose walked over & offered a hand (not realizing that if I went down I'd be taking her with me since I'm much larger!) to help me out. I finally made it to the top & began to catch up with the others. Once I did, I was able to talk them into pausing for a few more pictures. Ian was long gone but the girls were all relatively close enough that they could gather around. I was able to get a few of the kids being kids. Once we were done, all 4 kids were complaining because they had stuff all over their clothes that they said was poking them & it hurt. We walked back to the house & Chanda & I spent a while picking all of the stuff off of their clothing while considering that maybe things had not gone as planned. Even still, we had ourselves a good laugh.

Thanksgiving on the Mountain

Though we got a late start out of St. Louis, my parents and I were in the van, on our way to AL by 9:30 on Wednesday morning. Things were going great until we got to Marion, IL where road work was taking place leaving us to slowly creep along the highway. We made it through Marion after 20 minutes and were back to full speed. We generally stop for lunch at Ft. Campbell and fill up there as well (gas tends to be less expensive there) but my dad had heard that troops had come in from deployment and more were heading in. That is, by no means, a bad thing--in fact, it's wonderful and we praise God for bringing these men and women home safely. However, last year we wound up staying in Ft. Campbell for a rather lengthy amount of time because there were so many troops in that we could not budge our way out of the parking lot. Needless to say, we filled up and drove down to Clarksville to grab a bite to eat. After lunch at Arby's, we piled back into the vehicle only to have to put on the brakes again further down the road when we got closer to Nashville. We spent over a hour getting through country music's capital. We finally arrived at my Mema and Uncle Roger's house at 7:00 p.m. I could hardly wait for dinner to be done so that I could fill my plate up with chicken and dumplings and green beans. I had not had homemade dumplings in a while so they were quite delicious! We all visited a while and then set up camp for bed. I arose at 10 till 7 a.m. (or so I thought) having to use the bathroom. Before I got up to go, I grabbed my cell phone to see what time it was. My phone read: 7:50. I decided that I probably would have difficulties going back to sleep so I might as well just stay up. I grabbed the sales ads, posted myself on the sofa and then noticed the clock-it was now 7:00, not 8:00. So, for some reason, my cell phone was stuck back on Georgia time! Even still, I remained on the couch-even took a brief snooze before everyone else woke up. My uncle and I watched some of the Macy's Parade and it was then time for us to load the van up with goodies and head to the mountain. We pulled up to find a garage full of tasteful yummies. Sadly, I never even made it to the desserts (that's surprising too). I was so taken by the sweet potato casserole, the grape salad my cousin made, etc. that my Red Velvet Cake didn't even get my visit for the afternoon. I enjoyed spending the afternoon with family and giving thanks for the many, many things I have to be thankful for in my life.