Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Christmas Fun with Cheryl Wyatt and a surprise : )

Hello everyone!
I am so sorry for not being around yesterday. Yes, there was supposed to be a post, no it did not get lost somewhere between me hitting post and it actually showing up. The weather has really been taking a lot out on me and I didn't get around to making the post. Then last night I got bad news at my doctors appointment. Never fear though, I've got some stuff up my sleeve for tomorrow ; ) Anyway, our guest today needs no introduction. She's an amazing person and author, mother, Seeker, and friend....it's CHERYL WYATT!!!!! Heehee....



H: Cheryl! Finally, I feel like you needed to be on my blog with me before this, ah well, can't complain at least you are now :P Anyway, what is your favorite part(s) of the Christmas season?

C: People being off work and able to get together. Spending time with family is my favorite part. I have in recent years come to really love the season more. The lights and nostalgia and being mindful of God sending to us the most grand gift of Jesus and thereby removing from Himself the ability to destroy mankind altogether. That we have a Savior at all is mindboggling to me. There is a God. Thankfully He's the kindest person in all of history. LOL.

H: I agree completely : ) Plus, don't we all need that break!? Are you a big celebrator of Christmas?

C: Yes. Although I hate putting up a tree and taking it down.
I like miniature trees. LOL!

H: Oh booooooo, Cheryl. Come on, how can you hate the tree?! Well does that mean you hate decorating it too or merely putting it up? Lol! What are some of your traditions? (i.e. food, gift giving, family traditions, etc).?

C: I use the season to teach my daughters the importance of reaching out to the world and giving. We give to needy children here in the U.S. as well as abroad, to orphans. I started this before they could walk and they look forward to shopping for orphans and less fortunate children each season. They are becoming givers at heart and I am so thankful for that. We play a lot of games around Christmas time. My husband and I are hosting Bunco parties. It's a great mixer and tons of fun. My face usually hurts the next day from laughing so hard the evening before. We love getting together with friends and family and just laughing & playing games during the holiday season.

H: Ohhhhhh goodness, we all know how you can laugh too. I can imagine it MUST hurt the next day ; ) And how good of you to be teaching your daughters those good life lessons. They'll always remember them too. Do you have a favorite Christmas themed book/recommendation? Movie?

C: I actually love Frosty the Snowman. LOL!

H: Good choice! If you had to pick one “symbol” of Christmas (i.e. ornaments, the tree, the lights, the nativity set, etc.), what would you pick as your favorite?

C: Definitely the nativity set.
It would be a toss up between that and the famed Kneeling Santa sculpture where Santa is kneeling before a tiny baby in a manger and worshipping the baby Jesus.

H: I've never heard of the Kneeling Santa sculpture before! I looked him up and look how cool it is : ) What did you ask Santa for this year? *wink*

C: A Keurig Coffee Maker and funny socks. I love getting new socks for Christmas.

H: Coffee, coffee, coffee! As your niece said to me, coffee makes everything better : ) We've got the SockLady socks, theyre purposefully mismatched socks.
You'd love 'em I bet!! What was one gift that you always wanted, but never got?


C: I can't think of a thing, honestly, other than asking my family to make their present to me be that they go to church with me for Christmas. That didn't happen...yet! LOL.

H: Erm....I don't think you could get me to go to church on Christmas Day either lol!! Sorry, but we've never had church on Christmas anyway. So I'm just not used to it, we have lots of plans on the actual day anyway lol.

These are some bests. Just fill them in with your favorite/the best.

Christmas present as a child?
An eighteen speed bike that I rode ten miles every day, uphill (both ways) in the snow....

Favorite Christmas? When my Aunt Linda and her family made a surprise visit to Illinois.

Christmas song? The Little Drummer Boy and Breath of Heaven

Character in the Christmas Story (maybe you played them in a church pageant one year? Lol!)? Baby Jesus of course. LOL! I played Mary once in Kindergarden I think it was. Unfortunately the baby Jesus was a persnickety doll whose head came off and rolled off the stage. I was so stunned I went blank and froze, forgetting my lines. My cousin Wes was Joseph and he kept poking me in the ribs and whispering loudly the next script but I still stood frozen and freaked out by the head laying on the gym floor. I dropped the headless doll and almost cried until my teacher scurried out and knelt in front to help me refocus...and to fix Baby Jesus. LOL!

Place to spend Christmas day? With family playing games and watching kids open gifts.

Christmas food? Mom's no bake cookies.

In closing, I'd love to say that my most reminiscent Christmas season was spending time with orphans in India following the great tsunami. The children at one orphanage in particular had one toy to share between 347 kids. We came loaded with suitcases full of toys. I remember their faces as one by one they came into the realization that they EACH would get a toy for THEMSELVES. They could not comprehend having their own, personal toy.

I encourage everyone who can to take at least a short term mission trip. I went with Hopegivers International which can be found with Google. There are many great organizations out there that help orphans. Here in the U.S. too. I love encouraging people to give during the season. Toys for Tots. Angeltree. Soldier's Angels. Compassion International. World Vision. Hopegivers. Easter Seals. I could list a gazillion more good ones. Even twenty dollars can make a difference.

Hugs all and thank you Hannah, for a wonderful interview! This was great fun! Wish you all could join me for Bunco!

Cheryl, thank you so, so much for making this blogfest even more special and cheery! I loved getting to know more things about you, especially in your Christmas traditions! Now it's GIVEAWAY time!!! Cheryl has graciously offered up one of those Kneeling Santa statues for three lucky winners! Make sure to leave an email : )

Okay before the Mystery Song of the Day, I need to just give you THIS to watch for fun! It made me laugh soooo hard! Today's Song is very different lol! But I definitely associate it with Christmas : ) Can you imagine this happening to you!?

Today I have my last final and I will officially be done this semester for Christmas break!!! Woohoo!! Hope your Wednesday gives you the hope to finish this week : )
Hannah

29 comments:

  1. Thanks Cheryl for sharing!!!

    Kathy Schindler
    kathyschindler.com
    kathyschindler.romance@gmail.com

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  2. Cheryl, I used to love no bake cookies, but I'd forgotten all about them. I think I'll go search for the recipe.

    I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and play lots of games.

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  3. Cara, my mom makes them with less peanut butter and more dark chocolate. They are more crispy than chewy. SOOO good.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Cheryl

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  4. Kathy, one of my all time favorite movies is Shindler's List. Your name always reminds me of it.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

    Warmly,
    Cheryl

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  5. Oh, I can definitely imagine that happening to me, but I'd be one of the singers. I'd love to be part of a group involved with this.

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  6. Heidi, LOL!

    Thanks for stopping by.
    Cheryl

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  7. I think one of the reasons I've got a bad attitude about Christmas trees is, I live in a really small house. REALLY small. Cracker box small.

    And there's just no good place for it. It's in the way from the second it goes up until it comes down.

    So I drag my feet about putting it up. But I suppose I need to get on with it pretty soon.

    I've got a small one these days so it's okay. It's also predecorated. I BOUGHT a decorated articial tree. I just stick it back into a large trash bag after Christmas and pull it out again next year.

    I need to get on with that.

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  8. Have you seen that Breath of Heaven video set to scenes from The Nativity Story (a movie) It's so absolutely beautiful. I haven't watched it yet this year.

    I'm almost afraid to because it really haunts me. Stays in my head when I'm trying to sleep at night.
    But I'm going to find it now anyway. :)

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  9. Mary, have you seen the collapsible, prelit, predecorated tree? I SO want one! LOL!

    I have a friend who keeps a closet empty just for their tree. They put it on a rolling pallet so they just roll it in and out each year. LOL!

    I don't know that I'd go so far as to use up an entire closet for the tree, but that's pretty funny.

    I haven't seen the BOH video but now I want to. That song haunts me too. I love it.

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  10. Hmmm. The Captcha just called me Whinie. Do I whine? I don't think I wine. WHYYYY does the Captcha taunt me so?!! LOL.

    Cheryl

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  11. Hi Hannah and Cheryl,
    Love the blog and comments today! Always fun to talk about Christmas.

    The Little Drummer Boy is my fav Christmas song, too, other than all time fav, Silent Night.

    Merry Christmas to all!!!

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  12. Wine...whine...what's the difference?? lol

    My favorite part of Christmas is the time off to visit family and friends. We load the time up with family and church events, but it's not so bad since school's out, and there are a few extra days off work.

    Hanna, we don't dismiss church even if Christmas falls on Sunday. Nope

    And we have a watchnight service where we ring in the new year at church. We eat afterwards.... about 12:30 AM!!! lol

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  13. Oh, Cheryl, I can't stop cackling over the doll head rolling off the stage!!! Oh my gosh, hilarious!! You poor thing. :)

    Breath of Heaven is my fav, too. Love it! Mary, I'll check out the video.

    Hannah, great interview!! Good luck with that last final. My son's last one is at 7 pm tonight. It's physics. Prayers would be appreciated! :)

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  14. Missy, LOL! Seriously, it traumatized me for some time. I would NOT go out for play parts of any sort for YEARS after that. LOL.

    Thanks, Seeker sisters for stopping by!

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  15. Bunco--that brought back memories of a couple of our daughters' teen birthday parties. They balked at the bunco idea at first, but you never saw teenagers having so much fun!

    And poor headless Baby Jesus--oh my!!! ROFLOL, Cheryl!!!!

    Thanks for sharing this interview, Hannah & Cheryl!

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  16. Myra, we've experienced that too...teens balking at first when we ask them to join in, then them having a blast by the time it's all over with. LOL!

    Thanks for stopping by!
    Cheryl

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  17. http://mconnealy.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-favorite-christmas-video.html
    I put the video on my blog, but I'm not trying to lure people away from Hannah's blog. Come back here this INSTANT!!!!!!!

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  18. Great post, Hannah! I love that Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob video. It reminds me--in a small way--of what Jesus came to do: meet people wherever they were in their daily lives and inspire them to lift their eyes to the Father. I could watch it again and again!

    Thanks for sharing about how you give to others at Christmas time, Cheryl. I love that you started your kids on the path of being givers at a such a young age! Christmas can be a sad time for so many, and the programs you mentioned are great ways to reach out. I've never done a short term mission trip out of the country, but it sounds like it deeply affected you.

    And it's always fun to hear about others' holiday traditions. Thanks, Hannah and Cheryl!

    reneeasmith61 [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  19. Keurig!!! Need me to pinch Santa so he bring you one?

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  20. Renee, totally go (short term missions trip) if you ever get a chance. It will ruin your life...for good. LOL.

    Thanks so much for coming by.
    Cheryl

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  21. Tina, YES! That would TOTALLY jingle my bells. LOL!

    Thanks for coming by!
    Cheryl

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  22. Hannah, forgot to mention that your blog is awesome! Love the holiday theme.

    Thanks for hosting me!

    Hugs
    Cheryl

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  23. Ooo Cheryl I'm coming to your house if you get that Keurig LOL! I'm a lover of coffee and tea and I think those coffee makers look AWESOME!

    Thank you for posting this fun interview Hannah! I loved the Hallelujah chorus, wouldn't that be cool to be a part of that?!

    XOXO~ Renee
    steelergirl83(at)gmail(dot)com

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  24. I've lost three posts. This time I'll keep it brief.

    I love Christmas trees.

    I also love this Kneeling Santa sculpture. I'd love to win it if it's not too late.

    andeemarie95 at gmail dot com

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  25. Hey everyone!

    I've been AWOL with no computer access until Monday and I'm catching up.

    Cheryl - fun post.
    Great to get to know you better!
    We have one of these lovely statues so let someone else enjoy.

    Absolutely on the short term mission trips. That's what the Joni & Friends Wounded Warrior Getaway is all about. DEFINITELY changes your life!!! For the BETTER!

    Have a very Merry Christmas and stay warm!

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  26. Great interview, Cheryl and Hannah!! And, Cheryl, I am SO with you on the Christmas tree. I used to put up two big ones with so many ornaments, you couldn't see the trees!! :) But this year I wised up and told Keith I wanted a "pencil" tree, those tall, skinny ones that are prelit and don't take a lot of anything to decorate. I got my wish, so now my cute, little pencil tree lights up the hearthroom where I spend most of my time AND my life! :)

    Merry Christmas to all!

    Hugs,
    Julie

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