True Friends at Christmas - Amber Stokes

Hello everyone,
This is Wednesday, midweek, the hump you've got to get over, right? Well, I'm hoping that maybe this post will add a bright spot to that not so great day : )

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend."
- Albert Camus

I want to have an underlying theme of friendship today. I am feeling so, so grateful for everyone who participated in my blogfest and for everyone that followed, who commented. You made me laugh and be thoughtful during this month. So I thank you so much for that!



Now Amber...what is there to say about Amber? I am SO glad that I stumbled across her blog on that fateful Thursday in May : ) Glad is a terrible word to use, though, because it in no way expresses how happy I am that I've met Amber. Amber is a kind and gentle soul, always there to give advice, listen, laugh, and love. I'm proud to know this author in the making because I just know we'll be freinds for a long, long time (here's hoping!). So now before I gush too much, we'll get onto the interview ; )

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
- Anonymous

Hannah: What is your favorite part(s) of the Christmas season?

Amber: Well, the best part of Christmas is that we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth and the amazing gift God gave us in His Son! Besides that, it’s really hard to choose a favorite part of the season, because I love it all! I love spending extra time with family and close friends, and now that I’m an out-of-state college student, going home for Christmas is even more special.

Hannah: I'm so glad you get to head home for the holidays, Amber! It just couldn't be the same otherwise and I'm sure you feel the same way. Are you a big celebrator of Christmas?

Amber: For sure! I LOVE Christmas!!! I love the decorations my mom and my grandma put up; I love the Christmas tree in our house full of gorgeous and fun Hallmark ornaments; I love listening to Christmas music; I love all the food, like the fudge my mom makes every year; and I could go on and on!

I think my friends at college have noticed how much I love all the different holidays. ;) My mom sends me packages with window clings and decorations (etc.) for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day…you get the idea! I love being festive!

Hannah: That sounds so fun! My roommate put some up in our window, but otherwise we don't usuallky get into the wall clings. They are fun though :) We've got other things though like our Santas and our nutcrackers. I'm trying to get my camera to work so I can show you some pictures! LOL! What are some of your traditions? (i.e. food, gift giving, family traditions, etc)?

Amber: One of our small traditions that I’m currently observing is getting and enjoying Advent calendars. My mom sent my roommate and me Advent calendars that have chocolate pieces you open and eat every day from December 1st through December 24th. Yum!
We also keep a German tradition involving pickle ornaments. My mom hides a couple of pickle ornaments in our Christmas tree for my sister and me to find, and when we find them we get an extra gift. And then my grandparents hide a couple of pickle ornaments in their tree… So we’re doubly spoiled! ;)
If anyone would like to learn a little more about this tradition, I share more in this post on my blog: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/2010/12/setting-mood-with-pre-party-activity.html
We also have other traditions, like opening gifts sent from out-of-town on Christmas Eve and then our gifts for each other on Christmas. Christmas is so special in our household, especially since my grandparents and one of my uncles live so close to us!



Hannah: I love this! How fun to have a tradition involving a pickle shaped ornament, rofl! Do you have a favorite Christmas themed book/recommendation? Movie?

Amber: I have several! For Christmas-themed Christian romance, I recommend Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy and A Currier & Ives Christmas by DiAnn Mills, Lynn A. Coleman, JoAnn A. Grote, and Deborah Raney. I have a hardcover version of the latter, and it is a really sweet collection! I don’t think it’s as easy to find anymore (my mom got it for me years ago), but if you ever do see it anywhere, it’s really good (from what I recall)!
As for movies, where do I begin?! I recently watched The Christmas Card, which was really cute. (You can find my review here: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/2010/11/thankful-for-military-review-of.html) I absolutely LOVE The Polar Express, as well as Jingle All the Way, Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2, and more!

Hannah: We STILL haven't seen this movie, Amber. I know you recommended it to me and we've seen it in the store, but we're still yet to actually watch it. Lol...how have your Christmas traditions changed since you were a kid now that you are at college?

Amber: Good question! I think the biggest change is that I don’t get to be home until halfway through December, so I miss out on helping to decorate the Christmas tree, singing in (or even watching) the Messiah choir’s Christmas concert, etc. There’s so much that leads up to Christmas that I miss being a part of. I just found out that I’m going to miss my younger sister’s Christmas play at school by one day! Such a bummer. :(
But other than that, I still get to be a part of our family’s main Christmas traditions. I still get a stocking! And I’m so thankful that I still get to be with my family for about three weeks. I love them so!

Hannah: I can understand how that would be difficult. Alicia and I still do stockings also, so you're not along there. By this point I'm starting to get a little excited for Saturday, especially hearing you talk about all these traditions! 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?

Amber: Hmmm…it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think I’m going to have to go with the Christmas tree. As I mentioned before, our Christmas tree is covered with ornaments, particularly Hallmark ornaments. I love seeing the memories decorating our Christmas tree, and I love looking at the beautiful Disney ornaments. And some of the ornaments make noises when the lights are turned on, so it’s always funny to hear them go off all at once! The Wizard of Oz ornament lasts the longest, and the last line it says (after the cacophony of other noises has ended) is, “The Great Oz has spoken.” ;)

Hannah: I LOVE that Wizard of Oz ornament!! It sounds phenomenal ; ) What did you ask Santa for this year? *wink*

Amber: There are three specific things I asked for this year:
1. The first season of the new PBS Masterpiece version of Sherlock on DVD
2. How to Train Your Dragon on DVD
3. Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer

Hannah: Well those seem pretty doable! I hope you get them : ) What was one gift that you always wanted, but never got?

Amber: I’m having a hard time coming up with anything… I am so spoiled! My parents and grandparents have been so sweet and given me so much! Ummm…I really want a trip to Prince Edward Island in Canada, and I haven’t got that yet. Of course, I’m saving that for my honeymoon if I ever get married, so I don’t think that counts. ;)

Hannah: Oh Amber, I don't think that does count, lol!! But how cool to want something like that! Ambitious :P

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

Christmas present as a child? I don’t know if I have a favorite, but for a long time I loved Disney princesses (guess I still do!) and one year Santa brought me a “magic carpet” (a lovely rectangular, patterned rug with tassels sewn on each end) and a Jasmine doll. So special!

Favorite Christmas? Oh, dear! I have to pick a favorite? I don’t know if I can!

Christmas song? Another hard question! I love so many different Christmas songs. One really fun one is “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause” (as sung by Perry Como). ;)

Character in the Christmas Story (maybe you played them in a church pageant one year? Lol!)? If we’re talking about the Christmas story from the Bible, I’d have to say Jesus. ;) But as far as a character I’ve been, I just loved taking turns being the manger angel standing on stacked hay bales above a live nativity scene at our old church!

Place to spend Christmas day? My house! You should see the way my mom decorates! As for Christmas Eve, that would be my grandparents’ house. :)

Christmas food? Fudge!

Amber, I can't thank you enough for finding the time somewhere to do this for me : ) You are a very, very special person and I'm lucky to have found you! Lol...I look forward to the years to come, being included on the big events in your life. Thank you so much for being such an amazing friend.



"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."
- Winnie the Pooh

Today Amber is kind enough to offer up one $10 Amazon gift card to a lucky winner! Please make sure to leave an email to be entered and let us know what you might use it for!
Extra +1 Entries:
- Follower of my blog
- Follower of Amber's blog

"Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life."
- Anonymous

This would be Amber and I if we had known each other as kids! LOL! That's her on the right and me being dumb on the left :P

Okay, we've got two songs today. They're both not sad, but have a saddish vibe to them lol...Here's the FIRST. Think Glee Christmas...singing around the Christmas trees ; ) And the SECOND. Think The Polar Express!



Thank you to everyone for making this December so fun! No, we're not quite done, but almost. And a very special thank you to Amber too *hugs* Have a great Wednesday, everyone,
Hannah