Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Shelby Photography and the Class of 2019 Shelby Seniors!!  If you know me at all, you probably know that I have an obsession with Buffalo Plaid. I love to joke and say that I’m the one that started today’s obsession with the fun popular red/black checked print! LOL.   Each year around this time, I try to bring the pattern into a Christmas inspired photo shoot with my Shelby Seniors and it’s always great to see how they incorporate it into their wardrobe.

This year, it was raining (ALOT, I mean…. alot, LOL) but I was determined to capture it no matter what and our Class of 2019 crew were absolute troopers!   I have to give a special thanks and shout out to local florist, Heather Tidwell from Bloom for cutting down branches and greens on her land, loaning us the Buffalo Plaid ribbon, as well as her custom designed, festive porch pots so that we could set the scene with our super cool teepee.   And also lots of love to Kristy and Sue, owners of Create A Scene, Inc in Washington for letting us use the Buffalo Plaid Christmas signs that they have been selling in their sweet little “pop up” shop on the Washington Square!   These two local, small businesses are lead by amazing women who I am fortunate to have as friends!

After our Buffalo Plaid sesh, we met at Avantis in East Peoria, shared a meal and finished with a fun White Elephant Christmas exchange!!

 I hope you enjoy the blog post.  I wanted the seniors to reflect on what Christmas means to them and give my followers a little peek into the lives of these amazing human beings!  Their perspectives made me smile, laugh, and even cry.   They are really incredible kids and if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice.. I have the BEST job ever.

Like many of the seniors share below, Christmas is one of the most special times of the year when we can spend time with the people we love, eat way too much yummy food, and for me personally,  celebrate the birth of my savior, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Alexis | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “I love Christmas music so it’s hard to pick just one! Two of my top choices are White Christmas by Elvis Presley and Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney.”

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a letter “a” that looks like gingerbread. I’ve had this ornament for as long as I can remember and it’s always been special to me because it’s the only one that looks like it on the tree.”

“The earliest memory of Christmas I have is when my brother and I had unwrapped all the presents from under the tree, and sat down for dessert. My grandpa soon came out and said there was one more present for us both. The last present was new bikes! My brother and I were so excited and I remember the look of pure joy on his face when he saw how happy we were. I’ll never forget that look.”

“My favorite Christmas treat is my grandmas homemade buckeyes and chocolate chip cookies!!”

“Our family has an ongoing tradition of watching the movie Christmas Vacation. We watch it all season long, especially when we wrap presents and decorate the tree.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas is about giving. I’ve always loved volunteering my time around the holidays because it means so much to the community.”

Alexandra | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is the blue frame ornament that my grandma got me when I was a baby.”

Each year me and my family host a Christmas Eve party. This is the only time of year my whole entire family is together. We play Christmas games and all eat dinner together.

What does Christmas mean to you? “Christmas means everything to me. It’s the absolute best time of the year. People are genuinely happier around Christmas time. Giving and receiving brings people closer.  My favorite Christmas carol is Walking in a Winter Wonderland.  My favorite Christmas meal is the cinnamon rolls we eat every Christmas morning.”

Sydney  | Class of 2019 Senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is the ornament I received for my first Christmas. It is a small child with a silver bell. When I was little, I would love to go up to the tree and ring the bell on the ornament. Today, I think this ornament is so cute and it holds a lot of sentimental value.”

“On Christmas Eve, my family and I all cuddle up on the couch, smell the chocolate chip cookies baking, and listen to my Dad read “The Night Before Christmas”.

What does Christmas mean to you?   “Christmas to me means celebrating the birth of Jesus and appreciating the gifts of God and family.”

“My favorite Christmas carol is “Carol of the Bells”, especially the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version, because when I was younger, my parents took my sister and I to the concert and I thought that the performance was amazing.  My favorite Christmas treat are Rolos melted on top of pretzels. My mom and I always make these together and bring them to my grandparent’s house for our family Christmas.”

Rachel | Class of 2019 senior – Morton High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a ruby red slipper with my name on it from the Wizard of Oz. It was my favorite movie when I was a kid, I even had my whole room decorated with Wizard of Oz things. My great grandma Kathleen gave me that ornament, which makes it extra special over the other Wizard of Oz ornaments I have, since she passed away in 2010.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “To me, Christmas is really a time to spend with my family. My cousin, who doubles as my best friend, lives in Georgia and they only come during summer and Christmas break. We don’t always have a lot of time together, but when we do get a chance to we have so much fun. Especially now that we have a couple of babies in the family, we could spend the whole day just watching them play with their new toys.” 

“The earliest Christmas memory I have is waking up when I was around 6 years old and running into my parents room. I always was the first one awake and would have to wait what felt like forever to go out to the living room and see my presents. When I was finally able to go see my presents I remember being so surprised to see a HUGE dollhouse. When I say huge, I mean it was taller than me when I was 6 years old. It was like the coolest present ever and I remember playing with it for years.”

“Every year on Christmas Eve we get together to decorate cookies. We watch Christmas movies in the background and we all slowly lose interest in the cookies. My cousin, who is a teenage boy, dumps frosting and sprinkles on a cookie and calls it a day. While my sister, a professional graphic designer, uses toothpicks to place every single sprinkle exactly where it belongs. We all have a lot of laughs together this night, and before the rest of my family comes over we have a big steak dinner. Yum!”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  I don’t particularly like Christmas music, considering it’s forced in my ears for about 5 hours a day when I work. But, if you’ve never heard it, you have to listen to Dominick the Donkey. Seriously. Trust me!!

Allison | Class of 2019 senior – Morton High School

“My favorite ornament is Hank the Septopus from Finding Dory! I love this ornament because I want to major in marine science and love marine animals. I got it last year and always smile when I see it.”

“Every year we go to Iowa to have Christmas with my mom’s parents and all the cousins. We have a great time talking with everyone because the families are spread out in different states. My family will also watch A Christmas Story after opening our presents on Christmas. We also make Christmas butter cookies every year and take homemade caramels to the neighbors.”

“One of my favorite Christmas memories I have from a couple years ago, was when my sister got me One Direction tickets. It was a total surprise, and I was so excited to go. I think I was 12 when she got them. They weren’t the best seats but it was more about the experience and the thought she put into it that made it one of the best presents.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas is a time of joy and excitement. I love the feel of the weather and the anticipation leading up to Christmas Day. It means that everyone comes together and is a little nicer during this time of year. Christmas is such a great time of year that is special to most everyone in one way or another.“

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “Joy to the World is one of my favorites. It has such a fun beat and is so easy to sing along too. I’m not a great singer but I never feel bad joining in on a carol!  My favorite dessert would have to be a buster dessert that my mom makes. It’s Oreos, ice cream, fudge, and cool whip all frozen into a bar. I love it and always eat too much of it!”

Anna | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is my sparkly, fashion heel. It’s my absolute fave because, if you don’t know me, I am the biggest fashionista. I love everything about clothes/fashion.”

“One of my favorite Christmas memories happened a few years ago.  My brother and I found out on Christmas day that we were going to San Francisco the next day. it was a total surprise and we had the best time.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Spending quality time with my family.”

“My favorite Christmas dessert is my mom’s homemade pretzel salad. It is delicious and I love it. We rarely have it though because it takes forever to make!!”

Noelle  | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a very sparkly and shiny sea horse with different jewels and decorations on it. This is special because for the longest time I’ve wanted to be a Marine Biologist. I love the ocean and I’m fascinated by the different marine life that lives within it.”

“At my grandparents house on my dad’s side we always play white elephant, where you’re able to steal different gifts from each other. The only rule is you can’t steal from the grandparents ( you can but it’s not looked highly upon) after that my aunts and other family members get a game ready I just call it the Saran Wrap ball game basically in the middle is the big prize and you keep adding layers on to it while sticking different prizes in it until the ball is super big bigger than your head usually the person til the left of you have two dice you unroll the ball as quickly as you can and try to get as many prizes as you can. Some layers stop so you have to look around the ball and try to find where it starts up again because you can not just rip through the Saran Wrap. You keep unwrapping the ball until the person to the left of you roll doubles and then you have to pass the ball to the left and the dice go one to the left and you keep going in a big circle until someone finally gets the big prize in the middle”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas means being able to spend time and laughter with ones close to you, weather that be friends or family. It’s a good time to make others feel great just by spending time with one another.  One of my earliest Christmas memories is always waking up as early as possible like around 5 or 6 am and opening my gift with my dog ( my dog freaks out and tries to tear through everybody’s gifts she loves it) and then later going to my grandparents and watching people play white elephant and wanting to play so bad but I wasn’t old enough so I would always help my mom pick what she should steal.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “I like more of the pop Christmas music so like rocking around the Christmas tree or Mariah Carey All I want for Christmas. I also love Drummer Boy by Justin Bieber.”   What’s your favorite Christmas meal or dessert or treat?   “I love mashed potatoes I can eat a full plate of those. I also love Christmas tree cookies and the little pillsbury boy cookies with the Christmas designs on them”.

“I love having gift exchanges with my friends ( even if it leaves me broke by the end of the day) and spending time with them over the holidays becuase weather that be just hanging out or baking cookies and being festive it’s always fun with my friends.”

Brooke | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“Every year we have family over for a fantastic dinner. While everyone is waiting so dinner to be done we usually talk to each other or play games. Next we exchange gifts to each person and when we are all done unwrapping presents it is usually pretty late and we say our good byes.”

“My favorite Christmas ornament is one of our many family ornaments. Every year my grandma gets a family ornament with my name, along with my mom and my brother. Getting a family ornament has been a tradition for years now, and I can’t wait to see what this years is!”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas to me means getting to see family that I don’t usually get to see. I love spending time with everyone and I always get super excited around this time of year because I LOVE all the decorations.  For many years now my grandma has stayed at my house for Christmas and one of my earliest memories is waking up super early to make sure Santa came to my house. I remember one morning when I was about 6 years old I went to my moms room at 6 in the morning telling my mom and grandma to wake up because Santa came!”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “Jingle Bells”

“My favorite Christmas dessert would be “Aunt Kay’s cookies”. Every year we bake for most of the day making cookie cut outs with my Aunt Kays recipe, then later on we frost them.”

Ashton | Class of 2019 senior – Dee-Mack High School

Christmas Tradition: “My family and I always go up to Northern Wisconsin to snowmobile. We go the 26th through the the 30th. The outside is just so gorgeous and peaceful, and always is fun to sled, ice skate, and sit around a fire.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?   ” Santa Claus is coming to town because my mom LOVES that song and always turns it all the way up when it comes on the radio. Even on Black Friday she called me from her car while shopping just screaming and singing. It always makes me happy to think of those memories when the song comes on.”

“My earliest memory of Christmas was when I was 4 years old and my dad’s side of the family all came up from southern Illinois. There were lots of dogs, people, and craziness. This was always so fun to be around during the wildness of the holidays.”

“Christmas means family. My family is from all over Illinois and the US so it is nice that we all get to come together. My family has the same personality as me so it is always a loud, silly, creative, and outgoing time of the year.”

“My favorite Christmas treat is scotcharoos. My whole family makes them as a family and it’s just a goofy activity we all do together.”

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a crystal angel that represents all the loved ones in my family. During the Christmas time I love spending time with those I don’t see during the year and those I see almost every day.”

Kharalee Boyles | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is my blue clues ornament. It is my favorite because it was one of my first ornaments and I always look forward to putting it on the tree!”

“Every Christmas Eve, my family goes to my mama and papa’s house! We open our Christmas bags,  eat dinner, and then  go downstairs and open presents. Another tradition we have is all throughout December we have an advent calendar that my siblings and I get a little gift everyday and on Christmas Eve we get to open up one of our presents!
One more tradition we have is my mom, my grandma, my sister, and I go to watch the Nutcracker ballet and have a girls day!”

“The earliest Christmas memory I have is when I was 6 and I woke Everyone in my house up at 5 o’clock in the morning to go open presents.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas means a few different things to me. The birth of Christ, Family, and Traditions.”

“My favorite Christmas song is Mary did you know. Because it talks about Jesus and what he has done for us.  My favorite christmas treat is a klinecter cookie. It is a family cookie that has been passed down through my family for many generations.”

Stephanie | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My earliest memory is from when I was around 4 or 5 waking up super early, probably 6 AM, and waking my whole family up because I wanted to open the presents as early as I could.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas means family, and and being grateful for what we already have.”

“My favorite ornament is special to me because I made it myself, I worked really hard on it and glazed it myself. I love how it’s heart is where Washington is and I can’t wait to take it with me to wherever life takes me.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You”

“My favorite Christmas dessert is these cookies my Grandma Brinker makes, she makes them from hand every year and they’re SO good. She always has to hide them from us because we try to eat them before dinner.”

Alycia | Class of 2019 senior – Prairie Central High School

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas is the time to celebrate the Savior being born and spending time with friends and families.”

“Every Christmas, we all sleep in and then open presents together. We usually make a big breakfast before going out to hang out with the rest of our family.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “Mary did you know.”

“My favorite Christmas treats are chocolate pie and chocolate covered pretzels. Basically anything chocolate!!”

 

Anna V. | Class of 2019 senior – Peoria Notre Dame

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a pink dog that I got from PINK by Victoria’s Secret . Not only do I love the color pink and dogs, but PINK by Victoria’s Secret has always been one of my favorite stores to shop at. When I was a little girl I would always be so excited to one day be able to wear all the cute clothes from PINK.”

Christmas Tradition: “Every year around Christmas my cousins and I go to my grandmas house to make and decorate Christmas cookies. My grandma has her own recipe, and the cookies and frosting are so yummy. I always like to eat the first one that I decorate and I layer as much frosting as I can on it because the more frosting, the better it tastes.”

“The earliest Christmas memory I had was when I was younger I really wanted the American Girl Doll Camper. I knew where my mom hid my Christmas gifts, so I would always sneak in to look at what she got me, and I had found the Camper. I would sneak in to look at it every chance I got. On Christmas morning, I pretended to act super surprised when I opened it.”

“Christmas is all about giving. I love buying gifts for people and seeing their reaction to the things I got them. I also always try to volunteer at a soup kitchen around the holidays to help those in need.”

“My favorite Christmas Carol is jingle bells because it’s a classic. It’s a song that everyone knows and is a fun song to sing!”

“My favorite Christmas dessert is fudge. I’m not a huge chocolate person, but homemade fudge is so amazing!”

Katie Haines | Class of 2019 senior – Peoria Notre Dame

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas to me is a time for family, friends, and loved ones to come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

“Every Christmas, We go to a nice dinner followed by evening mass then go back to our house for desserts and track Santa using the Santa tracker for all the little kids.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “My favorite Christmas carol is Silent Night.”

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a starfish painted like a Santa Claus.. It is special to me because it reminds me of Sanibel Island, which is a place in Florida me and my family go every year for vacation.  The oldest Christmas memory I have is singing Christmas songs at the age of either seven or eight while running around my Christmas tree in the living room.”

Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows!

Nicole | Class of 2019 – Peoria Notre Dame

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a little angel with my name on it. My grandma gave an angel like this to all of her grandchildren, so the ornament is something we cousins can share as a special way to remember our grandma.”

“Every Christmas Eve, my mom’s side of the family comes to our house to eat polenta—an Italian stew (since we’re all Italian). Then we all head to 10:00 Mass together.
Every year, my mom buys my brother and I a Hallmark ornament to hang on our Christmas trees in our bedrooms. It’s always exciting to see what cute ornament my mom is going to pick out!”

“The earliest Christmas memory I have is when I was three years old. I remember that Santa brought me a playhouse, which would bring me enjoyment for many years to come. I also got my first sled that Christmas, which my dad and I of course had to try out on Christmas day since there was a nice layer of snow on the ground. We had a blast!”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “To me, Christmas is about spending time with those you love, family and friends. It is about taking time away from busy life to enjoy the company of loved ones and to thank God for all of the past year’s blessings.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol? “Jingle Bell Rock—it’s an oldie but a goodie!”

“Gingerbread and sugar cookies are my favorite Christmas dessert. I love getting to decorate cookies every year with my family and friends and see all of the fun designs we come up with. Also, the cookies are delicious!”

Bailey  | Class of 2019 senior – Dunlap High School

“This is my favorite ornament because all of its elements hold so much meaning; it is in the shape of a bird-house and hanging from the top is cross and a little sign that says, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” The entire thing is made from paper that has excerpts from the Bible written all over it (plus, there’s glitter, which just makes everything better!) I love this ornament because it is just a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about; celebrating the ultimate gift we have all received from the Lord; the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Some of my favorite Christmas traditions are baking cookies, decorating gingerbread houses, and snuggling by the fire with my family as we watch classic Christmas movies. When I was little, my dad would always read my siblings and I “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve, after writing our letters and leaving cookies for Santa. Every year, we always bake cinnamon rolls for breakfast and have The Christmas Story playing in the background all day. Another one of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending the Christmas production at my church; it is always an incredible show and it fills me with so much joy to see thousands of people coming together to worship the Lord! “

“When I was younger, I remember my parents always having to build a barrier out of pillows around the staircase to ensure my siblings and I wouldn’t wake up ridiculously early in the morning to go see the presents! There was also this one time when I wrote a letter to Santa and woke up in the morning and, when reading his response, blurted out, “wow Mom, Santa’s handwriting looks exactly like yours!!!” Needless to say, my mother reassured me that Santa was just in a rush and asked her to write the letter for him. Oh, to be a child again!”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas is my favorite time of the year! Not only do I get to spend time with my family and indulge in all of the delicious food that I don’t need, but I get to celebrate my best friend’s birthday! Just like my ornament says, Jesus is the Reason for the Season; He is why we can live in complete freedom and maintain hope for the future, but none of that would be possible without His humble, perfect birth. There is no way I could ever choose a favorite Christmas song… they are all too good! But this year, I have fallen in love with The First Noel. I will be performing this song at my winter chorus concert, along with the other high school choirs and a group of 6th graders. The meaning behind the song really helps put things into perspective, and allows us to see just a glimpse of God’s plan of salvation for His people. Performing this song with the younger children just warms my heart and brings tears to my eyes! Getting to hear all of their little voices singing out for the Lord reminds me of how precious life is and how truly blessed we are to be children of God.”

“I have been blessed with an amazing mother who just happens to be a fantastic cook; she always works so hard to put on an incredible meal for the family during Christmas. Honey Baked Ham, mashed potatoes, rolls, and seven-layer salad are all staple Christmas foods in the Shoemaker Household! By the time desserts come around, my self-control has pretty much dwindled to none… the cookies, the cakes, the ice cream… give me allllll the sweets!”

“Never forget that you are so loved and so blessed! God is working out all things for your good, so trust Him and His perfect timing; the best is yet to come!”

Blair | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is my Grinch ornament. How The Grinch Stole Christmas has been my favorite movie for the longest time! I watched it so much that I broke the tape on VCR tape, best Christmas movie ever!!”

“One of my earliest Christmas memories is when I was younger, every year we would go to the Festival of Lights and spend the whole night looking at Christmas lights all over!!”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas to me is getting to spend time with the people you love and being happy, oh and eating lots of food!”

“My favorite Christmas song is Santa Claus is Coming to Town!”

Every year my mom makes the best chicken and noodles and my brother and I get our own bottle of sparkling grape juice! That was (and still is) our favorite part!!

Braxton | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“My favorite ornament is my cheer ornament because Ive been involved in cheer since I could remember. It has been my childhood and I’ve loved every second of it.  It’s tradition at our house to wake up and then go to eat breakfast at my grandmas house before opening presents. Then we go to my moms to open more presents. Because double the presents is always fun. My first Christmas memory I remember having is waking up around 7, running to my brothers room to jump up and down on his bed to get up. Going out to the living room and seeing this bright pink and green suitcase I wanted so badly because it had little monkeys on it. Six year old me thought it was absolutely adorable!  Christmas to me, means gathering with family to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  My favorite Christmas carol is O Holy Night.  My favorite Christmas meal is My moms mashed potatoes and gravy. I love them so much!”

Paige | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is a candy cane my mom made in grade school. I’m really close with my mom and she doesn’t have much from her childhood so having something so special that she will hand down to me is a thing I will forever cherish.

“Every Christmas, my mom’s side of the family always come over to our house on Christmas Eve and play fun games and bond as a family. I’m a huge family girl so getting that time with them is something i always look forward to.”

“My earliest Christmas memory is when my mom to me to see the Rockets when I was 10. It was really special because I had always dreamed of seeing those amazing girls and see the beautiful dancing in person.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “It’s when people come together and spend quality time with family and friends. It’s a time to be thankful for all the gifts you receive. It’s always a time to give to those you love and see them light up when they see their gift.  My favorite Christmas carol is Jingle Bells. It’s just such an upbeat song and it really makes you want to get up and dance and be silly.  Chocolate dipped pretzel rods are my favorite Christmas treat!!”

Carter | Class of 2019 senior – Dunlap High School

What does Christmas mean to you?
“The best part of Christmas for me is that everyone is in on the feel of it. Everyone is willing to meet up, have meals, and enjoy their time together. It is this feeling of a collective experience that makes it so meaningful.”

“Every Christmas, we go up to Chicago to see family and for a gift exchange, and we go see Santa every year.”

What’s your favorite Christmas carol? “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”

“My favorite Christmas dish is sweet potato casserole.”

“I have 3 miniature Nutcracker ornaments that are special to me because I really liked the Nutcracker when I was younger.”

Claire | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“A Christmas tradition that I share with my family is opening our presents one at a time while my mom finishes cooking the best smelling monkey bread. The house is filled with laughter and the sweet smell of baking monkey bread. My earliest Christmas memory was when I was very little my mom burnt the monkey bread and we all laughed and ate the inside of it, because of course the inside was still okay to eat.”

“Christmas to me is all about giving. I love giving presents and everything I can to those who need it more than me. One of my favorite things we do is getting a little box from our church and giving it to someone who needs things that they cannot get themselves.”

“My favorite Christmas Carol is Jingle Bells!”

“My favorite Christmas memory is from when I was a sophomore. My parents surprised me with Justin Bieber tickets with my best friends after I had been asking for them for over a year! Best parents ever!!”

Jackson | Class of 2019 senior – Washington Community High School

“My favorite ornament was a Hallmark Spider-man ornament that had a blue and red Spider-Man on the Empire State Building and it was just my most favorite one that I ever had and my parents had to lift me up to put it on because it was always at the top and front of the tree we had.”

Our family Christmas tradition:  “Every year hang our stockings in the exact same order and on Christmas Eve we go to church at St. Pats and usually leave around the time I get sick because of the incense.”

“My earliest Christmas memory is when I was the age of 4 and we were making cookies and Santa Claus was coming down our street and I sat on his lap and told him what I wanted for Christmas and that was my most vivid one.”

Favorite Christmas treat – “My moms peanut butter chocolate covered crackers but definitely with chunky peanut butter instead of smooth ones”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “It means a time to be with family and just have a good time and be around the people you love.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol? “I would say frosty the snowman just because he was my favorite growing us as a kid”

Kaitlyn | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is the glass snowman because it’s adorable and I made it in like 2nd grade. It has always been a joy of mine to hang it up on the tree!”

“Every Christmas morning, my sister and I always wake up our parents and give our dogs their treats that we got them for Christmas.”

“I remember when I was 9, I saw my dad outside with my bike, he said he was helping Santa put it on my deck.”

“My favorite Christmas carol is Deck the Halls and favorite dessert is apple pie.”

McKenzie Cupi | Class of 2019 senior – Pekin Community High School

“The first Christmas that I can remember was when my sister and I took our sleeping bags out into the living room on Christmas Eve because we wanted to be close to Santa clause when he came, we could hardly fall asleep because of our excitement and the next morning we all had breakfast as a family and opened gifts and it was an overall amazing day!”

“My favorite ornament is my snowman ornament that I got when I was younger. At a very young age I became obsessed with Frosty the Snowman so every year my parents would get me some sort of Frosty the snowman gift for Christmas.”

What does Christmas mean to you? “Christmas is all about giving and understanding what Christmas is truly about and that’s the birth of Jesus Christ!!”

Christmas Tradition: “My grandparents, Dad, Sister and I have always went to Wisconsin and snowmobiled for a week after Christmas since before I was born. We would bundle up in our suits and jackets and snowmobile for hours then come home and drink lots and lots of hot chocolate to warm us all up from the freezing cold!!

“My favorite Christmas carol is Deck the Halls because at my grade school that was one of my favorite songs that we sang when we went caroling at different nursing homes!  My favorite treats from Christmas are my stepmom’s homemade sugar cookie cut outs, they are the absolute best and I can never stop eating them.”

Tessa Carr | Class of 2019 senior – Delavan High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is the Swedish Dala horse. I love all of the Swedish decorations we have at our home. This one is special to me because my grandma gave it to me.”

“One Christmas tradition we have at my house is the number of gifts we receive from my parents. We receive three gifts, just like the wise men brought to baby Jesus.”

“I can’t remember my earliest Christmas, but from the pictures my mom took, I seemed super happy and I was AUH-dorable! Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is a time to spend with family and friends celebrating the joys and happiness of the holiday season.”

What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?  “It is so hard to choose. I love to listen to Christmas music from October through New Years. I would have to say it is a tie between O Holy Night and The First Noel.”

 

“I LOVE the Almond Bars my grandma makes. There is no way you can eat just one! My grandma makes a variety of Christmas cookies and candies. It is known as the buffet of heaven.”

“Hallmark Christmas movies are the best!!!”

Hunter | Class of 2019 senior – Henry-Senachwine High School

“My favorite Christmas ornament is my Rae Dunn ornament! The font is adorable and the buffalo plaid ribbon adds a special touch!”

“My favorite Christmas tradition is spending Christmas Eve with my grandparents eating lots of yummy seafood and appetizers!”

“My earliest Christmas memory was when me and my sisters all slept in my room so we could all go downstairs at the same time and see what Santa brought us.”

What does Christmas mean to you?  “Christmas to me means donating to the less fortunate and spending quality time with family.”

“My favorite Christmas dessert is my grandmas homemade pumpkin pie and whipped cream! And of course any type of rolls!!”

“My favorite Christmas carol is Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by the amazing Mariah Carey!”