December 14, 2023 • 23 mins
Let's take a nostalgic journey back to the Christmas traditions we grew up with, shall we? (Tantalizing teaser). We unravel personal experiences and beloved routines that make Christmas the most anticipated holiday of the year. From attending special church services to decorating our homes, we're reminding you of the magical essence of Christmas. Join us as we relive the joy of the holiday season, all the while encouraging everyone to embrace the festive spirit with open hearts.
Ever wondered why hot chocolate somehow tastes better when sipped by the fire during Christmas? (Posing a provocative question). In this cozy episode, we delve into our favorite Christmas movies and the excitement of gift-giving. We candidly talk about the not-so-glamorous side of Christmas too, the pressure many parents feel to create the perfect holiday. Remember, it's not about overspending, but about cherishing quality time with loved ones! From Santa's cookies to reindeer food, we're celebrating the enchanting childhood traditions that make Christmas a magical time for family, friends, and expressing gratitude. Tune in for a heartwarming episode as we navigate the joys and challenges of the holiday season together.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the you are
not alone podcast.
My name is Debbie Gold and I'mhere with my co-host and son,
greg, and we are so glad thatyou're here with us.
Each week on this show We'lltalk about informative issues,
issues that will make you thinkand help you grow.
It is our wish that you willfind Encouragement and a little
(00:22):
bit of Jesus in every episode.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hey all, welcome back to our podcast.
Um, as we approach the holidayseason, you know Christmas is
coming up.
I Am super excited Because thisis my favorite holiday and I
wanted to talk about it with mom, because I realized that some
people absolutely, you know,despise Christmas or don't like
(00:47):
Christmas as much as you know Ido.
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
do you think they despise it or do you think they
just have a hard time?
Yeah, during the holiday season, I think it's a hard time for
them.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah during the holiday season and we just I'm
gonna reinstate that magic ofChristmas into y'all people.
So I think it would be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I think that's a great message, greg, because
this it really is all about, youknow, the birth of Christ and
the joy of this season andRemembering the real reason that
we are here to celebrate thisMm-hmm and there's so many
different meanings to Christmastoo.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I mean it's, you know , being around other people,
being supported by friends.
You love friends and family.
Giving back Holiday cheer, youknow Christmas carols.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, trails of lights.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, cookie parties.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, Judy's cookie party.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So many great events associated with Christmas right
Decorating our house.
Yeah, and I think if somepeople like miss all the joy in
that, you know, because to themDecorating the house might just
seem like another sticky notechore, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Mm-hmm, or or even go into a one more party.
Yeah, it can be like I'mexhausted.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, I want to sleep in, but you know you could only
say those people stress for solong.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So but I also want to you know, just not forget about
Going to church and celebratingthe reason why we are
Celebrating Christmas yeah, inour family.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We have a tradition we go to Hill Country Bible
Church every Christmas Eve andthey do this Amazing ceremony.
With Rick Trevino country I wasthat comes out he does silent
night with the kids.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, he calls all the young ones, like all the
young.
Well, I mean any of them thatcan actually walk.
But I think parents, someparents, will take their little
babies up too.
I thought young ones, and thenit's as old as you really want
to be, mm-hmm, but I could stillgo up there, I guarantee, if
you wanted to, yeah buttypically it's a little you know
, yeah, they do away in themanger and they're all kind of
(02:49):
swaying back and forth up on thebig stage.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
They might do silent night too.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Was it it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, it is silent night.
No, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You know what?
No, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, now I'm gonna listen this year.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I can see him doing both.
It's a very calming mellow songit is.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, they show the kids on the jumbotron.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Faces of yeah, and it's so cute.
Some of them are singing, someare looking around, some are
picking their nose.
It's holy night you know.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
And then when the verse drops, the beat comes in.
That's when the snow.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But that's not what.
That's not what Rick does.
No no that's, that's the butthat's when the snow comes.
Yeah yes, it snows at ourchurch.
Yes, yeah, we love it.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's bubbles, but you know, let's just say it's no,
okay, wink, wink.
But yeah, that's.
Oh my gosh.
I remember seeing the snow forthe first time as a kid.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yes, snow came down.
I was like, oh my goodness, andwe like the candle.
When he's got a little candlethey're holding.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You can see every, each individual candle in the
church.
It's so pretty.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yes.
Oh it's, it's just such a bigpart of our Christmas.
What else?
Concerts, concerts, people doconcerts and plays.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
We saw a very in orchestra one year and it was,
oh my gosh, I was like six orseven.
I still remember that concertfully.
That was insane.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
So it's so intense.
Yeah don't don't on a.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Don't don't on a yeah , yeah, it's crazy, it gets you
in that holiday mood.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
It really does I mean , you cannot even ignore that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
second and then.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But you know, I have really fun this year with you,
greg.
You know, a lot of times I'lltake care of the decorating on
the inside and and the lightsare kind of the outside guy type
light thing to do right, or youknow, or.
Responsibility some new Eicyclelights for a part of the house
(04:59):
that we didn't ever have lightson before, and so I had bought
some early in the season to saywe were gonna finish the rest of
this yeah and so you and I tookon that challenge of yeah doing
it.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
but let's not forget the most important part is the
light was not Unwrapped right,so we had to sit there, grab
every single light on twiststring of light, the little hang
down yeah, yeah, you, you, youon.
Twist in the opposite directionof the two, circle the cords or
whatever.
You pull for five secondsreally hard, and there are about
(05:36):
seventy three on each one, Icounted on each string yes, we
did seventy three times six.
Whatever that number is three.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, yeah it was a little cray cray yeah it.
You know, my fingers were sore,yeah it looks freaking killer.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
It looks so amazing, it's so worth it.
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I'm there.
And then here's here's a littletip for y'all, all your
listeners out there we put onestring of lights up without
plugging it in.
This is how we started put astring of lights up and then we
started doing that twisty thingand get it to kind of this kind
of hang down.
And then we got done with thewhole string and we went,
(06:18):
plugged it in and, oh my gosh,right in the center of the
string, it was like the centerthird.
You know you do third, a third,a third.
That center third did not lightand I'm like oh yeah, yeah,
that did not just happen yeah,and then dad's in the background
going.
I always tell you all to plugthe lights in before you hang
them up.
(06:38):
Make sure they work, and I'mgoing.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Okay, whatever yeah, we figured it out eventually
yeah, yeah, but you know what?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
that's a memory that we just created yeah, yeah,
we're gonna be great like oh mygosh yeah yeah, and then we're
standing up there when it getsnight, that night at night, it
starts to get dark and I'm goingLook at our lights.
And then we look, I say nowlook at dad's over there, the
ones he hangs up every year forthe last four years and I'm,
like I said better, yeah yeah,and then we decorated the
(07:08):
apartment across the street tothe side yeah, and then low
tradition.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I don't know if it's too early to bring this up, but
that's gonna be a well.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, whatever you want to, I don't care, put it
wherever you want, sure it cango both places.
Okay, we do have a littleprogram that we follow and a
little outline that we try tofollow for our podcast so yeah,
I was just.
Go to the end.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So here's another tradition we have so when I was,
so that was my grandma is yes,gregory's G man in our family.
(08:07):
I don't know what I got thatbook, but every Christmas I seem
to play and just listen to itright.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
So it's one of those recorded books from hallmark
where grandma bought it and sherecord.
She read it and it was recordedas she was reading and so she
flipped the pages.
Keep your voice and yeah it'sjust a fun thing to pull out
right.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I love doing that every Christmas it's a little
tradition.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I have chase.
That's one too yeah, that'sright so I always have grandma's
voice.
What are some other traditions?
I'm trying to think of makingcookies.
Oh my god man, that's a hugeone, okay so I've been working a
lot lately and I haven't reallyquite got there yet.
So I don't know.
We all forget.
I don't make this year.
(08:51):
I know that's.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That's a hard call right, I just go next door to do
your barracks and she'll takecare of me, she won't.
Yeah, she would totally do thatbecause we just had a massive
Christmas cookie party overthere at our neighbors and it
was wonderful.
It was a great time.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, yeah, it was truly a good time.
And the idea is and she's beendoing this for years, I don't
even know how many yeah but youtake two dozen cookies and then
you come home with two dozencookies.
So you take two dozen, you lay,everybody puts them out on a
table and people eat.
You know some here and there,but the idea is that you get to
(09:28):
take two dozen of someone else'scookies home to have a variety.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah and get to, you know, to experience something
different yeah, and I brought mybuddy to and he really had a
good night that night.
It was fun.
I'm glad we met so manydifferent people to and just
connect with a bunch of peoplethat I didn't know before too
yeah cool, it was great yeah,yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
hot chocolate is always something I think of
during the it's one of myfavorites right there
celebration.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Mm-hmm, how can you not love hot chocolate, hot?
Speaker 1 (09:59):
chocolate.
It's the best Having fire, havesome marshmallows, yeah, just
being cozy by the fire yeah.
That homey feeling oh, watchingmovies, christmas movies oh my
God, charlie Brown.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yes, stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
The elf Home Alone.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
There's a new Eddie Murphy movie out.
We came something.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
For Christmas.
The one with the train.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Express Something Express.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah, uh, polar, polar Express, polar Express.
Yeah, that's a classic one too,you were touching your nose
like this.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I was like come on, come on, it's there.
Yeah, sounds like mm-mm.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, mm-mm.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
You know, what I love about the holiday season is
gift giving.
People seem to want to opentheir hearts and give to
charities, or give bicycles tobicycle drives yeah.
Or, you know, people do reallyget into the spirit.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
People are so much more helpful around this time.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
I noticed that too Um it's pretty great.
It's really amazing.
Yeah, it is Um but you know, Ilove it, I just love it.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Um, but yeah, just the family time, the time with
the friends, that sometimes youjust get too busy throughout the
year and yeah, because thattime is precious Mm-hmm and you
realize that you have so muchmore to be thankful for.
Yeah, there's so much, um, yeah, just there's so much beauty in
being with friends and familythat, um, we really have to
(11:37):
remember to really make that apriority at Christmas All year.
Okay, that's Nico, our dog,that's blind.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
He just ran into a door.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Sorry about that, okay, um, oh, we talked about
gift giving, right?
Yeah, I think so, yeah, yeah,don't, don't overspend on people
.
Yeah, if people knew that youwere overspending out of your
budget, they would not want youto do that.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
So I'm just saying don't dothat, yeah, they'll be selfish
buyers.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
About that, I don't know.
Yeah, okay, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Some people get down during Christmas.
What do you think that is?
Some people are stressed duringChristmas.
I think I think what I wassaying to you earlier I was
saying I feel like parents thatdon't have that feeling of
Christmas joy anymore is becausethey put so much pressure and
stress on themselves to makeChristmas great for their kids.
(12:37):
You know, they're putting somuch out there for their kids
just so it's a memorableChristmas that they feel warned
to the bone.
So taking the time to get thestuff but spending the money to
get Running all over town,getting these tickets for your
daughter that she wants to gosee a concert, getting this
(13:00):
bicycle for your son, jimmy,that he wanted since he was a
kid, or something like that,going to I don't know Zales and
buying a diamond earring foryour wife, or something like
that.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I mean it can be stressful for a lot of people
that would be two diamondearrings, not just one, I know
but a set of diamond earrings.
Thank you, don't mess that uplater.
No, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I bet you want earrings like a pirate Arrr,
here you go, honey, you're gonnakiss me.
That's another thing, but yeah,I feel like they put so much
out there, and then on ChristmasEve they sit down there like I
did it.
And then Christmas morningcomes and they're just exhausted
and then you know he doesn'tmention Santa or anything
(13:45):
because he's sleep deprived.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, well, I know, speaking as a parent, and I know
it's like you want to do foryour kids and you want to get
all those really cool, awesomethings that they want or,
surprisingly, something theyweren't even thinking of, and
but yes, I mean, I think youhave to put limits on yourself.
You know what is in the budget,what is my timing, my time look
(14:09):
like that I can put into thesecreative endeavors to give gifts
to my family and yeah, sothere's a lot of consideration
and sometimes we overdo.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I can see why Christmas can be stressful or
annoying for parents sometimes,because what was the earliest
time I ever woke y'all up?
Oh gosh for Christmas.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm probably not even going to remember that because
I want to forget it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yeah, you know, probably like four or five, I
know.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I remember dad put rules on it at some point.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
He's like.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
OK, we're not getting up before blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, because it got.
It got crazy at one point.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I woke up at like five and I just couldn't sleep
and I looked at the tree andpresents were there like holy
crap, Santa's here.
Yeah, he just visited.
Oh my God.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
What's the guys?
Guys, guys, guys, guys.
And who can go back to sleep atthat point?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah.
Nobody, no, no, it's the thingthat's the funny thing I can
never sleep on Christmas.
I am so excited, I'm justecstatic.
No because I just, even thoughyou know Santa might not be all
that, I just feel like you knowhe's still coming with his
(15:22):
slenderness, reindeer and allthat.
He's going to drop the presentsdown the chimney or he's going
to come down the chimney anddrop the presents by the tree.
Eat the cookies.
We used to leave out cookies.
That's it too.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Milk and cookies for Santa?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yes, we did reindeer food, too, on the front lawn.
That was fun.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, oh man.
Yeah, so many great memoriesfor me.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
But yeah, I mean, I think too, you know, in addition
to like kind of getting carriedaway, as parents and even I
mean I'm sure you knownon-parents can do it too Want
to give, give give to thisfriend, that friend, you know
but sometimes I think it'semotionally tied to maybe some
memories or some things.
(16:07):
You know, you feel like asadness over the holidays
because maybe your mom or daddied during that time, or you
know really great grandpa orgrandma or it just reminds you
of something.
It reminds you of something thatwasn't so great, yeah, and so.
So there can be those things,and I think the best thing to do
(16:29):
when you are feeling sad orlike you're feeling lonely, any
of those things, is just to kindof really embrace your feelings
and stay with that and thenlook for ways to Surround
yourself with positive yeah withsome people Don't stay in that.
But you know, like I said,embrace it, stay with it for
(16:49):
just a little bit, but then getout there and get going.
And yeah, sometimes thememories in the I think that's
I'm sorry, I'm hesitating,because there are just family
(17:10):
sort of moments in the press.
Doc Schumann 200, they thinkit's still as exciting as this
is All of these things.
My sister passed away a fewdays ago and it has changed my
Christmas.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
A little bit yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I don't really get into the Christmas music so much
, only because I feel like I'mso busy trying to help plan a
funeral and trying to balance mywork and my kids and everything
.
But that's okay, it's temporary.
I kind of want to focus on herright now and focus on my loss.
(17:51):
I'm choosing to do that.
It's kind of an in and outmoment where I've got that and I
want to be that way.
But then I want to be oh, herecomes my favorite Christmas song
on the radio and then I'm outof it.
So I think it's just what we'retalking about.
You can be in that moment, butthen make sure you're trying to
(18:11):
get yourself into something else.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I want to also say something.
The night you found out yoursister passed.
I told you don't be at home byyourself.
Surround yourself with thepeople you love.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Right, because we were at the cookie party.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
And I saw family and friends support you and just
they were asking me how's shedoing?
Give me your mama, a hug for me.
Your mom is an angel, come here.
They would just come up to meand give me hugs.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I was like I don't even know you, but thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Wow, you have such a support system behind you and
the messages, yeah, the messagesyou were getting.
They were just so heartfelt.
You have a great community ofpeople behind you.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
It's really nice to hear.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
That's what other holidays are about giving,
supporting each other.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, so, yeah, so are they.
But is any day ever happy?
Is any day maybe sad?
Is it any different atChristmas?
No, probably not.
You know, we have the good andwe have the bad.
How could it be different atChristmas?
But the one thing we can do iskeep our focus on what the
reason is for the season, andthat is to give and to love and
(19:20):
to open our hearts to people.
And you know, what you justgave a testimony of is what
people were doing.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Exactly.
I saw that and I was like, wow,I don't want to leave here.
I feel so supported.
Everyone's got my mom's back.
Whatever she needs, they'lltake care of it.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
It really shows you who your true friends are.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
That's how I knew.
I didn't know.
I mean, people were coming upto me and I was sort of half not
, like okay, thank you.
But I didn't want to get intoit because I didn't want to
start crying and I just wantedto keep going.
I had my cry time in thebathroom.
But yeah, my sister Linda, itwas her birthday and she died on
(20:07):
her birthday.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, I know, I've learned that today she was 65.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Born in 1958, on December 9th, and she died in
2023, on December 9th, 65 yearsold.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
That's crazy on a birthday.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Yeah, it is.
She was a sweet soul.
She'll be watching us.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
She'll be watching us open presents and she'll be up
there watching.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yeah, she'll be happy for us.
She sure will.
Anyway, see, that just makes mesmile.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, knowing she's up there watching.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And I think when you have someone that is going
through something, say thosekind words like Greg does, like
he just did to me.
I mean that makes me smile.
Greg, you're so good at that,Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
You've got to be on the right side of things.
You can just be stuck on thebad negative all the time.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And you did that with .
We were talking to my nephewtoday.
We had him on speakerphone andhe said something, and then you,
just you said something thatwas so positive.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Again, it was like you're doing the best you can.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Keep it up.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Just keep it up.
Yeah, I love that.
So be encouraging to others.
And sometimes, when we'reencouraging to others, when
we're hurting too, that makes usfeel better.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, that little encouragement moves can be
everything.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yeah.
So I don't know there was a lotof stuff tonight.
I don't think we followed ourprogram and our points that we
wanted to cover.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I think it turned out great, I know, but that's okay
and you know.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I would just want to say in closing just think about
those things that are importantto you, reminisce, think, go
back and pull out those pictures.
Thank you.
Yeah when you're a little orget.
I don't know where your parentshave those pictures now I have
albums, but anyway, you know, goback and get out that book that
(21:57):
was recorded for you, or readthose books that your mom read
to you when you were.
You know, a child and I have asnow village.
Yeah which is overgrown and waytoo big for my house anymore
next year.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
We're going crazy, we're going full on.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Okay, man, you need to help me, yeah it's a big deal
, but I don't the space that wehad, that I like to keep it, and
Greg Greg help me pick out somepieces and that were important
to Him, and so we did that.
Old music I love old music andI love new music.
Christmas music, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, cherish every moment with whoever you are or
whoever you have near you,because you never know when it
could be.
Your last Time is important.
Time is money.
Don't waste time, um, and don'treminisce on the bad stuff, I'd
say so look on the bright sideand keep it positive.
Yeah cuz the season is aboutgiving and enjoying the positive
(22:50):
, so yeah that's what I got tosay.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Well said thank you what is gonna be our takeaway?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
because we are totally outscrewed like I said,
I think that was our take away,that was it.
Okay, love your family, loveyour friends.
Cherish every moment while youcan be good.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Be good to people.
Be good to yourself.
Go to church.
Go to church.
Yeah, you go meet somebody.
Anyway, all right, we're gonnaclose out for tonight and.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Thank you, jesus, for this episode.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yes you are not alone .
Speaker 2 (23:25):
You are not alone.
Thank you, guys, so much forlistening.
Signing off See ya.
Hello and welcome to another episode of the you are
not alone podcast.
My name is Debbie Gold and I'mhere with my co-host and son,
greg, and we are so glad thatyou're here with us.
Each week on this show We'lltalk about informative issues,
issues that will make you thinkand help you grow.
It is our wish that you willfind Encouragement and a little
(00:22):
bit of Jesus in every episode.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hey all, welcome back to our podcast.
Um, as we approach the holidayseason, you know Christmas is
coming up.
I Am super excited Because thisis my favorite holiday and I
wanted to talk about it with mom, because I realized that some
people absolutely, you know,despise Christmas or don't like
(00:47):
Christmas as much as you know Ido.
But yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
do you think they despise it or do you think they
just have a hard time?
Yeah, during the holiday season, I think it's a hard time for
them.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah during the holiday season and we just I'm
gonna reinstate that magic ofChristmas into y'all people.
So I think it would be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I think that's a great message, greg, because
this it really is all about, youknow, the birth of Christ and
the joy of this season andRemembering the real reason that
we are here to celebrate thisMm-hmm and there's so many
different meanings to Christmastoo.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I mean it's, you know , being around other people,
being supported by friends.
You love friends and family.
Giving back Holiday cheer, youknow Christmas carols.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, trails of lights.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, cookie parties.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah, Judy's cookie party.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
So many great events associated with Christmas right
Decorating our house.
Yeah, and I think if somepeople like miss all the joy in
that, you know, because to themDecorating the house might just
seem like another sticky notechore, you know.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Mm-hmm, or or even go into a one more party.
Yeah, it can be like I'mexhausted.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, I want to sleep in, but you know you could only
say those people stress for solong.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
So but I also want to you know, just not forget about
Going to church and celebratingthe reason why we are
Celebrating Christmas yeah, inour family.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
We have a tradition we go to Hill Country Bible
Church every Christmas Eve andthey do this Amazing ceremony.
With Rick Trevino country I wasthat comes out he does silent
night with the kids.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah, he calls all the young ones, like all the
young.
Well, I mean any of them thatcan actually walk.
But I think parents, someparents, will take their little
babies up too.
I thought young ones, and thenit's as old as you really want
to be, mm-hmm, but I could stillgo up there, I guarantee, if
you wanted to, yeah buttypically it's a little you know
, yeah, they do away in themanger and they're all kind of
(02:49):
swaying back and forth up on thebig stage.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
They might do silent night too.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Was it it.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, it is silent night.
No, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
You know what?
No, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, now I'm gonna listen this year.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
I can see him doing both.
It's a very calming mellow songit is.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, they show the kids on the jumbotron.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Faces of yeah, and it's so cute.
Some of them are singing, someare looking around, some are
picking their nose.
It's holy night you know.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
And then when the verse drops, the beat comes in.
That's when the snow.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But that's not what.
That's not what Rick does.
No no that's, that's the butthat's when the snow comes.
Yeah yes, it snows at ourchurch.
Yes, yeah, we love it.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's bubbles, but you know, let's just say it's no,
okay, wink, wink.
But yeah, that's.
Oh my gosh.
I remember seeing the snow forthe first time as a kid.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yes, snow came down.
I was like, oh my goodness, andwe like the candle.
When he's got a little candlethey're holding.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
You can see every, each individual candle in the
church.
It's so pretty.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Yes.
Oh it's, it's just such a bigpart of our Christmas.
What else?
Concerts, concerts, people doconcerts and plays.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
We saw a very in orchestra one year and it was,
oh my gosh, I was like six orseven.
I still remember that concertfully.
That was insane.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
So it's so intense.
Yeah don't don't on a.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Don't don't on a yeah , yeah, it's crazy, it gets you
in that holiday mood.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
It really does I mean , you cannot even ignore that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
second and then.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
But you know, I have really fun this year with you,
greg.
You know, a lot of times I'lltake care of the decorating on
the inside and and the lightsare kind of the outside guy type
light thing to do right, or youknow, or.
Responsibility some new Eicyclelights for a part of the house
(04:59):
that we didn't ever have lightson before, and so I had bought
some early in the season to saywe were gonna finish the rest of
this yeah and so you and I tookon that challenge of yeah doing
it.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
but let's not forget the most important part is the
light was not Unwrapped right,so we had to sit there, grab
every single light on twiststring of light, the little hang
down yeah, yeah, you, you, youon.
Twist in the opposite directionof the two, circle the cords or
whatever.
You pull for five secondsreally hard, and there are about
(05:36):
seventy three on each one, Icounted on each string yes, we
did seventy three times six.
Whatever that number is three.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Okay, yeah it was a little cray cray yeah it.
You know, my fingers were sore,yeah it looks freaking killer.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
It looks so amazing, it's so worth it.
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I'm there.
And then here's here's a littletip for y'all, all your
listeners out there we put onestring of lights up without
plugging it in.
This is how we started put astring of lights up and then we
started doing that twisty thingand get it to kind of this kind
of hang down.
And then we got done with thewhole string and we went,
(06:18):
plugged it in and, oh my gosh,right in the center of the
string, it was like the centerthird.
You know you do third, a third,a third.
That center third did not lightand I'm like oh yeah, yeah,
that did not just happen yeah,and then dad's in the background
going.
I always tell you all to plugthe lights in before you hang
them up.
(06:38):
Make sure they work, and I'mgoing.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Okay, whatever yeah, we figured it out eventually
yeah, yeah, but you know what?
Speaker 1 (06:47):
that's a memory that we just created yeah, yeah,
we're gonna be great like oh mygosh yeah yeah, and then we're
standing up there when it getsnight, that night at night, it
starts to get dark and I'm goingLook at our lights.
And then we look, I say nowlook at dad's over there, the
ones he hangs up every year forthe last four years and I'm,
like I said better, yeah yeah,and then we decorated the
(07:08):
apartment across the street tothe side yeah, and then low
tradition.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I don't know if it's too early to bring this up, but
that's gonna be a well.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, whatever you want to, I don't care, put it
wherever you want, sure it cango both places.
Okay, we do have a littleprogram that we follow and a
little outline that we try tofollow for our podcast so yeah,
I was just.
Go to the end.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
So here's another tradition we have so when I was,
so that was my grandma is yes,gregory's G man in our family.
(08:07):
I don't know what I got thatbook, but every Christmas I seem
to play and just listen to itright.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
So it's one of those recorded books from hallmark
where grandma bought it and sherecord.
She read it and it was recordedas she was reading and so she
flipped the pages.
Keep your voice and yeah it'sjust a fun thing to pull out
right.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I love doing that every Christmas it's a little
tradition.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I have chase.
That's one too yeah, that'sright so I always have grandma's
voice.
What are some other traditions?
I'm trying to think of makingcookies.
Oh my god man, that's a hugeone, okay so I've been working a
lot lately and I haven't reallyquite got there yet.
So I don't know.
We all forget.
I don't make this year.
(08:51):
I know that's.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That's a hard call right, I just go next door to do
your barracks and she'll takecare of me, she won't.
Yeah, she would totally do thatbecause we just had a massive
Christmas cookie party overthere at our neighbors and it
was wonderful.
It was a great time.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, yeah, it was truly a good time.
And the idea is and she's beendoing this for years, I don't
even know how many yeah but youtake two dozen cookies and then
you come home with two dozencookies.
So you take two dozen, you lay,everybody puts them out on a
table and people eat.
You know some here and there,but the idea is that you get to
(09:28):
take two dozen of someone else'scookies home to have a variety.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah and get to, you know, to experience something
different yeah, and I brought mybuddy to and he really had a
good night that night.
It was fun.
I'm glad we met so manydifferent people to and just
connect with a bunch of peoplethat I didn't know before too
yeah cool, it was great yeah,yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
hot chocolate is always something I think of
during the it's one of myfavorites right there
celebration.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Mm-hmm, how can you not love hot chocolate, hot?
Speaker 1 (09:59):
chocolate.
It's the best Having fire, havesome marshmallows, yeah, just
being cozy by the fire yeah.
That homey feeling oh, watchingmovies, christmas movies oh my
God, charlie Brown.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yes, stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
The elf Home Alone.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
There's a new Eddie Murphy movie out.
We came something.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
For Christmas.
The one with the train.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Express Something Express.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yeah, uh, polar, polar Express, polar Express.
Yeah, that's a classic one too,you were touching your nose
like this.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Did you know that?
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I was like come on, come on, it's there.
Yeah, sounds like mm-mm.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, mm-mm.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
You know, what I love about the holiday season is
gift giving.
People seem to want to opentheir hearts and give to
charities, or give bicycles tobicycle drives yeah.
Or, you know, people do reallyget into the spirit.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
People are so much more helpful around this time.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
I noticed that too Um it's pretty great.
It's really amazing.
Yeah, it is Um but you know, Ilove it, I just love it.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Um, but yeah, just the family time, the time with
the friends, that sometimes youjust get too busy throughout the
year and yeah, because thattime is precious Mm-hmm and you
realize that you have so muchmore to be thankful for.
Yeah, there's so much, um, yeah, just there's so much beauty in
being with friends and familythat, um, we really have to
(11:37):
remember to really make that apriority at Christmas All year.
Okay, that's Nico, our dog,that's blind.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
He just ran into a door.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Sorry about that, okay, um, oh, we talked about
gift giving, right?
Yeah, I think so, yeah, yeah,don't, don't overspend on people
.
Yeah, if people knew that youwere overspending out of your
budget, they would not want youto do that.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
So I'm just saying don't dothat, yeah, they'll be selfish
buyers.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
About that, I don't know.
Yeah, okay, okay, so.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Some people get down during Christmas.
What do you think that is?
Some people are stressed duringChristmas.
I think I think what I wassaying to you earlier I was
saying I feel like parents thatdon't have that feeling of
Christmas joy anymore is becausethey put so much pressure and
stress on themselves to makeChristmas great for their kids.
(12:37):
You know, they're putting somuch out there for their kids
just so it's a memorableChristmas that they feel warned
to the bone.
So taking the time to get thestuff but spending the money to
get Running all over town,getting these tickets for your
daughter that she wants to gosee a concert, getting this
(13:00):
bicycle for your son, jimmy,that he wanted since he was a
kid, or something like that,going to I don't know Zales and
buying a diamond earring foryour wife, or something like
that.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
I mean it can be stressful for a lot of people
that would be two diamondearrings, not just one, I know
but a set of diamond earrings.
Thank you, don't mess that uplater.
No, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, I bet you want earrings like a pirate Arrr,
here you go, honey, you're gonnakiss me.
That's another thing, but yeah,I feel like they put so much
out there, and then on ChristmasEve they sit down there like I
did it.
And then Christmas morningcomes and they're just exhausted
and then you know he doesn'tmention Santa or anything
(13:45):
because he's sleep deprived.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, well, I know, speaking as a parent, and I know
it's like you want to do foryour kids and you want to get
all those really cool, awesomethings that they want or,
surprisingly, something theyweren't even thinking of, and
but yes, I mean, I think youhave to put limits on yourself.
You know what is in the budget,what is my timing, my time look
(14:09):
like that I can put into thesecreative endeavors to give gifts
to my family and yeah, sothere's a lot of consideration
and sometimes we overdo.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I can see why Christmas can be stressful or
annoying for parents sometimes,because what was the earliest
time I ever woke y'all up?
Oh gosh for Christmas.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I'm probably not even going to remember that because
I want to forget it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yeah, you know, probably like four or five, I
know.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I remember dad put rules on it at some point.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
He's like.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
OK, we're not getting up before blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, because it got.
It got crazy at one point.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
I woke up at like five and I just couldn't sleep
and I looked at the tree andpresents were there like holy
crap, Santa's here.
Yeah, he just visited.
Oh my God.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
What's the guys?
Guys, guys, guys, guys.
And who can go back to sleep atthat point?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah.
Nobody, no, no, it's the thingthat's the funny thing I can
never sleep on Christmas.
I am so excited, I'm justecstatic.
No because I just, even thoughyou know Santa might not be all
that, I just feel like you knowhe's still coming with his
(15:22):
slenderness, reindeer and allthat.
He's going to drop the presentsdown the chimney or he's going
to come down the chimney anddrop the presents by the tree.
Eat the cookies.
We used to leave out cookies.
That's it too.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Milk and cookies for Santa?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yes, we did reindeer food, too, on the front lawn.
That was fun.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, oh man.
Yeah, so many great memoriesfor me.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
But yeah, I mean, I think too, you know, in addition
to like kind of getting carriedaway, as parents and even I
mean I'm sure you knownon-parents can do it too Want
to give, give give to thisfriend, that friend, you know
but sometimes I think it'semotionally tied to maybe some
memories or some things.
(16:07):
You know, you feel like asadness over the holidays
because maybe your mom or daddied during that time, or you
know really great grandpa orgrandma or it just reminds you
of something.
It reminds you of something thatwasn't so great, yeah, and so.
So there can be those things,and I think the best thing to do
(16:29):
when you are feeling sad orlike you're feeling lonely, any
of those things, is just to kindof really embrace your feelings
and stay with that and thenlook for ways to Surround
yourself with positive yeah withsome people Don't stay in that.
But you know, like I said,embrace it, stay with it for
(16:49):
just a little bit, but then getout there and get going.
And yeah, sometimes thememories in the I think that's
I'm sorry, I'm hesitating,because there are just family
(17:10):
sort of moments in the press.
Doc Schumann 200, they thinkit's still as exciting as this
is All of these things.
My sister passed away a fewdays ago and it has changed my
Christmas.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
A little bit yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I don't really get into the Christmas music so much
, only because I feel like I'mso busy trying to help plan a
funeral and trying to balance mywork and my kids and everything
.
But that's okay, it's temporary.
I kind of want to focus on herright now and focus on my loss.
(17:51):
I'm choosing to do that.
It's kind of an in and outmoment where I've got that and I
want to be that way.
But then I want to be oh, herecomes my favorite Christmas song
on the radio and then I'm outof it.
So I think it's just what we'retalking about.
You can be in that moment, butthen make sure you're trying to
(18:11):
get yourself into something else.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
I want to also say something.
The night you found out yoursister passed.
I told you don't be at home byyourself.
Surround yourself with thepeople you love.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Right, because we were at the cookie party.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
And I saw family and friends support you and just
they were asking me how's shedoing?
Give me your mama, a hug for me.
Your mom is an angel, come here.
They would just come up to meand give me hugs.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
I was like I don't even know you, but thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Wow, you have such a support system behind you and
the messages, yeah, the messagesyou were getting.
They were just so heartfelt.
You have a great community ofpeople behind you.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
It's really nice to hear.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
That's what other holidays are about giving,
supporting each other.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, so, yeah, so are they.
But is any day ever happy?
Is any day maybe sad?
Is it any different atChristmas?
No, probably not.
You know, we have the good andwe have the bad.
How could it be different atChristmas?
But the one thing we can do iskeep our focus on what the
reason is for the season, andthat is to give and to love and
(19:20):
to open our hearts to people.
And you know, what you justgave a testimony of is what
people were doing.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Exactly.
I saw that and I was like, wow,I don't want to leave here.
I feel so supported.
Everyone's got my mom's back.
Whatever she needs, they'lltake care of it.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
It really shows you who your true friends are.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
That's how I knew.
I didn't know.
I mean, people were coming upto me and I was sort of half not
, like okay, thank you.
But I didn't want to get intoit because I didn't want to
start crying and I just wantedto keep going.
I had my cry time in thebathroom.
But yeah, my sister Linda, itwas her birthday and she died on
(20:07):
her birthday.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Yeah, I know, I've learned that today she was 65.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Born in 1958, on December 9th, and she died in
2023, on December 9th, 65 yearsold.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
That's crazy on a birthday.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Yeah, it is.
She was a sweet soul.
She'll be watching us.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
She'll be watching us open presents and she'll be up
there watching.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yeah, she'll be happy for us.
She sure will.
Anyway, see, that just makes mesmile.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, knowing she's up there watching.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And I think when you have someone that is going
through something, say thosekind words like Greg does, like
he just did to me.
I mean that makes me smile.
Greg, you're so good at that,Thank you.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
You've got to be on the right side of things.
You can just be stuck on thebad negative all the time.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
And you did that with .
We were talking to my nephewtoday.
We had him on speakerphone andhe said something, and then you,
just you said something thatwas so positive.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Again, it was like you're doing the best you can.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Keep it up.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Just keep it up.
Yeah, I love that.
So be encouraging to others.
And sometimes, when we'reencouraging to others, when
we're hurting too, that makes usfeel better.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, that little encouragement moves can be
everything.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yeah.
So I don't know there was a lotof stuff tonight.
I don't think we followed ourprogram and our points that we
wanted to cover.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I think it turned out great, I know, but that's okay
and you know.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I would just want to say in closing just think about
those things that are importantto you, reminisce, think, go
back and pull out those pictures.
Thank you.
Yeah when you're a little orget.
I don't know where your parentshave those pictures now I have
albums, but anyway, you know, goback and get out that book that
(21:57):
was recorded for you, or readthose books that your mom read
to you when you were.
You know, a child and I have asnow village.
Yeah which is overgrown and waytoo big for my house anymore
next year.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
We're going crazy, we're going full on.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Okay, man, you need to help me, yeah it's a big deal
, but I don't the space that wehad, that I like to keep it, and
Greg Greg help me pick out somepieces and that were important
to Him, and so we did that.
Old music I love old music andI love new music.
Christmas music, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, cherish every moment with whoever you are or
whoever you have near you,because you never know when it
could be.
Your last Time is important.
Time is money.
Don't waste time, um, and don'treminisce on the bad stuff, I'd
say so look on the bright sideand keep it positive.
Yeah cuz the season is aboutgiving and enjoying the positive
(22:50):
, so yeah that's what I got tosay.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
Well said thank you what is gonna be our takeaway?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
because we are totally outscrewed like I said,
I think that was our take away,that was it.
Okay, love your family, loveyour friends.
Cherish every moment while youcan be good.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Be good to people.
Be good to yourself.
Go to church.
Go to church.
Yeah, you go meet somebody.
Anyway, all right, we're gonnaclose out for tonight and.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Thank you, jesus, for this episode.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yes you are not alone .
Speaker 2 (23:25):
You are not alone.
Thank you, guys, so much forlistening.
Signing off See ya.
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