Most Wonderful Time of the Year

‘Tis the season! As the holidays get closer and closer, your Iowa FFA State Officers, wanted to share some of our favorite holiday memories.  Check out our reasons why it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Cully Forsyth: Christmas in the Forsyth house can get very interesting. With my family being very close to each other you can imagine things get a little crazy. From wrestling in the living room to who can eat the most snicker salad, our competitive sides show very often. While we do get very loud and obnoxious it’s also a time to come back home and enjoy the presence of others. My favorite Christmas memory was traveling to Illinois on Christmas Eve to go skiing. My ten cousins, grandparents, parents, and I had a blast tearing up the slopes in the midst of winter. It was a different experience than the traditional sit around the Christmas tree and I’ll always remember that Christmas enjoying the time with my family in a place not familiar.

                

Cole Moody: My favorite Christmas memory is going to our Christmas Eve church service with my family. For as long as I can remember we have gone to church together on Christmas Eve, and I always look forward to that quality time with my family celebrating the birth of Christ. This is such a special time to me because as a family we are blessed to celebrate the true REASON for the SEASON. My favorite part is at the end of the service where they dim the lights, and we sing Christmas carols together by candle light. This is a tradition I look forward to continuing for the rest of my life.

Blake Lineweaver: Unlike your typical, frozen tundra Christmas parties, one side of my family celebrates what we call “Christmas in July.” Since they live so far away, July is the perfect time for them to get away to Okoboji. In my opinion, the greatest to time for festivities and family is when it’s 70 degrees outside rather than -40. We celebrate the holiday by going on boat rides, frying fish, and sending cousins out on the tube every other hour. The best part: we get a t-shirt commemorating each year’s festivities, and now I have 10-15 annual “Christmas in July” shirts overflowing my closet.

Zach Hamilton: Back when I was in younger, there was one Christmas that sticks out the most. My mom wrapped all of our presents at our aunt’s house while we were at school and decided to leave them there so we wouldn’t find the gifts early. Then Christmas rolled around. For some reason, we had finished up opening presents much sooner than my mom had expected. She checked around and realized we hadn’t even gotten through half of the things she had bought. She had only picked up about half of the presents she had left at my aunt’s house.  Determined to not ruin Christmas, my mom decided to brave snow that had been falling for the past couple days.  She headed out to get the presents she had forgotten and it was like we had our own Santa when she returned.  I will definitely never let her live it down, but it was quite the Christmas.  

Zoie Shook: I have never been a big lover of surprises. Although, the surprise I received this year for Christmas topped it all. My big brother TJ shipped out to basic in November this year, and it really was hitting me hard. My brother and the rest of my family pulled off a surprise homecoming for Christmas. I opened my front door after there was a knock, saw TJ standing there, and immediately started bawling my eyes out. My favorite thing about Christmas is always being surrounded by my family, and this year, with the surprise homecoming of my big brother, the family aspect that will be surrounding the tree this year will not be short one single person.

Zach Hoffman: The holiday season here, it is important to focus on what really matters. To me, family comes first. It is always a tradition of mine to visit my Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Ellie’s house on Christmas day where I am greeted by a loving family. For as long as I can remember, Christmas has been spent thumbing through scrapbooks, and eating far too many desserts. I am always sad to leave the Christmas party when the time comes, but I soon cheer up once I remember how truly blessed I am to have the loved ones that I do in my life. No matter what your celebration may look like, I wish you a very joy filled holiday season!

Savannah Keitzer: ‘Tis the season! My favorite holiday tradition is simply spending time with my family and friends. I love sitting around the table playing games and listening to the people around me tell stories. My favorite is listening to my grandparents reflect on and tell stories about how different it was “back in their day.” When they speaks of their past, it reminds me just how blessed I truly am to be raised in this time and place.

Chase Kusel: One of my favorite Christmas/ Holiday memories is one that occurs every year on Christmas Eve. My mom, dad, and I go out to eat every Christmas Eve as a family, and we always go to a movie following that. I can’t think of a more humbling way to spend the day before Christmas with the people that you love the most. Which is why it has been one of my favorite holiday memories for as long as I can remember.

Elisa Russ: Holidays for my family is always just my parents and my siblings, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Some of my favorite memories revolve around Christmas Eve.  We start with loading up the car and heading to church for Christmas Eve service (which gives me goosebumps just thinking about it because it’s such a beautiful service).  We come back and always have my dad’s amazing homemade chili for supper, followed by opening one present, before playing some cards and heading to bed.  These memories made with my family are ones I will forever cherish.

Although our memories may vary, they all revolve around spending time with those we most care about.  We would like to wish you a safe and very merry holiday season to you and your loved ones!

2016-2017 Iowa FFA State Officers