My only weakness in that good deed is I asked how much the couple had spent before deciding to pay their bill. I could just envision saying I was going to pay for their’s and then finding out they were picking up an order for their entire office party. I guess if my son had just gone ahead and pulled over, parked and gone to the bathroom and that couple had stopped by our car to thank us…..I would have had eo admi that they owedd it all to a lady named Tori Taff. But then they would have had to listen to me give them a ten minute update on Mrs. Taff’s husband’s new Christmas cd and how their Christmas wouldn’t be complete without it. Come to think about it, I messed up. I could have had a captive audience and sold cd’s. My next goal will be the Canadian border where I can hand out cookies while I sell that cd. I remember when you got so excited when you stopped Russ from going back up on stage that you spit cookie crumbs all over him. Or was it you had a sudden attack of the vapors and he had to step over your body in order to get back on stage? Either way, I bet he had a story to tell his wife that weekend.

Your granddaughter must be a very good musician!!! Do you think she inherited some of her great grandmother’s love of music? I bet she did! Good for her!

Isn’t it fun to be a blessing…and only the Lord knows about it…and that’s really all that matters?

I love the pictures. Thanks for sharing! What I like most about the holidays is that everyone is singing CHRISTmas songs. On all the stations, in the stores, no matter what their religion, or where they live – it seems like everyone is singing about Jesus! And, He is so worth it!

I also like that people are in a ‘giving’ spirit at Christmas. Warms my heart.

Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your dear, sweet family.

Donna

LOVE YOU TORI TAFF and love our chats!
David Knowling

Also, I am from Farmersville, though I now live in the big city of Visalia:)

Christmas? I love it. Family, music, food (especially Christmas tea – cold meats, cheeses, salad, dips, etc etc), church, family, presents, children, family.

If, perchance, my number was chosen at random would you ship to the UK? I’ve bought this CD for a number of people for Christmas but neglected to get myself a copy. I’ll wait to see if I win before I download it from itunes!

Crafty picture coming your way too. Not of pumpkins, but a cute Christmas project. Saw a display at Ben Franklin and came home and created our own version.

And, speaking of music…..bless her sweet heart, Phyllis is right about she and I buying a hearty supply of Russ’ new Christmas cd while we were at GaitherFest. But I couldn’t stand waiting until Christmas to give my children their cd’s…..so they each got an early present. Folks, it is terrific! If you don’t win the drawing here, you can hurry to Russ’ website and order your’s from there. Your Christmas won’t be complete wthout it. (okay, so I may be stretching it a bit….but only a tiny bit)

Loved those family pictures, Tori, and the one of Madi and Char is so cute! And, that one of my (I’m writing it so I may make any claim I wish) ‘lil ‘ole Taff family is a real keeper.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Rockin’ Robyn—–AMEN! Whenever I hear someone say Christmas is too commercial and too much about gifts and not about Christ, I want to say, “How could it be more about Christ, and love, and giving?” God calls His own Son and His salvation “a GIFT”, He recorded that the wise men brought GIFTS! I’m afraid my grandmother’s old saying applies here: “You just can’t please some folks, even if you poked sugar in both ends”!

My favorite thing about Christmas: I think it’s cool that even folks who don’t love God, or believe He exists, come face to face with His Story in all the festivities of Christmas—–carols, nativity scenes, gift giving, charities, etc. Even though some are trying to snuff out everything Christian in Christmas, they are failing, so far.

I love going to Mom’s and seeing rows and rows of buckeyes that she’s lovingly made. I love that we still have our Mom here to enjoy for another Christmas season! I know each Christmas with her is precious and to be treasured.

I love seeing little ones opening gifts and getting so excited about it all!!! And from growing up with three little brothers, I love seeing happy giggling little boys assembling toy train tracks and Hot Wheel racetracks and having the time of their lives!

I love the Christmas music that invokes all the sweet memories of Christmas’s past. Though we’ve heard them a thousand times, they still make me feel good about life and the awesome gift God has given us in His Son. And they make me look forward to the day when we will indeed have “peace on earth, good will toward men”! And when we sing “Silent Night, Holy Night”, I feel like I am standing on holy ground in that ancient town of Bethlehem, and a manger bed of hay which holds the hope of all mankind.

In LaCrosse, along the Mississippi,, we have the Rotary Lights with over a million lights,…I can hardly wait to see those million lights reflected in Cole and Morgen’s eyes!!!

Check out the photo galleries!
http://www.rotarylights.org/

Tori – I think you summed it up best with your pictures. Being with family and sharing the laughter and love!

Favourite thing about Christmas(besides celebrating Jesus Birth) seeing the kids eyes on Christmas morning, and the joy of giving to other, OH and spending time with family!

Christina

The holiday of Christmas does take a beating a bit… criticism for the shopping and going way over board for gifts and decorating. Not keeping Christ in Christmas?!?! I personally feel that it is with love that all the gift giving and receiving is all about… What a celebration and remembrance of the birth of Christ. Every time I see a house decorated in red and green lights, my upbringing reminds me that those lights represents that the green stands for eternal life, the evergreen trees and how it survives even harsh cold winters and the red stands for Christ’s blood that He shed for my sins… gold lights are beautiful reminders of the stars in the sky that helped light the way to a birth place for baby Jesus… We can’t give gifts to Jesus Christ himself – to show Him what His birth meant to us. So, we celebrate this wonderous occasion by showing love to all who are special to us and make this life here on earth worth living, until we can see Him face to face. All He wants is us to love one another and this is what this joyous holiday means to me.

So even though I don’t do any outside decorating and not much indoor – boy I sure love seeing it and taking drives to see all the beautiful lights in the dark of the night.

My favorite part of Christmas is having all our children and grandchildren over for dinner and playing Charades for hours!

I love everything about Christmas… but my favorite thing is the music… I’m a big David Phelps fan (phan) and I start listening to his Christmas music in October which leads to all of the other Christmas music I have … and I don’t ever get tired of it!

(The pictures look great. Poor Nathan was stuck here with my family instead of in LR with his own. We were waiting to see some family photos!)

-Colleen

I guess the first thing that pops in my head about Christmas is that I like the look on my sons face Christmas morning. Somehow we always manage to pull off at least one huge surprise for him that he doesn’t see coming. Last year we gave him his letterman jacket that we had told him could not be made until the Spring. Even though he’s 15 y.o. it is fun to see his reactions to things that make him that happy.

And you know if anyone deserves a signed CD it’s me…just in case you stoop to being biased in the ‘random ‘ selection process…
JK…knowing you and Russ are in my corner is worth more than a CD.

My favorite thing about the holidays is ‘WHEN IT IS OVER”! I love the reason for the season, just not what we have made out of the reason.
But if I have to pick one thing I really love, it is my NEW FAVORITE Russ Taff song and it is on his Christmas album, OH THE CROONING of “Go Tell It On The Mountain”…you go Russ! I know that MamaLloyd and I just about single handily cleaned his table in Myrtle Beach, but I got stocking suffers early and love them.

Tori, Russ, Madi and Char, may you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Much Love from cold south Louisiana.

I like lefse and rosettes and krumkaka,
And fudge made with marshmallow fluff,
I like brittle, chocolate dipped cherries
And (unfortunately) all that sweet stuff.

I like poinsettias, and wreaths,
And, of course, decorating the tree,
I like Christmas pageants, caroling,
And kids sitting on Santa’s knee.

I like Christmas Eve, and candles,
And, of course, singing “Silent Night”
(Even though anyone who is listening
might not think it sounds quite right.)

I like church bells and manager scenes,
And sitting in a pew with those I love,
I like hearing again the timeless story
About Jesus, the baby, sent from above.

OK, OK…music and decorations.

-lights under the snow
-music
-church sanctuary decorations
-kids dressed in “bath robe” costumes
-the whole reason for it all – the awesomeness of God coming to save me! I’m humbled by it again and again…

This year my favorite thing has been the theme song to Charlie Brown’s Christmas special; Lucy and Linus. I’ve also been enjoying clips from it on YouTube. I also like How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I’ll probably read the book again soon.