My favorite family tradition is opening a gift on Christmas Eve. The night of Christmas eve, we listen to Christmas music and eat cookies or some other treat, and then we all sit around the Christmas tree with the fire on cuddled up in blankets, and we look through the presents. We find the one that we want to open, and we open that one present on Christmas eve. Normally it is Christmas pajamas to sleep in. The rest of the presents we save for Christmas day. That is my favorite family tradition.

                      By Janessa Wilding

      Family Christmas Traditions

                                        Anna B.

My favorite family Christmas tradition is going up to Salt Lake to stay at my grandparent's hotel
and drinking peach sparkling soda, eggnog, and whatever good smelling concoctions we can find
at stores. We always stay up until midnight and then go into a frenzy opening presents. The moms
disagree with staying up that late, but the dad's side always wins.

When we finally finish with presents, (usually near 4 am,) we run to the exercise room to try to tone
down energy, then finally go to bed at 5ish.We always sleep in really late, then overload on donuts
, shakes, and smoothies. (This always comes with the protesting of my mom, my aunts, and my
grandma, but this is the one time of the year when my mom's rule doesn’t go.

Christmas Tradition

     My family has many Christmas traditions that we do every year, and here is one of my favorites. In Germany, the Christmas season doesn't start at the end of November like here, the Christmas spirit really starts on the 24th, (Christmas Eve). Then is the time to start decorating the tree, the time to celebrate, and to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Because I have German ancestors, my family likes to celebrate this tradition somewhat. Luckily my family doesn't start having fun on the 24th, but on Christmas Eve we have a special Christmas Eve dinner, and open one present after we have eaten. Although that is not the only tradition my family does, it is probably one of my favorites. Merry Christmas!

                             Bryce C.

Christmas Family Tradition

My Christmas Family Tradition
by: Cason Davenport

         One of our family traditions during Christmas time is going up to Cedar Mountain to find a Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving. We've been doing this since my very first Christmas. We like to go the day before Thanksgiving because it isn't usually busy and we can spend the rest of the week spending time with our family.  Sometimes there's snow, sometimes there isn't. Sometimes we bring extended family members like my grandma or my cousins. We always come home with good trees and stories of the day.
         Before we leave we have to pack up our truck with our gear. We always pack the tree permits, the saw, jackets, a change of clothes, and sometimes we take 4-wheelers. When my Grandma comes she brings sandwiches and hot chocolate. We plan to stay up there the whole day and coming back before dark. We always come home pretty tired, but we look forward to it every year.
         Every year something crazy happens. Like this year, we almost ran out of gas. Usually, we go to Yankee Meadow but because of the Brianhead fire we took the back way up Cedar Mountain through Cedar Breaks instead. Since we went a different way, and my mom couldn't read the map, we almost ran out of gas. Last year, we had a huge group so we had 3 or 4 trucks. There was a ton of snow, and the roads were pretty covered. There was another truck ahead of us that was coming down the mountain. Because of the snow and ice and the steep hill, he was slipping down the road and almost knocked us off a cliff! If my Grandmas truck hadn't been where it was, the truck that hit it might have gone off itself. Every year is so fun on the day we go get a Christmas tree to see and play in the snow. We always look forward to the next year afterwards.

My favorite tradition By: Courtney Derrick
My favorite holiday tradition is probably the candle light dinner we have on Christmas eve. Every Christmas eve my mother goes all out and prepares a delicious dinner. We have potatoes, and soup and steak, and a lot of delicious things. When we all have our food, we turn off all of the lights except a couple of candles on our table and our Christmas tree. We all eat and then we have our Christmas Program. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and the dinner makes it really special.

                                                          Christmas Tradition
                                                          By: Braden Loveland

           My family does this Christmas tradition called baby new year. This is past Christmas but it is kinda the same idea. On new years eve baby new year comes and refills the stockings and sometimes leaves a small gift. This has been a tradition in our family since my grandparents were little kids. I just recently found out though that not very many other families do this. But I guess that's what makes it unique. Usually he brings stuff that go with what we got for Christmas. For example, one year I got and xbox and baby new year brought some controllers.
           We really don't have many actual Christmas traditions. We do the pajama thing on Christmas eve but from what I have heard a lot of people do that to. We also use a fake tree so we never need to go find a real one like some other people do. So when it comes to Christmas we are a pretty basic and ununique family. But we do baby new year so that is our tradition

                                                               Holiday Tradition







            In my family, usually on the 19th, we go on a car ride and see all the lights. "Its a great way to spend time with the family and just relax." My mother says every time we complain. This year, she bought online these special glasses, and when you look at a light, it shows a three-d picture of a snowflake or a snowman and stuff like that. The lights are amazing, beautifully colorful, and bright, with all the the houses, it you look down from a plane you would probably see the most beautiful scene in the universe. We usually go to the most popular places where the people go all out. But some years we go around the neighborhood and look at the common lights. That is my favorite family tradition, do you have one?


                                                        Brandon Gough

My Families Christmas Tradition

By: Kennedie Harris

           Out of all the traditions my family and I do around Christmas, my all time favorite is doing kind acts of service! Last year we did Twelve Days of Christmas to an older family with two disabled 40 year old kids. To this day I still see them wearing the watches we gave them. The year before that we all went to the nursing home and sang to the elderly. We also talked to them and bought them presents for Christmas. Some other things we have done is, going caroling for the families nearby who don't get very much company, buying presents for the kids who don't have very much money and giving cookies to the people in the homeless shelter.  I look forward to this every year and it makes me so happy whenever I see the peoples faces light up as we do the acts of service. The feeling that it brings when we do this tradition is so amazing. And I can't wait to continue on with it this year. 

My favorite Christmas tradition do is making Gingerbread Houses!

Every year my family a week before Christmas we make gingerbread houses with my grand parents and my uncle. My dad buys a bunch of gram crackers and he hot glues them together and this year he made castles.  While we make the gingerbread houses my little sister piper and my grandpa Oso sing Christmas songs together. It is the cutest thing ever! While their singing me and Gigi (my other little sister) decorat our houses. (But most of the decorations were gone because piper used them all, she thinks she needs everything on her house.) Other than that it is so much fun! Then after the decorating is done we take pictures by our houses and then we have dinner with my grandparents and uncle. Then after dinner we say our good byes and then the day is over. -Ellee B

                                                    Christmas Traditions
                                                                     By: Halle Westbrook

        Last year me and my family started a fun tradition called Secret Santa. My mom or dad writes down all of my siblings names (including mine) and each kid draws out a name. if you get your own name then you put it back in and draw out another name. This year I got my little sister. She really loves dogs. So I am going to get her a little touch and feel dog book and a stuffed animal that is a dog. (She is one) We also do services for the sibling we got. But sense I got my little sister and you can´t really do a service for her my mom told me to do my brother. This tradition is so much fun! Even though this is only our second year we have been doing it I definitely recommend it. It has been so much fun shopping for gifts for her. It makes me so excited to see her face on Christmas when I can give her, her gift. That is one of my family traditions, what are yours?

Christmas Tree Hunting!

My family has many holiday traditions but going Christmas tree hunting is my favorite! My family has gotten real Christmas trees for as long as I can remember! I have so many good memories of spending a whole day playing in the snow with my family, trying to pick out the perfect tree. I always love driving up there just to play in the snow, something that we don't get in Santa Clara!

The day after Thanksgiving my family, and my cousins pack into my grandparents suburban and we drive up to the Kiabab. (It's about an hour and a half away, somewhere in Arizona). Since the suburban is really old, the only movies that work in there are the thick tape movies (I can't remember what they're called ). We watch old Christmas movies and cartoons the whole way up! It's a blast! We sing Christmas songs and laugh until our voices are completely gone, no joke! 

Once we get into Arizona, we stop and get our Christmas tree license and buy the ticket for our tree. Then we drive a little longer until we find the perfect spot to get out! Once we do, we eat lunch. Once we hurry and eat lunch, we play in the snow! Let me tell you, when we play, we play hard! Especially when snow is involved! This year, we had an air soft war! It was awesome! Once we find our tree, we cut it down and drive home. Christmas tree hunting is one of my most favorite Christmas traditions! I hope you can see why! 

-Abbey Mathews 

Gabby's Christmas Traditions

 

       My family doesn't have a lot of Christmas traditions, and we never even really do that much besides the usual decorating with messy tinsel, hanging up stockings, putting up the tree, decking the halls, blah blah etc. Some families make waffles on Christmas morning, or read a memorable Christmas book. For my family, however, we just let our kind and wonderful neighbors bake us sugar cookies and have a happier mood than usual. For example, this is the first time in four years we put lights up on the house! There are some things we do, but I wouldn't call them traditions per say.

      One thing my family does over the holiday season is decorate. Plastic Santas everywhere. You see, my Mom is what you would call a "Christmas-aholic". She'd even listen to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" in July! She loves to go all out when it comes to decor, with tinsel and a tree that gets little pine leaf things everywhere, gorgeous ornaments that shatter completely if they hit the table too hard, and don't even get me started on the baking... I'm just surprised I don't have diabetes yet. She's like a festive bull inside a Christmas-themed china shop. Overall, we never really do anything annually that shows significance.
     
      As you see, the Dutson household doesn't do squat when it comes to traditions. However, we are all grateful to have each other in the season of love, joy, and family. My family has the grasp that Christmas isn't about the gifts or the lights, and we cherish every moment of our time together. That, my friends, (I'm crying right now, what is happening), is something that the Dutsons do annually, yet all year round.

Secret Santa

Secret Santa

My family has the best Christmas traditions, my favorite is secret santa. For secret santa we put the names of the kids in my family in a bag and we all chose one (parents not included). We each have to make a homemade gift for the sibling we picked. It is very fun because you have to decide what they would want and how you can home-make it. I think that it has become a tradition because it is fun, creative, and it brings us closer together as siblings. Another reason it is my favorite is because you have to keep a secrete, you don't who has you and nobody else knows who you have. This my favorite holiday tradition by far.

         My Family's Christmas Tradition    

      One of my favorite family Christmas tradition is to set out a pair of old Dutch shoes on our front porch on December 5. During the night "SinterKlass" fills the shoe up with candy and gifts for us to wake up in the morning to find. My dad's family is from Holland and my dad has been setting out the wooden shoes since he was a little boy. These wooden shoes have been in our family for a very long time along with this tradition. SinterKlass is like the American Santa Clause but comes on a different night of December. Most of the time he puts in chocolate candies and  dutch treats called stroope waffles in the shoe. In Holland SinterKlass does not have reindeer like our Santa Clause which makes him different. It is a lot of fun to see what he will bring us every year. There are many different Dutch candied that are put in the shoes. For example, speculaas which is like a thin gingerbread candy, chocolate letters shaped in the letter of your name and so much more. I always look forward to this tradition because of how fun and exciting it is!


By: Camille Van Gils

                           Christmas Traditions

      One of my favorite Christmas traditions by far is when my family and a few other family friends get together and go shopping for about 5 foster kids.  First, we get the kids names, ages, and their gender so we kind of have an idea of what to shop for.  Then we go to a few different stores, we usually go to Target.  We will usually get the kids some toys, blankets, or clothes based on the kids ages.  We also get gift cards for the guardians so that they can buy things for the kids too.  After that we take everything home and wrap it.  This usually takes a while because we have to make sure we know who we are wrapping the gift for so that we can put a name tag on it so the presents don't get mixed up.  After that we drive to the kids houses and drop the gifts off for them on the doorstep.  Then we ring the doorbell and run.  It's kind of hard sometimes because there is a lot of presents and we can be loud sometimes.  After someone rings the doorbell other have to drive away but the doorbell-ringer has to just run and then hide in the neighbors yard.  Then we have to risk going back to check if they were even home and got the presents.  It is definitely my favorite part.  After that we go home, watch a movie and have hot chocolate.  Definitely one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

-Ellie Bethers

Christmas Traditions

By: Scarlett D.

It is Christmas time again! The time everyone is waiting for. The time when many families exchange presents! In my family, we do exchange presents, but my Christmas traditions start a week before Christmas. Once you turn 14 in my family (So me next year!), You get to go shopping at the dollar store for what we call "The Christmas Surprise". Basically, every year on Christmas morning, my aunts and uncles that are home for Christmas and over 14 wake up hours before everyone else and set up a surprise. About two years ago, they build robots and put them all around the lower floor of our house. Last year, they got baby dolls and dressed them up like different things. Another year, there were 5 Walmart bags full of rubber ducks that they distributed throughout the house. I got to help set up once I turned 11, which was three years ago.

That isn't all my family does for Christmas. Every year on Christmas Eve, we all get pajamas. And I mean everyone. We all sleep in the new pajamas and open presents in them. I have so many family members come home for Christmas that over half of us have to sit on the floor! We open presents in order from oldest to youngest, so I always have to go 2nd to last, My younger brother, Logan, being the last. Once we are all done opening presents, we go back to sleep for a few hours, since we always open presents really early. Then, when we all wake up again, we make french toast and chill for the rest of the day. Usually, I'm cleaning my room because of what a huge mess it is once I'm done opening all of my presents!

Some years, we will drive up to my great grandparent's house and I'll open presents from them. They get snow where they live, so after we are done opening presents, I go outside with my cousins that I don't see very often and we have snowball fights. These are my favorite traditions that my family has.

                                 Christmas Traditions

          My favorite Christmas Tradition is on Christmas Eve. First off, at around ten o'clock in the morning we go to our favorite bowling alley with a few family friends. We all split up into groups and see who gets the best score. Last year I won and got five dollars. After we go bowling we go over to our friend's house for lunch. This is my favorite part of the day because we just mess around. All we do is just hang out and watch movies with popcorn and hot chocolate. Around six o'clock we order takeout from a restaurant usually Cafe Rio. We go back to my house and eat. After that, we play a game we made up called the cereal game. My mom wraps cereal boxes and we get dices. Then we go around in a circle rolling dice till we roll doubles. If you get doubles you get to choose or trade a cereal box. When all the boxes are gone and occupied the game is over. It is really fun because you never know what you'll end up with. Last year I got Reese's Puffs. Finally, we act out the nativity and watch a movie. Then we go to bed. (well we try to)

By: Will Warner

My Christmas Tradition

 By: Sydney Healy

                    Some people think that getting presents is the best part of Christmas morning. But my families favorite part is giving presents to each other. During the month of December we all make a list of what we would like and put it some where every one can see it.

That is where one of my favorite Christmas tradition starts. SHOPPING!!! While shopping we all use are own money. Its the best when I find the same thing at a different store for less money.

                   After I buy the gifts I get to wrap them. I love wrapping gifts because you get to choose which ever wrapping paper you want, then stick on a little card and bow on it. After you buy it and wrap it you get to put the present under the tree with all the other shining wrapped presents. Then we all wait with anticipation for Christmas morning.

     My Xmas tradition by patience cox

 My Xmas tradition it pretty basic. I don't really do a lot as far as traditions but I got one. PAJAMAS, on Christmas eve we open a gift. and we get new pajamas to sleep in!  If we don't get pajamas then we get to pick one Christmas present early. I will show you examples of this in the 2 paragraphs below.

  p.j's are great. we usually get the funny iconic ones that really fit into the Christmas spirit.  for example, one year I got an ugly Christmas sweater and matching pants.  another year I got footie pajamas. After we open the p.js, we get to put them on. The sucky part about this is then we have to take pictures but it not TOO bad.

  This is the alternative, to open one of our smaller christmas presents.  It is the same thing as the last but just switching pajamas, for presents!  I got a limited edition Marilyn Monroe magazine cover last time.  Another time I got a cat clock, (that was a long time ago). My Christmas tradition is nothing exquisite. But fun and I like it. <3

       Christmas is the best holiday ever!  And there are so many traditions that different families do each year!  My family does not do anything really different than most people.  On Christmas Eve, we all get pajamas on and go down stairs, and open one present.  It´s always Christmas pajamas!  After that we always run to our rooms and put our new pajamas on!  Then we ¨go to bed¨, usually in the same room.  In the morning we all go downstairs and wake up my parents, and then line up from youngest to oldest (I am always last)!  My dad has the camera, ready to capture our the faces we make!

       After opening our presents, which takes a long time, we go to my grandparents house, and open a few presents there.  Then we go to my other grandparents house, and open presents with all our cousins, and then go try out all the new stuff we got.  We usually have a hat with all the cousins names in it, and we draw out a name to see who we are getting a present for!  But, last year we did a white elephant gift exchange instead.

     There is all those fun traditions, with presents involved, but my favorite tradition is one we started this year with my dads family!  A few weeks ago, my aunt told us there were some families she works with that could use some extra help this year.  So we went through all of our stuff that we did not want, and bought some new stuff for them.  Then last week we went to my grandparents house and wrapped all the gifts, later this week we will take them to the families, and hope that it helps them this year!

  By Addie Platt

Christmas traditions

      To start, there are many fun things you can do to celebrate Christmas. Some involve service and others are just for entertainment, but I can't lie. My favorites are the ones for just entertainment. My favorite is skiing  all day on Christmas eve, so when we come back to our house we are tired and it is easy to sleep. Once we get back, we go hot tubbing. Then me and my family have challenges to see who can stay in the cold pool the longest. Eventually, we get bored, so we dry off and go inside. For some reason, it has become a tradition that are parents always give us pajamas on Christmas eve. We also open our siblings presents on Christmas eve. Then we go to bed and wait for Christmas.

Equally important, after Christmas we drive up to our grandparents house, and meet our cousins there. The most fun thing to do is go sledding behind four wheelers. It is a lot of fun because when you fall off, the four wheeler keeps going so then you just have to jump on when it comes by again. I usually land on top of five people. It also a lot of fun to push each other off, but if someone pushes me off then I grab them and pull them down with me. It is a lot of fun. Those are my favorite Christmas traditions.



By Will Nadauld

My Favorite Christmas Tradition

My favorite Christmas tradition is Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve our family goes to our grandparent's house. There we open pajamas, I open my presents, as Christmas Eve is my birthday and we go home, get into our pajamas and go to sleep, preparing for Christmas. The first reason of why I like Christmas Eve is that it's my birthday! Second, it's almost Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Third, is that we watch Santa Claus go to each area of the world and give gifts. I hope you like my family's Christmas Tradition.

My Christmas Traditions 

         My favorite part about Christmas Eve and Christmas is getting to open pajamas on Christmas Eve. Every year my family gets excited for what we will get on Christmas but our favorite is getting pajamas on Christmas Eve. Another one of my favorite traditions is reading The Cremation of Sam Mcgee on Christmas Eve. I don't know why it is a tradition, but it is. My family has a lot more Christmas Eve and Christmas traditions but those are just some of my favorites.

Holiday Traditions

One of my family's newest traditions is during Thanksgiving. I know. I know. Your going to say that it's not a Christmas tradition if it's during Thanksgiving, but just hear me out. So about three years ago, my grandparents on my dad's side went on a tour through Europe in December. We decided to celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving on the same day so we could all be together. :) 

We had a big Thanksgiving dinner and then we did the nativity. Everyone dressed up. If one of the cousins were young enough, they would be the baby Jesus. I remember when we did the nativity once when I was maybe seven, I got to be Mary, and I had my stuffed animal be the lamb. After everyone was dressed up like stars, shepherds, wise men, Mary, and Joseph then we would take a picture. My grandma would play a song on the piano and we would all sing along. Then we would open presents and the next day we would travel home. Sadly we did not do it this year, because too many people were busy :( 

Another tradition my family and I do is we go up to my grandma's house on my mom's side and we do a white elephant exchange. My mom has a lot of sisters and brothers, so it's always a BIG gathering! Last year we did it and I didn't get to keep anything because I gave mine to my little sister... but it was still fun. We are planning on going up there this year so we can join in on the family holiday spirit!

-Lollie Wimmer

My Christmas Traditions

    My family does lots on Christmas Eve. The first thing we do is go around the house putting candles up, when it's time for our fancy dinner we turn off all of the lights and light the candles. My mom makes all of us our very own Cornish Game Hen with stuffing in it for dinner. After that we go by the Christmas tree and my dad reads the scriptures as we act out the nativity. We then open our gift that has our name and C.E. on it for Christmas Eve, it's always pj's. We get all bundled up and hop in the back of my dads truck. My dad drives my family and our friends all over town to see all of the Christmas lights. We stop for hot coca on the way home and when we get home we snuggle up in our new Christmas pj's and wait for Santa. This is a little peek to the Lamoreaux's Christmas Traditions!
- Gwyneth Lamoreaux

Christmas Eve

    Christmas is great, but my favorite is Christmas Eve. That's when my family does all the fun and games. That's actually when my favorite Christmas tradition is. Most every year, we've gone up to my Uncle Joe's house and spent Christmas with them. On Christmas Eve night, we have a lot of games set up such as limbo with a broom and crates, musical chairs, spoons, and a game that I don't know the name of. In that we just jump over the broom instead of go under. Those are all fun and all, but my favorite includes sitting down in a huge circle with everyone holding a wrapped present no one knows what it is (except for the parents who wrapped them of course).

     The tradition I like most is "Twas The Night Before Christmas." For those who don't know what that is, it's a book, that we've included in a game sort of thing. My uncle will have all of us sit in a big circle in the family room, and one of his wives will have a garbage bag with all these wrapped presents in them. She'll hand a wrapped present to all of us, and we will sit and wait for everyone to have a present in hand and my uncle to be ready to read. When everyone is ready, my uncle will start reading. Every time he says the word "the" we have to pass the present one to the right. Some parts have a lot of "the's" in them so we have to be quiet enough to listen good and be quick about passing the presents. All this without accidentally unwrapping them while we're doing it. At the end of the book, it has almost no "the's" so my uncle will just add in a few to get us passing.

     At the very end, when the story is finished, everyone can unwrap the gift the ended with and see what they have. When someone doesn't much like what they got, they just see if anyone will trade with them. Last year, there were two presents that everyone knew what they were, and were trying to get them. They were two big bottles of soda, root beer and 7-up. One of my cousins ended up with the 7-up and everyone was trying to trade with her. It was super fun. That is one of my family's favorite Christmas traditions, along with a lot of other great ones.

By: Daisy J.

NEW NEWSPAPER GROUPS (for Jan, Feb and March newspaper)

Thank you to those who responded to the survey and choose a group. If you did not, you were randomly assigned. If you missed class today (12/7), check in with your new group and see what's going on. Enjoy!!

Layout Department & Front Page

Ellee Bolander

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Gwyn Lamoreaux

Sports

Patience Cox

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Contests (also Calendar and Menu)

Will Warner

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Games/Humor

Court Derrick

Lollie Wimmer

Brandon Gough

Kennedie Harris

Student/Teacher Spotlights

Anna Steel 

Camille Van Gils 

Courtney Pack

Book & Movie Reviews

Jack Musser

Avrie Cobb

Sydney Healy

Christmas Tradition

         My family's Christmas tradition is every Christmas Eve we go bowling, then we go look at all the Christmas lights, when we get home we all get matching Christmas pajamas and watch "The Christmas Story". After that we go to bed. By the time its about 6:00 me and my sister go upstairs and wait till 7:00 to wake up my brother. Then we can go open presents. After that my oldest sister and my brother in-law leave and we wait for my grandparents to come. Then later we all eat Christmas dinner and the next morning my grandparents leave. After Christmas I am filled with a forever happiness. I am grateful for everything I have. This is my family's Christmas tradition. 

- Kamree R 

Christmas Pajamas

  My family has two traditions that we continue every year at Christmas time. 

  The first tradition is that in the last few weeks leading up to Christmas my family makes sugared almonds and gingersnaps to share with all our neighbors and family. We bake, stir, make a mess, and fill the house with the smell of Christmas! Then we deliver the tasty treats around the neighborhood and get smiles in return.

  The second tradition is that  on Christmas Eve, my parents bring in two present bags - one for me and one for my sister. We take turns opening them and always find a pair of Christmas pajamas. We excitedly try them on and if they fit, we get some new pajamas to sleep in that night. If they don't fit right or are dorky looking, we all have a good laugh and wear them anyway! Then we go to bed, anxiously awaiting what Santa will bring us the next morning.


    - By Braxton Dunbar

By: Jocelyn Olson
Spying on Santa

In some past Christmases, my family liked to spy on Santa Clause. We would stay up late hiding behind the counter on Christmas Eve and wait for Santa. When Santa came, we would watch him fill our stockings, put presents under the Christmas tree, and watch him eat the cookies that we had made for him. This was a fun tradition for us as younger kids.

One year, when Santa was done filling our stockings and putting presents under the tree, we ran up to our rooms and looked through our windows to watch Santa leave in his sleigh. To our surprise, Santa drove away in a green Jeep! Sadly, that was the last time my family ever spied on Santa Clause!

Our Christmas Tradition

           Every Christmas me and my family usually pick an unfortunate family that is struggling or just aren't doing good and do this thing called the "Twelve Days Of Christmas." This means every day for twelve days we get a gift and give it to them. Here is the thing though we do it anonymously so we knock on the door or ring the doorbell drop the gift and run away before they can see us. We usually give gifts that they need such as clothes, shoes, food, toys, just common needs. This is such a fun tradition and it really makes you feel good.

        We have done MANY family's over the years and I have loved doing them all but I really liked this one family the most. They were this really cute family with 3 kids. They were are neighbors and are really good friends.We decided to do them that year. Me and my family got SO into it. We even had walkie-talkies! It was so fun but SO hard, cause they really got into it to, to see who was doing this to them and it was just the 5th day before Christmas! It was my turn to drop the gift off at there house. I had the walkie-talkie in my had. My sister say "Ready.... Set... GO!" I sprinted as fast as I could go! When I got to there house I see one of the kids right by the door. I was so scared and I was literally shaking. I whispered into the walkie-talkie that they were right at the door. My sister whispers  and I quote " Go ninja mode." I chuckled a little but then said copy that. I went into full ninja mode and......


     First did a really cool ninja move (a summer salt) by the way I was 7 at the time. I was very little to. So I rang the door bell with the clothes in my hand wrapped in really cute wrapping paper. I dropped the gift and hide behind the little pool that they had right by there house. I was sacred they would see me I stood perfectly still and saw the best thing ever. The little kid opened the door and started crying tears of joy. He hadn't gotten a new pair of clothes in forever. This warmed my heart. He slowly took the gift and went inside. At that point I ran back home and told my family how happy this little boy was. This family never found out who we were even though we got pretty into it.  I love this tradition that me and my family do. I look forward to it every year and can't wait to do it this year. That is my family tradition.

By: Anna Steel

DECEMBER BLOG POST: DUE DECEMBER 20TH

Hello Honors' Writers!

For this month's post, I want you to write (using 1-3 explanatory paragraphs) about your family's FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION. It's fun to see how different families celebrate the holiday season. Be descriptive and have FUN with this. Remember, it's due on DECEMBER 20th. I'm kind of frustrated by the amount of late work...so, if you don't have it in by the 20th, you will not received credit. Late work will not be accepted this time. Thanks for planning ahead of time and getting in the good habit of doing your work on time!

You're awesome:)

Mrs. Robins

Mashed Potatoes

     Obviously the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the thick, soft, mashed potatoes.  After having the turkey, stuffing, and green beans, the perfect dish to complete your Thanksgiving dinner is mashed potatoes.  If that's not enough, you could always top it off with thick, delicious gravy.  This absolutely perfect side will make your whole week.
     Making mashed potatoes is very simple.  First, you need to peel and wash the potatoes.  Next, boil them and them mash them up.  You could even add some garlic just to give it some flavor.  As you can see it is very easy and they can even be refrigerated. 
     Mashed potatoes is not something you can just have as a Thanksgiving dish.  Some people have it for Christmas Dinner.  You could even have it for your regular evening side at dinner.  Some schools even serve them!  Thankfully mashed potatoes is something that you can easily make and is appreciated all year round!

                                                                  Thanksgiving Ham
       After you set out the dishes, all of your relatives flood into a large room in your grandparent's house. You've almost died of hunger, the blessing on the food is said, and you all start to stuff yourself. Your taste buds feel like a rainbow is dancing in your mouth. As you shovel that glorious food into your mouth. you can't help but wonder, what is the tastiest thing your tongue has come in contact with this Thanksgiving? For me it has got to be the big cheese of Thanksgiving dinner: the main course. The boss. The ham. The meat, juicy and tender. The taste is like you've eaten bacon with a texture almost like that of a soft gummy bear. According to "Top Ten Classic Thanksgiving Dishes" it stated that ham was ranked #5 on the list. I know your thinking. Wow! 5? That's pretty bad, but when you think about it, out of all the Thanksgiving foods you can think of, ham was one that got on the list and scored really good. I know, I know. It's not a traditional main course for Thanksgiving, but what the heck. Ham for the win!

                                                                                                                                         -Phoenix Oliver

                                             Pumpkin Pie  

                    On thanksgiving you help set out all the full, warm and steaming dishes all full of delicious food. of course the best is saved for last and that's when the pumpkin pie comes in. Pumpkin is the sweetest smelling and creamiest of all the thanksgiving foods you could ever imagine. Thanks giving would never be as exiting as it is without pumpkin pie. When you finally get handed a slice if the thick pie you put whip cream on it and dig in. Pumpkin pie always makes me rethink my favorite holiday. What would thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie? 

I think the best food at Thanksgiving is the gravy because you can put it on almost every hot food on the table. It goes good with everything! Stuffing? Sure. Turkey? Definitely. Mashed potatoes? Absolutely.  And don't forgot the roll! In a Sports Illustrated article dated November 21, 2017, gravy was ranked number 4 in the top 10 Thanksgiving foods. According to the Star Tribune article dated November 22, 2017, gravy is the star attraction of the Thanksgiving meal. As it says in the article, "Here’s the truth about the biggest dinner of the year: The turkey can be a little dry, the mashed potatoes a bit lumpy, but it doesn’t matter when the gravy — that flavorful, velvety sauce — smothers the turkey and potatoes in a blanket of deliciousness before it gently pools on the plate, waiting to be soaked up by the nearest roll." In other words, gravy can be the saving grace of any Thanksgiving meal especially for cooks cooking Thanksgiving dinner for their first time.

Cason Davenport

 Dixie Salad

                                                                     Anna B.

            Forget the turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce for a minute. Imagine cool whip cream in overwhelming creaminess and fresh fruit mixed in with it. Pomegranates, apples, cantaloupe, blueberries, watermelon and fresh pineapple, topped with crushed almonds. This total deliciousness is the only item to make your thanksgiving the best it can possibly be. Add an extra spoonful of whipped cream and it’s perfection at it’s fullest.

                                                    

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Stuffing

      Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays, with all the delicious food like, turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, yams, pumpkin pie, and who can forget......STUFFING!!!  Stuffing is the best food ever!  According to the article, ¨FORTHEWIN¨, it ranks stuffing in the top three out of thirteen!  The article also states, ¨For some reason, Thanksgiving is the only day we all eat stuffing.  Why is this?  Stuffing is a delicious mixture of bread, spices, vegetables that aren't terrible, and maybe meat."  Stuffing should be prepared and eaten throughout the whole year!  It is also amazing on a roll sandwich with turkey and cranberry.  If you don't like meat or certain kinds of vegetables, than you can make your own recipe.  That's the best thing about stuffing, you can make it any way you want.  No matter where you are, there should always be stuffing on your plate for Thanksgiving!

                                                          

SOFT, FLUFFY, WARM Mashed Potatoes!

         Out of all of the foods you usually have for Thanksgiving, which is the best? I mean turkey, stuffing, corn, pie and all that stuff is ok.....but MASHED POTATOES!! Oh mashed potatoes, they're so fluffy and silky smooth with that buttery smell, when you eat them they melt in your mouth. According to "foxbusiness.com" it says,"31% of Americans say mashed potatoes are their favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Green beans and corn aren’t nearly as popular. Only 5% of those surveyed said corn was their favorite, while 6% enjoy green beans the most." You see mashed potatoes are one of the best side dished you can have and they are delicious! So, go test if I am right and make them for Thanksgiving. You'll see why they are my favorite!! 

-Kennedie Harris

Thanks to Giving

I love Thanksgiving.  It is so yummy with all the mashed potatoes and gravy.  I especially love the bread dipped in cranberry sauce.  It is filled with sweetness and you are filled with love as you slowly bring it closer to your mouth.  Once you ate all the bread with cranberry sauce smeared all over that toasty bread, you can't stop having more.  So tempting to just take a single bite, isn't it.

Yams, By Braxton Dunbar.

If you are wondering which Thanksgiving food is the best, look no further than yams! Candied yams are by far the best Thanksgiving food around. They are the best because they are fairly simple to make and are very delicious, if you make them right. In the article, "Delicious Secret About Yams Is No Secret At All, They Are Sweet" it says “of course yams are better, [your friends] will tell you. They are richer, moister, smoother and sweeter."(paragraph 1) than any other Thanksgiving dish. This evidence matters because no one can resist the delicious sweet taste of yams smothered in butter, cinnamon, a touch of cloves and covered in gooey, toasted marshmallows. I hope this delicious dish is on your table this Thanksgiving. Yum! Yum! ;-) Braxton Dunbar

              

       You probably haven't heard of this amazing dish, but I have, and it has changed my life for the better. Every thanksgiving my aunt brings a metal pan with tinfoil covering it and before I know whats in it, the beautiful scent comes in trough the open door and every year, my mouth waters with delight. My taste buds are having a party in my mouth with fireworks and balloons. The wonderful thing I am talking about uses whip cream, light and creamy, strawberry jello with fresh strawberries actually inside of it, and the one part that she won't tell me how to prepare them is the pretzels, crunchy and delicious in your mouth. All these ingredients mixed together in one perfect pan. This is why I think that the Pretzel Jello Salad is the best thanksgiving dish.

                                                                          Pretzel Jello Salad

Pumpkin Pie 

What would Thanksgiving be without the pumpkin pie? It would be a sad feast, and even sadder dessert. Pumpkin pie is the BEST food at Thanksgiving, because of how much people like it. According to the Most Popular pies on Thanksgiving: it says that 16% of people like pumpkin pie the most. Why blame them? 16% may seem like a small percent, but there are so many types of pies. The 16% for pumpkin pie defiantly tops the 2% for cheese pie. To conclude, pumpkin pie is the, without a doubt, best food at the Thanksgiving feast.

-Averi Cobb

Chocolate Pie

 

By: Ellee Bolander

  Woot! Woot! Thanksgiving is here, and guess what it's time for Chocolate pie! This is the best pie ever. For all of you that like Pumpkin pie I found this, ¨ Chocolate pie is a safe bet for everyone...I mean, who doesn't love chocolate? This pie is one of the easiest to make and tends to turn out pretty spectacular every time. If this pie were more seasonal tasting, it could probably break into the top three, but it's still very tasty. ¨( In my opinion chocolate pie should be number one.) This is why Chocolate pie is the best for thinks giving.

You're sitting at the dinner table anxiously awaiting the food to come out of the kitchen. You can smell the ham, fresh out of the oven just sitting on the kitchen counter, taunting you to come eat it and the cheesy potatoes, 98% cheese and 2% potatoes, being poured into the serving tray. However, something is missing. As your mom, aunts, and grandma bring out the food, you finally see it. The very last dish to be served, the stuffing! Stuffing is easily the best food to eat at Thanksgiving time. It is the perfect addition to any dish and just gives off fall feels all around! Did you know that the earliest documentary evidence of stuffing was in a Roman Cookbook? It is called,  Apicius De Re Coquinaria. It contains recipes for stuffed chicken, dormouse, hare, and pig. Most stuffing recipes described in the book contain vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, and spelt (a type of old cereal). Even people from a long time ago knew how to do Thanksgiving right! Today stuffing is not only used to put inside dead animals to eat but it is its own dish for people to eat! I am very thankful for the ancient Romans that recorded their stuffing making! Because of that, stuffing has evolved and is now better than ever! 

- Abbey Mathews