CCHS Faculty reminisce sharing Christmas memories
December 22, 2016
Christmas Memories from CCHS Faculty:
“As a teacher, my favorite part of Christmas is sensing the anticipation of Christmas break among the students, faculty, and staff…we work hard all year and the joy of a holiday break is palpable by the time the last exam day rolls around! I’m grateful to be a part of something so special and unique… ¡Feliz Navidad!”
– Angela Garcia
“My favorite part of the Christmas season is all of our family traditions that have stood the test of time. We put on our big family Christmas party (around 125 of us gather), making tamales (40+ years), our drive to and dinner in Marble Falls followed by a walkway of lights (cousin has to pick up ice cream from the gas station on our way back no matter how cold it is), spending Christmas Eve at my grandparent’s with board games and being able to spend time with my mom. My mom makes a brunch Christmas morning and afterwards we watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “The Bells of St. Mary’s”, and “The Family Stone”, our favorite Christmas movies.”
-Lilia Hernandez
“My favorite Christmas memory is when it snowed back in 2004. I remember driving down on the Bayfront of Corpus Christi seeing the snow on the beach.”
-James Gonzalez
“Christmas came early to us in 2001. On December 10, 2001 the birth of our son Jacob was a precious gift. More importantly, it was the CC family, (parents and alumni), and our parents that gave us a beautiful baby shower that we will never forget! We will be forever grateful!”
-Eddie Ybarra, ‘83
“When I was a child, my family would go caroling with a large group of St. Leo’s Catholic Church parishioners. Father Ebish would lead the caroling and almost every other song, we sang “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” It was his favorite song! To this day, whenever I hear that song, I smile in memory of our wonderful priest.”
-Velma Uriegas
“When I was about 12 years old, at the end of Christmas mass, my late grandmother sat me in the last pew of our church as people filtered out the doors, and she shuffled through her purse. In her hand eventually emerged an heirloom ring, and as she called for my finger with a quick gesture, she smiled and said, ‘This ring has lived a great life so far. It is yours to treasure now. Merry Christmas, Ash.’“
-Ashley Lopez
“One favorite part of Christmas season for me is remembering looking at the manger scene under all the blue lights of my grandmother’s Christmas tree.
Another one is when I was living in Denver in the 70’s, and had no money. I was paying $25 a month renting a room in a beautiful old house on 17th Ave. I remember the beauty of the allies in the area, just 6 blocks from downtown Denver, where on Christmas Eve, I walked and looked up at the snowflakes falling. I felt so alone, but so blessed at the same time, to be able to feel such beauty. I will never forget that feeling. Since then, I always feel, at Christmas time, a deep love for those who have no one to love them, who have no money.
There is a God who truly loves us.”
-Terri Stokes
“My greatest Christmas memory is of watching my dad build our Christmas tree. When I was a kid, we didn’t have a lot of money, so at Christmas time, to beat the ever increasing cost of Christmas trees, my dad would buy a bundle the day before Christmas. A bundle was usually three trees with major defects, but you could get them for $5 the day before. He would stand them all up in the backyard, pick the best one, and then one by one, he would cut replacement branches from the other two, sharpen the ends, and drill a hole in the main tree and add the branches in. When he was done, we had the perfect tree and the inserted branches lasted as long as the main tree did. That night, Christmas Eve, we would bring the tree into the house and the whole family would decorate it before midnight Mass.”
-Jack Steers
“While I have been blessed with many fond Christmas memories, including when my wife and I eloped on December 27th 30 years ago, it truly does my heart good to hear Christmas Cantatas and Christmas Choirs sing of the hope and promise that is Jesus Christ! When you have Jesus in your heart, every day is Christmas!”
-Col. Zink
“The best part of Christmas for me is the time spent reconnecting with family and friends. Often the year moves quickly, Christmas offers us that chance to slow down and share time with those in our lives whom we don’t always get a chance to be with.”
-Daniel McCarthy
“One of my fondest Christmas memories is during Christmas of 1995. I had just opened my Power Rangers Megazord, and I felt like the happiest kid in the world with this amazing surprise! I remember playing with it while waiting for my dad to make breakfast.”
-Brandon Ballasteros
“A favorite Christmas memory of mine is seeing my sons, for two consecutive years, star in the Christmas play as the baby Jesus. In our parish, a plastic doll as baby Jesus would not suffice. A real giggling, crying, cooing baby was only fitting to play the savior of the world. The sight of children ages 6 to 16 dressed as Mary, Joseph, angels, wise men, shepherds, and even sheep is always an inspiring sign of the real meaning of Christmas. To see Diego, and a year later Liam, in the role of baby Jesus is a memory of Christmas I will always cherish.”
-Luke Hoenigman
“My mother and father grew up in Bethlehem. PA, that is. They grew up with, and thus, I also grew up with, very traditional decorations for the house. Single white candles in each window, holly wreaths, that type of thing
When my son was three, my parents were living in the Mideast and came to visit. I had told them we had decorated the house. We pulled up to my home and my dad did not look pleased. We had done up the house like the Griswold family’s house in “Christmas Vacation.” It was amusing to me, but not to my father.
What made this a fond memory is what came next. My three-year-old son, his grandson, exclaimed very loudly “Look, Poppy! Look at the lights!” At that moment, I saw his heart melt, and I knew my father had recaptured the true meaning of family and Christmas.”
-Michael Horwath
“Every year the Guardian Angel guys somehow find a way to make Christmas memorable. So, on that note, a couple of years ago we collected around 1000 toys for the needy families and kiddos of St. Michael’s, St. Mary Magdalen’s, Holy Rosary, St. PJ’s, and two villages in Mexico.
I know we made a difference in many people’s lives. And that is why it’s such a fond Christmas memory!” 🙂
-James Bendele
“My fondest memory of Christmas is when I would get to watch my mom cook and bake and she would let me taste the remains of the mixtures, like cake batter, frosting, etc., and then we would decorate the tree. Those days and times are priceless to me. Merry Christmas everyone and always love your family, we are only blessed with one.”
-SFC Bradford
“My wife and I are host to a Christmas Eve celebration then midnight mass with family and friends that normally attracts about 50 people from across Texas and beyond.
One of my favorite events that creates terrific memories is the niece and nephew Christmas decorating party that occurs one week prior.
We lay out all of the indoor and outdoor Christmas lights and decorations and allow the nieces and nephews to use their creativity to get the house and yard ready for guests. It’s never the same and it’s always fun!”
-President Paul Garro
“I remember milk chocolates wrapped in gold foil like coins under the Christmas tree.”
-Bro. Jim Burkholder
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