Hometown Rankin - December 2015 & January 2016

Karen Crowe
My favorite Christmas memory
is all of the Christmases of my
childhood. I was blessed to be
raised in a Christian home and
the middle child of five children.
My only grandparent lived with
us. Holidays were magical and
brimming with anticipation.
As a family, we would go into
the woods to select a cedar
tree for Daddy to cut down.
We made the decorations for
our beautiful tree by stringing
popcorn and making garlands
of colored paper strips glued
together. Our stockings were
my daddy’s Sunday dress socks.
They were filled by Santa with
fruit, nuts and some candy. We
gave gifts to each other like my
grandmother’s favorite box of
peppermint sticks or a neck tie,
belt, socks, or a scarf—insignificant
gifts by today’s standards,
but it was perfect for us. They
are priceless memories of love
and family togetherness.
Lisa Barber
One of my favorite Christmas
memories is when my younger
brother and I would play the
game Hangman together to
guess what we got each other for
Christmas. Once we both knew
what we were getting, we went
ahead and exchanged gifts—
even if it was early in the month!
Penny White
My favorite Christmas memory
is when I realized all our store
bought Christmas stockings had
worn out and then I looked at
my girls and realized they are
now in their teens. My how time
is flying by! I decided to pull out
all the craft boxes we had and we
all, including my husband each
decorated some amazing new
stockings! No cell phones, or TV,
just beautiful Christmas music
and lots of laughter and time
spent with my sweet family. We
even decorated one for the dog
and the cat!
Michelle Moudy
My favorite Christmas memories
are simple times spent
during the Christmas holidays
with family. I remember the
first Christmas pictures taken
when our children were so
young, making holiday candy
and cookies with the kids getting
their fingers so sticky and messy,
playing games, and just spending
time together. Every year we
look forward to the Canton
lights event with “Granna and
Pop,” looking at all the beautifully
decorated homes, and
spending Christmas Eve together
as a family, keeping focused on
the true meaning of Christmas.
It’s such a beautiful thing that
Jesus was born so we could have
life, and have it so abundantly
in Him. Every good and perfect
gift is from Him. I thank God
for Christmas, family memories,
and knowing that we will spend
eternity with Him with even
more beauty that we can think
or imagine.
Deron Harmon
My most fond Christmas
memory occurred when I was
about ten. It was the year I
received my first “Big Boy Bike”.
It was a ten-speed, and despite
it being a rainy and wet
Christmas morning, it didn’t
stop me from riding in the rain.
Melinda Quick
One of my fondest memories
was the year my grandmother
gave me and my twin sister,
Belinda, baby dolls with “white”
hair. We laughed because we
wanted dolls with black hair to
match ours.
Chad Perry
I would have to say back in 2002
when I got my first guitar, an
Ibanez electric Stratocaster.
Curtis Carter
I remember sitting around the
dining room table and visiting
with friends and family being
among my favorite memories
from the past.
Hometown Rankin • 9