Hiking High Cliff State Park and Lake Winnebago

To usher in the month of April, I ventured off to High Cliff State Park in Sherwood, Wisconsin, which is located on the northeast tip of Lake Winnebago, to satisfy my urge to do something outside on a sunny 50 degree day. Hiking the various trails in High Cliff seemed appropriate especially since it was cool and the bugs are not out in force yet. I hiked the Red Bird Trail and a portion of the Lime Kiln Trail, approximately 5 miles. These trails take you through woods that traverse the Niagara Escarpment and provides you with panoramic views of Lake Winnebago as well as challenging steep climbs and descents. 

Panoramic view of Lake Winnebago

I also went off trail a little bit and climbed large boulders that exist along the escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment is a long limestone cliff or ridge that spans from Illinois to Wisconsin to Michigan to Ontario and to New York/Niagara Falls. Specific to Wisconsin, it can be predominately enjoyed and witnessed at High Cliff State Park and in Door County. In High Cliff State Park, you can see old lime kiln ruins and quarries.

Lime Kiln Ruins

In addition to hiking the limestone cliffs and woods, you can hike along the shore of Lake Winnebago on a stretch of the Lime Kiln Trail or walk down to the beach. While I was walking along the shoreline/beach, I saw a sailboat floating on the water and a jet ski racing around the shore. Everyone who was in High Cliff State Park or near Lake Winnebago was definitely ready for a warm spring and summer!

 Speaking of Lake Winnebago, there are three more lighthouses I need to share. Several weeks ago I wrote about my day trip with Tanner and Bailey around Lake Winnebago. I started with the Fond du Lac Lighthouse. The next stop on our journey that day was Oshkosh and the Rockwell Lighthouse, a.k.a. Bray’s Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located in a residential neighborhood that backs onto the lake and is privately owned. It looks like it is located in someone’s backyard so I took my pictures from the street. This ornate lighthouse was built in 1909 and stands 42 feet high, which marks the nearby reefs and shallow area. According to Wisconsin’s Lighthouses: A Photographic and Historical Guide, George A. Rockwell designed the lighthouse; while William Bray, a Wisconsin senator, built the lighthouse using Rockwell’s designs and his own funds.

Rockwell Lighthouse

Considering this was a private, residential lighthouse, our stop at the Rockwell Lighthouse was a quick one, just enough time for me to snap a few photographs and back on the road we went. Next stop was the Asylum Bay Lighthouse, also located on the Oshkosh shoreline of Lake Winnebago, marking Asylum Bay. This lighthouse stands on a small island known as Lighthouse Island and Picnic Point, with a wooden bridge connecting the parking lot area to the island. The cream bricked tower stands 24 feet high and has a 7-foot wooden cupola that sits on top. Its purpose was to guide the local fishermen and boats.

Asylum Bay Lighthouse

I found the journey to this lighthouse rather intriguing…a mix of peace and eeriness. As you drive down Sherman Road, you wind through open fields, brush and woods. Off in the distance you see the Winnebago Mental Health Institute and a cemetery, you approach the Asylum Bay Boat Launch, you see families fishing, and then you see the non-operational lighthouse standing tall with an old wooden bridge. I was not sure if I felt relaxed or anxious to leave the area because of the mix of feelings I had…felt like I was going to be visited by a ghost or felt relaxed and at peace. After I finished snapping my pictures, I walked back to my car, and the feeling I had was happiness because I had two cute puppy faces starring at me…see how excited Tanner looks about being on the car ride.

This stop was also a quick stop since there wasn’t a significant area to walk around and sightsee. The next, and last, stop was Neenah and Kimberly Point Park. This time I parked the car, put the leashes on the dogs, and walked with them throughout the park. While walking in the park, playing on the swing set or being dragged by two dogs who are excited to make new friends, a beautiful white lighthouse with two open-air pavilions on either side of it stands as the focal point for the park. The lantern room is showcased with a black iron fence, glass windows and a sailboat weathervane. This 39 ½-foot tall lighthouse was the vision and gift from Helen Kimberly Stuart, one of Neenah’s prominent citizen’s in the 1930s-1940s. It was built in 1945 on the land she preserved for Neenah’s park system. Today it still serves as an active navigation aid with an automatic timed beacon to boaters.

My picture taking of the Neenah Lighthouse was cut a smidge short because Tanner and Bailey were more interested in chasing squirrels or saying hi to everyone who walked by. With this stop as our last, the three of us broke for a little snack and drink. Then we piled back into the car and rode back home. Surprisingly I had two sleepy puppies on my ride back. All in all, a fun afternoon we had on a day trip around Lake Winnebago. So if you are looking for an adventurous day trip, take a cruise around the lake because there are plenty of beaches, parks and fun little stops along the way. Until next time, take care and talk to you soon! 

Happy First Day of Spring!

Happy 1st Day of Spring! What a beautiful, sunny, 70+ degree day to welcome spring for 2012. I do hope this weather is a sign of the type of spring we are going to have this year. It has been amazing! In fact, I have been seeing bright yellow bursts of daffodils and crocuses popping up in everyone's yards along with green grasses becoming a richer color of green. Dad's daffodils opened up to the neighborhood on Sunday, and his tulips are probably going to be making their colorful appearance in the coming weeks. Spring flowers - tulips, daffodils and irises - are my favorite flowers. I simply love their array of colors and shout out that spring is here.

So far these nice days leading up to today have already been filled with fun spring activities such as spring cleaning, walking, biking, learning how to golf, cheering on my favorite teams in the NCAA basketball tourney (Go Badgers and Golden Eagles!), sitting out on Dad's patio, and celebrating my brother's 30th birthday. I am also enjoying the return of the birds to the trees and skies. This morning I woke up to a little bird chirping his heart out, outside my open window. Granted he was chirping at 5:30 a.m., but it was pleasant to listen to. Over the weekend, while sitting on Dad's patio, I heard two cardinals engage in a chirping duel. One would call, and the other would answer, then back and forth, back and forth. I'm not sure who won, but it was pretty fun to listen to. Speaking of cardinals, there was a cardinal at the park where I was practicing golf, and I am confident he was trying to make me miss the ball. As I was preparing for my takeaway and back swing, he would burst out into a loud tweet and coo until I stopped what I was doing. When I would start back up, he would start back up. I did not know cardinals could be so sassy.


One other spring adventure I had recently was a quick little detour to Sheboygan. Last week, on a trip down to my dad's house, I decided to take the scenic route and make a pit stop on the shores of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan. It was a gorgeous day to walk about the lakefront, watch seagulls soar through the air, and walk out  to the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse. The only piece that I wasn't completely prepared for was the 20 degree drop from I-43 to the lakeshore. I should have known better because I am used to the temperature drop in Manitowoc and Two Rivers, which is just 20+ miles north of Sheboygan.


The Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse that stands today on the north side of Sheboygan's marina is a 50', red, lanternless, steel tower, built in 1915. This tower is equipped with plastic lens that shines for 9 miles out, has an electric fog signal and modern weather equipment on top it. From the shoreline, I followed the rocky path and concrete pier out to the lighthouse, which is about a 0.6 mile journey round trip. Fortunately the waves were calm so I did not have to worry about getting splashed as I walked out on the concrete pier.

While reading about the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse, I learned there were several lighthouses to come and go in Sheboygan. The first lighthouse built on the Sheboygan shoreline was in 1839 on Sheboygan Point, which was a 30-foot tower and was quickly threatened by erosion due to its rubble stone structure. It was replaced in 1860 with a lighthouse built on the North Point bluff. This lighthouse was a two-story, white keeper's house with a square tower and used until 1904. By 1873, a pierhead light was built to better identify the harbor area. This was a wooden pyramidal tower, which eventually burned in 1880. A new wooden structure was constructed and stood until 1906 when it was replaced by the cast iron tower. Then in 1915, this tower was moved from the pierhead location to the north breakwater, which is now the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse mentioned above.


Prior to the current tower on its current location, an earlier breakwater lighthouse stood. This was a white hexagonal tower with a door on one side. It had a small gallery that circled the hexagonal lantern and large dome that covered the lantern. This earlier breakwater lighthouse served the harbor from 1899 - 1915. 


Hopefully you were able to connect the dots and see how the lighthouses of Sheboygan moved around and were replaced often. Aside from the lighthouses, the shoreline of Sheboygan is very serene with beautiful beaches, several parks, a large marina, numerous quaint shops and restaurants, and most notably the Blue Harbor Resort and Water Park that stands on the south side of the marina. It is definitely a fun little area.

Sheboygan Marina

May you enjoy these lovely spring days and fill them with fun activities...whether it is going for a walk, preparing your gardens, listening to birds in the trees, going on a little day trip adventure, tuning into a spring training baseball game, or simply sitting on the patio soaking in the sunshine. Have a great spring!! Until next time, take care and I will talk to you soon!

Anxious for Springtime!

The weather has been quite a tease this winter especially now as February is ending and the spring months are quickly approaching. The flirtation with 40 degree temps make me anxious for the warmer spring weekends - the first official day of spring is March 20, if anyone is interested. I look forward to observing birds return to Wisconsin from winter migration, lighthouse hopping the coast of Lake Michigan, smelling brats on the grill and Cracker Jack as I welcome back baseball, and try out a new hobby...golf. Surprisingly enough, my spring weekends are rather open, but I know it is only the beginning. Before I know it they will be full, and I will be looking for a free weekend. A few events on the horizon include a trip to visit my cousin's new baby girl in April, driving to the Horicon Marsh to welcome back all of the beautiful birds in mid-May, and tailgating at Miller Park. Now I need to find a weekend for lighthouse hopping the coast of Lake Michigan.


Thinking about spring lighthouse hopping, I am reminded of a day trip I took with my two dogs, Bailey and Tanner, around Lake Winnebago a couple years ago. It was a beautiful, sunny, late spring Saturday, and the dogs and I were a little stir crazy. With the whole day wide open, I loaded up the car with a cooler, their water dishes and leashes, a few snacks, and some maps. Said those two magic words, "Car Ride!", and the pups and I were on the road to our first stop, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Bailey and Tanner, especially Tanner, were in heaven as we drove down to Fond du Lac, then up to Oshkosh, then to Neenah, and finally back home. We made four stops along the 88 miles of Lake Winnebago shoreline so I could photograph the four lighthouses. Lake Winnebago is the largest interior lake in Wisconsin and has a maximum depth of 21 feet.


As I said, first stop: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac. Lakeside Park is a beautiful 400 acre park complete with playgrounds, walking trails, a marina, a yacht club, Fond du Lac harbor, and the 56 feet tall Fond du Lac Lighthouse (a.k.a Lakeside Park Lighthouse). It is a white, octagonal lighthouse that is 12 feet in diameter and has a internal staircase that visitors can climb up to the gallery.

Once standing on the gallery, you do see a gorgeous panoramic view of Lake Winnebago. I, however, did not climb the gallery because I had the dogs with me. They were more focused on chasing down the countless seagulls and greeting every person that walked by. (As a note, taking pictures of lighthouses while holding the leashes of two dogs pulling in opposite directions can be quite a challenge. For whatever reason, they do not have the same objective that I do.) The Fond du Lac Lighthouse was built in 1933, which replaced a red light on a tower. It was saved and restored in 1967 and 1993, respectively.

After taking numerous pictures of the lighthouse and harbor, the dogs and I took a nice long walk through the park. Some park patrons were brave enough to pet my crazy dogs and thought it was cute the three of us were having a day together in the park. Hoping that I exhausted them on a walk, we headed back to the car for a drink of water and figured out our plan to Oshkosh. As Tanner laid down in the back seat, Bailey climbed into the front seat. Wishing she could help me navigate, she just looked at me with a look that said, "so what's the next stop, Mom?" In fact our next stop was Rockwell Lighthouse or Bray's Point Lighthouse in Oshkosh. I will save this story for my next entry.


Hope you are looking forward to spring as much as I am. Until then, take care and talk to you soon!

Dreaming of Some Place Warm

Last night, while watching a college basketball game, all snuggled on the couch under comfy blankets with a fire flickering in the fireplace, a commercial promoting to vacation in Jamaica caught my attention. Suddenly without holding back, I exclaimed out loud, “Yes, please. I’ll go to Jamaica.” Now distracted by Jamaica and traveling to an exotic location, I forgot about the basketball game and began daydreaming about going back to Jamaica. Picture this: warm, white sandy beach, gorgeous turquoise waters, lush green palm trees, hot sun tanning your skin, perfect lounge chair, and a frosty strawberry daiquiri in one hand. Sign me up! Ready to go right now!

After all this daydreaming about Jamaica and wishing I was on a plane headed to this tropical location, I reminisced about my trip to Jamaica and seeing the Negril Lighthouse. This lighthouse is located in Negril, Jamaica, which is on the westernmost tip of the island. Negril is known for its beautiful Seven Mile Beach along with its rugged cliffs and caves. While walking on Seven Mile Beach, you can see Negril Lighthouse off in the distance flashing its white light every couple seconds.

 Negril Lighthouse stands 65 feet tall on a cliff. It is a white, conical concrete structure with a silver framed lantern and gallery, built in 1894. According to some research, I learned that it is reinforced at the base by a 14-feet tank filled with water so it can withstand an earthquake.

To see the lighthouse close up rather than while sitting on the beach, I took a bus trip from the resort to the lighthouse grounds. However, when I got there the entrance was locked so I could not go onto the grounds. I was still able to snap some pictures from the road. While I was snapping away, a local islander approached me and said that for a couple of dollars he would take my camera and take some pictures for me. Feeling a slightly nervous but excited to get closer pictures, I handed over my camera, watched him disappear onto the grounds and hope he would return. After a nerve-racking five minutes, he returned with some gorgeous pictures. I was very pleased with his assistance. 

In addition to his assistance, I also was able to capture the Negril Lighthouse from the water by taking a catamaran cruise. The view from the catamaran was breath-taking because I could see all of the cliffs, caves, and curves of the point, along with the lighthouse standing tall and strong.

Viewing the Negril Lighthouse was one of my highlights from the trip to Jamaica. Other fun moments included walking to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, lounging on the beach, floating in the turquoise waters, snorkeling several times (I saw a sea turtle while snorkeling), and observing golden pink sunsets. Oh, how I look forward to going back there someday!

Until next time, dream warm thoughts, picture your happy place of beaches and sun, take care, and talk to you soon.

Lighthouse Hop #5: Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and Peninsula State Park

I do hope that your holiday season and start of the New Year have been good to you. My family Christmas parties were just what I needed to close out the year, and my New Year has been off to a quiet start. One project that I was able to complete over my Christmas break was printing pictures, including the ones I took during my family's Door County trip. As I looked at all of the Door County photos, I realized I should finish my last lighthouse hop entry. Aside from the images of the lighthouses and the water, one of my favorite aspects of my Door County photos are the rich blue skies that provide a calming backdrop...makes me long for warm spring and summer days.

On the Saturday of my family's Door County trip, we started the day enjoying breakfast at Al Johnson's in Sister Bay. While waiting for our name to be called, the four of us observed the goats basking in the sun on the grassy roof. It is quite the sight to watch the goats and watch all of the people who come to look at them. One goat in particular enjoyed resting his head on a wood railing while he watched the cars drive by on the street below. In addition to flocking to the restaurant to see goats on the roof, I highly recommend their Swedish pancakes with lingonberries or any one of their soups. YUMMY!

Following breakfast, we drove back through Ephraim and into Fish Creek to tour Peninsula State Park and the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. While driving from Ephraim to Fish Creek, I learned that you can access Peninsula State Park from both cities, and if you drive through the park, you can start in one city and end in the other one. After reading more about Peninsula State Park, one of Wisconsin's largest parks, I also learned that it is nearly 3,800 acres complete with forests, cliffs, wetlands, meadows, camping sites, and hiking trails. The four of us opted for a driving tour of the park in essence of time, but we all agreed we would hike or bike the park next time we would visit since there is so much to see and do in the park. As we drove through the park, we were able to stop at several lookout points to overlook the water, as well as the Strawberry, Horseshoe and Chambers Islands. I definitely enjoyed the beautiful, serene views.

Located at the northeast corner of the park, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse stands 43 feet tall, on the edge of a limestone bluff, lighting the area of the bay of Green Bay. Eagle Bluff lighthouse is a yellow-colored brick structure with a stunning red roof, green shutters, white trim, a square tour, and a decagonal lantern with a red roof. It was built in 1868, had three lighthouse keepers, and is currently a museum. As you tour the lighthouse, you walk through a family room, parlor, bedrooms, a music room, laundry rooms, and a beautiful ornamental iron spiral staircase connecting the basement to the lantern. Outside on the grounds of the lighthouse stands the outhouse and fuel storage building along with a 1,000 pound anchor from the schooner "Oak Leaf" that sank in Sturgeon Bay in 1926. Be sure to also enjoy the overlook of the bay of Green Bay at the edge of the cliff wall.

Continuing our tour of Peninsula State Park, we stopped at the Eagle Tower and Panorama. This area allows you gain perspective of the Door County islands and west coast of the peninsula. The Eagle Tour stands 75 feet high...250 feet about Green Bay. Of course, we had to climb the rickety structure...oh, what one will do for the perfect picture. (If you know me, I am not a fan of heights so this was a challenge for me.) As you reach the top, soak in the views of the islands, the village of Ephraim and the coast. Not mention, if you are daring, look over the side to see how high up you are and find your car parked down below.....eeeeeeck!

After accomplishing the climb to the top, it was time for a reward - ice cream at Not Licked Yet and a little shopping in downtown Fish Creek. Then it was time for dinner at Greenwood's Supper Club and haunted pub crawling.

This concludes my Door County Lighthouse Hopping Trip until I go back to tour the lighthouses on the islands sometime this spring/summer. Hope you enjoyed "touring" the lighthouses with me and are inspired to make your own trip to Door County. I cannot wait to return and see what other adventures I can come across.

Until next time, take care and talk to you soon!

Celebrating Family Traditions: Part Two

In my last entry, I talked a lot about my family’s Christmas traditions and how comforting they are to me. However, I did not go into detail about the almost 20 year tradition that the Klein family celebrates. As I stated yesterday, our family would descend upon Grandma and Grandpa Klein’s house on Christmas Day afternoon and stay through the 26^th. Grandma had a way of making large meals for all 20 plus family members, which usually meant LOTS of dishes. Once all of the dishes were cleaned and put away, it was time to start the next meal so that meant more dishes…a work intensive cycle ensued.  But no matter the quantity of dishes, the meals were excellent and every one of us walked away from the table uncomfortably full, and of course, there was always room for dessert.

Following the passing of my Grandpa Klein in January 1991, Grandma, my mom and the aunts decided to shake up our Christmas tradition and spice it up. It was also in hopes of sharing the cooking/cleaning duties for the Christmas dinner. Ultimately, they decided that our Christmas celebration and meal would revolve around a theme, specifically an ethnic theme. Starting with the Christmas of 1992, we celebrated an English Christmas with traditional fare such as beef wellington and an English trifle. We also try to incorporate certain customs of that country such as for the English Christmas we opened crackers, the festively wrapped tubes of cardboard that you pull apart and prizes fall out.

Each year at Thanksgiving, the master minds of our family pull out books and various recipes to select that year’s country. Sometimes the country is selected based on the food menu or based on the fact that it is from a region of the world we have not covered yet. But, to be very honest, most of our countries have been selected based on the beverage of choice, for example Mexican margaritas, Hawaiian or Caribbean daiquiris, French wine, German beer, or Scottish whiskey. What’s more fun than sampling those great beverages!!?? A few beverages do remain ethnically diverse though: Miller Lite, Bud Light, Hacker Pschorr, and A&W Root Beer…funny how that works.

The one Christmas that had a different theme than the others was the 2000 Christmas, which followed the passing of Grandma Klein. I am not sure how the theme changed…don’t know if it was due to lack of creativity, too much creativity, adjusting to change or just because. The 2000 Christmas theme was “Christmas-On-A-Stick,” and yes, everything was on a stick…beef kabobs, cheese on a stick, fruit kabobs, carrot sticks, etc. This Christmas also began the rotation of who would host Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. Mom and Dad had the pleasure of hosting “Christmas-On-A-Stick.”

One other tradition within this tradition is related to the dessert. Now, I cannot remember which country had this tradition, but it was one of the earlier ones. The custom in this country was to hide a ring in a cake, and whoever had the piece with the ring in it received a small gift or prize. So take caution when eating cake at our Christmas because you do not want to choke on a small ring. Since that year, we have hidden a ring in every dessert to have a little extra fun and excitement during the night. One additional rule of thumb is to select your winning slice of cake before Chris.

Here is our list of ethnic Christmas since 1992:

1992       English

1993       U.S. Southern

1994       Italian

1995       Mexican

1996       Hawaiian

1997       Chinese

1998       French

1999       German

2000       Christmas-On-A-Stick

2001       Greek

2002       Australian

2003       Brazilian

2004       Belgian

2005       Caribbean

2006       Swiss

2007       Scandinavian (Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish)

2008       Scottish

2009       Peruvian

2010       Egyptian

2011       Moroccan

As I look at this list, I feel like our family has covered a great deal of ethnics; while at the same time, I feel like we have just begun. Each year we have put together some great menus, delicious food and tasty cocktails. Some of which I have added to my every day menu. While, some have been a one-hit wonder because of the intense work that was involved or because they destroyed kitchen appliances (Kurt and Amy may have lost a blender or two to making a cheese ball).

One other thought comes to mind as I look at this list of ethnics we have celebrated. Grandma would be proud of us for continuing this tradition and would have loved our creativity to expand beyond our comfort levels. As we prepare for our 20^th year of ethnic Christmases in 2012, Dad will be hosting an Irish Christmas, and so far Jameson whiskey, Guinness beer and Irish stew are already being discussed as potential beverages and menu items. Stay tuned as we plan next year’s Christmas, which has already begun just days after our Moroccan Christmas.

Cheers to your family and your traditions! Hope they are unique and creative as ours or purely special and unique to your own family. Until next time, take care and talk to you soon!

Celebrating Family Traditions: Part One

There are many words or phrases one could use to describe my family – close-knit, loving, caring, fun/silly, kindred spirits, etc., etc. Of all the words or phrases that are used, one stands above the rest for me: tradition. (Ok, so who is singing Fiddler On The Roof’s “Tradition” right now?)Traditions are important to our family, and they create a strong foundation for all of us to stand on. No matter how far apart we are from one another or how long it has been since we have all seen each other, our traditions keep us forever bonded, connected and close. At the start of every new year, I can pull out my calendar and instantly begin mapping out my year of family activities…birthday parties, Brewer games, holidays and other get-togethers.

As our core family members have evolved over time from growing older while staying young at heart, to moving to different cities and states, to losing parents, and to adding new ones (Tyler and Baby Wenzlaff), our traditions have slightly evolved as well. However, they have remained a comforting constant in my life, which have allowed me to weather any storm and change. Of all the birthday party celebrations, graduation parties, weddings, reunions, Mother’s Day softball games (now spring Brewer games), Thanksgivings, and other get-togethers, our Christmas tradition is the one I cherish the most.

Originally, my Christmas celebration started on Christmas Eve with opening presents between Mom, Dad, Chris and me, then attending St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Franklin children’s recitation service in the gym, then going over to Grandma and Grandpa Selin’s house for dinner and more present opening. After present opening, we played trivia or cards games. Somehow Grandpa always won, especially at card games. Eventually it came time for us to go since it was rather late, and Chris and I would fall asleep in the van ride back to our house. Then on Christmas Day morning, we would play with presents for a little bit then pack and drive to Two Rivers to Grandma and Grandpa Klein’s house for more Christmas fun with the aunts, uncles and cousins. Once we said hello to everyone, the cousins and I would race upstairs to Uncle Gary’s bedroom and take over his TV and VCR so we could watch our favorite movies: The Goonies, Back to the Beach, and Clue (all classics, I know). During movie breaks, Chris and Andy would snoop around Grandma’s house and sniff out the extra tins of No Bake Bars she was hiding. Surprisingly enough, they always found them and consumed them…hope you got the quantity you wanted because those two boys knew how to inhale them. After filling up on No Bake Bars, a large dinner was served in the kitchen (picture the adult table and the kid table crammed in one small little kitchen), followed by present opening from youngest to oldest in the living room. After presents, game time followed with snacks and Brandy Alexanders (hopefully without spatula fragments). Bedtime for the cousins was a camp out with their sleeping bags in the living room to prepare for the next day of festivities. Then morning came, and this was always one of my favorite times at Grandma’s house. I would wake up, sneak into the kitchen, and watch Grandma make breakfast for all of us. While I would watch her, I got to have a little one-on-one time with her before everyone was up and ready for the day. Loved those moments.

Now that my grandparents and mom are angels watching over me, the pattern of my Christmas remains mostly the same: Christmas Eve with Dad and Chris at St. Paul’s and then dinner with presents to follow; Christmas Day is with the Klein family at whichever home is designated that year. Both days are still filled with wonderful family members, great fun, hearty laughs, large menus, and of course, No Bake Bars.

As you spend time with your family and think about your own family traditions this holiday season, I hope they are as fun, comforting and loving as mine are. Until next time, take care and talk to you soon.