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| "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!" |
Meet Sue Bruhn and her daughters, Andrea and Kayla. They are life-long Grovers and Christmas enthusiasts! Sue was born in the farm house next-door to SGC and was lead to the Lord by Lula Zimmerman at an altar call. Sue and her husband John have been married 31 years. Their daughter Andrea is living in Indianapolis and Kayla is soon to be married and will be living in Alaska.
Mother and daughters seem to think a lot alike when it comes to Christmas! We at WoW Connect! wanted to highlight someone this month who LOVES Christmas, and the lovely Bruhn ladies certainly fit the bill. Sue, Andrea and Kayla were kind enough to share their hearts and memories of everything Christmas.
Sue doesn't have one particular "best memory" of Christmas, but enjoys everything about celebrating the birth of Christ. Andrea has always loved baking cookies and recalls hours of cookie-baking with her grandmothers. Though her grandmothers have passed away, the cookie-baking tradition still carries on, and the family brings a tin of cookies to every Christmas gathering. Kayla's favorite memories are having breakfast together and enjoying the morning as a family.
The Bruhn family cuts down their own Christmas tree every year. John and the girls, "the creative ones of the family," decorate the tree, and Sue's job is to take everything down at the end of the season. "I truly love watching them work together and remember all the different ornaments and who and where they came from," she says.
Funny Bruhn Christmas stories? Coming right up! Sue tells of a time a couple years ago, when she enlisted John's help in a special Christmas surprise for the girls. "He and I rehearsed what and how it was going to happen on Christmas morning for a couple weeks. I must say our performances were nearly Academy Award winning!" Andrea remembers, as a little girl, trying to wake up her sister at 5:30 one Christmas morning and being punched in the nose for it! She learned her lesson. "I wake Kayla up at 8:00 a.m. and wear a nose guard," she quips. Kayla, when asked about funny Bruhn Christmas stories, replied, "Every Christmas morning, my dad always guesses what his gift is," a fact she finds a tad irritating. :)
These ladies definitely know how to reach out to others this time of year. Sue enjoys giving to Toys for Tots. She hears some of the kids on her bus talk about how they don't get much for Christmas and hopes that maybe some of the toys she gives will end up with some of these very children. She also likes to give to local food pantries. Kayla thinks the Salvation Army does great work in the community, so always likes to contribute to the organization. Andrea absolutely loves going caroling to those who can't get to church due to sickness, age disability, etc. "I don't think people realize how touched people are by the gesture of caroling," she says.
The Bruhns are determined to keep Christ the center of Christmas in their family. Sue likes to say, "Merry Christmas," instead of the politically correct, "Happy Holidays." Andrea considers herself blessed to be raised in a home where the true meaning of Christmas is celebrated and she makes sure each year to talk about the importance of Christ's birth with someone who doesn't really understand the real reason for Christmas. Kayla tries not to get swept up in the rush of the season and finds reading the Christmas story keeps her focused on what's important.
The ladies agree that this Christmas is especially special. Sue explains, "Last year, we were not exactly sure what would happen this year with me being diagnosed with cancer. God has been good, and I am in remission, but it is a reminder that we all should be thankful for each day and year that God gives us. I am truly thankful." Andrea is awed by the power of prayer in her mom's life and the Lord's ability to heal. "This is going to be the best Christmas ever because my mom is still with us to celebrate this joyous season."
