Andy Andrews - A Masterful Storyteller with an Inspiring Message

"My favorite Christmas was the year I got a BB gun from my dad. It was awesome! And, contrary to my mom’s fears, I didn’t shoot my eye out—or anyone else’s.

Merry Christmas, Andy!"

"My most memorable Christmas was the one I forgot.In October of that year I had surgery to remove a tumor from above my brow bone very near my brain. Although I didn't realize it at Christmas time...that entire Christmas would be erased from my memory. I didn't even realize it until a few years later when we were looking at videos from that Christmas. I saw myself sitting on the couch watching all the kids unwrap their presents and watching my sisters act like fools, but I had no memory of any of it happening. Thankfully, the memory problems have decreased and I have had wonderful Christmases since then that I remember vividly."

"OK, just re-read the request...Favorite Christmas. That would have to be 1985...on Friday, December 13th I gave birth to my second daughter. That Christmas with both our girls was my absolute favorite!"

"Every Christmas is a memorable one for me! Somehow though when we were kids, Christmas was "bigger".

Whether it was the sheer volume of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and friends...the need for mis-matched china, folding chairs, and a kids table...or the chaos of everyone talking and laughing at once; these are the Christmas Times that are most memorable in my heart.

I wish you precious new memories during this holiday season, and a Merry Christmas!"

"Christmas of 1970 was my most memorable. We were so poor that year that we knew Christmas might actually be the well known "apple and an orange and a shiney dime" that our parents always spoke of. My younger brother and I were the youngest of five boys, so we were the most bummed out. On Christmas eve it was clear that Santy wasn't commin'. There was a knock at the door and mom's cousin and her family showed up with gifts for us that they had bought with Green Stamps.
The best Christmas ever......"

"I also got a BB gun and Christmas'
were great until I had to spend the Christmas in 1969 in Vietnam sent
there by a 75% Coward Society.
I've never really had a good Christmas since then and this one
will be my last one before I turn
60 on March 7th 2010 which is Oscar
night which will be the 3rd Academy Awards celebration on my birthday.
My goal is to get American Society
to stop acting Cowardly and not allowing another Vietnam to happen.
I married a gal on April 1st 1995
then had a child with her on 5/18/96
and then divorced her in July 2000.
Thru her lies and society continuing
to act cowardly especially a Coward
Judge I will not be able to see my son this Christmas but American
Society doesn't care as they tried to kill me in Vietnam. What I and
other Vietnam Vets deserve is like an Out-of-Court settlement for at
least $100,000 for the wrongs comitted by society for sending us to a place like Vietnam. But what
would be nice if American Society
would say their sorry and give us
Vets better benefits like we
actually did something for society.
The Cowards don't show us Vets
much appreciation.
Thereby I see no reason to have served this country because I
know things will not change.
But I'll try make things good for
myself and will return to court soon
so that my son will have the right
to choose where he'd like to live.
Then if society continues it will
probably try to send him to another
Vietnam like they did myself.
But I'll take him and we'll both go to Canada to start a better life.
Merry Christmas
Baltimore Bob"

"My most memorable Christmas was 1970..I was expecting our first child anytime and sitting in church that Christmas eve there seemed to be a special bond with Mary, Jesus' mother."

"It was in 1943. My sister was a new baby. My family had been into the nearby town of Kennett Missouri and were returning after dark. As my mom lit the old kerosene lamp, my dad built a fire in our wood cook stove. As we stood there in our kitchen around the stove, my mom and dad looked at each other, smiled and started singing, Silent Night. Our smiling, singing parents did more than the cook stove to warm us and to this day, tears come to my eyes when I hear Silent Night."

"My favorite Christmas was in the late 1980s. I was living with my folks in a beautiful log cabin in Montana, miles from town and we got a snowstorm. It was picturesque in so many ways. Mom was baking up a storm, dad and I worked on puzzles and kept the wood stove blazing and we were as cozy as could be. I don't even remember one gift I received, but I will never forget that Christmas."

"Although I have many 'favorite' Christmases, perhaps the most memorable was in 1996. We had been through nearly two years of trying to adopt a child from China. The first little girl we were matched with was kidnapped from the orphanage before we received travel approval. We were promised quick processing for the second little girl, but after many months of waiting, we learned that Chinese officials wouldn't let us have her, due to conflicts among themselves. Our two 'homemade' kids felt the devastation as much as my husband and I did. We prepared for another long wait.
But just ten days after that second heartbreaking message, we were told that another baby girl had been found for us, and travel approval came a mere two weeks later. We arrived in China on December 8th.
Grace MeiLi was terrified of us - she'd never seen such big, white people, or eyeglasses, or a mustache. She cried for hours that first day, and wouldn't eat.
Late that evening, Alan and I got down on our knees near Gracie's bed. She sadly looked at us through half-closed eyes, as we began to sing "Away In A Manger." (It's a favorite of ours, as we sang a special duet arrangement of it in concert the first Christmas we knew each other.)
Suddenly, Gracie's eyes widened; her mouth formed an "O," and she started to sing with us! Just a little ooohing sound, but we know singing when we hear it!
That marked a turning point for Gracie, now a 13-year-old who loves to snuggle with us every day, and doesn't care what people think about that.
Tonight she danced in the Nutcracker Ballet in a semi-pro company, partnered as the Spanish Lead, and she not only looked beautiful, she got more applause than even the Sugar Plum!
And she still loves to sing "Away In A Manger" with us every Christmas."

"Hmmm. . . Hard to say. Every Christmas was magical as a child. I remember one year I got a fire truck you could really ride in. I loved that fire truck. In 1971 my husband and I were in Ft. Sill, OK. My son was 18 months old. That was before the Army paid much of anything to enlisted people. We didn't get a tree until the very last minute. I have the cutest picture of my son looking at the tree. His grandmother sent him a tricycle I think and Santa got him a green wagon. It was so special that year.

They are all special. Merry Christmas everyone."

"My favorite Christmas was the one where I got married to Brenda in 2002. It was an incredibly warm winter for Minnesota...short sleeves in December. We had a beautiful dusting of snow and all the Christmas trees and lights possible at a beautiful ceremony with friends and family. This Christmas, visit my blog where I share some magical entertainment with my two girls ages 3 and 5."

"I love Christmas, so it is hard to pick just one.

But, one of the top picks would have to be Christmas of 1993. I surprised my wife and then 5 year old son with a trip to Colonial Williamsburg.

When we arrived it began to snow and we wound up with about 8 inches. It stayed cold all week so the snow didn't melt.

It must have been pretty special to our son as well. Two years ago he proposed to his future wife there.

Lots of great memories. Merry Christmas."

"Like almost everyone above, every Christmas has been special in one way or another but I do believe the one coming up will be the very best one yet. You see, the five children of my daughter informed me that they are giving away their Christmas so that others may be blessed. They have asked my daughter & son-in-law to take the money they would have spent on gifts and give it to families who would otherwise have no Christmas. This will make our traditional private church service in their living room even more meaningful this year. I cannot begin to tell you how special and precious these five granddaughters are to me and how much they fill my heart - they truly show the love of Christ in their everyday living (in case you are wondering, their ages are 2 - 16.) Have a very blessed and Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

"This Christmas! After almost losing my Mother, we have spent the last 2 weeks in ICU and the Hospital. She is now in rehab and getting stronger. Even though she can't be home for Christmas this year, it is still the most Blessed time of year!"

"That's an amazing story. It's so true how Jesus can bring people together, people who would otherwise not have anything to do with each other.

As far as any Christmas memory, my family has a tradition of eating at Denny's after our midnight church service on Christmas Eve. One year, I remember eating at Denny's, coming home, and watching the 3 feet of snow gradually come down. It really doesn't get better than that!"

"I love Christmas!! They are all memorable for mee. However now I am so proud and happy to say I have 8 grandchildren to share glorious time of the year. Have aBlessed Christmas all of you"

"Andy,
Mine would have to be when I was a little girl and living in Picher Oklahoma. Mom and Dad had had a rough year and had no money for presents. My sister Kathy and her husband Bill helped them buy one gift for each of us kids. I remember that Christmas morning, it had snowed about 2 foot of snow and so we were stranded at home and Kathy and Bill weren't able to bring the gifts but Mom and Dad played games with us all morning (my favorite was pushing a walnut in a race across the floor with my nose and my hands behind my back for a quarter). It was a day filled with family fellowship and not all the gifts we get these days... and it felt wonderful. My Mom and Dad are gone now but I will never forget that Christmas nor the spirit they filled each holiday and day with...

All My Best,
Bobbie"

"My most unforgettable memory was when I was probably 5-6 years old. My older brother and sister were doing their best to convince me that Santa Clause did not exist. On Christmas morning, however, we found perfect sooty boot prints by the fireplace that didn't match any boots found in our house. I can't say we ever did figure that one out (haha). Merry Christmas to one and all...remember the reason for the season! God Bless..."

"I was 8 and it was our first Christmas in the house where I would grow up. I don't remember if we had snow, that part of Long Island usually didn't get much snow before January. The things I do remember, more than 50 years later, are the table and chairs my father made for me and the raised bowling alley he made for my 10 year old brother. What joy to have something made just for me by someone who loved me! Daddy worked for the NY Subway system and our gifts were painted the same olive green as the subway cars were then. What a coincidence :-)"

"Merry Christmas, My best Christmas was the last one with my mom. Our last Christmas was 2000. All of our family was together even the great grandchildren. We have it on tape and watched part of it this Christmas. She passed away in September of 2001. We all miss her very much and appriciate all she has blessed us with through her life."

"I think my favorite Christmas is this year's....my wife bought me The Noticer and Return To Sawyerton Springs.

I decide to start with "the funny one." I was really enjoying it, and took it over to my parent's house to read a couple of my favorite chapters to them. When I got home, I was ready to read furhter, but had left the book in the car. Rather than battle the cold, I decided to pick up the Noticer and read a chapter in it. (I am not really a reader, mind you. I've never finished a book...not even when I was in highschool and was required to).

Before I knew it, I was finishing Chapter 4. Soon, my wife and our son were ready for bed, so I relocated to the couch to read "a few more minutes." The next thing I knew, I turned the page and found only a few sentences, followed by the words "The End". What??? It's over?? It couldn't be! I wasn't ready for it to be! So, I read the aknowledgements. :)

Still havne't finished Sawyerton Springs, but I will soon. I just started the Winter Division."

"I had several memorable Christmases in my childhood. I was born & grew up in Nashville, TN. My dad's mother lived in Flat Creek, TN near Shelbyville. My mother's parents were in Estill Springs, TN half-way between Tullahoma and Winchester. We always spent Christmas Eve at Granny's house in Flat Creek with Granny, cousins & other relatives. We'd drive to Estill Springs that night and "Santa" would visit my Grandparents' house the next morning. A few times, we left early the day after Christmas for a Florida vacation (Indian Rocks Beach) & left before dawn. My dad would awaken us before the sun came up with "INDIANS & BEARS!" a reference to our trips to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. That was sure to get my brother & me out of bed quickly & ready to leave so early. I love that my dad used tyhis playful way to get us moving. He was an exceptional man who made life an adventure."

"All of them...and next year's too!"