FSB Holiday Traditions

Happy Holidays from the FSB Premier Team!

We love celebrating the holidays together and with our families and want to share some of our favorite holiday traditions with all of you!  Here's hoping your holidays are filled with all of your favorite traditions too!

Bob Hansen

On Bob's side of the family, homemade gifts and gifts of service which they call “gifts of love” have always been a big part of Christmas. This year, his parents wanted to do an experience gift.  They did dinner and dessert at his parents house and then they took them to the local production of Miracle on 34th street at the Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls.  Bob's mom also made some homemade jam and his parents wrote a song to the tune of we wish you a merry Christmas and sang it to the family.  On Bob's wife Nichole's side of the family, they meet at a church or community center to celebrate Christmas with the extended family.  They do a big potluck and everyone brings a gift for a big game of Bingo.

Abby Sears

Abby and her family started out the holidays visiting her in-laws in Indianapolis.  They will head to Decorah on Christmas Eve to visit her parents but always make it back home in time for Christmas and Santa's arrival.

Nolan Tomlinson

Nolan and his wife Heidi like to cut down their own Christmas tree.  This was their dog Ren's first time at the tree farm and she had a blast!   Nolan says every Thanksgiving and Christmas they go to Hickory Hills with his family for a "nature walk" around the park.  It used to be one of his least favorite traditions that his mom made sure they did every Christmas and Thanksgiving but now he says he has come to appreciate the tradition.  They have had nice warm Christmas walks some years and bone chilling snowy Christmas walks other years.  Nolan's thinking this year is going to be a bit chilly!

Jacob Myrvik

Jacob likes Thanksgiving the most. It’s a great time to see family, eat a great meal, and then watch football in a food coma. Its like Christmas without the snow.  Every year on Christmas Eve, Jacob's extended family heads to his parents house for dinner and a white elephant gift exchange. Jacob and his wife Sarah both love seeing and laughing at the different random gifts.  When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas foods, he loves them all! But if he had to pick a favorite plate of food, it would be some turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, and a nice slice of pumpkin pie.

Ryan Risetter

Ryan and his family, including Murphy the dog, celebrate the holidays by putting up their tree and decorating as a family.  This year they headed to downtown Waterloo for Waterloo Lights the Night to celebrate with some friends and so his son Mr. Ben could mail his letter to Santa.

Jen Marlin

Jen and her husband both grew up having live Christmas trees and have continued that tradition with their kids.  Every year since the kids were very little, Jen gets a picture of the kids with Santa at the tree farm.  She is grateful her kids will still appease her request for this tradition, even if it embarrasses them as seen by their bright red cheeks in the below picture.  This year they also attended Waterloo Lights the Night and loved getting a family picture with llamas!  Other family traditions include decorating gingerbread houses, baking and decorating Christmas cookies, watching Christmas movies and spending Christmas day with family.

Tiffany Coffin

Tiffany and family kicked off the holiday season celebrating her daughter Remi's 3rd birthday.  They also put up their Christmas decorations.  Tiffany and her husband headed to Iowa City the day after Thanksgiving to watch the Hawkeyes take on Nebraska.  It was not the turnout they hoped for, but it was still a fun way to begin the holiday season.

Alex Vlach

Alex's family typically does a crab leg boil and roast for their Christmas eve meal. This year they are trying lamb from a local butcher!  Yum!  He and his collegues in our Des Moines branch also got in the Christmas spirit by wearing their FSB Christmas sweaters on "National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day."

Brandon Ausenhus

Brandon starts the holiday season off with extended family for Thanksgiving dinner.  This year Brandon cooked the turkey.  He says it was his first time and it turned out amazing!

Miftar Pozhari

Miftar does not have any holiday traditions as of yet but we did get him to sit in Santa's sleigh with Brandon at The Patch in Cedar Falls!  We are sure there will be more traditions to come for Miftar!

Scott Waechter

Scott was unable to capture any pictures thus far this season but says they start by celebrating Thanksgiving eating and watching football at his uncle's house with extended family. The next day he and his wife Alex, along with their boys put up the Christmas décor and tree while National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation plays in the background. They have a large collection of various Christmas books that they keep in a “Santa” bag and read one each night of December with their boys.  They also participate and/or attend their church’s Christmas program each year.  

Written by: Jen Marlin

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