Interview with Harper Van Buren

1. When you were a child, what was one thing you could always be sure of? I was sure of two things growing up. One, Jesus loved me. And two, my Aunt Sadie did, too, and would always tell me the truth.
2. What was something you were never sure of? I never knew where I stood with my mom. Was she proud of me or disappointed? I never knew and still don’t.
3. Where did you grow up? Is this a place you’d go back to now? Or avoid? I grew up in the Denver metro area. I’d go back to visit, but not to live. My life is here, in Winter Springs, now.
4. Do you still have friends there? Or family? I have some friends, but when my first husband died, those friendships did, too. My mom and dad live in Denver.
5. What is your life like at the moment? I co-own Kris Kringle Inn with my husband, Noel. We have a daughter, Sadie, named after my aunt. I’m busy being a wife, mom, friend, employer.
6. Where do you live now? We live in a house behind Kris Kringle Inn.
7. What are your physical surroundings like? Are they comfortable, safe, or dangerous? My surroundings are wonderful. I wake up to a comfortable home, in a place filled with pine trees and in the winter, snow.
8. Who lives with you? Noel and Sadie.
9. Is this what you always planned to do, or did you fall into it? I fell into owning and running Kris Kringle Inn.
10. How do you feel about it? At first, I was confused why Aunt Sadie would leave it to me. I mean, she knew my history, my heartache. Now, I see the wisdom in her decision.

11. What is your religious belief currently? I’m an Evangelical Christian.

12. Where are you in your life right now? What are you most pleased with right now? I’m quite content. I’m pleased with my family, my job, my friends.
13. What keeps you awake at night? Sadie not following the Lord when she gets older.
14. What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment? Keeping Sadie in bed when it’s nap time and bed time.

14. Who is your most important relationship? Jesus. He is the most Important relationship I have right now, followed by Noel and Sadie.
15. How do you live? (are you neat, messy?)  I’m a cross between both. I love to have a clean kitchen, but my bedroom, my side anyway, is a mess!
16. What is your favourite food and color? My favorite food is pizza. My favorite color is dark blue.
17. What is your biggest pet peeve? It bothers me when I’m talking to someone, and they look at their phone when it buzzes.
18. What is your biggest secret? I’m pregnant. I haven’t told Noel yet, but I’m excited to tell him soon!
19. What is your favourite childhood memory? Most of my pleasant memories are with my Aunt Sadie, here, at the Inn. One in particular was when a family was struggling with the loss of their pet. The kids were devastated. Aunt Sadie invited them over, asked story after story about their pet, and then, as a memory to them, she made them a scrapbook. It was a special moment because it made me realize how much my aunt loved others. Even though she wasn’t a pet person herself, she set aside her own dislikes for someone else.
20. What one moment from your past affects you today? When my first husband and first daughter died on Christmas day.
21. What is one piece of wisdom you want to share? Jesus promised we’d have troubles in this world. He never said life would be easy. He did say, however, that He’d always be with us. Cling to that. In the good, the bad, the joys, and sorrows. He never leaves you, no matter what.

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