Christmas Fun

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post and paste it into your own post. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag someone else!

I tag Summer, DeAnna, Cricker, and Aunt Kathy!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper – what’s the fun in gift bags??

2. Real or artificial tree? Real this year, but what a mess!

3. When do you put up the tree? Weekend following Thanksgiving. This year we waited until the following weekend, because Thanksgiving came so early.

4. When do you take the tree down? January 2nd most likely, although this year our tree is sooo dry, so it might come down sooner.

5. Do you like eggnog? That’s a big no.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Gretchen, my mini-schnauzer. I remember getting out of Girl Scouts and coming to the car and seeing my coat in the back seat with a lump under it. Under the coat was this tiny little fluff of a little sweet puppy!!!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, over the last several years Geoff has collected for me all of the pieces to the nativity from Willow Tree. It is (and will likely always be) my absolute favorite Christmas decoration. Putting up the nativity was my favorite part of Christmas decorating growing up, and it still is.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Um, hmmm. I actually have a knack for gifts. I guess my father-in-law is probably my hardest person, but I usually let Geoff pick something for him. Geoff, on the other hand, is the easiest person in the world for me to shop for. In fact, the hard part with Geoff is to put a limit on the buying, because every time I go out I find some other little something that he would like.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? In junior high school, some of the guys (from church, mind you) thought it would be funny to give me an (anonymous – ha!) gift (in my mailbox) of a tshirt with a rather lewd comment on it. Lovely, really! (Cricker, do you remember that??)

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, email, whatever, just send them to me!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Toss up between "Charlie Brown Christmas" and “A Christmas Story”

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year I had all of the kids on my list done in June/July! I have been known to grab a Christmas gift for one year at the after-Christmas sales the previous year. The problem with those gifts is that it’s so hard to hold onto them until Christmas!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Sure. And I’ve been the gracious recipient of quite a few recycled gifts – a lot of times these come from my sister, and I use them and love them!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom’s chocolate pie and Liz’s sweet potato casserole, I also like green bean casserole

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I usually do the small white lights on the tree and the big colored bulbs on the house. Since we have the construction project going on right now, I decided to use the big colored bulbs on the tree, and it was fun for this year, but I think I’ll go back to clear white next year. I’d like to get one of the timers that causes the lights to twinkle.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Have yourself a merry little Christmas

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually travel because family lives away, but this year we decided to stay home. We’ll probably be having more home Christmases in the coming years given that we’re trying to start our own family and it’s nice to have Christmas at home when your kids are small.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Comet Cupid Donner Blitzen Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixon Rudolph (Now see, this is going to be cheating because when you copy and paste, you don’t have to think about it – I’ve got them all laid out for you!)

20. What's on the tree top? A cross. An unusual choice for a Christmas Tree topper it seems, but totally appropriate. I loved it when I found it a few years ago, and have used it ever since.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning. Early Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not necessarily this time of year, but it annoys me when I find Christmas decorations up and Christmas music playing in OCTOBER (or earlier)!

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? No, I like it to look like a hodge-podge of kids decorations. “All things merry and bright”

24. What do/did you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk – I think oreo’s are his favorite!

25. What were any traditions you had growing up? Any that you do as an adult now? Fondue on Christmas Eve. I want to start doing that now that I’m an adult as well, but I don’t have a fondue set – Christmas gift idea for me if you’re still shopping!