Christmas Tag..Your Turn...

Christmas Tag
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Giving gifts to those outside our family it’s gift bags but for presents under the tree it’s wrapping paper (and this year I found some beautiful vintage looking paper – I fell in love!)

2. Real tree of artificial?
We did a real tree for many years (about 16!) but then we bought an artificial tree about 7 years ago. I really think that next year we may do a real tree again just for the experience of taking the younger kids who don’t have memories of tree scouting, cutting it down, dragging it to the car, tying it on the roof and driving home! (or of blasting Christmas carols on the radio and have the rope holding the tree on the roof break going 60 m.p.h. down the road and nearly causing the car behind us to wreck..yes, that happened!) :)

3. When do you put up the tree?
It has to up on or before December 1st!

4. When do you take the tree down?

The tree comes down a few days after Christmas. I have this thing that it HAS to down BEFORE the 1st as I like to begin the new year with house all cleaned and the Christmas items put away – it is a MUST! My mom always took hers down ON New Year’s Day but for me it has to down and put away before then.

5. Do you like eggnog?
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it….except for the calories it has! :(

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

The year I got lots of clothes and a camper for my Barbie doll! My best friend was an only child and she had EVERYTHING for her Barbies that you can imagine – cars, pools, boats, houses, a camper, a ski lodge and tons of CLOTHES! I coveted the clothes she had for her doll! One Christmas I got about 10 outfits for my Barbies AND the camper -- I was in heaven!

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, several of them! I love them! I have one that I leave out all year round to remind our family of the importance of the Savior’s birth.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

I would say the older kids – the have more want than we have money so the money we have to spend on them doesn't go very far.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

Definitely the girls! Abigail and Annah are TOO easy to buy for! I think it’s a girl thing. :)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Christmas cards, hands down!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Can’t think of one so whatever it was couldn’t have been THAT bad!

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
I love many holiday themed movies….Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life, Elf, and more but my all time favorite has to be Prancer. :) I think it because I identify with the little girl in the movie.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

I usually get started just after Thanksgiving and have done the Black Friday thing a time or two but not very often.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don’t recall that I have but if it was something that I know someone else would love, I probably would.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

We love pretzels dipped in chocolate (have to make them every year) and also popcorn in white chocolate! Yum….

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

We have colored although some time I would love to have clear lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night, Mary Did You Know? and Thankful on Josh Groban's Noel CD. :)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Stay home…only because our families live to far away. :(

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Sometimes…..just when I think I CAN, I can’t! :) But I never forget the most famous reindeer of all.........

20. Angel on top of the tree or a star?

We have an angel that we have had since our first Christmas together. I would like a star but I can’t bring myself to part with that angle that has graced our tree from the start of our marriage.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

We have the same tradition that my family had and that is that we open ONE present on Christmas Eve then the rest on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this year?

No snow yet. :(

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

If I was doing a tree just for Tim and I would probably do a tree in red and silver.

24. Favorite Christmas dinner?

We usually have a ham for Christmas Eve dinner so that I am not cooking and cleaning up all Christmas Day. The leftovers the next day are fast and easy and I get to play all day just like the kids do!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

I want for each of us to understand, just a little bit more, just what an amazing gift the Savior has given to us all.