Christmas Tag!

50 Question on Christmas

1. Does your family send out Christmas cards? Yes, but we sure aren't going to get to it this year!

2. How soon do you start shopping? Oh, maybe on December 1st

3. Who do you shop for? Mostly the kids, but parents, and one of Garrett's siblings (whoever's name we have for the year - this year it's Uncle Joseph)

4. Do you put up a Christmas tree? Yes, meaning I put the decorations on with the kids after Garrett gets the tree up with the beautiful lights

5. If so, is it fake or real? It's definitely not pretend, but it's not from a forest, just a store.

6. Do you like tinsel? It looks nice on other people's trees, but I don't want to mess with it.

7. Do you use homeade or storebought ornaments? Both, some of the bulbs are store bought that we got when we were first married, but the rest are just a hodge-podge of random ones that we've been given.

8. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house? I don't think we have since we were first married, but we did this year and thanks to us living on a corner, we got lots of compliments (way to go, Garrett!!!).

9. Do you put lights on the tree? Once again, yes, meaning my husband did (and they look fantastic!)

10. How about popcorn and cranberries? Well....we eat popcorn and I've been making myself fresh cranberry juice (pretty tart!, but very good for me!)

11. Is there a wreath hanging on your door? No, it wouldn't fit, so Garrett's got it hanging on the wall.

12. Do you celebrate it? Do I celebrate the wreath??? I don't understand the question....

13. Do you hang up your stocking? Yes, yes, yes - I made my own Christmas stockings this year and they look terrific! In the past, we've had storebought ones, but then, on Christmas morning, we filled up some other more stuffable stockings!

14. Does your family read "Twas the night before Christmas?" We read a book of Christmas stories the month of December and I believe that "Twas the night before Christmas" may be one of them, but I'm not sure.

15. Favorite Christmas Movie? I have always loved Miracle of 34th Street

16. Favorite Character from any Christmas Movie? I love my brother's rendition of Jimmy Stewart freaking out after he gets his life back....truly classic!

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Any one of them, if I'm singing with family around the piano.

18. Favorite Christmas Memory? Surprising my parents w/my scholarship to USU by wrapping it and tossing it under thetree.

19. Give or Receive? Honestly, I love both.

20. Eggnog or Cider? I detest store-bought eggnog and salmonilla poisening ruins my family recipe for homemade eggnog; I'd have to agree with Necha, Wassail is the way to go!

21. Red or Green? Green is my favorite color, but I love the red and green together for Christmas.

Ham or Turkey? I love those spiral hams for Christmas.

Star or Angel? Star, but I do believe in angels (but I want the star at the top of my tree!)

White Lights or Colored Lights? We have colored lights, but I just love any lights.

25. Blinking Lights or Still Lights? We have still lights - I prefer them!

26. Were you Naughty or Nice this year? Probably some of both, but I will make new year's resolutions to be nicer next year (as always).

27. What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm getting the one thing I wanted, which is a guitar; however, my true excitement lies in seeing my boys' faces as they open their gifts!

28. When do you open your gifts? Usually one on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas day, but this year, Garrett's got to work Christmas, so we'll be opening most of the presents on the 26th, but the kids won't care as they don't know the difference.

29. What's the best gift you've ever gotten? I don't know - probably the lap top my husband got me this year for Mother's Day. It's been the most used gift - I use it all the time, for cooking, cleaning (the music), budgeting, keeping in touch, well, just everything!

30. What's the worst gift you've ever gotten? The thing that comes to mind is the worst gift my sister got - which was a pair of cowboy boots with fringes and frills and Christmas lights that you plug in. It was a gag gift to make fun of the year mom got her these boots for Christmas that were cute, but not her style and she didn't know what to say, but wasn't going to wear them. Really funny!

31. Who gives you the most gifts? Garrett - He is the king of gift giving. He can think of gifts I would love, that I would never even think to ask for!

32. Have you ever had a secret Santa? I think so.

33. Do you like wrapping gifts? Yah - it's fun. I prefer wrapping with someone else, but it's fun either way.

34. Do you put change in those red buckets? Yes, I feel guilty if I don't. This year I let Jonathan do it, so maybe I've started a new life of guilt....

35. Do you burn a yule log? I don't really know what that is....

36. Can you name all the reindeer? Yes, but I have to sing the song.

37. Do you bake cookies? Yes, I'm actually typing with the smell of our latest batches of sugar cookies and chocolate mint browies.

38. Have you ever seen your mommy kissing Santa Clause? No, probably because my dad isn't the Santa Clause type, and my mom doesn't kiss anyone else.

39. Have you ever gotten a kiss under the mistletoe? Not that I can think of.

40. Do you go caroling? I like to sing carols, but I prefer to sing them in warm houses and skip the walking around in the cold, but I have been caroling as a child with my family and for some YW/YM activities.

41. Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights? We have before, but we haven't this year.

42. Have you ever left Santa cookies? I don't remember ever doing it.

43. Have you ever sat on Santa's lap? Yes, I think so.

44. Who do you celebrate Christmas with? The handsomest man in the world (Garrett) and the three cutest boys to ever live (Jacob, Gabe, and Jonathan).

45. Where do you celebrate Christmas? At my home, wherever that happens to be...

46. Have you ever had a white Christmas? Of course...

47. What part of Christmas do you look most foward to? All the fun things that lead up to Christmas and the anticipation of Christmas morning.

48. Have you ever had your picture taken with Santa? I believe so.

49. Does your family always take a picture at Christmas? We've tried to, but didn't get one this year.

50. What is the meaning of Christmas? Our Stake Presidency has really encouraged us to remember the gift of the atonement during this Christmas holiday. This is the greatest gift. I am so grateful for the Savior, for his birth, his life, his example, and the gift of his atonement. I think Christmas is all about remembering and celebrating that - and hopefully those feelings will stay in our hearts all year long!

I am tagging my family (mine and Garrett's!)...