Christmas questions from Lisa

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags?Wrapping paper, if I have it.

2.Real tree or Artificial?I always swore that I would never get a fake tree when I was a kid. I had one the first year I lived away from home and that was the end. It was the biggest mess ever, not to mention that if fell off the car on the way home. Oh, at the worst intersection in town(Grand and 24th for those of you who know Billings). No more real trees after that.

3.When do you put up the tree?Normally right after Thanksgiving but we put it up early this year. I must say it was nice to have it up on Thanksgiving. It kind of set the tone.

4.When do you take the tree down?Our priest from Utah taught us that your Christmas decorations should stay up until the wise men get there on January 6th. Mike and I really respect that. It is hard some years to leave it up but the holiday really is about Jesus and so we wait for the wise men. We also try to set up are Nativity without the baby Jesus or the wise men. Jesus is set out on Christmas Eve and the wise men start traveling across the room. They get there just in time to be put away(poor guys)

5.Do you like eggnog?Yes! I do. I love eggnog shakes too! My favorite holiday flavor though is Chocolate with candy cane mixed in.

6.Favorite gift received as a child?My dad was remodeling this hotel out in Oregon(someone burned it down before they finished) and he was able to salvage this giant M from the top(Medford Hotel) He had it redone for me. It was painted pink and the M was neon. According to the Hotel people you could see this neon from 5 miles away. I really loved it. Mike and I threw it out when we moved from Utah to here. It was just not practical to haul a 4 foot neon M around the country. Honesty, I had forgotten about it until now, and it makes me a little sad. It was a spot on gift for me.

7.Do you have a nativity scene?I love nativity scenes. See question #2

8.Hardest person to buy for?My father in law. He has everything!

9.Easiest person to buy for?Matthew. Funkies or Pokemon and he is happy!

10.Mail or email Christmas cards?I love mailing cards, I love getting cards. However, there has only been one year that I have been on top of it. When we lived in Utah I had them done at the start of November. I was so organized and I vowed to keep it that way. Then 3 months later we moved cross country again and that was the end of that. UG. Sorry to all of you who are waiting for my card. Maybe I should do Valentine cards..hehe.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received?My family for years lumped me into 2 categories. Group one: The girl who needs a coat. I swear for years all I ever got for Christmas was a new coat. I am glad that they will not be reading this because I have always been grateful for any gift I have received. However, I must say that a new winter coat at the end of December was never really exciting. Then when I started College they gave me a new book bag every year. There was that one year my dad gave me this 4 foot tall bottle of vinegar with lemons in it???????He said and I quote “I saw this and though who on earth would ever want that, it is awful, then I bought it for you” I promptly returned it!

12.Favorite Christmas Movie?No thought needed! The Ref!!! I love that movie so much. I also love A Christmas Story.

13.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?I do not understand people who keep things just because they were a gift. My house would be full of carp if I did. IE….a large bottle of vinegar! I encourage all of you to recycle any gift I give you if it is not what you need. Please, feel free!!! 14.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?Stuffing!

15.Clear or colored lights on the tree?I love clear lights! One of my greatest memories from my childhood though is laying in bed with the glow from the colored Christmas lights coming through the window. I just loved that. Too bad I don’t put up lights.

16.Favorite Christmas song?I am not a Christmas music girl. I do love the old stuff sung by a choir. I think it is because most of it is so overplayed that by Christmas I am done.

17.Travel at Christmas or stay home?hmm…I love being with Mike’s family at Christmas but I hate traveling so far. We are going to try to travel to Georgia next year and that I am all in for! Warm weather, some place new, and Mike’s grandma! Wonderful!!! This year Mike’s parents are coming to see us and I love that too.

18.Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and the most famous reindeer of course, RUDOLPH!! That is from Lisa’s. I did not even want to try

19.Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?We got to open one at night and then the rest in the morning. We have just kept that tradition.

20.Most annoying thing about this time of year?Commercialism!

21.Favorite thing about this time of year?The lights, and the season of Advent.

22.Favorite ornament, theme, or color?silver shinny things, and my picture ornaments. I love putting the tree up and seeing all of our old memories from past years. I love making new ornaments from this years big events. I still need to do this for this year. I am so glad that Mike’s mom got us started doing this. It makes the tree so much more fun and memorable.

23.What do you want for Christmas this year?I want something personal. My favorite gifts have been a CD Mike made for me with all my favorite songs and a few that reminded him of me. I heart that Matthew made at Kaden’s house for me. Things like that. I am not big on monetary things. I guess anything for my camera is always good though.

24.Who will reply to this the quickest?Jenny might post this on her blog

25.What is your favorite Christmas memory?I think the Christmas that the tree fell off the car. It was also the year Mike and I got engaged(like you Lisa) Mike bought me a jewelry box and he had a fake ring inside it. My ring was being made at a local jewelry store so he had that one inside. I still have it. That was about 14 years ago. This Sunday Mike and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary. In January we will have been together for half our lives. It is amazing how time flies. It seems like only yesterday I was kissing a baby on the head as everyone said “he will be in school before you know it” Now he is in 1st grade and people keep saying “Once they are in 1st grade the time really flies” Honestly, can it go any faster