Happy December!

Welcome, Christmas season!

If you're looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the Advent (this time we are waiting on Jesus), take a look at this blog, Advent Poetry, which will feature a new poem each day. If I remember at the end of this post, I'll go put it on my sidebar for the rest of the season.

Something fun!! My friend Laura tagged me (by e-mail) to share my answers to this list of questions. I'll say my answers and maybe we can tag Mark to do it, too. What do you say, Sweets?


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper except when the gift or circumstances dictate a bag would be better. I love good Christmas wrapping paper!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, though we've done the real ones and they smell so nice...

3. When do you put up the tree? usually Thanksgiving weekend

4. When do you take the tree down? when we're motivated to. Sometimes the weekend after New Years, but I do recally one year recently when we had to take it down before it got embarrasing that we still had it up. But Mark made some neat things for us to put our ornaments away into it so it's less of a chore.


5. Do you like eggnog? No. I just don't like the idea of it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember loving a kitchen, a pink bike and a very large doll. We got so many things at Christmas; Nonny, do you remember my favorite? We had some really magical Christmases!

7. Hardest person to buy for? I'm used to saying Nonny is the hardest, but I'm thinking Mark might actually be the hardest.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ainsley! I have to make us stop around 5 gifts. (And a Santa gift!)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. It was a thoughtful gift from some guy friends for our wedding!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? You'd have to really try hard to get me a gift I wouldn't appreciate.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually, when I see that first gift that just jumps out and reminds me of someone and gets me to thinking about Christmas. Often July, but has been as late as September. If I don't have most of my presents bought by the first few days in December, I think I am behind. I just find that allows me to get something meaningful for people, without stress or paying a premium for a rushed, last-minute gift.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? See this.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? desserts and Nonny's cornbread dressing (which I also get at Thanksgiving!)

16. Clear or colored lights on the tree? This year it's lots and lots of clear lights and a few red ones!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh, Holy Night and O Come Emannuel

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love what we do now which is wake up at home on Christmas morning and meet more of my family at my mom's house for lunch and a gift exchange. As long as I can be with loved ones, though, it works for me!

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

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A cross. (this year made out of two sticks Ainsley and I picked up on another nature walk at a park)

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

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? knowing so much money is being spent needlessly instead of being put to work for good

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Well, of course I love the ones made by Ainsley! And there are several of a blue/green theme that I bought together one year that I adore. But, as we were decorating this last weekend, I realized my favorite group of ornaments are some that are gifts from Mark's dad and step-mom, Mike and Gayle. They have given some thoughtful ornaments that really represented major milestones. For Christmas of 2004, for example, while I was pregnant, they gave us a beauiful artsy stork ornament and wrote the date on it. Seeing it now, the memories of that Christmas and our expectation flood back. I love that. There was a house ornament (with date) for the year we bought our first house, etc.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? As many loved ones around the table as possible.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want so much! I want my family and friends to know how much I love them and appreciate their presence in my life. I want God to speak to my heart and continue making Himself more real to me day by day. I want His patience and grace, too, as I keep messing up! I want there to be no more water crisis, no more orphaned children, no more abused children, no lonely people wondering why the world has forgotten them, no more greed and hypocrisy. Really, I just want us to love each other in word and action. And, if it's not too much to add, a few more of Ainsley's delighted squeals and fits of giggles would be very nice!

I tag all my readers!