1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Both! But Eggnog just at Christmas, with a little nutmeg on top, sitting in the living room (in front of the fire if we had one) with all the lights off but the tree and candles—listen to the beauty of the Christmas Tree sing!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Oh! He’s GOT to wrap them! Absolutely necessary! Because you don’t see Santa’s gifts until the morning when you wake up the suspense is just crazy, wondering what can possibly be in that box!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Absolutely coloured, although ironically enough we have white lights on our deck and little birch tree this year. But that’s just because that is all Marden’s had on sale. (You should have bought it when you saw it at Mardens!) Eventually when we’re rolling in doe it will be coloured for sure! But absolutely coloured on the tree, no give or take there.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? I've always wanted to. Mom & Dad had a plastic mistletoe they would hang at Christmas when I was a kid, not that it made much of a difference then, but Id like to have some now. Fun!
5. When do you put your decorations up? When we can find some time! But I do have a rule, no Christmas music or decorations until after Remembrance Day. Usually we get our tree around the second weekend of December and decorate then.
6 What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? This is a tricky one, I love so many different holiday foods! Excluding dessert helps. I love dressing (the way my Mom does it) and the turkey, but probably one of my favourites is the hot turkey sandwiches with French fries that we make with the leftovers, the day after….yum yum….oh the gravy….and pees….
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Christmas Eve Mom would be putting together a huge spread of treats, appetizers etc. and we would have run around all day dropping off everyone’s gifts. Us girls would often watch a Christmas Special on while Mom got ready and then Dad would put a fire in the fireplace and we would all play our instruments, even Mom would play, and Mom would read the Christmas story. It was a time we were all together, just quiet and not running with the regular business, and just enjoying each other. Eventually we would hang our socks and go to bed and I remember whispering with my sisters across the hall, trying to fall asleep before Santa came. This was such a special time when my family would just stop and hit pause on life and enjoy each other.
8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No. Christmas Eve was always about focusing on Jesus’ birth and sacred more quiet family time. We saved the Christmas gifts for Christmas Day and I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Usually the evening after we get our Christmas tree and the branches have fallen Chad puts up the lights, thank goodness I hate that job! And then we take all of our ornaments, some we made as children, others we collected along the way, and some we’ve gotten together and hang them. Then I put on the ribbon after, loving the effect and doing my best not to curse the process! Then we sit around after and enjoy the lights and maybe some holiday eggnog and Christmas music.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it and I so desperately want a sleigh ride this year! I can’t imagine Christmas without snow, but it’s not looking good this year. I do get really really sick of snow come February, but generally I love it and count it a necessity at Christmastime.
12. Do you remember your favorite gift? I think every year of my life I’ve had a favourite gift. My Mom always tells the story about the year when I was really little and as she put me to bed Christmas Eve she asked what it was I wanted from Santa, and out of the blue, completely different then what I had said all year long, I said I wanted Lego. She nearly died! All the stores were closed, everything was shut down and Santa had not bought me any Lego! Dad assured her I would be thrilled with all of my Christmas gifts in the morning and forget all about it. But Christmas morning came and I was visibly upset I had not received any Lego. Near the very end of all the gift giving I opened a present from my Aunt that had a tiny package of Lego in with it and I was thrilled! I had my lego! Then I remember the year I got my stereo, yes stereo! And my typewriter, I was going to be novelist, and so many others! Last year one of my favourites was a bunch of stones my sister had painted and decorated for every season for when I have my own classroom.
13. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Taking a bit of time to reflect on the significance of Jesus coming to earth to offer every human regardless of stature, culture, race or gender true hope and life. And spending some “quality” time with family and friends, and having the opportunity to express my love for them in a more tangible way than I might during the year.
14. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Peanut Butter Balls. Since I was a kid they were my favortie! Mom hated rolling them out so since we were really little my sisters and I would always roll them for her and she would dip them. Of course we ate nearly a third of what we rolled but it was so much fun! I like them when they’ve just come out of the freezer and they’ve thawed but not so much that they are gooey sweet! I also love them the way my Mom makes them of course! With ricecrispies!
15. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Same as my favourite Christmas memory as a child. (Christmas Eve Mom would be putting together a huge spread of treats, appetizers etc. and we would have run around all day dropping off everyone’s gifts. Us girls would often watch a Christmas Special on while Mom got ready and then Dad would put a fire in the fireplace and we would all play our instruments, even Mom would play, and Mom would read the Christmas story. It was a time we were all together, just quiet and not running with the regular business, and just enjoying each other. Eventually we would hang our socks and go to bed and I remember whispering with my sisters across the hall, trying to fall asleep before Santa came. This was such a special time when my family would just stop and hit pause on life and enjoy each other.)
16. What tops your tree? Nothing right now, but I remember the year that my Mom and I spent over an hour sitting on the floor at K-Mart going through all the beautiful Angel tree tops and finding the one that had the most perfect face. I’m looking for something similar for our tree and until I find it I will settle for nothing less!
17. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Absolutely giving! (Not that I don't like getting presents too) How much fun it is to think of a gift you think your loved one will love or enjoy and then wait for them to open it. This is the hardest part for me! If I think I’ve found something they love I want them to have it right away! I guess the anticipation for me about their gifts is greater than about my own gifts a lot of the time!
18. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night and The little Drummer Boy
19. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum! I don’t get super crazy excited about them or anything, but after a meal, or dinner out or something I do enjoy sucking on a peppermint one for awhile. Kinda nice. And I love Candy Cane ice cream! Yum yum!
No comments:
Post a Comment