Holiday Fun

My sister in law sent me this Meme in an email and I thought I would post it on my blog.

If you haven’t answered this one yet, I’d love to hear your answers.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Do I really have to choose? I guess year round hot chocolate, but I love egg nog at Christmas time. 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa always brings the presents that are too big to wrap 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? All white inside, alternating red & white outside 4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope 5. When do you put your decorations up? The Sunday or Monday after Thanksgiving 6. What is your favorite holiday dish? We usually always have almond coffee cake rolls for breakfast on Christmas-yum! 7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? This is a tough one, I remember gifts b/c of pictures- but a specific memory?? I know I loved going to my Grandma Olson’s house at Christmas time and having lefse, krumakage and rosettes. I loved helping decorate the tree- one year my mom made little clay teddy bear ornaments and I loved getting those out. We always did the ring and run for some families we knew and that was one of the best parts of the season as well. 8. Worst Holiday memory as a child? Getting a book about the bird and the bees when I was 11 years old- how embarrassing! 9. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I think I remember figuring it out b/c Santa’s handwriting matched my Mom’s.Not sure how old I was. 10. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Our kids do- it is always new pajamas, we did this growing up as well. 11. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? First thing we do every year is put on some Christmas music. Our tree is color coated and the boys put it together this year with a little help from Genna. The lights go on next , then the bead garland, the red balls and bows are next. Then everyone puts on their ornaments- each year I do a photo ornament for the kids. The best part is turning out all the lights and admiring our work. Traditionally we have an eggnog toast after the tree is done- but lately I haven’t been organized enough to buy some ahead of time. 12. Snow! Love it or Dread it? If we are all home- I love it. Snow days are the best. But driving or sending my poor husband out to work in it, is not fun! 13. Can you ice skate? I grew up ice skating on the pond in the park behind our house, but my ankles have gotten weak over the years. I did just go in Colorado and had a fun time, despite my sore ankles. 14. Do you remember your favorite gift? Some favorites- strawberry shortcake bathrobe, mork and mindy board game, pink legwarmers, and a doll with it’s own little carriage. 15. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? As a Mom, I hope that I can make this season magical for my own kids, that I can teach them the true joy that comes in giving and that we can all remember the precious gift of our Savior. 16. What's your favorite holiday dessert? Broken glass, rice pudding, these chocolate log cookies that have colored marshmallows in it! 17. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Being with family definitely tops the list! Others- we always try to make cookies on Christmas Eve- so we have something to put on the plate for Santa, going to the Christmas Parade of homes with my two dear friends! 18. What tops your tree? A gold star 19. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Definitely giving. It is so rewarding to watch someone open and enjoy something that you put time and effort in to picking our or making for them. 20. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night, What Child is This, Mary Did You Know- by Donny Osmond. 21. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I am not a huge candy cane eater, but I do like them. I also like all the fun different flavored ones as well.

Thoughts for Thursday

Ok, so it is almost Friday- but I tried posting an hour ago and blogger was not cooperating. Just had some random things to share today.

The gingerbread house decorating at Jameson's school today went well. It was pretty cool b/c the high school sent down their home ec kids to help out the kids whose parents couldn't be there. I think Jameson's house turned out really cute! It is hard as a parent sometimes to sit back and let your kids do it their way, but it is definitely important. Next year when it's Connor's turn to decorate a house, I think I will suggest that less types of candy is better with more repetition. Not that he will listen necessarily, but hey, I'll feel better offering that bit of advice.

I am reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. I love this book. I love my copy even more because it has written on one of the first few pages a little note by my Grandma Olson that says, "this is a real good read".

I think I knew this before- but boy, sometimes I am really good at wasting time when there is a lot of work to do. I guess I know where Connor gets it from :P On a positive note, I got 15 of my 30 handmade cards done and the infamous Christmas letter written and printed.

One last thing before I turn into a pumpkin- my friend Cheryl and I did the OAMC thing last week and I am LOVING the results. It is so nice to just take out a meal the night before to thaw in my fridge. When 5:30 rolls around I just reheat, add a side and woila, dinner is served. Seriously, even though it was a ton of work, I will definitely do it again. 

Santa's Helpers

I am not usually big fan of forwarding the story emails that come along, but I got this story from one my sister in law sent me yesterday and it was too good to not share! I think it totally exemplifies the spirit of the Christmas season!

Adventures with Grandma

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous, cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!
I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes," I replied shyly. "It's .... for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it -- Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the tag tucked inside: $19.95.

Gingerbread Artists

Last night for FHE we made our annual trip to see the Gingerbread House Parade at the Mormon Trail Visitor's Center. We were amazed as usual. Connor kept walking around saying, "This had to be made by a professional." Have you ever tried making a gingerbread house? We have done a few here at home and it is no easy feat to keep it nice and neat, or standing for that matter. So I tend to agree with Connor some of these people are truly Gingerbread artists. We took lots of pictures this year since Jameson and I are going to be making a gingerbread house at school on Thursday. We'll let you know how it turns out, we got a ton of great ideas. One thing I am going to do a better job of next year is saving all the yucky halloween candy for Connor's gingerbread house. I tossed a bunch this year and now I am kicking myself since I am going to have to go out and buy some candy for Jameson's house. By the way, I got that great idea from the lazy organizer's blog- check her out her son's gingerbread post.

Mountains & Missionaries

We had a great trip this weekend to Colorado. We got in late Friday night. My niece Undrea just got back from her mission to Portugal. It was so wonderful to see her and the rest of my sister Linda's family! Genna latched onto Undrea and couldn't get enough of her.

Like I said, it was late on Friday when we got in and so Saturday morning driving from our hotel over to Linda's house, I was awestruck for a moment because of the beauty of the mountains. I really do think Nebraska can be beautiful, but we definitley don't have anything as majestic or breathtaking like these snow covered mountains.
 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

Can you believe we are already 1/4 of the way through the month of December? As crazy as this month tends to get, I love this time of year so much! And even though decorating our tree and house is always a little more on the chaoctic side than the picturesque side, we still have a fun time doing it. And then there is something magical about turning off all the lights and enjoying the glow from the tree.

It wouldn't be Christmas around our house without a yummy peppermint candle on the warmer, lights hung from the children's curtain rods, a basket full to the brim with Christmas books we've collected over the years, garland & bright red bows on the bannister, and last but, definitely not least a carefully arranged nativity. Our favorite Christmas CD's from years past add the perfect accompianment to our holiday splendor!

This really is the most wonderful time of the year. I am so thankful for our dear Savior whose birth is the reason for the season! 

A Genna Funny

The other day at the breakfast table, Jameson had hair sticking up every which way. Either Troy or I commented about his rooster tail and sent him off to comb his hair. This morning, Genna looked up at Troy's messy hair and said, "Daddy, you've got a chicken on your head!"

PS. This was taken last night when we did a photo shoot in our basement for our Christmas card pictures. My goal is to have the Christmas letter, stamps and address labels all ready to go when they cards come in next week.