Wrapping Paper

I am such the sucker for those blog test things, and of course they have tons of them for Christmas. So, when I saw this one, I just had to take it. I love wrapping my gifts and decorating them with pretty bows and ribbons. I always try to coordinate my papers with my tree decorations. It's obsessive, anal-retentive, whatever you want to call it, but hey, that's me. So, here's the wrapping paper test.

You Are Considerate and Mature

You approach the holidays with responsibility and cooperation. You'll do your part to make sure that everyone else has a happy holiday. You aren't particularly picky or high maintenance during the holidays. You're happy to be in the company of people you love, and you're willing to "go with the flow." Of all the types, you are the most likely to give someone exactly what they want. You're also the most likely to wrap all your presents well - to prevent peeking!

The Wrapping Paper Test

Whether or not all of this describes me, well, I suppose only my husband could verify.

Love/Hate

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas.

I hate that we as a society have commercialized something so special as the arrival of God's one and only son sent to save his people.

I hate that mega-chain department/wholesale stores start decorating, play Christmas music, run special marketing campaigns, and put out those gift sets right after Halloween and before Thanksgiving.

I hate that we spend so much time rushing around here and there trying to get our shopping or other tasks accomplished.

I hate that we fill up the season with parties, caroling, addressing cards, and decorating.

I hate that people are so rude, crass, and impatient with one another.

I hate that my husband works more hours during the Christmas season than at any other time in the year and that we have even less time to spend together as a family.

I hate that we focus more on what gifts we're giving instead of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned.

Most of all I hate that during this season I grieve more for my parents as Christmas was the most important time of year for my family.



I love the smells in the air, smells of cakes, cookies, candies that we bake.

I love deciding what colors I'm going to decorate for the season, the actual decorating, and wrapping of the presents in paper to co-ordinate with my colors.

I love all types of Christmas music and start playing it right after Thanksgiving. Music gets me in the Christmas spirit better and faster than anything.

I love singing all the hymns and popular music to the top of my lungs.

I love pulling out my Christmas music and practicing on the piano.

I love how beautiful our church looks during the season and I love how we all work together to make it so.

I love our special church services. The Epiphany service and our Hanging of the Greens are the opening and closing of the season and it wouldn't be Christmas without them.

I love that our family gathers together to celebrate our long held traditions.

I love surprising my husband with gifts that he never expected.

I love the looks on my children's faces on Christmas morning. Nothing can compare to their looks of surprise and wonder.

I love that there's a spirit of peace and goodwill in the air, I only wish that it could last the year through.

Most of all, I love the Baby Jesus and what his coming to earth means for me and the entire human race.

The Christmas Meme

Well, since everyone has done this meme, I may as well do it too. So, here goes.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, I love to wrap presents with frilly bows and such. I only use bags when items can't be wrapped.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial because my dear sweet husband is terribly allergic to cedar, I won't even mention what happened the last time we had a real tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving, around the first Sunday in Advent
4. When do you take the tree down? not until after Epiphany
5. Do you like eggnog? love it!
6. Favorite gift as a child? My Barbie town house, unfortunately it was that Christmas that I realized there was no Santa.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Art's parents
8. Easiest person to buy for? Art, because I've got him all figured out!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but I have no idea where it is.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? not sure
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I love Christmas movies, so it's hard to pick one. But I'll go with "It's a Wonderful Life" that movie makes me cry. I don't even have to see the whole movie, just that last line "every time a bell rings an angel gets it's wings" and it's boohoohoo! I also love "A Smoky Mountain Christmas" with Dolly Parton and Elf with Will Ferrell.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I try to start sometime in October.
14. I’m not sure why, but there isn’t a #14.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My christmas candies that my aunt makes for me every year.
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely! And I don't have to mess with it anymore cuz our tree is pre-lit! YAY!
17. Favorite Christmas song? This is another one where I can't choose just one. So as far as hymns go, I have to say "In the Bleak Midwinter". And for popular songs, I'd say "Do they Know it's Christmas"
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? nah... cuz there's only one that really matters.... the most famous reindeer of all.... RUDOLPH!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star. I used to have an angel, but I switched to a star because it reminds me of the Magi coming to the Christ child.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was little, it was always on Christmas Day. My in-laws are Christmas Eve kind of people, so we're opening on both.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? that we fill up the time and make ourselves so busy that we don't take time enough to consider the true meaning and reason for this season.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I don't have a favorite because I change my colors/decorations each year. this year it's purple, last year was black. I'm thinking next year might be more traditional with red... but who knows?
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? time alone with my husband!


Tag... you're it!

Fa la la la la

Okay, it's time for some Christmas music and you all know how much I love.Love.LOVE. Christmas music. I'm gonna share two songs with you this time. One of them puts a smile on my face and I feel oh so happy when I hear it. The other makes me think of my husband and well, "other" things. ;)

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Gayla Peevey




All I Want for Christmas is You Mariah Carey

This Year's Christmas Tree

Okay for all my christmas tree fans out there, here are pictures of my/our tree this year. As you may remember, last year's decorations were black and silver. Well, this year, I went purple. It took me a long time to decide and I vacillated between several color combinations, but once I saw these, I decided it had to be purple. And don't you know, while I had to search last year for black ornaments, they are all over the place this year. I suppose it's like my teenage daughter said, "Mom, you're just ahead of the trends." Well, if someone has to be a trend setter, I suppose it may as well be me!


So, without further ado...

Tell me where you been so long....

First, let me say I appreciate all my friends checking in on me to see if I'm still around. I'm here. I visit your blogs, but blogging just isn't as important to me as it used to be. As opposed to my wonderful husband, I just don't have a lot to say. He's much more intelluctual and has lots of wonderful ideas to share with the world where I need to be with other people in person. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed my time here, but it's not as fulfilling to me. Basically, I need a "crowd", I need to be the center of attention. I admit it, I'm a "ham". I need to have one on one interaction with instant gratification, and let's face it, that's not something one can receive from the internet.

Combine that with the fact that since the last time I posted, I've been on two vacations, suffered through a summer with 3 pregnant women in my office, lost two tellers, thus leaving myself and one other, being promoted and having to juggle all the tasks assigned with it in addition to everything I was already doing. Not to mention that my oldest child started high school this year (OMG!) and my other having had issues being diagnosed with ADD, and well, I suppose I've been a little busy.

So, I love and thank all my friends, and please know I'm still around. I try to get by all your sites at least one a week just to see what's going on with all of you. I may still pop in and out here from time to time, but nowhere near as "regular" as I used to be. So until I see you again, be good to yourself and each other!

Blog-vacation

Wow.. it's been a while since I've done any blogging. I've had some comments wondering if I'm taking a break like my husband is, and well, apparantly I am. It wasn't really intentional, but we've been soo busy with all our "construction" projects around the house, and my back went out again and I was down almost two weeks, mix those in with our upcoming beach vacation, and church camp, and you can see we've been some busy folks around here. That being said, I wish you all a pleasant summer and hopefully I'll be back to regular blogging after things around here settle down.

Take care, y'all!