A Christmasy Survey:)

1. How many Christmases have you celebrated?
20:) This year will be my 21st Christmas:)

2. How many different places have you spent Christmas at?
Well my first few Christmases were spent at the old house, and all the ones since then were spent at my parents' house. This year, I'm not really sure where Christmas will be spent!

3. When does "Christmas" start?
the day after Thanksgiving! (I used to say the day after Halloween, haha, but I've managed to push it back a little ways, so as to focus on one holiday at a time;)

4. When does "Christmas" end?
New Years Eve, cause then we're celebrating New Years! lol

5. Ever had a white Christmas?
Not that I know of :(

6. Ever NOT had a white Christmas?
Yep, all of 'em that I remember :-/

7. Has it ever been really warm on Christmas?
Yeah, one year I got a new sweater, and a new bike...I insisted on wearing my new sweater while I tried out my new bike, and ended up soaked in sweat :-p Pretty lame Christmas weather! lol

8. What's the coldest it's been on Christmas in your town?
Well, in the town I spent all my Christmases in? It may have gotten down to like 15-20*F. In the town I'm living in now, it might have gotten down to 40*F but I highly doubt it.

9. Do you remember specific Christmas presents from past years?
not many of them, but a few...like that sweater and bike, lol. That was when I was like...10 yrs old. And I remember that Kyle gave me a promise ring last Christmas:) It's crazy for me to think, last year he gave me a promise ring, saying we would get engaged/married one day, and this Christmas, the very next one, we'll already have been married for 6 months!

10. Is there anything specific that gets you in the Christmas spirit?
Christmas music, hot cocoa, seeing houses all decorated up with Christmas lights, the smell of Christmas trees, the smell/taste of peppermint, seeing the church all decked out with Christmas decorations, seeing all the Christmas ornaments and lights and such that the stores all bust out......etc:)

11. Do you like hot cocoa?
oh yes!

12. Do you like egg-nog?
eh, not so much

13. Do you like candy canes?
I like to use them to stir my hot cocoa so they give it a minty flavor! But I don't like eating them.

14. What are your favorite Christmas colors?
I like all of them in the right combinations:) Red and green and gold look really elegant together:) Red and green and silver look really happy together:) White, ice blue, silver and navy blue look nice and cold! *shivers*:) Silver, white and glitter look nice and snowy:) Green, maroon and brown look like a Christmasy mountain cabin:) and I love them all!!!

15. What is your favorite thing to find in your stocking?
Hair clips! lol. I go through those things so fast, so Santa has to bring me lots of those;) And they make good stocking stuffers:)

16. Do you like playing in the snow?
Actually, I really prefer walking in it:) Snow is really romantic:) I prefer to leave it as untouched as possible, while still getting out and enjoying it:) So a nice walk in the snow is perfect:) All you leave is footprints, and I think it's so cute to see two pairs of footprints in the snow!:-D hehe

17. What is your favorite Christmas candy?
Ooh, gosh...I would have to say mint chocolate truffles:)

18. What do you think is the best gift you've ever given someone?
I knit Kyle a blanket last year:) It isn't the most perfect blanket, but it is special anyway, and he loves it:)

19. How do you wrap presents (bags? boxes? bows? quick jobs? fancy jobs?)??
I carefully select the prettiest wrapping paper I can find that seems to suit the recipient's personality (yes, I buy a lot of different kinds of very expensive wrapping paper :-.. lol but I love it). Then I find some 3" wide, wired ribbon that goes well with the wrapping paper. I take the present and wrapping stuff home. I hand make a to-from tag to match the wrapping paper and ribbon. I wrap the present as neatly as I can. Then I make a big bow out of the ribbon, wrap a piece of ribbon around the present, and put the bow on top, with the to-from tag sticking out from underneath the bow. *sigh* Yes, I am extremely obsessed with wrapping...believe it or not, I'm not that picky about presentation. I'll throw the present to the person if they're not right next to me. But it has to be PRETTY, lol

20. Do you send out Christmas cards?
I'm not sure if we're going to get to this year, but I do hope to. It's getting pretty close though, and I would hate for people to get them late...

21. Do you write a Christmas letter, to update your friends and relatives about the past year?
My family always did, and I plan to continue that, but like I said, I'm not sure if we'll get to this year. This holiday season is going to be one big heck of a mess...and enjoyable mess, but...if I live through it, I will feel invincible for the rest of my life.

22. Do you bake goodies around Christmas time? What kind?
Oh yes! Pumpkin pie, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, rice crispy treats, fudge...THE WORKS!!!

23. Do you gain weight around the holidays?
I never did in years past, but I think my metabolism may be slowing down to what is about normal for adults...so I probably will this year....okay, so I already have a LITTLE bit

24. Do you make a new years resolution to burn it off?
lol, no

25. Have you ever gone sledding?
yep!

26. Have you ever been injured in a snowball fight?
not seriously, but enough to make my cry and kick my brother

27. What goes on top of your Christmas tree?
a star shaped cookie cutter with white and gold pipe cleaners wrapped around it, haha

28. Do you use a tree skirt?
Sort of...my big red blanket is our tree skirt this year, lol. And it actually looks pretty, except that I keep wanting to crawl under the tree and sleep, lol. That blanket is so comfy! (lol, thanks Josh)

29. What is the most expensive present you've given someone?
Uhm...I helped Ryan buy a really nice guitar...

30. What is the most personal gift you've given someone?
probably the blanket I knit for Kyle...I spent a lot of time on that.

31. What is the most personal gift you've ever received for Christmas?
definitely the promise ring Kyle gave me last year...mainly the promise that went along with it, but...also, he put a lot of thought into picking it out...well...he asked Eryn a hundred times if I would like it, lol.

32. What type of Christmas tree does your family usually get?
well, all growing up I think we got Douglas Firs, but of course this year is different, lol...me and Kyle got a hand-me-down fake tree from Tim and Sharon! hehe:-D

33. When you were little, what time would you wake up Christmas morning?
usually around 4:30 or 5:00am34. Now what time do you wake up on Christmas morning?I don't know, 8:00 or so?

35. Do you open presents or stockings first?
My brother and I always got to open our stockings while we waited for my parents to get up. Then once everyone was awake and Dad had his coffee ready, lol, we'd all open presents:)

36. What does your stocking look like?
My mommy cross-stitched it:) It's cute:)

37. When you were little, did you fall asleep halfway through Christmas after being so excited all morning?
haha yeah

38. Have you ever been kissed under the mistletoe?
No :(

39. Did your parents ever take to to sit on Santa's lap for pictures and to tell him what you wanted for Christmas?
yes and I screamed bloody murder instead lol

40. Are there any Christmas songs that you really don't like?
yeah, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Jingle Bells," and..."Away in a Manger" is pretty annoying to me but I'm not sure why

41. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of the Bells, Emmanuel, and this instrumental medley of Carol of the Bells and Silver Bells...by far the best instrumental music I have ever heard.

42. What are some Christmas traditions you want to carry on to do with your spouse and kids?
Christmas Eve service at church, Christmas tree shopping, decorating the tree together, driving around town to look at peoples' Christmas lights, making Christmas goodies together....

43. Do you get your shopping done early, or wait till the last minute?
Neither really, I do a little here and a little there...

44. If you could have ANYTHING for Christmas this year, no matter the costs (short term and long term costs included) what would you want?
A house somewhere near a good school that needs a high school algebra and geometry teacher, in a green, spacious part of the country

45. Do you know what you will want NEXT Christmas?
haha, yes, I think at that point I'll be wanting to start trying for Baby #1, lol. But we'll see. Maybe we'll wait a bit longer than that...

46. Have you ever been to a Christmas party?
No, but the office Christmas party is this thursday and I MIGHT go...

47. Have you ever thrown a Christmas party?
No

48. Have you ever been in a Christmas play/program?
Yep, at least a dozen!

49. Do you know the story behind the candy cane?
I've heard lots of stories...no clue which one's true, and don't really care, lol

50. Why do you celebrate Christmas?
Honestly?...because it just sort of happens...

51. What is the meaning of Christmas?
*sigh*...it's a gigantic, multi-national birthday party where most of the party guests don't even know whose birthday it is...

52. Do you say, "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?
Merry CHRISTmas!

53. What is your favorite Christmas smell?
oh gosh, I don't know...Christmas trees, peppermint, hot cocoa, fires, cinnamon, chocolate, pies, turkey, scotch tape, wrapping paper, dusty Christmas decorations, freshly chopped firewood.....

54. What is your favorite Christmas flavor?
hot cocoa, peppermint, sugar cookies, rice crispy treats...

55. How is this Christmas going to be special?
It's my first Christmas with my wonderful husband!:)