Holiday Hoopla

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas

2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (Josi doesn't even know what the m-word is but she's trying really hard to think of all the dirty words that start with M that she's ever heard. Tristi thinks the "m" word is Meme.)

3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.

4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

And we're off . . .

1. One consistent memory of Christmas for me is the music. Every Christmas we listened to the Beach Boys, Kenny Rodgers, Oak Ridge Boys (does anyone know where I can find their Christmas CD??), Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, Mannheim Steamroller, Patty Page, Nat King Cole.... I love all of their songs, and somehow it just feels more like Christmas when I hear those songs.

2. When I decorate my house for Christmas (which I might be lucky enough to do next year if we don't move again!!) I really try to make most of my decorations Christ centered. Santa's and snowmen and all that other stuff is cute and fun, but the real reason why we have Christmas is Christ, so why not focus on that. I have a small olive wood nativity, a really cool German one, and a Willowtree (is that what they are called?) one that my mom gave me last year. And to be honest, I haven't been able to even look at them for so long I don't remember what else I have to decorate with.

3. In the six and a half years we have been married, we have never bought a real Christmas tree. Our first Christmas we were too poor, the next one we were about to move (I'm sensing a theme here, how many times have we moved at Christmas??) and then the next one Matt was in AIT and I lived at my parents house. The years in Germany we did not buy one, and then we found a fake one for a great price at the PX after Christmas sale. Last year we were homeless visiting in California, and this year we are homeless again. I don't think our hotel would like it much if I brought in a live Christmas tree.

4. As kids, Santa would fill our stockings and leave bigger-than-stocking-size-gifts next to our stockings. The big stuff would be under the tree. Christmas Eve we all chose the place that we would hang our stockings. My parents would get stuff to fill each others stockings, and Matt and I do that same thing.

5. My Great Aunt Sybil started knitting Christmas stockings for the family a gazillion years ago. The tradition has stuck, and when she passed (I think I was 3 at the time) my Grandma kept it going. And anyone that has married in the family, as part of their wedding gift, they get a newly hand knitted Christmas stocking. They are all the same, and our names are on them, but you can tell which ones are newer and which ones are really old. As each new baby is born, they also get a stocking. Now that my grandma has passed, my aunt is keeping up the tradition. I don't knit, so I'll never have that responsibility....

6. Every year around Christmas, on my dads side of the family, we have a big Christmas party. We used to have it at someones house, but as we have grown, we no longer fit well in someones house. And according to my mom, (and I don't think this is true, but who knows) no one wanted it at their house because of the mess and/or work it entailed. I don't know. I am the oldest of 20 plus cousins, and most of us are musically gifted in some way. Some of us take turns at the piano, and most of us sing at one point. I love singing Christmas songs.

7. A tradition in Matt's family is to all go to his mom's house for Christmas Eve. When she was married, Jim's family would also come. It was a little awkward with them there. We would only see them once a year, and conversation was always a little difficult. Last year, only Jim was there as they had decided to be separated. Anyway, his mom always wants to play that horrible white elephant game. For me, it is not fun. I always forget to bring a white elephant. Then I feel silly taking a gift. I have a hard time making conversation with Matt's sister and her husband. His other sister and her husband I can talk to very easily. One year, she made us all stand in a circle, hold hands, with only candles lit, and had us say something. I don't remember what it was, and also had asked Matt to sing a song. He wasn't comfortable with that either. I guess I don't like it because everything feels so forced. And that there isn't a lot of people. I'm used to huge family gatherings, where we can sit quietly, or talk to someone. I must admit that when we were in Germany, I was glad that we didn't have to go to her house for Christmas Eve!

8. Our first Christmas in Germany, Matt was in Iraq. He wasn't fighting. The USAEUR Chorus went there to perform for the soldiers for the week of Christmas. Andrew and I were by ourselves at home for the week. Luckily he was small enough (not even 18 months old) that he had no idea. We just celebrated our Christmas when he got home.

9. As a kid, we would drive to Utah either before or just after Christmas to visit my Grandparents. I remember driving up with it snowing. Another year, there was black ice on the roads, (this had to have been around Cedar City) and there were lots of cars on the side of the road. My dad drove very very slowly, and we made it through without any problems. Another year, it was snowing so badly that we got stuck there for an extra day, and we missed a day of school. My Grandparents had these huge vaulted ceilings, and they could put a 12 to 15 foot tree in their living room. My grandma always had it decorated all the way to the top. It may not have really been that tall, but to me it seemed tall. (at one point I was kind of small!!)

10. My worst Christmas had to have been right after I came home from my mission. I came home the evening of the 21st. I was rushed to the Stake Presidents home to be released from my mission. The next morning I was in a bridesmaid dress on my way to the temple as my sister was getting married that day. And we took family pictures. Then standing in the receiving line between my sisters' new brother in laws was a little awkward. The time difference between France and California is 9 hours. I was just a little bit tired. Christmas was OK. The hard part was that my mom was expecting a whole different person when I came home. She was a little disappointed. (and she actually said that too. aren't I lucky) That whole week was just overwhelming and hard. I didn't want to be home at all. I think that was what made it so hard.

11. (almost done! Jen, this is hard!) I don't mind homemade Christmas ornaments. I like them. But if I do buy an ornament, I'm very picky. I like the glass painted expensive made in Poland or Germany ones. I don't like hokey country themed or plastic junk ones. I like to go to the after Christmas sales at Cost Plus World Market because they have cool ornaments. Not the hugely mass produced ones at Target or Walmart. Although I did buy a silver Eiffel Tower at Target. I also like to go to Kohls (not that those aren't mass produced, I know) and get cool ornaments on clearance. I got an amazing Arc de Triomphe and Tour Eiffel last year for a great price. I'll have to find a Kohls out here in NC and do a little searching. I think this comes from working in a Hallmark/Gift store, and having to decorate about 10 different tree's, each with different themes. I also love ornament exchanges. If I were more crafty, I would take the time this year and make some. I just might do that while we're stuck in this hotel room.

12. I have cross stitched a beautiful Nativity scene. (it is the second picture on the page. I tried to find it bigger, but this is as good as its going to get) It has a few little parts that still need to be finished. I cannot wait to frame it! I think the reason I haven't finished it completely is because I know I can't hang it up for a while. Hopefully next year we'll be able to stay put at Christmas, and I'll have it framed up on my wall.

I tag Shell, Nikko, and Danielle.