On Our Way To Crazy

Because Jennie told me to. (And it’s easier than actually thinking of something to write about!)

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Between the two I would choose hot chocolate, but in general I don’t like hot drinks. I always burn my mouth.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Oh, that Santa. He’s so crazy with his special wrapping paper and his mystery gifts. Every now and then he leaves something unwrapped. He likes to mix it up.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White white white. But I like the way my dad does stripes of red and white so it looks like a candy cane.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but my parents used to.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Today! We leave for Texas in three weeks, so I need to get as much enjoyment out of my decorations as possible. I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Mawmaw’s chocolate pie.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
My parents worked really hard to make Christmas morning special for us, so a lot of my favorite things happened every year – waking up at 3 am and sneaking to the living room to see if Santa had come yet, eating burnt cinnamon rolls, reading the letters Santa wrote back to us on Christmas morning. I have a pretty distinct memory of Chelsea and I riding new bikes in the street wearing jean jackets and New Kids on the Block t-shirts, but that’s more embarrassing than anything else. Although not as embarrassing as the video of us dancing to “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC. Oh how I wish I was joking about that.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I told this story last year. Santa paper is very important in our house, and I heard my mom talking about how she still needed to buy that year’s paper. Also, to steal from Jennie: “If my mom and dad are reading this, I STILL BELIEVE.”

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We started a new tradition last year. We opened all our gifts from each other on Christmas Eve, and did Santa presents Christmas morning. It worked out really well as far as time goes, but I don’t know if we’ll do it again. It’s hard to change how Christmas works!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
For the past several years, we’ve gone to Crate and Barrel the day after Christmas and stocked up on discount ornaments. We’ve got a pretty big collection now of jewel-toned and silver ornaments, and I love them all. It’s always so fun to pull them out and remember the ones you bought the year before.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I love it as long as I don’t have to go anywhere.

12. Can you ice skate?
I’m… okay. I can get going pretty good, but I am really bad at stopping.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I don’t know that I have a favorite gift. When I was little I had this really sweet She-Ra castle… it was a big purple mountain that opened up and She-Ra and her friends lived inside. I think that same year we got She-Ra swords and headgear AND Jem and the Holograms nightgowns, so as you can imagine the photos from that year are really flattering.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being with family. Also, making sure the Christmas Village gets put up in time!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
CHOCOLATE PIE.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Listening to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Brenda Lee version ONLY) while trying to actually rock around the Christmas tree. It’s hard work.

17. What tops your tree?
A blue star.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving. I am so good at Christmas.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Andrew Peterson’s “Labor of Love”.

20. Candy canes! Yuck or yum?
Yum! But I only like the fruity ones… just say no to peppermint.