Ooo, two posts in one day!

My friend, Alexis "tagged" me in her blog, so I'll bite. ;)

1) Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate. Maybe I haven't had "good" egg nog, but the stuff I've tried tastes awful. Can I have marshmallows, too?

2) Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrapped, absolutely! Unless they're really big and have to be put together, like my son's wagon a few years ago, and his rocking horse.

3) Colored lights or white?
I have both at the moment. Coloured on my tree and white on some greenery garland-stuff that is wrapped around my fireplace guard.

4) Do you hang mistletoe?
I hang what I believe is mistletoe. Hee. I bought it several years ago (it's not real, by the way) and have always assumed it's mistletoe. I hang it. We kiss under it. It's cool.

5) When do you get out your decorations?
I start Dec. 1 (advent calendars) and hopefully by the middle of the month, it's all out. Just finished today!

6) Favorite holiday dish, excluding dessert?
Gotta be the turkey and all the trimmings. Is that more than one dish? Mom, I wonder if you can ship your gravy over to me...mmmm...

7) Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Lying on my stomach in our living room, under the tree, staring at our little Nativity set that always sat under the tree, and imagining all the figurines were real.

8) When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I never believed he was really real. And yet, I still got really excited thinking about him and imagining him to be real. That's what a vivid imagination can do. The "spirit" of Santa was always alive and well.

9) Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We did occasionally growing up, but not every year. I do with my own kids. I don't get a gift to open, though, just them. And it's the same thing every year. Pyjamas, so they can go to sleep, all excited for Christmas, and wake up Christmas morning already wearing their fresh, wonderful, new pj's. I always loved new pj's as a kid, and my kids do, too.

10) How do you decorate your trees?
Coloured lights, apple and pear ornaments that I bought the first Christmas we were married, keepsake ornaments, ribbon (instead of garland), and in recent years, crafty kid stuff. It definitely looks like a "family tree".

11) Snow, love it or hate it?
Love to watch it fall, love to stare out my window at a gorgeous winter wonderland, HATE driving in it, and at the moment, miss the snow/Christmas connection, as we are having our second summer Christmas in NZ. And we don't even see snow in winter here, unless we drive to it.

12) Can you ice skate?
Not well. Haven't been ice skating since I was maybe 12 or 13 maybe?

13) Do you remember your favorite gift?
It was as a kid, and it was my very first Cabbage Patch Doll. I think I was 8.

14) What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Passing on to my sons the amazing gift that Jesus is.

15) Favorite Holiday dessert?
My mom's Christmas cookies, especially the bird's nest ones. Mom, you can send some of those with the gravy. ;)

16) Favorite Christmas tradition?
Being with family, whether that's everyone or, as we are so far away, just us four. Spending all day Christmas Day just enjoying each other is the best part.

17) What tops your tree?
In Canada, it was an angel. I didn't bring our angel with us, so this year, it is just the top of the tree! I couldn't find any toppers I liked enough to buy here. And our tree is funny and the branches all curl at the ends, so a topper would have been tricky anyway.

18) What's better giving or receiving?
Giving. And it's become even more exciting to give now that I have kids.

19) Favorite Christmas song?
O Come O Come Emmanuel

20) Candy Canes, yummy or yucky?
Eh, I can take or leave them.

21) What do you want for Christmas?
I don't think we're doing gifts this year (Colin and I), so I won't get what I want. I want a new (good!) vacuum that actually *sucks*, a trip to the spa, the Willow Tree nativity. I want other intangible things, too.

22) Do you attend an annual Christmas Party?
No.

23) Do you dress up for Christmas eve?
I like to if we go to church. We don't always go to church Christmas Eve.

24) Do you own a Santa Hat?
No. Colin does. Although, Ethan has kind of claimed it.

25) Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
Most other years, it's been my family or Colin's family. But as long as we're here, it'll be me and my boys. Starting in 2004, the first year we lived here, the importance of our core family (me, Colin, our kids) has really increased a lot. Our extended families are just as important as always, but here, we ARE our only family, and we don't want to spend every Christmas lamenting that we aren't with everyone else. We will celebrate, even with just us four.

I have no idea who to "tag" because I honestly don't know who all reads my blog (I know a few of you). So, if you're reading and want to answer these questions, too, let me know in my comments and I'll make sure I come read yours, too.