Holiday Fact Check

I got this from a friend's blog and due to my insane dedication to everything holiday, I must answer and post!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Oh, Egg Nog, for sure, only Darigold though please. Santa used to bring each of us four kids our own half gallon which we would then label and devour.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or sit them under the tree? Oh wrap them, definitely and always places his special HUGE red Santa bow on them so the kids can tell they are from him.
3. Colored or white lights on tree and house? The house is white, always white. Hmm, this year we did two trees-one pre-lit, white light tree and then we added colored lights for the kids. The formal tree always gets white lights with red strands woven in.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? My mom does every year, but I have only hung it once. I'd better get on that.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Are you kidding me? Umm, I seem to have department store syndrome, because it gets earlier every year. This year I put them up the Saturday before Thanksgiving-fake tree with presents under it and all!
6. What is your favorite holiday dish, not including dessert? Aunt Carol's crescent rolls or Aunt Kerry's yummy potatoes.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? I really have to put a couple here because I cannot choose. #1) dancing around with my sister to White Christmas, thank you Vera-Ellen for years of dancing entertainment, I so wanted to be you in the 'Mandy' dance. #2) getting my talking doll Julie-I had peeked through the wrapping paper and seen her big blue eye from her picture on the box! What a stinker I was, but don't think that ruined my Christmas, just made me more excited to know I was getting what I wanted!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I spent many a Christmas Eve camped out on the stairs with any willing sibling trying to catch mom and dad putting presents in stockings. I believed in Santa, but thought they were the culprits (because come on, we had a wood stove and I know he wasn't coming down our chimney!). However, they were super sneaky and never made their appearance until I zonked off.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Hello! Do you know my family? Duh, we opened all of our gifts on the night of December 23rd!!! We were so busy on the 24th and 25th going to grandparents we never had a day to ourselves and finally it ended up being either the night of the 23rd or the night of the 24th. In my family today we open Christmas morning, although this year to get a special evening, we will be reading the Christmas story the night of the 23rd and opening 1 gift while eating delicious white chocoloate peppermint popcorn. How Christmas-y is that?
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I always do my formal tree with white lights, red lights, and all the decs are red, silver, or white. I also put on white sparkly poinsettia flowers in the tree branches-beautiful.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it! Love watching it fall, love bundling up my kids to play in it for all of 5 min and don't mind driving in it too much if only around town.
12. Can you ice skate? No, never even have tried.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Yes, doll Julie who talked. She was so neat!
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays to you? The feeling and spirit of Christmas. Remembering the goodness of our Savior during this time. Seeing the goodness of mankind reflected in 'Santa,' I always tell my kids it's called Christmas magic.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? So hard to choose...I love Nana's Peanut Butter pie and any kind of pudding/trifle/pie.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Gosh, I have to say December 24th. As a kids we always went to my grandparent's big Christmas Eve party and it was topped off by a visit from Santa handing out presents. As an adult, I still think it's December 24th, now spent all day at my mom's house with my siblings' families. The 24th is the best! (We love the 25th too Linda!).
17. What tops your tree? A lighted angel
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? As a kid, receiving was the best, as an adult, definitely giving.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Any Roger Whitiker from his Christmas album, The Carpenter's- Merry Christmas Darling, Bing Crosby- White Christmas, any version of O Holy Night, The Christmas Waltz, You're All I Want for Christmas, Frank Sinatra-Mistletoe & Holly. So many more, as long as they give me the tummy tickles.
20. Candy Canes. Yuck or Yum? Only crushed up in a peppermint/chocolate trifle. Come on, with all of the great desserts during the holiday season who has time for sucking on a candy cane?

Merry Christmas Everyone!