I always need a little help to get into the Christmas Spirit.  It’s hard to when you have a husband that hates Christmas.  So, I thought I’d do this tag I saw on Becky‘s blog to help.

1. Do you like hot chocolate or eggnog? I actually like both.  I used to make my own eggnog, which was really good.  However, I do love me some hot chocolate, especially if it’s Stephen’s Chocolate Cinnamon.  Yum!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree? When I was a kid, he did both.  Now, that I’m an adult, Santa doesn’t come to my house.  Even though it’s the most common Christmas tradition, Corey and I won’t do “Santa” when/if we have kids.  We want to focus more on the religious aspects of Christmas rather than the commercialism.
3. Colored or white lights on the tree/house? I like white lights on both the tree and house.  I think it looks more classy and less gaudy.  However, I don’t mind it when other people decorate with colored lights.
4. When do you put up your decorations? The only decorations we do, if we do any, are nativities.  A tree would be a disaster with our cats.  So, if I decide to decorate, I usually put up a couple of nativities around the first of December.  This year I would’ve loved to put the nativities up, but alas, we don’t have a place to put them and they’re packed in some box somewhere.
5. What is your favorite holiday dish? My family usually does a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for Christmas too.  So, my favorite dish is the stuffing and very recently, yams.
6. What is your favorite holiday memory from your childhood? I used to stay up all night on Christmas Eve without my parents knowing (or at least I thought they didn’t know).  Then, once “Santa” came, I would sneak into the room with the tree and get my stocking.  When I was a little kid and didn’t know who “Santa” was, I’d wake up my mom and show her what I got in my stocking.
7. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope.  Christmas Eve is Caryn’s birthday, so my parents tried to keep her birthday and Christmas separate.
8. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Well, I don’t decorate one right now.  But, when I was a kid, we’d put on yellow lights, glass balls, ornaments my mom painted, sometimes tinsel, and my bell (it was my first ornament).
9. Snow! Love it or dread it? I hate to drive in snow, but I love snow.  It’s so pretty outside right after it snows and it’s lots of fun to play in.
10. Do you remember your favorite gift? Well, I had lots of them.  One year, I received a Super Nintendo and some games.  Another year, I received a suede jacket.  Corey got me an iPod a couple of years ago, which I love.  And, we got a GameCube a few years ago, which has been used a lot.  It’s hard to pick just one.
11. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? It’s changed a lot in recent years.  When I was younger, getting the gift I wanted and spending time with family.  Now, that I’m older, spending time with Corey and extended family, if we go somewhere for Christmas.  And, getting time off work.
12. What is your favorite holiday dessert? It used to be pumpkin pie, but I don’t really have a favorite holiday dessert now.
13. What tops your tree? If we had a tree, it’d be a star to represent the birth of Christ.
14. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? When I was a kid, receiving obviously.  What kid doesn’t feel that way?  Now, I like to give to people and see how happy it makes them when I get them something they want.  I still like to receive too, but I’m trying to steer clear of the commercialism, so I’ve been training myself to not expect any presents and just focus on what I can do for others if I can afford to get or do something.
15. What is your favorite Christmas song? “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,” “Greensleeves,” “O Holy Night,” “Carol of the Bells,” and “Somewhere in my Memory.”
16. Candy canes? Yes, I like candy canes because I like peppermint.  However, because candy canes are messy, I usually just eat peppermints.
17. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Yes.  When someone gets trampled or shot on Black Friday because they’re trying to get the perfect gift for their child at a reduced price, then the commercialism has gone too far.
18. What is your favorite Christmas movie? I don’t really like holiday movies because I think they’re sappy and stupid.  However, I’ll watch five Christmas movies: The Small One (a fictional story about a boy who sold his donkey to Joseph and Mary), Mixed Nuts, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
19. Can you ice skate? Yes and I love to ice skate.  It’s one of my favorite things to do during the winter, even though I haven’t been for almost 10 years.
20. Are all your Christmas presents ready yet? No.  I haven’t even started shopping.  Since Corey and I are buying a townhome, that’ll be our Christmas present this year.  And, because we need to make sure we have enough money for the things we need, we probably won’t be able to afford presents for anyone else.  Money’s kind of tight around here with medical expenses and a soon-to-be mortgage payment.  Please just know that if I could afford to buy all of you something nice, I would.  For now, “Merry Christmas and I love you,” will have to do.

The six people I choose to tag are Ali, Amy, Christina, Jen, Meagan, and Vanessa.

PS–I’d also send out Christmas cards, but life is a little hectic and uncertain right now, especially the address part of things. I hope you understand.

I needed to post something uplifting and fun on my blog since it’s been my venting ground for the last little bit.  I saw this tag on Jenna‘s blog and thought I’d do it too, even though I wasn’t tagged.  I have another one that I’m going to post too.

The bolded things in the list are things I’ve done.

1. Started your own blog (um … duh)
   
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World (both)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
   
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
    
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (with a wiffle ball and bat)
    
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing or repelling (only repelling)
    
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted/sketched
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (only snorkeling)
    
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (training manuals for my company)
    
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (twice)
    
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Debbie Reynolds, Stephenie Meyer, Donny Osmond, and Marie Osmond)
    
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
    
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (only for a second)
    
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
101. Fallen in Love

It looks like I need to travel more, especially outside of the US.

The ten people I choose to tag are Amber, Becky, Cami, Christie, Debbie, Kayla, Kimberly, LeAnn, Megan, and Rachel.

Happy birthday, John!

Well, Corey and I are still at my parents’ house. We talked to our loan officer on Monday and he said we’re just waiting for the paperwork to be completed and then we can close.  He said it should be no later than Thursday.  I’m really trying to be optimistic, but I can’t help feeling like, “I’ve heard that before.”

The sellers are getting very antsy since our stuff’s already in the townhome. We’ve told them we’d pay them “rent” for those days that our stuff’s there before we close.  It’s about $23/day, which isn’t too bad.  But, we’d rather not have to pay it. Oh well, I guess.

Needless to say, we’re doing a lot of praying right now to help things happen as quickly as possible. Hopefully, I’ll have good news later today or tomorrow.  *keeping fingers crossed*