Christmas Tag

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper mostly but I do like to mix it up under the tree.

2.Real tree or Artificial? Real (See yesterday's post!)

3.When do you put up the tree? As soon as I can after Thanksgiving

4.When do you take the tree down? Usually the first week after New Year's Day. I try to have it done before I go back to school

5.Do you like eggnog? It's o.k.about 2 times a year. Otherwise it's too rich.

6.Favorite gift received as a child? Rub-a-Dub Dolly. Yes I just totally dated myself.

7.Hardest person to buy for? My Dad and my Father-in-law.

8.Easiest person to buy for? John

9.Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. 2 actually.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Christmas Cards????

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'm sure some sweater from a grandparent. There were so many of those.

12.Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas and Elf.

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? If I see something throughout the year I will buy it (but I usually forget about it by Christmas). It mostly begins in November in earnest.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so, but I may have.

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? ANYTHING! I love anything baked. Our neighbors, the Gustafson's bring us a loaf of the best Coffee cake kind of treat. It has an almond flavor with a crispy sugary top. It's really tasty but we are also fine eating the Pepridge Farms Gingerbread Family Cookies.

16.Lights on the tree? 1,500 multi-colored.

17.Favorite Christmas song? Baby it's Cold and Angles We Have Heard On High.

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home for now but when the kids are older, I wouldn't mind spending Christmas someplace tropical.

19.Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Most of them but I get confused with Snow White's dwarfs. Sad, I know.

20.Angel on tree top or star ? Bow. I haven't found a topper I love yet.

21.Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas Eve the kids open their gifts from John's Parents (we spend Xmas eve at their place with all the family). Then all the rest on Christmas Day.

22.Most annoying thing about this time of the year? I'm not into big crowds or rude people. Too many years of retail. (Sherilyn, aren't you glad it's over!).

23.Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree has a random assortment of colors and themes. we buy a few new ornaments every year that say something about what we did that year or something special to us. For instance, we have a new mickey mouse ornament from Disneyland this year. So, I love that next year when we decorate the tree, we can't help but talk about where we were and what we were doing.

24.Favorite for Christmas dinner? We usually do hors d'oeuvres
and finger foods but I would love to have Prime Rib. Last year we were DONE and I think I was sick so we actually had Chinese take out! It was soo Christmas Story that we had to order the duck!

25.What do you want for Christmas this year? I Think UGG's maybe? I don't really know.

26.Who is most likely to respond to this? I don't know, since like two people read my Blog. :-)

Real or Fake?

No, I am not talking about boobs! I am talking about Christmas trees. Christmas Psycho that I am, we went to get our tree over the weekend. Yes, we still get a real tree. Every year I am reminded of all the reasons why an artificial tree would be so much more convenient. I could find one that is 8-10 feet tall with out a 16-20 foot wide base. My husband wouldn't have to spend hours putting on the 1,500 lights. (I am NOT exaggerating!) I also could put it up right after Halloween if I wanted to. I would not have to trudge through snow in the dark to find the "perfect" tree. There would be no gaping holes to cover with huge ornaments or to turn to the wall. I would not have to wait with the tree naked in my house for a day until it "settles" (ask John about this, I still think he just does it to toy with me.). I would not have to shell out the big bucks for an already dying plant that I will throw away in 6 weeks. I will not step on any pine needles, barefoot in the middle of the night. I will not ruin another vacuum cleaner cleaning up after my fire hazard of a tree finally gets dragged through the house and chucked into the back yard. Wow. Why do I get a real tree every year? I will tell you, the smell (no, the candles are NOT just as good). The kids giggling and running up and down the aisles at the tree lot shouting, "This one, Mom". I know this list seems really lop-sided but we do it every year and even though I complain heavily, I will keep on "Keepin' it real".

Things I am Thankful For:

This has been a great year with so many things to be grateful for. Some of the things at the top of the list are: my health and the good health of our friends and family. That we are still doing well in this crazy economy. That we have been blessed with wonderful friends and family to lean on and celebrate with. That I have John as my partner in this life. I couldn't love him more. For the wonderful opportunity to be a mother to the amazing children (all four!) that we have together and the lessons they teach me everyday. (good and bad!). I am so grateful for all the blessings I have been given and I love you all!

Blogs Finally!

My kids have been nagging me to help them set up their own blogs. (ha-ha since I am such a pro!) I could barely post on mine much less spend time on theirs. Well, I finally did it. The Henderson Girls officially are blogging. Nothing earth changing but you never know. I tried to give them more security than I have here so it's private but just let me know if you or your kids want to visit and we will invite you.

Glittery Mormon Vampires and Fat Chicks!

First I would like to say that I do enjoy reading and I did enjoy the Twilight series. That being said, I have a life and I did not custom make my own t-shirt identifying my favorite character, nor did I dress up or do my make up weirdly. I did, however, go to the midnight showing at Jordan Landing. I had a blast! Amber and I were with about 8 other people and it was so fun. We mostly people watched while we waited for the movie to start. What a freak show! It was hysterical. We were actually asked what "our Twilight story" was. Uh, what? Uh, I read the books and I liked them so we are seeing the movie? Please do not tell me yours!

I had pretty low expectations of the movie because the books are always better but I thought the movie was good. I didn't cry or anything but I found it entertaining if you can over look the teen sappiness of the whole thing. No Oscars here folks but I will see it again with my girls and they will love it. So, all in all money well spent. But I know something very important about myself now...I am too old for that kind of thing!

Last night, we went and had the kids' pictures taken with Santa. When I say "kids" I mean, the Hendersons, The Landers, The Joostens, and the Dastrups. That was one fun group picture. I will post it when I get it. For now here is the pic of just Lauren and Emily.

After the picture we went to Olive Garden and had dinner. Needless to say we kept our waiter BUSY. I hope the tip was worth it! We all had a blast. Thanks everyone!

O.K. so the amputation is over and he is doing well! It was a rough couple of days for us. I took the kids to visit him at the hospital and that was probably a mistake. He was completely out of it and the incision was pretty gruesome. It was shocking to say the least. I assumed that he would have a bandage over the incision but if i had thought about it i would have realized the near impossibility of bandaging that area. Once we got him home the next day and the heavy drugs wore off; he started to be our Bosco again and it was easier for the kids. Did I mention that he isn't supposed to go up or down stairs? Yeah, that's fun. I should say that this picture looks like he has no back legs at all. The other one is under his body.

Both girls have told all of their friends about Bosco and yesterday when we came there was a raw hide bone with a big bow and a get well card from Avery and Taylor Pizzuto-Ward. Thanks guys! That was the sweetest thing ever and Bosco loves the bone!