Reaching for Christmas...

Ok, the tree is up and decorated, the inside of the house is decorated, the vast majority of the shopping is done... and it's still November!!! We don't have lights up on the house yet, though. Am I pushing it? Maybe a little, but I work too much, and this is such a busy season anyway, I just figured we could get it all done while I had the time! Plus, now we can just enjoy the season, which is what it's all about!
For now, though, we have got a seriously cold and windy day on our hands today... well... as cold as Arizona gets this time of year! Sounds like a good afternoon to curl up with a good book... and later, maybe a nap!

A Little Holiday Fun!

A cute Quiz that was being thrown around on SplitCoastStampers today!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate (Or coffee)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? If Santa's Gifts are small enough to go under the tree, he wraps them, and often delivers them early! If they are too big for the tree, they are delivered on-time and unwrapped!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White this year, but I have an appreciation for both!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes, it has a special hook that hangs above my door!
5. When do you put your decorations up? As soon after Thanksgiving as I can convince Thomas to get them out of the garage!
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Stuffing... I just love the stuff!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Decorating the tree... complete with tinsel!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't understand the question. What "truth?"
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually one gift on Christmas Eve, but this year I am working Christmas Day, so we are having our big "opening" on Christmas Eve!
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Love to play with ribbon, and then ornaments! The tree is pre-lit!
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Snow??? You meen that stuff up on the mountain?
12. Can you ice skate? I have never actually tried (the only ice around here is indoors, anyway)!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My camera! And Jewelery!
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with Thomas and my Family.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve... it's always our biggest family gathering (and it's at night, so adult drinks are acceptable)!
17. What tops your tree? A star. With a bow underneath, this year!
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving. I usually want to give everyone their gifts before Christmas because I can't wait to see their reaction!
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Christmas is All Around (you have to see the movie "Love Actually" to appreciate it).
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum if I'm in the mood for one, Yuck if I'm not!
21. Stockings? Or no Stockings? Stockings hang all over the walls at our house, with two large ones that get filled for us every year!
22. Do you like sledding? Never actually been. I've been tubing on the mountain, does that count?
23. Farthest you've traveled for Christmas day? Well, I guess the 8 hour trip to Bullhead City to see my Dad every other year was the longest.
24. Do you leave out cookies or carrots for when Santa comes? Cookies... I guess it would be nice of us to leave out carrots for the Reindeer, too... never thought of that!
25. What gets you into the holiday spirit? Decorating... Christmas Music... Shopping!
26. Does your wrapping color coordinate? I try... but then, inevitably, Thomas picks some paper that so doesn't "go" with my scheme!!!
27. Favorite gift you've ever given? I think that would be the first year we were married, I gave Thomas a really nice shotgun that he wanted, which he still loves (it sounds redneck, I know, but we are a hunting family, and we treasure our guns)!!!
28. Most fun Holiday memory? Last Christmas... setting up our "glorious" 9 foot tree we had bought, and hearing Thomas say he thought we should have gone with the 12 footer!!!
29. Do you wrap your own gifts? Well... I wrap the gifts for Thomas and others, then Santa and Thomas wrap the rest!
30. Most missed memory from childhood Christmas? Christmas morning at Grammy and Ponka's... Everyone just kinda does their own Christmas morning thing now, I guess because there are no little ones!

How was everyone's turkey?

So, Thanksgiving was nice! We had dinner at Brenda and Shawn's house, with a whole slew of family, including my Mom and Dad, Grammy, and Liz. Dad, Stephanie, and Hannah were also down visitng from Bullhead. And, just because the dinner was at another house, doesn't mean we didn't fire up the pit to cook a turkey of our own!!!

Friday, Thomas and I took a ride with Dad, Stephanie, and Hannah over to Bowie for some good ol' wine tasting (and buying)! Then it was off to The Thing! We were in need of a pecan roll and we figured that was the place to find it (and they did have them)! Then a loooong ride home via Ft. Grant precipitated by a failed search for Apple Annies! All in all, though, it was a fun trip!
Saturday, I bumbled off the the Craft Shows with Mom and Liz, found some really nice things for Christmas gifts (and for myself)! Meanwhile, Thomas and Dad worked on our truck which ended up needing a new fuel pump, among other things (I don't pretend to be the expert). Uuggh!
Sunday was all about decorating for Christmas and stealing Mom and Dad's furniture! Yes, Mom and Dad gave us the Prohibition Chest, a beautiful piece, along with Granny's tea service. It looks great in my dining room, if I do say so myself. Then Mom asked the lethal question: "Do you want anything else?" So, we also accquired a beautiful old red chair, and an awesome ice bucket with a stand. Oh, and a mirror... and Mom's rocking chair from when she was a little girl! Wasn't I just telling Thomas the other day that I needed to "do something" with the dining room.....?