Christmas according to Jenny

There's lots of these making their way around on the email scene. I'm following Harrison's lead and responding to everyone here...(others have different questions, but I liked Hairy's version best).

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly paper.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? the beginning of December

4. When do you take the tree down? around New Year’s

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, in small doses. I'm more the Peppermint Patty kind of girl (hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps).

6. Favorite gift received as a child? How sad, I can't remember any gifts as a kid...but I remember getting a hair crimper in middle school. I wanted it so badly and was so afraid I wouldn't get it, so I peeked in all my gifts and jumped around the house after I found it. Then when I opened it, I'm sure I gave a less than enthused response. It was the last year I peeked, it really did ruin the whole gift process that year for me.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. But I do have a praying kneeling Santa, which in my opinion says everything we should remember about Christmas (see right)

8. Hardest person to buy for? No contest...my dad.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My kids, I could buy, and buy, and buy....

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One year I got a sweatshirt with buttons sewn all over it. Anyone who really knows me knows I have a strong dislike for buttons. I think they are gross...and slimy. I can count on one hand the number of shirts in my closet that have buttons on them. I know...I'm weird, but we all have our own issues.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? How the Grinch stole Christmas (the cartoon version).

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November. I'm one of those that get it done as soon as possible to avoid the crowds.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Who hasn’t?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint Bark.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? colored. I have kids...they don't like "pretty" trees, they want (what we call in the scrapbook industry) "junked up" trees...the more color, sparkles, and ornaments the better.

17. Favorite Christmas song? It's a tie..O Holy Night (Donny Osmond has my favorite version) and Milk and Cookies (Clint Black). A close 2nd is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Johnny Mathis). I love Christmas music...always have, my family can tell you stories about the hours I would spend perfecting the order of songs, making everyone their own list, and pulling in everyone to the living room to sing while I switched records and played conductor.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? This year...stay home! (we do the every other year thing)

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top? No, a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve morning? Open one Christmas Eve, and the rest Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Crowds. And ice storms.

23. What I love most about Christmas? Spending time with our long lost friends and family and all the traditions that Christmas brings.

I'd love to hear your answers too...

Christmas Card Hostage Situation

We just didn't have time to take a family picture for our Christmas card this year. We've been unbelievably busy and some have recognized the "recycled" picture from our Colorado trip. Yes, I could have sent one of just the kids, but I personally like getting pictures of the whole family. I love seeing the kids, but I miss seeing my mommy and daddy friends too. So, instead of holding my Season's Greetings hostage for a new picture (which might not happen in '07), I decided we would simplify and use one we already had.
5 more days!

Adding on to yesterday's post...

Did I mention that Brooke had an ear infection and Riley had a sinus infection all last week too?
Another reason we're glad that's behind us....

Putting Last Week Behind Us...

Phew....
What a week. If you live in the Tulsa area, you know what I'm talkin' about. Last year we got that crazy ice storm where we were all shut-ins...you could not walk down to your mailbox without falling...it was so slick. This year, completely different. I was out the day after the storm, the roads were fine, it was the trees. The trees would snap off under the weight of the ice.

Nearly everyone lost power (at least for a little bit). Monday - all the stores were closed....even Walmart. Tuesday we had no power and that night drove several miles trying to find a place to eat.

On Wade's Birthday we woke up to our 2nd day without power. We had all huddled together by the living room fire to sleep...it was COLD. I'm not so good sleeping on the ground...I ached for 2 days afterwards. I used to LOVE camping with my friends...I'm either way out of practice or becoming very "city-fied". The kids had a blast, Riley actually pouted when the lights came back on...until she realized electricity=TV.

Literally it looks like a tornado swept through the city.

The trees at our house are droopy, but still intact. We did have pretty extensive damage at a property we own in midtown.

Riley was out of school all 5 days, because the schools didn't have power.

We did manage to get a little snow this weekend, there wasn't much, but we enjoyed what we could of it.

Riley's Snow Angel

Our 3 "Frosty's"...courtesy of Riley