Christmas Tag

I got this from Brandy so here goes!

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

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? For Christmas definitely wrapping paper. The paper the bows, the ribbon; it's what makes it festive.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I LOVE real trees. But we can't have a real tree in our house by regs for more than 10 days. So artificial it is.

3. When do you put up the tree? December 1st. My daddy's birthday. We always have.

4. When do you take the tree down? When I finally find the energy sometime after January 1st.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, with Sprite in it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My "day bed". It was what I really wanted.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Several. We're kind of additcted to them. We have several kid friendly ones like the "Little People Nativity" and a set of stuffed animals and dolls that the kids play with.

8. Hardest person to buy for? David. His toys are so expensive so it's hard to find the perfect thing.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Grandparents. Pictures always work.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail it is.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of anything.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas and Miricle on 34th St.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October usually.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree ? Colored. It's just so fun.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Winter Wonderland

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home. Christmas is about home and my immediate family.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. I don't like angels with wings. It's bothered me since I was very young. And you can't find an angel without wings. Go figure!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One present (pajamas) on Christmas Eve and everything else on the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People thinking it's about buying the perfect thing.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We each get a new ornament each year. It makes for an eclectic tree but one very full of memories.

24. Favorite food Christmas dinner? Everything together.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? My family together and happy.

26. Favorite Christmas tradition? Christmas eve reading the nativity story and singing songs.

27. Tag 5 people - Let's just say, if you have a blog and you are reading this - you have been tagged!

I'm Still Alive!!!

No need to send out search parties. I'm alive and here. I realize that I've fallen off the face of the blogging world. I didn't mean to, but life has really gotten away from me. I really don't know what happened but the holidays started and then it was December. Please forgive me and I'll try to get back with it and post more frequently.

But for now I will try to do a quick update and I'll even include pictures, cause we all know that's what we like most!

So, Halloween came and boy was it fun. David and I decided to take the girls into "Boo at the Zoo" at the National Zoo. It's a big event every year. They decorate the zoo and vendors set up stands for the kids to trick or treat at. They get to see the animals at night and get special treats. We decided that with how much our girls LOVE the zoo that it would be a great time. And it really was!

Anya was a butterfly this year. She picked it out. She liked it because the wings and antenna had hearts and bows on them.

And Kyrie was a duck. She loved it. She quaked for weeks at everyone. She learned to say "trick or treat" and it was a big hit!

The girls loved Boo at the Zoo. They shared a juice bar, got lots of candy, and saw a lot of their favorite animals.

They even had their first experience with cotton candy! They loved it of course and were sticky little girls the rest of the night.

Then on Halloween night we went around the neighborhood with friends.

So needless to say, our girls had a full and "sticky" Halloween. I really enjoyed myself this year too. I was so much fun to see the holiday thru the eyes of my children. The pure joy at dressing up and pretending to be something else. And then to get candy on top of that was just heaven to them.

For the next month we tried to enjoy the last days of warm weather. The girls jus love playing outside and I wanted to enjoy every day they could be outside. The girls also like to play dress up. They're fairy princesses! Daddy says so!

Aren't they pretty?

Then Thanksgiving arrived! We had diner with some of our friends from her. April Kerven and her two kids, Lyam and Kaitlyn, joined us. They just moved here recently also. So we split up the work and had Thanksgiving diner with each other. Anya helped make the pumpkin pies this year! She helped me roll out the crusts and mix the filling. Then she faithfully checked them every few minutes thru the oven window to make sure they were cooking. Here's her finished pies.

And they tasted even better than they looked!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for this year that we can't even begin to say how blessed be are. We thank the Lord everyday for His love and protection.

Then December 1st arrived. This is the day that we always decorate for Christmas. So like in years past, we put up our tree and our stocking. The girls picked out Dora the Explorer ornaments for this year. Dora rules our world right now. They're so cute. So here they are putting up their ornaments.

Now we're just enjoying the season. And of course counting down till Santa coming, and Grandma and Papa coming. Grandma and Papa will be here on the 19th. We're so excited to be spending Christmas with them. But we'll be busy till then of course.

This week is full of Anya's dance class. She has her first dance recital on Saturday. So we have lots of extra rehersals and stuff like that. Well I've got to run. I'll try to post pictures of Anya's dance recital this weekend. Here she is in her outfit. Lots of love. TTFN