Christmas Questionnaire

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper- it makes opening a gift that much more fun!

2. Real tree or artificial?
Always real. I grew up in the country and getting a tree was a simple as walking outside with a saw. Now it's a little more complicated, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

3. When do you put up the tree?
About a week or two before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Whenever it starts to die. One year we had a tree that actually started growing in the house! It was kind of cool, but we ended up taking it out by February. Christmas cheer only last so long ;)

5. Do you like eggnog?
Love it. My brother has a great recipe that I enjoy every year.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Probably my Easton aluminium hockey stick. I wanted one so badly and when I finally got it I was on cloud nine. I was convinced it was a lucky stick and I guess it was in a way. Seven goals in one game, yeah!

7. Do you have a Nativity scene?
Yup. I made the manger/stable when I was in high school and we've had the pieces since I was pretty young. And it shows. One of the wisemen is missing a hand- poor fellow.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
My sister.

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Stuff from the body shop. I was nine and not interested.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail.

11. Favorite Christmas Movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and the Muppets Christmas.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Usually the first or second weekend of December.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Nope.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Fudge and peanut butter squares.

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Colored- it just makes everything look more festive.

16. Favorite Christmas song?
For traditional, probably O Come All Ye Faithful. For modern, I love "Strange Way To Save The World" and "2000 Decembers Ago".

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home. It's so wonderful to have family within a four block radius.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
Of course. I took it very seriously as a kid.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel who should have been thrown out years ago, but it's tradition.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
When I was younger we'd do one on Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas day. Now we save them all for Christmas morning.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
I wouldn't say it's annoying, but I really don't like how much pressure is put on people at this time of year. Especially for parents who don't have a lot of money and are put in the position of having to "keep up" with what other parents give their kids.

Grace

Grace has been on my mind a lot lately. Mainly because at College and Careers we've been going through a series based on Philip Yancey's book "What's So Amazing About Grace?"

It's amazing to me, this thought of grace. The fact that God knows us and still loves us. And grace is a key to the Christmas story, because without grace there would be no Bethlehem.

I can't even begin to comprehend the heart-wrenching decision that was made in heaven before that very first Christmas morning. The choice of a Father to send His Son to save a world that certainly didn't deserve it.

That's grace. And that's the cornerstone of the Christmas story. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

Amazing indeed.