Holiday meme

Saw this meme while reading Mom Of 3 Or More Hope Rachel doesn't mind but I'm playing too :)

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Both, but if i had to say i liked one more then the other it would be hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? All gifts from Santa and whoever are wrapped. I heard people saying part of the fun is to come down and see there big gift from Santa sitting unwrapped under the tree.. but not for me.. our big/main gift was always saved for last and always wrapped, you know building up the excitement of what it will be.

3. Colored lights on the tree/house or white? I grew up with only colored lights on the tree, BUT i like white.. so i now have 900 white lights on my tree. Though on my mantel i had white and red lights and my china cabinet has solid red lights but on the top of my microwave is white lights. our outside is all lite up. in red, white and green. all solid none of the mixed colores. Everything that doesn't move in my yard is light up, our fence all around the yard is done in all white lights, my whole house roof is outlined in white lights, our garage roof is all outlined in white lights, then starting at one side of the yard and moving all the way around the whole yard, every bush, tree, scrub, whatever is lite in red and green, if the starting tree was red, the next thing next to it is green, next to that red, next to that green.. you get it I'm sure. that red then green then red then green then red then green continues on all 4 sides of my house side yards, front yard, back yard.. like i said anything that doesn't move has lights on them in either red or green. Also out in my front yard are two dears(white lights) and a sleigh(also white lights) I LOVE IT...

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have in the past but i don't have any this year(well yet anyways may or may not get some)

5. When do you put your decorations up? We start stringing up the lights outside mid November or when ever we get a warm day LOL.. but the inside stuff goes up the day after thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish, excluding dessert? Do i have to have just one, I like it all, we have a big almost like thanksgiving meal with my family and i like it all. At my IL's on Christmas eve we have our Christmas pizza LOL

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? I'm trying to think of what my favorite it.. when i figure it out I'll edit this and also make a different entry with it.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember.. LOL see how important of a thing it was to me LOL.. I was thinking about this and right off the top of my head i can't even remember when Princess stop doing the whole Santa thing, she was either in 1st or 2nd grade, I'm sure i could look at videos and pics and have it come to me..

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes.. but not the stuff at our house.. Growing up we always went to one of my grandparents on Christmas eve and then the other grandparents on
Christmas day.. so we opened with one side of the family on Christmas eve. Now my mom's parents are no longer with us(i miss them) and since i have been married DH side of the family has always opened there gifts on Christmas eve even as a kid growing up.. So we have given Christmas eve to his family and Christmas morning is our family time at home and Christmas late afternoon and evening with my family. So yes Christmas gift with the IL's on Christmas eve.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I set out to have a theme color sort of tree, but with 4 kids and there home made ornaments plus the ornaments i buy them and they get every year, i have my theme color PLUS a ton. LOL.
1st i put on my 900 white lights, then i add my gold beads, and my Burgundy glass bulbs, then my cream shinny glass bulbs, then my gold glass bulbs.. that is my theme.. LOL but over the years we have a big collection of ornaments. new this year are the Burgundy/reddish beads, and the silvery clear glass bulbs.
When my mom's parents were alive they bought me a gold plated ornament every year from the time i was born till the year i got married with my name and the year on it, the year i got married they had my new last name written on it and the year.. I always hang those all on my tree also.
Once i get all that one there i take out one ornament that I hold so dear to my heart and it is sort of a new ornament.. this is the 3rd Christmas it has been on my tree, but it will hold a place in my heart forever and that is the ornament i got for Alyssa on what would have been her 1st Christmas. she would have been born in October of 2004 so That Christmas I bought this ornament

When i saw it that Christmas I thought how fitting, because my baby would be spending all her Christmases in heaven with Jesus and the angels.
AFTER i get all my ornaments up just so.. I take a few hours to enjoy my perfectly decorated tree.. and i do so enjoy it..
THEN I bring out the kids ornaments.. LOL everything they have ever made, or was given or what i bought them(every year each of them gets a dated Hallmark ornament from me the girls get the celebration barbie ones, and the boys i did the child age ones and now that Mr Man is older then those child age one i have bought him what he was into that year. like a Thomas ornament, Darth Vader.. don't know what I'll get him this year. Princess hangs all her stuff up in nice spots putting some thought into where they go and she has the most since she is older, but Mr Man and Sweet pea.. oh me.. 3 ornaments all on the same branch and if you move them and spread them out they don't like that so i leave them.. it's ok though I still like my tree alot, and one by one when they aren't looking i move some of the ornaments into spots more fitting.. sometimes i get away with it other times I hear "MOM who moved my ornament i had it here" so i blame the baby or the cat LOL..

11. Snow! Love it or Dread It? Love it but then i'm not the one having to do snow removal duty or driving to work in it(like DH who hates it)

12. Can you ice skate? use to but don't know now havent done it since i was 15

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I remember alot of my gifts but one i loved that was so simple was this great big thing of make up it was huge.. I was 16 at the time getting all that make up was wonderful..

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? the most important thing is remember Christ love for us and him sending his son. but i like to celebrate that with all the traditions from church christmas programs to the candle light service and the chruch christmas party and gift exchange.. and beyond the church stuff.. the time spent with family gatherings are the best.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? there ya go again, who said i just had to have ONE.. i like them all.. right now i could go for some buckeyes.. yum..

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? candle light service at church, and all the other.. I don't think i can just pick on favorite tradition all the traditions we do all tie in to what makes Christmas Christmas to me..

17. What tops your tree? a angel in a beautiful Burgundy, cream and gold velvet,silk and lace dress. with big soft white fluffy wings.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I could do away with all the gifts and it would be fine with me.. LOL but I do love so much to see the joy on my kids faces Christmas morning so i think i'll go with giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? way to many to name, Christmas music is my favorite all time music and i LOVE ALL sorts of christmas songs from "oh holy night" to "santa baby"

20. Candy canes! Yuck or Yum? YUMMMMMMMMMM...

if you want to play along too, just let me know you did I would love to hear about your Christmas.
now to think of what my favorite Christmas memory is.. this is too hard.. seeing how Christmas is my all time favorite part of the year.