Hurray for Tawnia

You're the first one to get your packages off. Ours will be in the mail in the next few days.

Nathan, people who have fake trees are NOT losers or even goons. There are lots of reasons to have them. Trina thought we got ours when Jared and Michelle were here but, actually we got it in 1996 when we got our new carpet. I didn't want to get needles and pitch all over it. Also, fake trees are safer because they don't catch fire and burn your house down and since you don't have to worry about them drying out you can put them up earlier and take them down later, if you choose to. Also, once you've bought one you don't need to buy another for 5 or 10 years and that money can be spent on gifts. So there!! We got real trees when Eric and Jared were selling them to earn money for scout camp.

As for your rule about the Christmas music. You can break it anytime you want. I don't think Amanda would mind.

Now my answer to the question about Christmas trees. When I was a little girl my dad always had a Christmas Tree lot. When I was old enough I helped sell the trees. Before that time I remember Dad picking out the tallest Noble Fir on the lot and bringing it home about a week before Christmas. We always begged to put our tree up earlier but somehow that never seemed to happen.

Tawnia, I learned to put tinsel on the tree from my dad. We had boxes of it and it went on the huge tree one strand at a time. Decorating the tree was a major production.

The next question I was going to ask was "Tell about a Christmas when you were a child" Some of you have already answered that. When I was little we didn't hang Christmas stockings. On Christmas Eve Dad or Mom would read the Christmas Story and we'd sing carols until we were all very anxious. Then we would open our gifts one at a time starting with the youngest child. When all the gifts were open we would play with our new games and toys until we were too tired to keep our eyes open. Christmas Day we'd sleep in until the smell of turkey roasting woke us up. Then we'd play until dinner was ready. I don't think anyone appreciated all the work Mom did. She got up early in the morning and cooked all day on Christmas. Do you see from this why some of our traditions have changed?

I hope you are all enjoying the season. I have a few stocking stuffers and such left to get but otherwise I'm pretty much ready for Christmas. I'll have to take a picture of the huge gift bag that I got for Dad today. I finally got his gifts, that was my biggest challenge.

I guess that's enough rambling for me.

Love ya,
MOM