New Year....New Look!

Hope you like the remodel! I thought you needed a little change of scenery.....

On the 12th Day of Christmas…..

My true love gave to me….. A partridge in a pear tree!
Did you know that each “day” of Christmas in this song symbolizes something in the Bible? (Ex: Two Turtle Doves= the Old and New Testament?) Well the Partridge in the Pear tree is Jesus. In the New Testament Jesus draws correlation to himself as a bird “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often have I sheltered you under my wings, as a hen does her chicks….” Luke 13:34. And though at Christmastime we picture Jesus as a tiny baby in a manger, we would be remiss if we failed to picture him as a grown man, hanging on a tree for your sins and mine. Easter and Christmas go hand in hand, without the miracle of one, we would not have the miracle of the other.
These last 11 days I have shown you all the things that I love about Christmas. But without Jesus they would be just that, things. Things that get broken, things that go out of style, things I get tired of, some things that I will pass on to Baby Deetz, but in the end they are all things and all of those things will eventually turn into dust. But the greatest thing is that Jesus never goes out of style or gets lost or broken. He is the same today that he was 2000 years ago in that manger. Merry Christmas!

On the 11th day of Christmas....

My true love gave to me.... 11 Ladies Dancing! Pictured is my "girl" tree that graces our dining room. I love this tree! One year when we were still in Kissimmee, Mom and I were shopping the day after Christmas (my favorite shopping day of the year!) when we found these Department 56 girl ornaments at Target. Well it was a good thing that there are like 6 Target's in a 10 mile vicinity because we had to go to all 6 stores to complete the collection (I think there are 25 actual ladies dancing, but here are a few of my favorites, and a shopping snow-lady for good measure!)

On the 10th Day of Christmas……

My true love gave to me……10 Christmas Memories!
10- Christmas 1999. I had met Chad in September (my freshman year in college). A short 2 1/2 months later, I bugged him every day "What did you get me for Christmas?" "Can I open it now?" I thought I was getting this beautiful emerald bracelet I had been wanting. Well Chad always said "No, you need to wait for Christmas!" So on December 22nd he made me a special dinner, his folks had vacated the house, and he asked "Do you want your Christmas gift now?" Thinking I would say "YES!" But instead I said "Nah...it's the 22nd, I can wait three more days" Chad went into a panic. He actually got up and left the room, mentioning "uhh...bathroom....be right back." He came back with sheer determination and proclaimed: " Tough, you're getting it now!!!" He got down on one knee and proposed. I was absolutely shocked! Of course I said yes. And we lived happily ever after ;0)
9- Fast forward 2 years. Our first Christmas together as husband and wife. We opened gifts by the fireplace in our tiny, overpriced, one bedroom apartment. It was precious!
8- Christmas 1988. A freeze swept through central Florida and knocked out power all over the city. My family couldn't cook Christmas dinner, so we ended up going out to eat at some random buffet. But I’ll never forget opening gifts by candlelight that year.
7- The year I got a giant stuffed Panda and a bicycle. It was a GREAT year to be 11!
6- Singing in the Candle Light choir all through high school. A massive choir sings while a celebrity narrates the Christmas story. The best year was when James Earl Jones narrated. The worst year was when a former Miss America did it. Let’s just say reading was not her gift. As an adult Chad and I have been to see the production, one year we saw Marlee Matlin sign the narration. It was incredible to watch the emotion she put into the story with her hands. If you are ever in the parks at Christmastime it is a must see!

5- The year my mom was pregnant with my sister. She was on bed rest so we ended up eating ham sandwiches and potato chips for Christmas dinner because she couldn't be on her feet to cook. I was so excited to be a big sister I would have eaten anything and been just as happy.

4- Seeing the Christmas Hot dog at our church. The special ed department practices their Christmas production the Saturday before their play (and we eat hot dogs, thus the name) and SANTA comes to visit! Santa is a celebrity with these precious people with childlike faith. One year Chad got to play Santa and that was something I'll never forget.

3- Return to Bethlehem. Our church transforms our parking lots into Bethlehem village with a 500 person cast. Thousands of people from the community drive through the city from King Herod's courts to the manger at the end of the scene. I have played the ANGEL (you know the one that has to hold her hands up in the air LOUDLY proclaiming that Christ has been born, can you say "ouch" by the end of the night? The Inn-Keeper's wife turning away pregnant Mary away over and over and over. The last two years I have been pregnant Mary with the Donkey making her way downtown. Walking in the (a-freezing cold. b-driving rain or c-high wind) with a pillow stuffed under your smock trailing a pooping Donkey is a strange way to celebrate Christmas, but for some reason, it's a pretty neat site.

2- Twice when I was in high school we had two college exchange students from China with us over the Holidays. They marveled at all of our traditions and cried when we gave them gifts. It's always interesting getting an entirely different perspective on our traditions.

1-We spent Christmas 2007 on a cruise ship with my sister, my parents, and Chad's mom and step-dad. It was odd having balmy temperatures and sunbathing on Christmas day in the Dominican Republic. If I had a ton of money I would go on a cruise every year during winter (but not necessarily on Christmas day). It was great making a jump from all the ice and snow to the blue waters of the Caribbean. That was one tradition I could definitely get use to!

On the 9th Day of Christmas.....

My true love gave to me..... 9 Christmas Trees! Yes, I have 9 Christmas Trees. Normally, when people ask I just say I have 4, because those are my big, fully decorated trees in the house. I also have 5 smaller trees, 4 more at home and 1 on my desk! I say if it lights up and has some sort of ornaments that must be added it qualifies as a tree. And people already look at me like I am crazy for having 4 trees, can you imagine if I said 9!! Here is our main tree in the living room....

PS- That is a Christmas Pickle! It's a German tradition. You hide the pickle on a branch of the tree and on Christmas day the person that finds the pickle gets an extra present. It's not much fun with two people (One person always knows where the pickle is, so it kinda defeats the purpose) But I am looking forward to having another pickle seeker in the house next year ;0)

We also collect those gold destination ornaments from everywhere we visit. It's kinda hokey I know, but I love them!

I really LOVE a Christmas tree and I can't wait to add number 10 to the house when Baby Deetz joins the family. I better start planning for it now......

On the 8th Day of Christmas…..

My true love gave to me….. 8 Christmas songs!

Two radio stations in town start playing Christmas music in mid-November. It makes Chad have a cow, but I like it. Since we had a very mild autumn this year, I confess it was a little weird listening to Frosty the Snowman and songs about roasting things on an open fire when it was 85 degrees outside. But I did it anyway.

Here are some of our favorite Christmas Songs:

#1- Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Bruce Springsteen version ONLY!)
#2- The Happy Elf (Harry Connick, Jr.)
#3- Baby It’s Cold Outside (Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone)
#4- I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (The Drifters, though Bing is nice too…)
#5- A Marshmallow World (Brenda Lee)
#6- Little Saint Nick (Beach Boys)
#7- O Tannenbaum (Nat King Cole, the German version)
#8- Mele Kalikimaka (Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters)

On the 7th Day of Christmas......

My true love gave to me.... 7 Holiday movies!

In no particular order, our favorite 7 must see Holiday movies.

#1- Elf: A new classic. I quote this movie all the time, I just can't help it. "Smiling is my favorite" "You sit on a throne of lies" "SANTA! I know him!" Did you know Friday was "Answer the phone like Buddy the elf day"? "Buddy the elf here, what's your favorite color?"

#2- White Christmas: Chad and his mom sign every word to this entire movie. It's like movie and a show.

#3- Christmas Vacation. I said no particular order, but this is my absolute favorite Christmas movie. I still laugh hysterically every time I watch it. Chad's favorite part is with Uncle Eddie and the see through sweater with the Dickie. My favorite part is the sledding scene, or maybe the part with the squirrel. Classic. Absolutely classic.

#4- Christmas Story: Also a much quoted movie in our household. "You'll shoot your eye out" "Frage-ley, must be Italian" Hilarious.

#5- Merry Christmas Charlie Brown. Oh so cute. I really want a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. I love Linus, he's my favorite. It's also fun to re-enact the dancing scenes. It's just the same move over and over again. Chad is the guy doing the penguin dance. I do the weird MC Hammer or the mummy walk, depending on my mood.

#6- It's a Wonderful Life- Classic. (The angry alien version is also a blast. http://www.angryalien.com/) Cartoon Bunnies re-enact your favorite movies in 30 seconds. It's a Wonderful Life just happens to be my favorite Bunny re-enactment. "I wish I'd never been born!" "O.K.!"

#7- Rudolf- Just for the Island of Misfit Toys and the elf that wants to be a dentist.

*Honorable mention: The Grinch, the new Disney short "Prep and Landing", Shrek the Halls, Frosty, Christmas Carol (preferably the Mickey version), and the FIRST Santa Claus Movie.

Movies I miss: Alvin and the Chipmunk Christmas Special (old school), Garfield Christmas, and the California Raisins Christmas Special.

*Guilty pleasure- I actually liked Christmas with the Kranks. But I also liked the book "Skipping Christmas".

*Christmas confession: I have never seen "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus." Someday I promise I'll get around to it.