The holiday spirit

Maybe it's because we don't have any Christmas decorations up or because it hasn't been snowing as much as it usually does in years past, but for some reason I haven't really gotten in the holiday spirit yet. The bummer part of being a student is that you spend the first 2 weeks of December cramming and being stressed out of your mind trying to finish classes then take off the next day for Christmas break/rest of December so we never bought decorations because we never had time. And this first December not being in school, I am pretty tired from being pregnant and so finding and then putting up decorations seems kind of daunting. We went to Walmart the other night to get a little tree and some decorations and after looking around a little I got tired and so we just decided to come home! haha...

Anyways, it started with the Christmas devotional on Sunday which was amazing. I LOVED the wonderful talks and beautiful music! But today as I was picking up the house, listening to pretty holiday music on Pandora instead of my usual stations that I listen to as I clean, and as it was lightly snowing, I finally got in the holiday mood! So I wanted to do two things.

1. I found this on someones blog and decided it would be fun to do! A Christmas survey!!

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

1. To be able to fly to WA and surprise my family for Christmas

2. This new crib and changing table set

3. A new mac book

4. Photoshop

5. A new hair cut, highlights and a shadow box

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you ever received?
The only handmade gift I can think of getting was when my aunt would make us cute clothes, fun animal bath towels, little aprons with our names on them etc. when we were kids.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

My Dad painted a nativity scene out of ceramic figurines when my parents first got married that is totally beautiful and is very special to our family. I remember just staring at them as a kid thinking it was so cool my Dad made them and we all handled them SUPER carefully. It is because they are so special to my family that after 23 years and after 8 kids they are still totally in tact (that is a miracle). Anyways, I want to make a nativity scene one year like my Dad did.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

O gosh there are too many to remember...I would say the one that sticks out the most was when I was about 16 just because it was funny. I asked for a horse (I was training hard as a dressage/english style horse back rider then) and a car so my mom got me a little horse figurine and a toy car. HA. I remember at first being like "not funny" then I slowly saw the humor in it! :) Funny thing is I eventually got both later that year...my red turbo Volvo and the best most beautiful Arabian horse Morroco.

5. What is your favorite holiday food?
Christmas cookies and our huge ham Christmas dinner

6. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Probably just our Christmas cards!

7. Favorite Holiday Songs?

That's hard...either "What Child is this?", "Christmas Bells", The Carpenters Christmas CD (reminds me of my childhood), "Silent Night", "Angels we Have Heard on High"...and so many more! I LOVE Christmas music, but I am one of those scrooges that doesn't like to listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving :)

8. Favorite Holiday Pastime?

Being with my family, all our family traditions like: singing Christmas songs around the piano as my mom plays; cutting down and decorating the tree; making holiday yummies; watching "It's a Wonderful life"; Christmas caroling at retirement homes; reading and reenacting the Christmas story; taking family pictures for Christmas cards; reading Christmas cards sent to us; and Christmas shopping (among many other things)

So anyone who wants to, should also do this fun Christmas survey. It's fun to think back on Christmas's as a kid.

2. I saved the best for last!! The next thing I wanted to share is a website that I found off the LDS.org homepage. It is so awesome and has a lot of wonderful things on it. This is a website that focuses on Christ as the center of Christmas giving great ideas for traditions, Christmas music, Christmas ideas, inspirtaional videos about Christmas etc. You should check it out! I really really wanted to have Christ be the center of our Christmas and this website gives some great ideas on how to do that.

Here is the link: CLICK HERE

Check out these adorable video from the above website:

I hope that everyone is in the holiday spirit and have a greater resolve to center this Christmas season around Christ!!