Yikes, I was travelling over the weekend and so I guess I'm late with this - but I've really enjoyed reading everyone's lists!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Homemade Egg Nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa's presents aren't wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored

4 . Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put your decorations up? Ok, I don't decorate anymore. Haven't for about 5 or 6 years. After a couple of years of no-one else seeing the decorations, I discovered it was simpler not to mess with them. There are plenty everywhere else to enjoy! However, our family tradition is to decorate the weekend on Advent 3. That way the live tree lasts until Epiphany.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Our Christmas "dinner" is more finger-food - we don't actually sit down to dinner. We have shrimp cocktail, ham, smoked turkey, summer sausage, cheeses and appetizer type food, plus cookies and candies. I guess I'm gonna go with the platter of smoked turkey as my favorite.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: For 3 years in a row, I asked for a cassette tape recorder for Christmas. The third year, dad asked me to help him with a "Santa" gift for my 3 younger brothers. It was a cassette recorder, WHICH THEY HADN'T EVEN ASKED FOR. He wanted me to help him figure out how to record a message to play. I was SO sad that they were getting it. The next morning, we got up and when they got it to play, it said, "Merry Christmas Cynthia!" I was SO excited that I finally had one!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? It must have been when I started school - because I remember that year explaining to my 2 little brothers that there was no such thing as Santa. THAT was followed by a long discussion with my parents about not spoiling it for the littler ones.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We did always open a gift from mom & dad on Christmas Eve, after church. Then one year, after the youngest was well into school age and no longer believed in Santa, someone figured out that if we just opened all the presents that night, we didn't have to get up so early - more sleep before church. Ever since, it is our tradition to open all our gifts on Christmas Eve. We have always gotten together at mom & dad's on Christmas Eve after church and opened all our presents.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I collected ornaments in my travels - mostly an Angel theme. Then when I stopped decorating, I loaned them out to decorate a dorm Christmas tree. I did get them back, but lost them in transition, so I don't have decorations anymore. There are a few that I miss, but it's not a big deal really since I don't actually use them!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! For about a week around Christmas. Then I'm quite fine without, thank you.

12. Can you ice skate? Ha!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? When I was about 10, I got a purse, a flashlight, and a Trixie Belden book. I remember riding around in the car for the next week or so, reading by flashlight (which I carried in my purse!) How could it get better!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - my Aunt Jeanie's recipe

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Gathering my nieces and nephews around for a rousing chorus of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer!"

17. What tops your tree? An angel

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Pfftt..how can you pick? They're both good!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer!" hymn? Once in Royal David's City

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum!

21. Christmas Tree - real or fake? Real!