Random Dozen - Christmas Edition

I am weighing in again today with the Random Dozen. This week is packed full of Christmas questions. And I love that, obvs.

1. Gingerbread: For or against? Discuss. I'm definitely team Gingerbread. I like making Gingerbread houses - although I haven't made one in a few years. And I certainly do love the taste of it. Perhaps I should try my hand at making gingerbread. I also love gingerbread lattes.

2. Is it important to you to always stay (live) close to family? Right now, we live about 3 hours away from the FD's hometown where his parents and one sister live. We live about 5 hours from another sister and 1 hour (soon to be 8 hours) from his last sister. We live an hour and a half from my parents, an hour from my brother and three hours from my sister. We have some family members (aunts, uncles, cousins) who live in our town. None of these distances are too horrible, we definitely get to see our family quite often (except the 5 hour away sister - we don't see them much - BOO) but we are considering making some changes in the future that may bring us closer to some of our family members. We really enjoy being with both of our families, so yes, it is important for us to live near them.

3. Which holiday pretend character do you wish really existed? Um, I think that's obvious. Santa. Except, of course, we all know, he DOES exist.

4. Which holiday movie best represents how you feel about Christmas or life? Wow. That's a tough question. Maybe Frosty. Because no matter how heated things get, and how many meltdowns I may have, I know that things will cool down soon and I will be able to be a happy, energetic snowman once again.

5. Is there a particular Christmas song that you're enjoying now? Any that you're tired of? I always really enjoy Silent Night, O Holy Night, What Child is This, and The First Noel. Those songs are so peaceful and calming and they truly put the real meaning of Christmas into perspective. I am so sick of the "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" song. Have any of you heard it? I had never heard it before but this year I have heard it over and over again. On the radio. On commercials. Everywhere. And, as you can see from the title, it is just ridiculous. And very annoying. Unfortunately, it's also very catchy and as such, I have been singing it non stop all week.

6. What is your favorite way to remember those less fortunate at Christmastime? This is a time of year where we feel it's very important to give food and gifts to less fortunate. We always try to find a way to give back in that way.

7. Does it upset you to see "Xmas" instead of Christmas? How about "Happy Holidays" etc., instead of "Merry Christmas?" Not really. I prefer to say Merry Christmas, myself. But I do realize that not everyone celebrates this holiday, so I don't really have a problem if I hear people say Happy Holidays instead. It does make me kind of upset when people get on a huge rant about not being "allowed" to say Christmas, though. I celebrate Christmas. So I can say Christmas. There ya go. Also, Xmas doesn't really bother me. I have never really heard people say that though ... I've only seen it written. And sometimes it's just faster to write, I guess.

8. How many Christmas programs are you attending this month? By Christmas programs, I'm assuming they mean at churches or schools or something like that. In that case, just one.

9. Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Any chance of that dream becoming a reality? I like a white Christmas, but I don't feel let down if we don't have one. I'd prefer to not get stuck in a blizzard and not be able to make it to my destination on Christmas, so if that means not having snow, then that's fine with me. I used to get very upset when there was no snow at Christmas but now that I'm a crazy worrier grown up and I have to drive places, I'd rather just be safe.

10. Tell me about a Christmas present you received as a child. Pics are always nice. Probably one of the most special gifts I received as a child was my first real pet. My grandma gave us a cat when I was about 8 years old. Also, my siblings and I got a cruise for Christmas one year which was definitely a memorable family experience.

11. How many Christmas parties are you attending this month? So far, we've each had one that we attended separately (me my party with my classmates, him his work party). Plus the FD's family Christmas, and then we'll have my family Christmas on Christmas day. But that's it. Things actually weren't very busy this year.

12. How do you keep yourself centered on the significance of Christmas? I don't find this a difficult thing to do. I try to keep myself organized so that I can get the "busy" stuff early, so that I can sit back and enjoy the season and take time to reflect on the true meaning of our celebration. I really think that the stress that surrounds Christmas is a lot of the devil's handiwork - trying to get people focused on the shopping, the cooking, the wrapping and to stop focusing on their families, the memories and the most important thing - Christ's birth. During the holidays, I almost always have Christmas music playing and I stick to that which tells the story of Christ's birth. It really helps me stay centered and reflective of the day of His birth. And although December 25th was not His actual birthday, I think it is important to have a time of year dedicated to celebrating His birth. Through all, when I get caught up in the gifts, the planning and everything else - I try to remember that the only reason we have the opportunity to do these things is because we were given the greatest gift of all - a sweet baby born in a stable.