Thursday, December 20, 2007

Christmas...Past, Present & Future

Karen sent this questionnaire to me in an e-mail and rather than fill it out and e-mail it on, I thought I would just blog it. Why? Because it just brings so many Christmas memories to mind that I wanted to have saved some place. Plus it gives me a chance to post this funny picture of Cooper with Santa from the Ward Christmas party (classic Cooper expression--or is that Bob??) What Mormon kid doesn’t have memories of a ward Christmas party with Santa coming to visit?? (Ward Christmas parties, that’s a whole other blog by itself!)
Anyway, it’s a little long so if you don’t read it all I won’t hold it against you. (Although I did read all of Karen’s). So Karen, here is my response to your e-mail (I took a few out and added one of my own):

Wrapping paper or gift bag? I love wrapping and have since I was a little girl. I’m not very good with bags—I can never figure out to get the tissue in right. Spencer loves to wrap too (hardly suprising for those who know him).

Real or Artificial tree? Already covered in previous blog.

When do you put up the tree? We always go get the tree the first weekend after Thanksgiving weekend.

When do you take the tree down? Usually a day or two after Christmas. It always looks forlorn without the gifts under it.

Do you like Eggnog? I love eggnog and this year we accidentally discovered Pumpkin Eggnog which we like even more.

Favorite gift you received as a child? I really can’t remember a particular favorite. I CAN remember always having a really difficult time going to sleep in anticipation though.

Do you have a nativity scene? I have two. One is a little miniature mouse set that is really cute but a little worse for the wear since it has been around for about 10 years. The other is an old cardboard one that the Church produced sometime in the 50s that I found in the Ward Primary closet one time when I was tossing out really old stuff that hadn’t been used in years. It is exactly like the one we had when I was a kid and I always loved it. It has three parts to so it is kind of 3D and has beautiful soft tones and wonderful lighting. I think everyone in my family would know which on that is. I took it home because it hadn’t been used in years and years and probably never would. It reminds me of growing up.

Worst Christmas gift ever received? It was one that I totally wanted so much it was practically and ache. I had picked it out of the Sears Christmas catalog and really wanted this Barbie-like doll called Dollikin (something like that). I wanted it instead of a Barbie because the arms & legs moved—Barbie’s legs moved but not like this doll and Barbie’s arms were stiff. That seemed really cool—until I got my wish and found out that the arms and legs were jointed not smooth like Barbie’s. She couldn’t wear a bathing suit or sleeveless shirts or anything. It was the first lesson I think I ever learned about being careful what you wished for without really thinking (researching) first.

Christmas Cards ... Snail mail or E-mail? Snail mail but mine are probably going to be New Year’s cards this year!

Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? It’s a Wonderful Life which I had never seen until I moved to Seattle so I didn't know it was a Christmas classic.

What's your favorite Christmas show(s)? The Grinch (classic—not Jim Carey) and Charlie Brown Christmas

When do you Christmas Shop? Every year I have wonderful intentions of doing it before Thanksgiving (looking all year round) but I never do. I’m a shameful last minute shopper. (Hence mom & dad’s gift not arriving until January this year.)

Have you ever 'recycled' a Christmas present? Yes, I am a shameless regifter. Particularly when working in advertising. We always got these great gifts from vendors and it was easy to wrap them to give to the kid’s teachers (sorry Karen) or co-workers, or a white elephant thing.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lisa’s Swedish Pancakes on Christmas Eve.

Favorite Christmas Song? I love O Holy Night AND any Jim Reeve’s Christmas song—which any offspring of Bob Vaden (at least the girls) would tell you is a must have part of Christmas. I was seriously excited when Karen sent us a Jim Reeves Christmas CD. I usually load the CD player with Christmas songs the day after Thanksgiving. I have two other favorite CDs (besides Jim Reeves). One is a Time Life 2-disc compilation of classics like Bing’s White Christmas, Carpenter’s Christmas Song, Perry Como, etc—it even has two Jim Reeve’s songs. My two favorite songs on it are by Roger Whitaker who as a lovely voice and sings Ding Dong Merrily on High and Rocking. I would highly recommend a Christmas album by him. The other is the 1st “A Very Special Christmas” album with songs by the Eurythmics, Stevie Nicks, & Bob Seger. We have one other Very Special Christmas album that is okay (love Lyle Lovett singing Jingle Bell rock) but not as good as the first one.

Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? We stay home. We did make a trip to Idaho one year and I was seriously excited because I thought after years in Seattle without it that there would finally be snow for Christmas. I was so bummed when there wasn’t any! That was before we had kids and after a scary trip to Idaho at Thanksgiving one year we decided that it was a trip best taken anytime other than the winter. The roads can be scary between here and there. We always spend Christmas Eve at Dan & Lisa’s with the whole Chandler clan (that’s where the Swedish pancakes come in) and usually have Oma & Opa with us Christmas day.

Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? The kids have a gift exchange with their cousins (each kid draws a cousin to give to) and we have a white elephant exchange among the adults on Christmas Eve. Our family presents are always opened on Christmas day.

Does Santa wrap or not (I added this question)? When I was growing up, Santa never wrapped (he didn’t have time) so the gifts from Santa were always left under the tree unwrapped. In Dennis’ family he always wrapped. (I guess he had time because there were only 4 kids in Dennis’ family and there were 8 in mine.). So, when we got married we had to compromise. For years, Santa left the gifts for the boys unwrapped and Mrs. Santa wrapped the gifts in the stockings. A few years ago, Santa started wrapping again—mostly so the boys had to wait until we were ready to get out of bed and see what he brought. (They can unwrap Mrs. Santa’s gifts in the stocking while they are waiting.)

Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) Inside and outside. In fact, I have put up the outside lights for years because it is not Christmas without them to me. Even when I was 8 months pregnant with Cooper (okay basically 9 months) I put them up—climbing the ladder and everything. Got to have those outside lights!
Favorite Christmas cookie? Frosted sugar cookies—yum, yum. I usually make tons because I love frosting & decorating them and eating them. The kids are good for frosting about 5-8 and they are done—leaving oh, about 100 for me to frost.

Do you believe in Santa? Sheesh—who doesn’t??

If you could have a single Christmas Wish that was just for you and you alone...what would it be? The same as Karen’s “to see all my family at Christmas”—including some that are no longer with us.
Now, this has brought me a bit of the Christmas spirit. Thanks Karen.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

The Quest for the "Tree"

Every year for the past 14 years (maybe more) we have trekked down to Centralia for our Christmas tree--except maybe one year when Oma and Opa were sick. We have gone to a tree farm and trooped up and down and around the field until we have found just the right tree. We have actual audio and video evidence of Oma's yearly admonition to "Be sure to cut it close to the ground" so we get the full tree (it's true--it happened every year). For a special photo album that the Chandler brothers (well their wives anyway) made for Oma & Opa one year, my contribution was two pages worth of Christmas Tree trek photos and memories. Some years we were joined by Chandler brothers and family, but most years it has just been us and Oma and Opa. We would get their tree and our tree on a Saturday morning. We would stay in Centralia Saturday night and help them decorate. Then we would come home Sunday and decorate ours that night. Even after Oma & Opa moved to Seattle three years ago, we have continued to go to Centralia. We would drive to Centralia, get our trees, have lunch at the famous Oly Club in downtown Centralia and come back to Seattle to decorate Oma & Opa's tree. Until this year. It wasn't because of the flooding, although that may have affected us had we chosen to go down there. It was soccer tournaments, busy schedules, the cost of gas, the time....we just couldn't do. So instead, we trekked down the road a few blocks to the Boy Scout tree lot next to the local Catholic church, which was the same place we went the year they were sick. We wandered around the parking lot until we found the perfect tree--or a least the best one available. Of course it was much more expensive tree than we usually get being a "city tree", but when you figure in the cost of gas and lunch in Centralia the other way it was pretty much a wash. We still helped Oma & Opa decorate their tree and then actually did ours the same evening. Oma even made chalupa for dinner which is one of our favorites. Many of you have probably been the recipient of my annual Christmas newsletter and photo of the boys. The photo comes from our Christmas tree quest. I did take pictures of the boys this year but it wasn't quite the same. We did have a snowstorm that day so it made it a bit more festive. I am so not into the season this year that I may not even get my letter out. So I share this picture with you 1) because I think it is funny and 2) it still represents the season and memories of the season. Who knows if we will ever make it to Centralia for a tree in the future (Oma is threatening to buy a fake tree). The main point is that we have many wonderful memories of Christmas tree quests that we will share forever. It will be something that will always be talked about. "Remember the year when..." So in the end, I am thankful to have so many wonderful memories of the quest for the tree!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

I Love Scrabble!

It's true, I really do love Scrabble. I have since I was a young girl and played it with my mom and sisters. My fondest memories of growing up are of being gathered around a table with family members to play a game--not always Scrabble. Playing board games or card games has always been a thing we like to do as a family when we get together. In fact that is one of the biggest things I miss about not being close to my family. Dennis likes to tease me about Scrabble, particularly about the fact that in my family it isn't cut throat--we actually help each other! I have been playing Scrabble lately on a fairly regular basis with two very dear friends of mine, Peg on the right, of Lucy & Ethel fame and my half-marathon inspiration; and Michelle on the right, a wonderful, genuine loving person whom I adore (okay, truth be known I adore them both--and not just because they play Scrabble). This picture is from this past Tuesday (12/4) when we squeezed in one quick game at 6:30pm after Cooper's basketball game. Peg and Michelle both have two kids, a boy and a girl each and all our kids get along really great together and have fun. The kids often come too when we get together. It's a great time. The picture on the right is the final results of our game. As you can see we did a great job of covering the whole board and had some cool words. At one point early on, I will admit that I had to show my tiles to Michelle and Peg because they were so funny. I had all vowels and a blank. Not ideal for making any whopping high score! Despite that, I did end up with the winning score in the end that night. I think it was because I was wearing my 'E' & 'L' Scrabble earrings myself. And yes I do have a pair of Scrabble earrings. Another friend who makes jewelry made them out of actual wooden Scrabble tiles. Why 'E' and 'L" you might wonder? Lucy and Ethel of course! Peg has a matching set. Also, those up on acceptable two letter words will know that "el" is acceptable but "le" is not. In fact many Scrabble experts will tell you that knowing the acceptable two letter words is the key to high scores. Za and qi were recently added to that list--and yes, I guess the fact that I know that makes me a bit of a Scrabble nerd! But I think that means I am in good company.