Everything you ever wanted to know about how we celebrate Christmas...

but didn't care enough to ask: (Copied from the Katolin Family Blog)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate...I've never tried egg nog and no one in my family drinks it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa brings a big present that is already set-up so it is unwrapped and the first thing we see Christmas morning

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White lights outside and colored lights on the tree (although neither are up yet!) I would like a white light tree but Noah likes colored and we don't have room for two trees

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes...we have a fake bunch of it that hangs in the doorway to the dining room along with all the Christmas cards we receive

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Traditionally it always gets done the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year we got everything out on Friday/Saturday but the lights for the tree weren't working and I need new stocking holders (I need 4 now) so we got a little delayed!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
No specific favorite....I pretty much love it all!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Christmas in Florida at my Grandma's house with all of my family around.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
We always wrote a letter to Santa and left it in the foyer with milk and cookies. Then Santa would eat the cookies and leave a letter to us. We would take our toothbrush upstairs so we could have fresh breath before we ran down to open presents! One Christmas I forgot my toothbrush so I ran down to get it and saw my mom changing out the letters. It was very sad but I didn't tell anyone because Christmas is more fun when you get presents from Santa!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We were never allowed to when I was growing up but now we let the kids open their Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve so they can wear them to bed.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Colored lights, colored ball ornaments and then our special keepsake ornaments. We got one ornament each year to represent something big that happened. (This year will be Tanner's first Christmas ornament)

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I love it because it means a day at home with the kids! That's one great thing about being a high school teacher :)

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, but it's been a long time!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I have lots of them...I remember getting a large painting of Starry Night from Noah which I loved!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with my family and sharing the true meaning of Christmas with my kids.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pretty much all desserts are favorites for me as long as they don't have nuts.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
The traditions we have started as a family include getting a keepsake ornament every year, opening one present (Christmas PJs) on Christmas eve, going to church as a family on Christmas eve, and opening stockings first on Christmas morning.

17. What tops your tree?
A beautiful angel that my mom gave us for our first Christmas together

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Of course I like getting gifts but I really do love to give other people presents and I wish I could give a lot more than I do!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
"O Holy Night" I never get tired of hearing it!

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
Neither for me, they're okay but I can live without them.

21 Favorite Christmas Show?
Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life

22. Saddest Christmas Song?
Christmas Shoes still gets me a little teary eyed.

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(Pictures of all these Christmas things will be coming!)

Thanksgiving Pictures and Other Updates

I know it's almost been a week since Thanksgiving but we've been super busy around here. I finally found a moment to put them up and fill everyone in on the rest of our weekend. After having a great Thanksgiving we woke up on Black Friday and headed straight to Babies R Us. I normally would never dream of going shopping on black Friday by myself with two kids but I couldn't pass up buy one get one free baby food and diapers! After buying as many as I could I brought the kids back home and did a little more online shopping. I bought Noah's Christmas present which I am very excited about I just have to hope that I can keep it a secret until Christmas!

My beautiful table and some of our spread

Tanner enjoyed a yummy ham dinner for his first Thanksgiving!

Granddaddy still gives pony ridesTanner had fun playing with Granddaddy too

Even though he is almost as big as her, Izzy loves holding Tay TayHe's just the happiest babyLots of gigglesFriday night we went over to Jess and Dan's house for game night. We took the kids and Izabel played with Evie and Lily. We had such a great time that we went back again on Saturday night! We kept the kids up pretty late so Sunday Izabel slept until 9:30! It was great for Noah but Tanner got me up bright and early like normal. We managed to get the tree set up and some of the decorations but we still have more work to do.

Izzy and EvieGame night at the Ingram's

In big Izzy news - we officially started potty training full time on Sunday. We've been putting her on the potty and talking about it but nothing consistent. On Sunday we went into big girl underwear and put the potty in the living room. She went through three pairs Sunday and Monday but today she only had one accident and pooped in the potty! We're still using pull ups at night and during naps but she's doing so well so quickly! I'm sure we'll still have more accidents along the way but we're so thrilled with how well she has done so far. She's in a big girl bed, going potty like a big girl and talking so much more! We've been waiting for all of these things but now I can't figure out what happened to my baby girl!

The required blackmail picture!