Ten on Tuesday (11)

Happy Tuesday, friends! This week we are talking about Christmas. A condensed version of the questions is listed to the right if you click the Ten on Tuesday button. Feel free to participate on your blog of in the comments.

Just a reminder that if you participate on your blog this week, you’ll receive an extra entry in this week’s giveaway. So be sure to add your link to Mr Linky below. Also, if you’re big time, add my ToT button to you post.

(Edited to add) This weeks’ questions come from Sarah at Sojo Blog (<– that’s a link). She’s a real life friend of mine. She and her husband live in Germany right now. Go visit her blog. Thank her for her fun set of questions and see how she answers them. If you’d like to contribute a set of questions, send me an email via the “Contact Me” tab.

1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations?
Well this year we didn’t do so well. Only half of our decorations made it up. (And only half of our Christmas cards made it out… Unfortunately I didn’t keep track of which ones were sent so I have no way of knowing who else I’m supposed to send to. On a related note, if you want a late Christmas card from the Hursts, send me your address! I happened to have some spares laying around now!)

I like to keep our decorations up until New Years, at least. I don’t see why it’s okay to have them up so early but then tear them down the day after Christmas. Doesn’t seem right to me.

2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season?
Drink wine. Kidding. Sort of.

I start shopping early. And I remember the TRUE reason for Christmas. I have a hard time understanding why non-Christians celebrate Christmas. Do they know that they are celebrating the birth of our Savior?? Certainly they don’t actually think that Christmas is just a random day to give everyone gifts and put a tree in our living room. Right? Oh wait… that has nothing to do with the question. Moving on.

3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about?
Simple, we talk about it. We go to church together and spend time together. Maybe it’s just me but I think it’s sort of hard to ignore the true meaning of Christmas.

4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?
It changes every year. The only non-negotiable is that we go to church on Christmas Eve. We eat tamales and chili on Christmas Eve after church – so far this has happened every year on my mom’s side, dad’s side, and even Stephen’s side. It’s something that I love.

5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Favorite? No way of knowing. I love the tamales and chili, I love Christmas Eve service, I love getting fun socks in my stocking (Cousin Kim gets these for us), I love watching my dad get excited about the gifts he buys my brother and Stephen. I really love the sweet potatoes. We have the best sweet potatoes. They are better than yours, I promise.

By the way, did I ever show you the picture of my sister making sweet potatoes over Thanksgiving? She was completely grossed out by the sound. (Sorry sister, I love you.)

By the way, to the person that Googled “What do Texans eat on Christmas?”… let this be your guide. And doesn’t anyone else think it’s weird that someone would Google that?? Like we are some other sort of species or something??

6.  Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like/not like about continuing the tradition?
Of course we did the Santa thing! Stephen and I will definitely carry on that tradition with our kids. It’s fun and exciting.

I know there are a lot of people who hold the mentality that “kids these days” are so spoiled and they don’t need more things. And what sort of message are we giving our kids by giving them a bunch of stuff they want but don’t need?? In a way, yes, I agree. Kids are spoiled. But that’s not the point. The point of Christmas is that we got a gift that we TOTALLY didn’t deserve. We are spoiled, rotten sinners… but God knew better and gave us a gift. So I don’t think it’s all that bad to mirror that (obviously in a much smaller, less awesomely miraculous way) and give our children a wonderful gift.

That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it! Plus, my mom says that when you stop believing in Santa, he stops coming. And I really need my annual Cherry Chapstick replenishment in my stocking.

7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Those peanut butter balls. Oh yum. I’ve never made them. I should. Anyone have a good recipe?? I also love shortbread and forgotten cookies and those peanut butter cookies with the kisses on top.

8. How do you take your egg nog?
I don’t take egg nog. I give it back immediately. Gross. It smells gross and looks gross. And the name?? EGG NOG. In the words of my brother: disgrossting.

9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
Oh Holy Night. Why? Well, have you ever heard it? It beautiful and the words are perfect. And did you know that it was the first song ever played on a radio? True story. My friend, Louie Giglio told me. (Just so we’re clear, he doesn’t know we are friends.)

10. When was the last time you had a white Christmas?
A few years ago. I think it was 2005? Couldn’t tell you. Scroll through the comments, I’m sure some of the Houstonians will know. We cam out of Christmas Ever service and it was snowing. It was magical.

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