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Sheila tagged me for a Holiday Hoopla! The Random Christmas Hoopla! Here goes:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word (which, for you bloggy newbies, is meme)
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.
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1. I am not a fan of colored Christmas lights...I am definitely on board with the clear lights and I think that's how it's always going to be.

2. In more decorating news...my love for silver jewelry also translates to the tree. I'll always pick ornaments that incorporate silver, not gold accents...I can be so picky.

3. So, I love the fact that my dad literally looks like Santa Clause (see picture below). All year, but especially around Christmas, you can be anywhere with my dad and kids are staring at him and whispering to their parents. I love to watch kids come up to my dad and talk to him. He's always been great with children, so it's so fun to watch.

4. This year, my house probably has the saddest decorating "on the block" and I hate that. I love decorating the house...not just for Christmas, but at the change of the seasons. This year my decorations consist of Christmas cards we've received on the mantle, the stockings I finally bought us this year, and presents I've wrapped stuffed on the shelf since we've already packed our books. Boo. As sad as that is...it's probably good...Jazz would have way too much "fun" with a Christmas tree!

5. I really shop for Christmas all year. Anytime I find a great sale gift for someone, I pick it up. Lots of times, this means I forget what I have bought and end up buying more than I probably should. This early shopping really lowered my stress level this year...I had almost everyone bought for before December even rolled around!

6. I'm a big fan of gifts...I don't really know why...it's even one of my highest love languages (fortunate and unfortunate for Justin!) I have never been given the opportunity to give my parents or anyone else a Christmas list of what I would like, however, so it cracks me up when I hear people doing that. If my mom had let us do a Christmas list, though, it would have saved her a lot of time not buying clothes for me that I have never liked. We have very different tastes! (Don't be appalled...she already knows!)

7. I'll always remember a Christmas that fell on Sunday when my sister and I were little. We, of course, went to church that day, but our parents wouldn't let us open our gifts before church. They had a children's sermon at church that day and whoever was leading it asked all the kids if anyone had not opened their gifts yet. My sister and I were the only ones! But...I'm glad I have parents have their priorities in order...as embarrassing as it may have been that day.

8. I can't wait till we start having children and can really begin to define what we want our Christmas traditions to be for them. Right now, it's just great that we can travel and see our families whenever it works best.

9. I love one tradition that we seem to have at my parent's house. On Christmas day, after we've opened gifts, my sister will usually make monkey bread...one of her specialties...which is oh so delicious!

10. When I think of Christmas, I can't help remember how many years my sister and I would sleep in the same bed...eagerly anticipating Christmas morning. I don't know why, but we could never get to sleep...when we would finally doze off we would still wake up so early in the morning to run downstairs to open presents.

11. I really was not wise in my packing...I totally packed up "White Christmas," which I love to watch every year. I'm sure Justin is not quite as upset as I am.

12. I love driving around looking at Christmas lights. I must admit, I'm not a fan of a lot of them, but as I was listening to the radio last night, my perspective changed a bit. One of the short commercial segments reminded me that everyone's different tastes in Christmas lights truly reflect the different personalities God has given us. Instead of defining decorations as tacky or ridiculous or gaudy (which I have been guilty of), I hope I will remember to thank God and celebrate the unique ways he has made all of His creation, reflected in the ways we choose to decorate and express our personalities.

Merry Christmas!

I tag Rebecca...cause she needs to blog anyway :)