12 Randomness/Days of Christmas

Okay, so I got tagged by Sherrie to do my own 12 random Christmas facts, so here goes...
# 12. The traditional Christmas meat of choice in Sweden is Ham. Just kidding....while that's true, that's not about me. And I think that's the point of this meme.

12. This year we will celebrate our 6th Christmas season of wedded bliss and our 6th while living in Florida---but I have yet to host a Christmas at my house here. We always have and still do travel to see family up north and out west. This year we're headed to Nebraska to spend Christmas with my parents and brother and sister.

11. I do NOT like Eggnog. The very thought of it churns my stomach.

10. I (too) love listening to Christmas music and enjoy the 24/7 radio station, to the (echoed) dismay of my husband, who could probably do without holiday music all together. My favorite songs to listen to this year are probaby...as always, Carol of the Bells, What Child is This?, and O Come, Emmanuel (accapella).

9. Matt buys me an ornament for our tree every year. This year I am determined to buy him one. I also have planned to add 2 ornaments for Noah each year. One that we'll always keep in honor of his past year, and one that will become HIS for his own family tree when he one day leaves the nest.

8. I miss not having a class at school to teach the "motions" to the 12 Days of Christmas to...especially a partrage in a pear tree --(one person jumps on a partner's back and flaps their wings) and six geese a layin (pretend like you're laying the world's largest egg). Immature, I know, but the kids always love it.

7. The Hays family does "Stockings" first on Christmas morning--soon as you wake up, you get to open your stockings, but you have to wait for the family to roll out of bed for your presents. The Hawkins family however, saves stockings till last, so that after all the present opening is over, "Wait!, there's still stockings!"

6. I prefer the white, classic lights to colored lights. I love the icicle lights and greenery (wreaths) with red bows outside on the house look. We don't decorate like this, but if we ever own our own house, I plan to.

5. We grew up with the tradition of caroling to shut ins from our church...always 3 or 4 part harmony, and my mom would play the accordian! I learned to sing loud so the old folks could hear you, and you have to sing loud to balance out my dad! Our parents used to have to drag us around, but now I miss it.

4. I reeeeeally don't like the hustle and bustle of Chrismast shopping. It totally stresses me out and takes all the joy out of it. I prefer shopping online now or shopping at those wierd hours when nobody else is at the mall.

3. I always knew where my mom hid the presents when growing up, and I can't honestly say that I didn't peak sometimes!

2. I hope to one day go to New York City during Dec. and see the Rockefeller Tree, iceskating, etc. I also think it would be fun to go to Disney on Christmas Day, just once, for the memory of it. Maybe the 24th or the 26th would be better...

And of course, #1...I did not grow up believing in Santa Clause. Gasp. Yes, I know, shocking. I don't really even remember having a discussion about it or feeling like I was different for not getting presents from Santa and sending off my list to the North Pole. But apparently, I am like in the 2% of people who were "deprived" of this. The big discussion now is what are we going to teach/allow our own kids to believe? We're still not sure.

Hope you enjoyed the randomness, thanks for the idea, Sherry!