12 Things In 11 Days - #12 The Reason

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas full of family, friends, good food and good times. I know I did and I can even believe it is over.

I just hope everyone kept in the front of their minds what this holiday is all about - not Santa and gifts and chocolate-covered pretzels (although, those are some good little suckers). It's about God loving us so much to send himself, his own son, to this screwed up, darkened, yucky world to save us from the sin we were drowning in.

See, Christmas is about more than just a baby in a manger. It story continues. Christmas is about what that baby becomes and how he completely turns this world upside down.

At this time of year, I'm so thankful that I have a relationship with the One True God. I'm so thankful for the hope I have in Him and the peace that he gives me that surpasses any other way we could understand.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I wish all the blessings in the world to you in this next brand new year!

12 Things In 11 Days - #11 Christmas Eve With Family

I love love love Christmas Eve. My mom's side of the family gets together every year on Christmas Eve. We've been doing it ever since before I was born even.

We used to get together at my Dearmom and Boppie's house every year but now that they are both gone, we rotate going to each of the children's house. One year it's at one of my aunts' houses, one year my family hosts and one year it's my uncle's turn.

Although Dearmom and Boppie are gone, we still continue all of the traditions, including gathering around the piano and singing Christmas tunes while the youngest of the bunch entertain us with their whimsical dancing/jumping around/crowd diving. It's fun times.

I would post pictures and videos but well, it's 11 p.m. and I'm under the influence of some major drugs so that I can defeat this crazy cold that I woke up with this morning. I'm surprised that this post is coming out slightly coherent.

I'll be back tomorrow sometime to finish up 12 Days of Christmas and then maybe I'll do a Christmas holiday wrap-up sometime before Easter. I'm shooting for Valentine's Day.

12 Things In 11 Days - #10 Wrapping Presents

I love wrapping presents. I love it so much that I'm thinking about opening my own present wrapping business. I think I could make some good buck.

Not only do I love wrapping presents, I'm quite good at it (if I can toot my own horn for a minute).

In middle school was in the Gifted program and we did this thing every year around Christmas time called the S.H.O.P Project. It was a market of sorts for charitable organizations and the gifted programs for the schools in my district were the ones that presented these organizations. The school group chose what charity to support, we did research, met with administrators of the charities and put together a booth to present that organization in a way that would encourage people to give money, whether it be selling things, asking for donations. Whatever.

Our charity that year was PALS, which was a shelter for battered and abused women and children. I think our object was to raise money for the shelter and have gifts donated.

Part of our display was going to be a Christmas tree with presents around it. I volunteered to wrap boxes to put around the tree. The day I did that in class, my teacher thought I was so great at it that she asked me to wrap her sons Christmas gifts. So, the next day she brought every single one of her son's Christmas gifts to school with her and I sat wrapping while everyone else did work.

Ha.

So if you've got some last minute wrapping you need done, and you don't feel like doing it, and you live in the Metro-Jackson area, give me a call.

I'll be glad to do it for a nominal fee.

12 Things In 11 Days - #9 MSU Basketball In Town

So today's favorite thing about Christmas time is that the Mississippi State Bulldogs actually come see me the week of Christmas instead of me having to go see them. Because that's so much easier.

The Bulldogs were in town today in the Capitol City at the Big House playing the Centenary Gentleman for a little pre-holiday action. I was so happy that I was actually getting to go to an athletic event and be a fan since that's not really a reality for me in my line of work. Cheering on press row is profoundly frowned upon in the sports information world.

I got to see this guy in action.

And this guy, who I am absolutely falling in love with, along with every other Mississippi State fan, scored his first points of the year tonight.

That's Sudan native John Riek, for those of you who don't know. He actually scored six points and had seven rebounds, which I thought was pretty darn good for a kid who barely knows English and doesn't understand the American way of basketball so much yet. Plus, kid has a lot of body to lug around. A. Lot. He reminded me of Marcus Campbell a little bit with is lanky-ness and awkwardness on the move.

Speaking of former basketball players, I sat behind one of my favs tonight. Whit Hughes. I had the biggest crush on him when they went to the Final Four in 1994. I remember seeing him at my cousin's wedding many years ago and because star-struck. So when he walked up tonight (I didn't recognize him at first without his swoop of hair), I freaked out a little inside. I was completely placid on the outside however. Ahem.

His sons and I ended up bonding over those silly band things (Silly Bandz). Then they started asking me questions about basketball. And I wanted to say, "Kids, do you know who your daddy is?!? He's the one you should be asking these questions to!"

Anyway, the Bulldogs won. By a lot. And drained 14 three-points. Always my favorite thing.

'Twas a good night.

12 Things In 11 Days - #6, #7 and #8

Okay, so sue me. I'm a major blog slacker these days. It's just that I don't know what to do with the week of freedom that I have from work, except not blog. But you'll forgive me because it's Christmas, right? Sure.

So here's my quick version of favorite things numbers five, six and seven. (Quick

6. Watching the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (recorded on TV, of course) with my sister as my nephew cuddles up in my lap. Sweet moment that was. He kept wondering where "Nono" (Elmo) was and I told him that the Rockettes never invited him because they didn't want to compete for stage time.

7. The fact that my Dad received George Strait's Christmas album and Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits as Christmas gifts from two of his teachers. Covered both ends of the spectrum but we all know that I'll only be copying one of those to my iTunes. (Ahem...Stevie.)

8. The Sing-Off. I hope these guys win.

'Nough said.

12 things In 11 Days - #5 Santa's Coming!

Call me lazy...because it's what I am. I'm spent today. It's almost 1 a.m., so technically I've missed the boat on posting on Friday but I blame Hoover, Ala., and the craziness that is the commercialism of Christmas and my GREAT idea to hand-make a Christmas present.

However, this clip is one of my favorite part of this movie and no matter what mood I'm in or how tired I am, this movie always makes me pee my pants from laughing so hard.

12 Things In 11 Days - #4 Charlie Brown Christmas

There's really no need for an explanation for this one. It's my favorite part of Charlie Brown Christmas.

12 Things In 11 Days - #3 Christmas Movies

I love Christmas movies almost as much as I love mashed potatoes and gravy. And folks, that's a lot of love right there.

I can say that I have one specific favorite but here are SOME of my favorites:
- The Polar Express
- Santa Claus: The Movie
- Elf
- Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey version)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The Santa Clause (1, 2 and 3)
- White Christmas
- A Christmas Story
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Prancer
- Miracle on 34th Street (the newer version)
- Home Alone (1 and 2)

I probably could go on and on.

All the movies about Santa Claus just make me believe in Santa every year. I love to watch and see how the creators of the movies describe what they would think Santa and the North Pole would be like. It's so magical.

And of course, White Christmas just makes you long for snow. I love Bing Crosby. His voice is so mezmorizing. Those old movies are so great. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

And how can you have Christmas without the Grizzwolds and the 24-hour marathon on TBS of A Christmas Story. So great.

What are some of your favorites?

12 Things In 11 Days

I had this grand idea to do 12 things I love about the Christmas season in the 12 days leading up to Christmas Day. One each day. Which would've meant that I needed to have had this little post up yesterday for it to be accurate but I seemed to have lost my time management skills in all the excitement of having the day off from work yesterday and well, here I am.

So I shall do 12 things in 11 days and today you get a double-doozy. The post. Not the cookie cake.

These are either things that I love about the holidays are that I HAVE. TO. HAVE. for it to actually feel like the holidays for me.

Thing #1:

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

This is the official start to my holiday season. It doesn't matter when I start listening to Christmas music or what day I start decorating, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the official kick-off to the Christmas season for me.

I was a tradition for my sister and I to get up early and watch the whole parade through. Our favorite part is the Rockettes, of course, although we also love the Broadway features.

Although my sister and I are grown, and she has her own family now, we both still get up and watch the parade, with a full recap of the whole thing as soon as we get together for Thanksgiving dinner.

There's nothing like seeing the "Big Man" Kris Kringle closing out that grand ol' holiday tradition to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Thing #2:

FBC Jackson's Carols By Candlelight


Ever since I can remember, Carols By Candlelight has been around. This year was actually the 40th anniversary of the program and I can't believe it's been that long.
I remember going as a little girl and being amazed by the story that was told. I know that millions of lives have been changed by this yearly display of the story of the Christ child. I've only heard a few stories but they are still enough to know that this is not just a yearly tradition -- it is a church's mission to spread the gospel to all ends of the earth.

When my family joined this church in 2003, my mom joined the choir (of course) and jumped right into Carols By Candlelight. She's been a part of special singing groups and has also sung several solos in past six years. It's so great to be able to see my mom using her talent to declare the glory of God in such an incredible way.


So there are your first two things of 12.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? What gets you in the Christmas spirit?