Christmas to me

I've seen Christmas trivia lists floating around different blog sites....I hope you'll play too! I can't wait to read your list!

1. Best childhood gift from Santa: All my baby dolls. There was nothing like waking up Christmas morning, sneaking into the living room and seeing my new dolly sitting next to my stocking. My sisters and I would get our new babies and then go back to one of our bedrooms and try to sleep a few more hours until mom and dad woke up and it was officially OK to go see what Santa had brought us.

2. Best childhood memories: Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa West's house. The food was wonderful, there were lots of presents and usually a new nightgown that grandma had sewn for the granddaughters. After the party, we would go home and put our nightgowns on, turn on the christmas tree lights and the christmas music and twirl around in our new gowns.

3. Favorite Christmas cookie: Sugar cookies. My mom made the BEST sugar cookies. To this day I haven't found one I like better. They have just a touch of lemony flavor. Yummm.

4. It's not Christmas without: Oh. There are lots of things that make Christmas Christmas to me. The music for one thing, the lights, being with family, Sally Lund bread in the morning, and although I hate to say it, snow.

5. Christmas pet peeve: Hmm. Well it really bugs me when the stores put Christmas decorations out before Halloween is even over. It seems they want us to think Christmas earlier and earlier each year. Grumble, grumble.

6. Favorite Christmas music: Hands down, anything by Johnny Mathis. His voice is Christmas to me. It doesn't matter what he sings. I hear him and it's Christmas. I have many other favs, but he is at the top of my list.

7. Real or Fake: Fake! I do miss the smell of fresh pine in my house (there are candles that help with that now :)) but I do not miss the mess of the needles all over the house, watering the tree, and putting on the lights. I am a pre-lit-take-it-out-of-the-box kind of girl now.

8. I spend Christmas Eve: With Erik's family at our house. We share a meal, exchange gifts, take lots of pictures, and then when everyone is gone, do a quick clean up, put the kids to bed and spend the rest of the evening wrapping presents!

Your turn!