Christmas Tag!

I've never done one of these tag games before, so here it goes! For anyone else who wants to play... here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post and paste into your own blog. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag your friends! Tis the Season to be NICE! HO HO HO


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift wrap...if I can find a box for those funky shaped things!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial! As much as I love the smell of a real tree, the mess kills me!

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day - it's never as much fun to take down as it is to put up!

5. Do you like eggnog? I can take it or leave it

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Fisher Price people!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Lit for sure!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Kids

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Love, love, love my nativity!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail and if time hand-made too!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't really think of anything!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Muppet Christmas Carol! We watch it ever Christmas Eve...though the Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart is a very close second.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually in early November, but this year I started off way late!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Don't think so, but wouldn't admit it if I had! LOL!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Swedish Thumbprint cookies and Shortbread

16. Lights on the tree? Of course!

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh I can't choose! Maybe Carol of The Bells.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? How many are there? LOL!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Only one opened Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning....AFTER breakfast!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds! I won't go anywhere near a store or mall on a Saturday in December!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Rustic

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Everything!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? World peace!! Well, I'd be happy just with peace among my kids!

26. Who do you tag? Anyone who wants to play

Marissa without braces!!

That's right! After having braces on for only 11 months, Marissa got her braces off yesterday! And her teeth look gorgeous. I can't believe that I still have mine on! Ugh! Congratulations Marissa!

Festival of Trees

This is our second year of making a tree for the Festival of Trees. It's so much fun! And it feels good knowing that every dime goes to little children who need medical care. We all just love the Festival of Trees! And the kids have already talked about what theme to do for a tree next year. :) This year Janica and Marissa helped with decorating and came up to the decorating day on Monday. Here is our tree! We called it "Warm Winter Wishes" and decorated it with snowmen and have hot chocolate with it. If anyone goes to the Festival, our tree is on row D with the smaller trees on the tables. :)

Janica in the spotlight

I can't leave Janica out and post videos only of Marissa. :) Unfortunately all of Janica's good dance videos are too big for blogger, so this is the only one I could get to fit. Look at how she has to compete against kids a lot bigger and older than she is! But, I'm proud of her because she made it to the finals in all of her events despite being one of the smallest kids out there. Way to go Janica!

Congratulations Marissa!

Last Friday and Saturday was a large Dancesport competition at BYU, the largest of the fall season. And I'm so proud of Marissa. She placed 1st in Junior Samba, 2nd in Youth Rumba (that's an age category older than she needs to compete in), and 4th in Junior Smooth. She was bummed because she didn't make it to the final in her Rhythm event, but they still danced well and I was proud of them. There were over 40-50 kids in some of these events, so you can see how well she did. Here's a little video of her Rumba (because her other videos are just a bit too big to upload to the blog!)

Dancing Janica

We do a lot of ballroom in the Fall. Ballroom competitions every other weekend! But it's fun. There is a new rule in ballroom that changes the age category that Janica can dance it so now she has to compete against Marissa and kids twice as tall as her! But I'm so proud of her and she holds her own against those big kids. She's fabulous! Here's a few pictures of her and her partner Tyler.

Let's Lindy

Marissa and her dance partner Tanner, made up a routine for a dance called the Lindy. They made it up in about 10 minutes and then competed it at a competition 2 days later. Talk about gutsy! And they took 3rd! The video was too long to post here, but here's a cut picture.