Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping Paper of Gift Bag? Wrapping paper with a stick on bow. Some years I actually take the time to do pretty ribbon.

2. Real tree or artificial? We have an artificial tree with lots of lights. I love it! We tried to go "green" once and bought a live tree but it died after we planted it. Even though real trees smell wonderful they bring on major allergy issues here.

3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving, of course! Ditto Diana!

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope...gross!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I really can't remember back that far. If I got the black sewing machine for Christmas (and not my birthday) that would be a good one. I loved to sew my own dresses back in the day.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Me...ask my family.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Mark...buy him a couple pairs of new jeans and give him a gift card to Home Depot you're set. Oh and don't forget the dark chocolate box of nuts and chews from See's.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Several! I even have a couple that are tree ornaments. I love them all!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail of course...You'd all go through withdrawls if you didn't get Mark's annual Chadwick Christmas letter. It's in the mail by the way! :-)

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

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I think it's "Borrowed Hearts" but I really like "White Christmas" too.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? During the Fall Birthday crush.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so. Do I get rid of anything?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Candy Cane flavored Hershey Kisses...I just discovered them this year....yum!!! I also like Cinnamon candy canes and English toffee!

16. Colored or clear lights? Colored lights outside in the yard, white on the house, and white on the tree.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I can only choose one???

18. Travel or stay at home? Stay at home. When my kids start moving away I'll probably want to travel though. Christmas isn't Christmas without your family close by.

19. Can you name all Santa's reindeer? I thought if I sung the beginning of Rudolf the Red Nose Raindeer I'd remember them all but I didn't. Bummer!

20. Angel or Star? Star this year.

21. Open presents on Christmas eve or the morning? Christmas Day! The boys keep trying to get us to let them open one Christmas eve but we're not giving in!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? It goes by way too fast!

23. Favorite ornament or theme color? I like all of the Nativitiy sets. :-)

24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? Christmas Day... Honey Baked Ham and "funeral patotoes." Don't forget the corn, rolls from mom, and green beans with mushroom soup too.

25. What do I want for Christmas this year? I've already got it! All of my kids here! :-)

26. White or Warm Christmas? WARM! I like the idea of snow but I'll leave it at that.

27. Favorite thing about Christmas? Seeing the kids open presents and then playing with them the rest of day. I'm usually on their "good side" all day. :-)

28. Favorite Christmas tradition? Drawing names within our family and going on a $5.00 per person shopping spree at Walmart.

29. Favorite Christmas location? HOME

30. Who do you tag??? Michelle, Mater, Deb (when you get a blog going)

Here's a few more pictures for those of you that couldn't be there!

Blaine is HOME!!!

Here we are now! Elder Chadwick is home and boy is it wonderful!

Elder Chadwick comes home!

This was us just a little over two years ago. It was the last time we saw Blaine. Look for an update later tonight. Elder Chadwick returns in 8 1/2 hours!!! Yeah!!!

Could Friday come any faster???

Could this week possibly go any slower??? No Emerson (Michelle or Matt) because they are on a cruise with Matt's family, Christmas decorations are put up, Blaine's room is almost ready, and Blaine comes home in less than 72 hours!!! ARGH! I guess I'll have to go clean the bathrooms, again, and do another Family Indexing page. I wonder what Christmas movie I should listen to???

I've been tagged!

Okay Mater so I'm totally wasting time! But here is my Picture Tag.

Great Great Grandma Butler holding her Great Great Grandson Emerson while his mommy looks on. I'm so very glad that she got to meet him before she left this past Spring. Now she looks upon us all from her peaceful place in Heaven. I love you Grandma!

Here are the instructions.

1. Go to your pictures

2. Upload the fourth picture in the fourth file.

3. Post

4. Tag 4 friends.

I tag Michelle, Diana, Skye, and Sunset and anyone else who might be looking on. :-)

Jacob has amazing talent! When he finally gets outdoors this is one of his favorite past times...building sand castles and adding fire! It took him two afternoons to build the castle and then another hour to hand sew all of the fire balls which were then doused in lighter fluid. It is pretty spectacular when it's all lit up!

As many of you know we are preparing for our missionary's return home. Today is one of his last P-days in the field so we get to email Blaine and hear from him. It is a highlight of our week. I thought he'd get a kick (bitter sweet) to see how long his "chain" is. Kevin was happy to hold it up for the picture. 16 more days!!!!

My sister Debbie just called and said, "ONE MONTH!!!" I thought huh? Then it hit one month from TODAY Blaine comes home! Our missionary will be HOME!!! I've been so geared to thinking Friday's, four more Friday's, that I missed "ONE MONTH!" Hang in there Elder Chadwick...finish strong! We LOVE you!

P-Day fun...I know Michelle is jealous! :-)

Elder Chadwick and friends

Making tortillas.

Eating cake!

Here's some photos of "The Missionary" for those of you who can't come by and view the slew of pictures we just got from him. Enjoy!

This has got to be the funniest video we've gotten from our missionary. If you know anything about "Monkey Brains" you'll love it.

And here's the haul. I don't think we gave out even half this much candy. Ugh!

I'm glad they had fun though.

Here's Kevin and his friends ready to go trick-or-treating. Kevin is following in his dad's footsteps as a crazy scientist. Some guys never grow up. :-)

This is the best when it comes to "boy and a dog!"

Watch Emerson getting to know Nate better.

I wanted to celebrate Mark's 50th Birthday in style but by request I'm keeping it low key. Here are a couple of pictures of our 25th Wedding Anniversary trip to Hawaii earlier this year. It was fabulous. I had the time of my life with my BEST FRIEND! I love you Mark...Happy 50th and many, many more!

This is Grandma and Emerson. We have so much fun! I'm so glad that I get to take care of him while his mom and dad are at work and school. I wouldn't trade this for anything!

Finally

Well the AZ Chadwicks finally have a blog, thanks to me, Michelle, The Eldest... and may I add most beautiful and smartest. Now we can keep in touch with them instead of my mom just blog stalking us all. J/K Hopefully I've shown her the basics so she can post herself otherwise I've just made a second blog for myself that I won't post on either :-). Soon there will be more posts, but until then we urge the straggling member of the sumsion girls to follow the eldest of the eldest's lead! Good luck Deb. -Michelle