Christmas Questions

So, I've been on a blogging hiatus since May just purely because I got out of the habit.  It's been an exciting/busy 7 months...Graduating college, starting my job, studying/taking the CPA Exam (which is still an ongoing process), boyfriend moving to the same city, etc.  I'm hoping to get back into the blogging habit!  To start out, I will participate in this Christmas Question list because it looks like fun and I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Definitely wrapping paper!

2. Real tree or artificial? Always an artificial tree!

3. When do you put up the tree? Normally the weekend after Thanksgiving because we are often out of town Thanksgiving weekend!

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually New Year's Day or the week after!

 

5. Do you like eggnog? Love eggnog, but only drink it in small doses!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A doll house!!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? We have a couple...the TRUE meaning of Christmas is what it is all about!!

 

8. Hardest person to buy for? My brother!

9. Easiest person to buy for? My little cousin!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, I hope people don't stop mailing Christmas cards!  I absolutely love getting them in the mail.  It's a pet peeve of mine when people just sign their name on the Christmas card...I love letters, a photo, or personal note included!

 

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever recieved? Something from my Grandma...she's had some strange gifts in the past.  All the granddaughters would get the same gift, so we'd have to open it at the exact same time...one of the worst was probably a coin set.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? I have so many: The Santa Clause, A Miracle on 34th Street, and Home Alone.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday...I love all the shopping craziness!

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Haha, most definitely!!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cheesy potatoes!

16. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree? We have white on ours currently, but I love colored lights, too.

 

17. Favorite Christmas song? I am a Christmas music fanatic...I start listening in November!  My favorite song is probably Little Drummer Boy.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually travel because most of our relatives live on the other side of the state.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Rudolph, Prancer, Dasher, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen...and I guess that equals a no to this question because I'm sure there are more...ha!

20. Angel on the tree top or star? Angel!

21. Open the opesents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying this about this time of year? People who don't value the true meaning of Christmas and go crazy with gifts.

23. Favorite ornamnet, theme, or color? Everywhere we travel, we pick up a Christmas ornament, so I love putting the ornaments on the tree and thinking about all of our travel memories.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I honestly don't need anything for Christmas, so I'm most looking forward to celebrating my first Christmas with my boyfriend!

 

Joplin Tornado Hits Close to Home

I'm sure everyone has heard about the massive tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri on Sunday.  Joplin is about 3 hours south of me and I know many friends and family who live there.  I was driving through some severe weather myself when I heard about the tornado.  I immediately started worrying about my friends and family there.  Everyone I know is safe...so thankful.  I'm just sickened and brought to tears as I look at the images coming out of Joplin...it doesn't seem real.  It looks like a scene out of a really bad scary movie.

One of my good friends lost her home.  The Wal-Mart they've shown on tv numerous times is managed by my mom's cousin...he was not there at the time.  Another one of my friends had no damage to her home and immediately went out to help rescue others and saw casualties as she helped pull people out of a church.  I also know someone indirectly who was in the St. John's Hospital at the time, and ended up being airlifted to another hospital and is recovering there.  Unfortunately, Joplin is not out of the woods yet.  They are under a high threat for tornadoes again today.  Please keep the people of Joplin in your prayers.  The death toll is around 117 currently and expected to rise.  The city has a LONG road of rebuilding ahead.

Here are some images that just make my heart ache:

Video from Weather Channel as the Reporter gets very emotional

Front Page of Newspaper in Springfield, MO

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I've been a TERRIBLE blogger lately!  End of school year stuff and the CPA Exam is leaving me little time to do anything outside of studying.  But, I do have some things I'm loving today and hopefully after graduation this weekend I will be able to blog more again!  :)  Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

I'm LOVING the sunshine and warm weather trend we've had since last Friday!!  80+ degrees with not a cloud in the sky is my kind of weather!

I'm LOVING that I will take my third part of the four part CPA exam tomorrow and only have about two more weeks to go...until scores come in that is.  ;)  Hopefully I don't have to re-take every single part!

I'm LOVING Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem."  I'm not normally a huge Jason Aldean fan, but I am a fan of this song!!!

I'm LOVING Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee".  I kid you not that I have probably listened to this song a 100 times over the last few weeks!

I'm LOVING that I'm done with all my college course work and GRADUATING with my Bachelors and Masters of Accountancy this weekend!!!  :) :) :)

7 Facts Blog Award

THANK YOU Gabriella for tagging me with the 7 Facts Blog Award!  I'm honored!  Gabriella, you're one of my favorite blog people!  You're awesome!!

1. So, last time I was tagged for this award, one of my facts was I had never been in a real relationship in my life.  Well, that has now changed!!  :)  God has blessed me with an incredible boyfriend who is making me feel so special and happy every single day.  We will have been dating one month come April 5th!  Our anniversary of March 5th is really special to me as well because it was the day my grandparents were married!

2. I hate commercials!  I record almost everything I watch and have recorded everything since middle school before DVR's ever came out.  I am a pro with using a VCR and VHS tape to record!  DVR is a GREAT invention!

3. I love to travel!  I've been to 29 of the 50 states.  I want to visit all 50 states before I die!

4. My dream gig as an accountant would be to be the accountant who counts the votes for an award show like the Oscars and then presents them to the host.  Most of you have probably never noticed this part of the show, but I certainly have...haha.

5. I am addicted to Twitter!  I absolutely love it!!  I find out so much useful and useless information from that thing!  My friends make fun of me because I'm constantly mentioning things I read on Twitter.

6. I never really watched cartoons as a kid except "Recess."  For some reason, I found most of them to be boring.  I preferred to watch "I Love Lucy"...my all-time favorite television show!

7. I love cats!  My cat, Lucy (yes, she's named Lucy because of "I Love Lucy" in the fact above), is so precious and I adore her!  She loves shoeboxes!

I'm passing this award on to:
Jenn
Jessica
Michelle

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday!  What are you loving today?

I'm LOVING that I'm on Spring Break this week...even though I'm cramming for the CPA Exam, at least I don't have class.

I'm LOVING that I only have two exams left in my college career!!!  (I'm not counting the daunting CPA Exam though because that's not a school exam)

I'm LOVING that I got to attend mass with my boyfriend at this beautiful Cathedral Basilica on Sunday!  Absolutely incredible!  Can't help but feel the presence of God in such a masterpiece.  Church architecture is my favorite!

Happy Wednesday!!!