Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Are you cooking Christmas dinner? How many will be round your table this year? What are we having?

A friend will be frying a turkey for us to bring home. We'll be having dressing and I'm not sure what else at this point. There will be five here: my husband, our three remaining children and me.

2. What is one must-have Christmas cookie in your house?

Sugar cookies! I love sugar cookies.

3. Santa likes a glass of milk with his cookies-do you? What kind of milk is on tap at your house-skim, almond, soy, full fat (Gasp!)

I love milk with cookies, but milk doesn't love me, so I don't have it very often. Santa and the little elves all drink 2%, when we can find it. When we can't, we buy whole milk. Skim milk is ICKY! For some reason, the local store has an awful time of keeping 2%. I can't imagine that there's suddenly been a high demand for it, but maybe everyone around here decided to lessen the fat in their milk to make room for more cookies?

4. Time magazine recently named its Person of the Year for 2011. This is the person the editors believe has had the greatest impact, for better or worse, in the past year. This year they chose 'The Protester'. Your thoughts? Who would you name person of the year for 2011?

As far as having an impact on the world as a whole, I cannot answer this. But impact on me personally and a large number of other people who are praying for them, I would have to say Braden and Kate. These two little ones have gone through so much in their young lives, more than many of us will experience in our entire lifetimes. They have cancer. They suffer tremendous pain and yet they keep on fighting. They hold onto faith. No matter what happens, they are fighters and they will win. They will find healing and I am praying that this healing brings with it long and happy lives for each of them.

They have been teachers of priorities, detours, and perseverance. They have taught what really matters: love, being happy in the moment, and being thankful for what you do have. These children are heroes in my eyes.

Here is a link to the foundation that Braden's family has set up to help all children to some day be free of such tragic illnesses: Braden's Hope

This site has been set up by Kate's family: Pray for Kate

Please pray for these precious children and all like them, fighting battles that are difficult even for adults. Thank you!

5. December 21st is National Flashlight Day...when was the last time you needed a flashlight? Did you know right where to find one?

We almost always leave something in the car that we meant to bring into the house and don't remember that we forgot it until the middle of the night. This is an almost nightly occurrence. "Fishy" (the name our kids gave the flashlight) lives on the stand beside our television.

6. candy canes...yum or yuck?

I think that candy canes are pretty but that is about as far as it goes for me. They make me sick to my stomach. I don't think that they taste bad, really, they just don't agree with me. They make great Christmas tree ornaments.

7. What Christmas carol lyric means the most to you?

I like all of Silent Night, especially the version done by Enya called Oiche Chiun. It is the most beautiful, most peaceful version I have ever heard. The song says "all is calm" and this version of the song just washes me with that calmness. Just beautiful.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas filled with love, laughter, and family all around and a new year full of the same. May Our Father bless you all richly as you seek to be the best that you can be.