RYAN'S 25

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I can't wrap (no that's not a white man joke). But I prefer the sentimental moments of watching what someone beautifully hand crafted and wrapped with ribbons and bows (and took 30 minutes to do), be destroyed within seconds in a moment of fury and passion.

2 . Real tree or Artificial? For ambiance and reality-Real. For practicality and simplicity-Artificial and prelit. Someday, I'm not even going to take the ornaments off. I'm just going to put a plastic bag over it, and put it down stairs.

3 . When do you put up the tree? Ideally, Thanksgiving Day. I have this dream of owning land, planting a million Christmas trees, and going out with the kids, or eventually grandkids, sometime after the Thanksgiving meal, and cutting down a huge tree and decorating it as a family as we sip hot chocolate and sit by the fire. Wait, I prefer an artificial tree. Sentiment means nothing anymore.

4. When do you take the tree down? Our first Christmas, Ruth and I got a real tree, and tried to turn it into a Valentine's Tree, decorated with "love stuff". About mid to late January, we took the brown twig to dad's house. He was excstatic. Free firwood! He chopped it in half, and put the top half in the fireplace and lit it. It shot a flame across the room, and a plume of black smoke up the wall. Nearly burnt the house down. Great story! Now we take it down a week or two after Christmas.

5. Do you like egg nog? I remember liking it as a kid, but whenever I try it today, it tastes like two month old milk. Anyone got a good home made recipe? Maybe with a little rum?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I choose to forget my childhood. Not because I'm bitter, I just don't remember. I remember being bitter when David received a brand new bike. Baby of the family. He always got the good stuff.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, they seem to fake and staged. I prefer to imagine a more real picture of what it might have looked like.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Ruth's Dad.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Me. If I see it, like it, need it, and can (not neccessarily) afford it, I'll get it. You know what they say . . . "It's easier to ask for forgiveness, than to ask for permission." Otherwise, the kids, especially Elaine. Ruth's mom is easy, just send her pictures of the kids in a frame.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. It breaks up the junk mail and the bills we get. Plus we like to build that "wall" of all the cards. And you know who your real friends are. It's always nice to see family pics, especially as people gain weight and children and see how they change. I like the "family letters" where people brag of their kid's accomplishments. That's not self serving at all. Yes, I do it too.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Last year, old-fashioned pocket watch that was purchased in one of those claw vending machines. It's the thought . . . A few years ago, I got a bag of microwave Kettle Corn left over from when we vacationed at someone's house. Both gifts came from the same person, and yes, I ate the Kettle corn.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? In no particular order

-It's A Wonderful Life-Best line: at the end, when everyone is coming in the house bringing in money, and George's brother comes in "Harry, Harry". Classic Jimmy Stewart voice.

-The Grinch (classic Dr. Suess, not the Jim Carrey version)- Best part: When his heart grows three sizes. Reminds me of my heart when we sit down and eat all this garbage food during the holidays.

-Home Alone-I have nightmares that someday I'll do that to one of my kids. If it's Aaron, I'll probably just enjoy my vacation before I go back to get him.

-White Christmas-Come on! What's not to like? Classic Bing, war heroes, romantic ties, it snows just in time for Christmas! (Oops! Did I just ruin the ending?)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'll answer a question with a question. When does it end?

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes a pair of underwear I wore for a week. I'm kidding! I think I recycled a gift card once.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Yellow snow. To quote Ice Age: The Meltdown, "Food, Glorious Food". Those cookies that have the Hershey's Kisses in the middle, pure genius.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear, inside, outside, doesn't matter, Clear. And non-blinking.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Anything by MercyMe, especially their version of "I Heard the Bells". Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer", "Mary, Did You Know?" "O Holy Night"-David Phelps' version Kenny G's "Auld Lang Syne" with the radio background. Chris Rice's "Welcome to Our World", They are technically not Christmas songs, but "Here I Am to Worship" and "In Christ Alone"

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Have you ever heard the song "I'll Be GONE For Christmas"? Of course not.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Only because it's the opening line to "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer", He's not an original, so it's ironic, I suppose.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Either way it's cheesy, and they always fall off, or don't go on straight. Keep it Au Naturel.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One each on Christmas Eve, make sure it is not clothes, and do it early enough that the kids can enjoy it for a while. Our tradition is to sleep under the tree on Christmas Eve with the lights on. Open the rest in the morning, after coffee of course.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? In no particular order:

Rampant Selfishness

No Snow on Christmas Day

Christmas movies where the people who have the strongest belief in Santa magically save the world from imminent doom and peril.

Waiting in line at Walmart, grocery store, post office, traffic, etc.

When I get caught up in the "stuff" of the season, and miss the whole point, Christ.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I prefer the dark crimson and gold. I'm a sucker for beautifully themed trees in department stores. Love the overdone decorated yards in the area. I'm glad someone else has the time and energy to make up for my "Grinch" spirit.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? When we were kids, Mom used to make Tenderloin and monkey-bread. Now I prefer the pot-luck theme we do as a family. Way to much food to eat in such a little time.

25 . What do you want for Christmas this year? More sentiment and emotion. My parents, and all my brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews & children to get together soon for a huge family time and picture. Maybe not this year, but soon.