New Year's Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge Wednesday and I am joining Joyce at From This Side of the Pond in answering her hodgepodge of questions.  Click on the link and go say hi to Joyce!

1. What three words would you use to describe 2010?
Amazing
Fun
Firsts

2. If fear were not an issue what is something you'd like to try?
Scuba diving.  I have always thought it would be a really neat thing to do, but I can't even snorkel very well because I get out in the middle of the ocean and start to think about wow, I'm out in the middle of the ocean and I get a little panicky.

3. What do you add to your coffee or tea?
I don't drink coffee.  When Hubby and I lived in Georgia I loved the sweet tea.  I'm sorry, it's pronounced swait tai with the long 'a' sound.  Were it not for the calories I would drink it swait all the time, but usually I opt for unsweet, nothing in it but lemon, and the stronger the better. 

4. What historical sporting event would you like to witness?
I'm honestly not that big into sports, but it would probably be something baseball, maybe the World Series with the Braves playing.

5. What is one piece of advice you would like to give your sixteen year old self?

That those bangs would look ridiculous in 20 years? 

Seriously, I think I would tell myself to be true to myself and not to change to try to make other people happy or like me.  I also would have probably gotten into a little more mischief, had I realized that my "permanent file" wasn't so permanent after all.

6. Are you a planner or do you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants?
I plan things out to the nth degree.  For every plan, there is a Plan A,B,C,D,E,F,G....back up plan.  Do you know what happens to people like me?  God laughs and then he throws you a curve ball that you could never see coming to remind you that He is in control. 
Hubby is also a planner but we have tried in recent years to be a bit more spontaneous.  It mostly ends up being what we like to call "planned spontaneity."  We plan to do something spontaneous at such and such of a time, and it might include this or that activity.  It's a start, anyway.

7. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2011?
I can't think of one particular thing I am looking forward to this year.  I am excited about all of the possibilities this year holds.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

When do you take down your Christmas decorations?  I usually leave everything up until Epiphany, which is tomorrow.  To me, Christmas isn't really over until you have celebrated the coming of the Wisemen to see baby Jesus.  We talk about the Wisemen coming and sing about the "Star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright."  It seems only right that we celebrate through their arrival to see the Holy Baby.  This year I took my trees down a little early because my house was starting to feel a little claustrophobic with everything still out.  However, our nativity scenes are still up.  Those will remain out a little while longer to help us maintain our focus on Baby Jesus.  Prince asked me yesterday, "Mommy, after Baby Jesus was born, did he grow into a toddler and then a kid like I did?" 

"Yes, Prince.  He sure did grow into a kid like you are and he did this so that he could know what it is to be human, to go through the things we all go through."  It's amazing to think about...fully human, yet fully divine.


This is Prince and Princess, age 2, playing with the baby Jesus from their Fisher Price nativity scene.  So curious even at such a young age.