Name That Christmas Carol (Quiz)

I LOVE WORD GAMES! Hope this helps you get into the Christmas Fun...if you're not already!

Remember, do not cheat and do not scroll to the bottom until you have given this game a fair effort!

Name That Christmas Carol (Quiz)

1. Quadruped with crimson proboscis
2. 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without noise
3. Miniscule hamlet in the far east
4. Ancient benevolent despot
5. Adorn the vestibule
6. Exuberance directed to the planet
7. Listen, aerial spirits harmonizing
8. Monarchial trio
9. Yonder in the haystack
10. Assemble, everyone who believes
11. Hallowed post meridian
12. Fantasies of a colorless December 25th
13. Tin tintinnabulums
14. A dozen 24-hour Yule periods
15. Befell during the transparent bewitching hour
16. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor
17. I merely desire a pair of incisors
18. I spied my maternal parent osculating a fat man in red
19. Perambulating through a December solstice fantasy
20. Aloft on the acme of the abode
21. Slumber in ethereal quiet.
22. Hey there! The announcing celestial beings carol.
23. O greetings of ease and happiness.
24. On commencement of Yuletide my honey bestowed upon me.
25. Decorate the passage with branches of evergreen sprigs.
26. Once upon a misty night prior to Christ's birthday.
27. Ooh, celestial body of marvel, celestial body of strength.
28. With a vegetable stem smoker and clothes fastening snout.
29. It's a fluff-ball sphere in the cold season.
30. Come on, come on, come on, get moving.
31. O scared darkness, the asterisks are brilliantly shimmering.
32. It's fixin' to appear extremely similar to December 25th.
33. Small children with their optical aids entirely illuminated.
34. Loyal buddies that are important to ourselves collect closely to ourselves again.
35. Boppin' while circling the tannenbaum...
36. Royalty of royalties always and always...
37. O approach, y'all devoted happy and victorious...
38. Urban walkways, congested walkways, trimmed in a festive manner...
39. Ah! The atmospheric condition beyond is terrific...
40. Percussion instruments jingle, are you harking...
41. Remarked the evening breeze to the tiny sheep...
42. Wishing your dates be gleeful and intelligent...
43. Harmony on the planet, kindness to Homo sapiens...
44. Hop in the sack, hide your noggin, since the fat man comes this evening...
45. Ourselves bid yourselves a joyous Noel and a cheerful neoteric 365 days...



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ANSWERS:

1. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
2. Silent Night
3. O' Little Town of Bethlehem
4. Good King Wenceslas (or some say Jolly Old St. Nicholas)
5. Deck the Halls
6. Joy to the World
7. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
8. We Three Kings
9. Away in a Manger
10. Come All Ye Faithful
11. O Holy Night
12. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
13. Silver Bells
14. The Twelve Days of Christmas
15. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
16. Frosty the Snowman
17. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth
18. I Saw Momma Kissin' Santa Claus
19. Walking Through a Winter Wonderland
20. Up on the Rooftop
21. Sleep in heavenly peace... "Silent Night"
22. Hark! the herald angels sing... "Hark the Herald"
23. O tidings of comfort and joy... "God rest ye merry gentlemen"
24. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me... "The Twelve Days of Christmas"
25. Deck the halls with boughs of holly... "Deck the Halls"
26. Then one foggy Christmas Eve... "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer"
27. Ooh star of wonder, star of might... "Star of Wonder"
28. With a corncob pip and a button nose... "Frosty the Snowman"
29. It's a marshmallow world in the winter... "It's a Marshmallow World"
30. Giddyap, giddyap, giddyap let's go... "Let is Snow"
31. O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining... "O Holy Night"
32. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
33. Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow... "The Christmas Song"
34. Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more... "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
35. Rockin' 'round the Christmas tree...
36. King of Kings, forever and ever... "Hallelujah"
37. Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant... "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"
38. City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style... "Silver Bells"
39. Oh, the weather outside is frightful... "Let it Snow"
40. Sleigh bells ring, are you listening... "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"
41. Said the night wind to the lamb... "Do You Hear What I Hear"
42. May your days be merry and bright... "White Christmas"
43. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men... "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
44. Jump in bed, cover up your head, 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight... "Here comes Santa Claus"
45. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.... "We wish you a Merry Christmas"

RESULTS:
34 - 45 Correct - You don't need any Yuletide spirit!
21 - 33 Correct - You could use something in your stocking!
0 - 20 Correct - Are you the grinch??

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Here they are...the pictures from the infamous traditional Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Check out the links to the pictures:

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party - Part 1
Ugly Christmas Sweater Party - Part 2

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Tour of Homes

I have seen this concept on on several blogs and think it is fantastic! With all of us living here and yon, it is a great way to share our Christmas Deco and sentimental pieces with our friends. So, here goes my house:

This is my entry way table with my Santa's. Each one was given to me by either a friend or my Mom. My favorite is the Pickenpaugh Santa made by Merry Pickenpaugh in Madison, MS. (Mother of my cousin, Brandee) I keep waiting for her to make more so that I can expande my collection....so, if anyone sees them, please let me know!

These loaves of bread and ornaments were "favors" given to my "Football Family" last weekend when I hosted. The bread is something that I enjoy making (and they supposedly love eating) and the Fleur de Lis is representative of my favorite NFL team, the Saints, my infamous tradition of the Annual Mardi Gras Party, but most importantly the Trinity. Christmas is an appropriate time to remember the development of this.

This is my Christmas Tree in the front windows of the house. You cannot see the lights, but I assure you they are on!

My mantle. Each year I do something different. To me, the house is not decorated until my mantle is illuminated. I love this part of my house. My Mom painted the painting about 2 years ago. It's a 50" canvas. Sitting in my living room at night with nothing but the mantle and Christmas Tree lit is very peaceful.

In the Kitchen I have a Christmas Card Tree that holds all my Christmas Cards that I receive throughout the season. I love it more and more as the cards start to fill in the spaces. It reminds me of my friends and family that love me enough to share a $.43 stamp! I am trying to figure out how to preserve them each year, so if you have any suggestions let me know!

This is the guest bathroom. These snowmen were given to me by my friend, Courtney. She LOVES snowmen and for whatever reason she gave me these 3 that were hers...

This, above all other Christmas decorations I have, is my favorite. This Nativity set is so very special to me. It was handmade by Prudence McGehee of Meadville. The set is complete and it only displayed in places where I know I (or anyone else that visits) cannot bump or knock over. It was a limited edition that is no longer made. I love this set because I know its creator so well AND it reminds me of our creator who made us all!

Gumdrop Trees. Each year I strive to make something festive and edible. I am usually hosting a party and want something "new" to serve. This year, it's the gumdrop trees for the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Gumdrop Trees are a tradition in my family that was started by my Grandaddy Joseph. As a kid we would make these with him and those particular memories are so strong this year. I just had to make them. I hope they will travel well to MS...if not, guess we'll just have to recreate them :)

I hope that each of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Happy New Year!

Gumdrops

Every Christmas I try to make something that is both festive and edible. Last year it was the peppermint cake on the cover of Southern Living. This year, it is gumdrop trees. When I see gumdrop trees I always think of my Grandaddy. He LOVES gumdrops and taught us as kids to love them, too. He will never admit it, but he loved making gumdrop trees just as much as we did. He always made his first so that we would have a "model" and then help us make ours. It was a special time for me growing up. It's funny how you take those moments for granted. I didn't realize just how special those memories were until I was grown. Funny, isn't it?


This weekend was "company party" weekend. Kraft's party was Friday night and Dr Pepper's was Saturday night. In keeping with custom, I held the Kraft Pre-Party at my house. The girls did make-up and jewelry before the guys arrived. The only difference this year was that I didn't get all gussied up (as I now work for Dr Pepper)...but it was fun to be with the others and help them get all glammed. Here is a picture of them right as they were walking out the door to go. What you don't see is me and 2 other neighbors dressed down and about to make the gumdrop trees :) Melissa, John, and Shelley were making funny faces in the background (I didn't get a snapshot as my camera battery died...go figure!). Aren't they a good lookin' bunch???

L-R

Eric & Jazmin, Ross & Courtney and Brian & Julie.

My company party pics are off-limits right now as I am not sure how they all feel about making the blog. Since it was mostly my managers and senior management in the pictures, I don't think I need to chance that possible career suicide.

I did, however, make it to church Saturday night before the DrP party. In a word? Heaven. The service was perfect. It got me deeper into the "real" Christmas Spirit. It was just what I needed after a quite emotional and stressful week. You can check out this link to hear the sermon. (click on Saturday Night) It was on Joy. (The Joy candle was lit on the Advent wreath). I do wish that Fellowship had recorded the entire service as all of you would enjoy it. The music team arranges each piece and they do such a nice job breathing life into common hymns and songs. It is indescribable. However, to get a taste of what it's like you can listen to Casting Crowns and Travis Cottrell's Christmas albums.....but Saturday night was better than that.

Today my day to host Football. I made a big pot of my Aunt Carolyn's Chicken-n-Dumplins. They turned out really good, but not near as good as Aunt C's! Even the kids ate them up....I was stunned!

I hope that each of you have a great week. May each day bring you deeper into the "real" Christmas Spirit.

Quotes

I heard 3 quotes last week at a business meeting that have really stuck with me. Thought I'd share them with all of you:

If everything looks like it's under control, then you're not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti

Most people don't recognize opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work - Thomas Edison

In today's business environment, "Big fish don't eat small fish, FAST fish eat SLOW fish." - unknown.

Thanksgiving

What a week! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving was over a week ago and I am just now posting about it. This week has been absolutely crazy busy!

To highlight my Thanksgiving, I will simply say that it was one of the best yet. Not only was my first niece, Callie, born, but I also got to have a quality visit with my extended family at the Lake. This year was the "off" year where those that rotate between our family and in-laws went to the in-laws. So....for those of us who were at the Lake, we really got a lot of one-on-one time. It was great!

Another great bonus to last week was the early arrival of my cousin's daughter, Addison. As I was going home to Meadville on Monday (before T-giving), I stopped by the hospital to see Dana, my cousin. She felt that when she went to her Doctor that morning, that she would not go home, but rather stay at the hospital. So, about 6:30 when I stopped by to check on her, I was met by Dana's Mom, Patsy, running to the lobby to get the rest of the family. Baby Addison about to be delivered. It was neat to hit that "perfect timing" mark. I'd never been to a delivery before. It was a very special moment to witness Chris (Dana's husband) walk out with the brand new Addison Reese!

Speaking of babies...which seem to be the ongoing theme...I got to meet my "new" cousin, Kale. He is the 6-mo old son of my cousin Summer. They live just outside of Chattanooga. Because of the distance, none of us had met him before last week when they came home for Thanksgiving. He's such a cute baby boy! For those of you that know my Uncle Tim, know that Kale is the spitting image of him.....

This week has been so harried. It was attributed to EVERTHING happening within the last 5 days. The few days after a holiday are always crazy at work, I had "double-header" buyer appointments yesterday afternoon, bought Christmas for a single-parent family that my friend, Sarah, and I support each year, planned a Sustainer Cocktail Party for Junior League that is tonight, AND went to the Casting Crowns Christmas Celebration (tickets bought a while back when I had NO idea that this week would be so busy!!). Needless to say, I will be very happy when the party if over tonight and I can "crash and burn" until Monday. Seriously.

Here are a few links to pictures. I just can't choose which ones I want to use here, so I'll just use them all! Enjoy -

Note: I have never linked to Snapfish before on this blog. If you don't have a log-in, it's worth creating one as I LOVE to use their service to develop pictures.

Thanksgiving 08

Just A Few More...

These were taken on Sunday, Nov 23...the day Callie and Stephanie came home.

Mom & Mamawgran made the linens and covering for the bassinet. This bassinet was used with me and my siblings, my cousins Stacy & Ashley and now Callie.

BABY PICTURES!

Here she is...Callie Rivers Sullivan

BABY GIRL IS HERE!

CALLIE RIVERS SULLIVAN
was born on Nov 22 at 12:11a.m. at River Oaks Hospital. She weighed 7lbs and was 19.75". Mom and Baby Girl are doing great!

Mike Huckabee

Here lately it seems that I have had a lot of exposure to authors. As of late, I have been mesmerized by politics and have gained somewhat of an interest in them. Mike Huckabee has been on my radar since I first moved to Arkansas. He was the Governor for 10 years and people in this state LOVE him. So, it is no surprise that when he authored his latest book, he paid his respects to his neighbors and constituents. Tonight, I got to meet him, shake his hand and have several copies of his latest book signed. He is every bit as personable in person as he appears on TV. He looks much younger in person, also. There is kindness about him that just radiates. Here are a few pics....

Baby Girl

Baby Girl is on her way....Stephanie's contractions just started. Pray that it is not too long of a night ;)

The Elf Dance

For those of you who know my friend, Gina, you know that she is just always full of something....today, she was full of creativity. The link below is something she created on JibJab for me and our other friend, Melissa. (We used to do Triathlons together and have remained friends all these years).

I needed a good belly laugh today and Gina pulled through! Hope you enjoy....

The Elf Dance

I have been "blog tagged" by my friend, Haley, so I'm playing along! The rules are as follows:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Haley is already there!)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random thoughts about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Here are my 6 random thoughts...
1. I cannot wait to learn to use my new "real" camera...anyone have advice?
2. I am very interested in politics....Sarah Palin inspires me. Maybe one day this Corporate American girl will be in office.
3. Life is too short to live with regrets. I need to try harder to do better.
4. I don't eat eggs. I have learned this weekend that some people think that is wierd?
5. I need to get an exercise routine underway...the cold weather makes it quite difficult for me to get motivated!
6. I never leave the house without the bed made, dishes put away or in the dishwasher or my cell phone in hand.

I tag anyone who wants to participate.

Cycles & Sandi

Cycles....seems that my life is made up of cycles. Right now it seems that my life is in the cycle of dealing with change. Change is the one constant in life, but isn't it nice when things stay the same for a little while? Just when I get used to something, it changes. Just when I make a really good friend, he/she moves. Just when I think that I am on the right track, I'm not. Just when I think everything is "as it should be", I realize that I am living in a dream. In the midst of all this impending change right now, my soul thirsts for something calm, comforting and familiar. The unknown is sometimes more daunting than it should be...especially when you're a Christian and have faith that everything is okay. It's hard to keep focus of that. As I see people around me moving into different stages of their lives and how mine may or may not compare (yes, I know we are not supposed to compare ourselves with others...). But, it's almost impossible not to take a hard, honest look at yourself when everyone and everything around you seems to be changing. For me, It has been in the last couple of weeks that I have thirsted for the ever-comforting familiar. Music always gets me back there...don't know why, but it does. It goes directly to my soul and strikes a chord like no other. Whether is an old country song or a hymn, music is the channel of the familiar.

All of my life it seems that I have been drawn to the music of GOOD Christian artists. In particular, Sandi Patty. For whatever reason I ran across the Sandi Patty website the other day. Did you know that she has released a new album AND a new book? I enjoyed her book, Broken in the Back Row, but I haven't enjoyed her last few projects all that much. After listening to the sample player, I realized that the "old Sandi" has returned in this latest project. PayPal had a hard time keeping up with how quickly I ordered the new release! UPS delivered my order last night and when I loaded the CD player this morning, you should have seen me wailing in the car...the drivers of the passing cars must've thought I was crazy. It is really good stuff!! It's Beethoven meets John Williams good. It's been a while since Sandi put out such a great record. Click here for a sample of Songs for the Journey. I hope that you enjoy it half as much as I did.

In the end, all that matters in life is that we followed Jesus to the best of our ability. May each of us have faith and never lose the connections in our souls of the familiar in this ultimate life-changing journey.

Tozer Quote

I ran across this today and it just slapped me silly across the face. The more I sit and actually think about this, the deeper the analysis. I haven't been pleased with what I have found, either. May you have better insight...

Whatever comes into your heart and mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.' -- A.W. Tozer

Christmas Music

Christmas music and Halloween weekend typically do not go hand-in-hand, but last week when I was in Wal-Mart I passed the Christmas music display. I love good Christmas music. It's my favorite season of the year and I wish it lasted more than just 3.5 weeks. As I was standing in front of the display, I picked up FOUR Christmas albums that I knew were to be "winners". I purchased them (rather impulsively, I might add) and immediately loaded the CD changer in my car...in the parking lot! Did I mention that the date was Oct 29...right before Halloween?? Crazy, I know. On Oct 30, I was driving down to Mississippi (9.5 hour road trip) and the thought of listening to my FOUR new Christmas albums just got me all excited about the time on the road. Now, I've trekked this trip many times over the last 2.5 yrs that I've lived in Arkansas and have gotten pretty creative on how to keep myself entertained. But on this trip, I listened to my FOUR albums the entire time, specifically the Casting Crowns Christmas Album, Peace on Earth. If you do not have it, BUY IT! It's the best $13 you'll spend this year on Christmas music. Here are the links to my Four albums:

Casting Crowns Christmas - Peace on Earth (favorite)
Faith Hill - Joy To The World
Brian Setzer - Christmas Rocks
Amy Grant - Christmas Collection

One thing I realized after the 20 hours of road-time Christmas Music Fest: this music lifts my spririts and brings an immediate peace over me. Maybe it's my hectic, stressful, fast-paced lifestyle that desires something calm, or maybe it's that I truly understand why this music exists. Either way, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" and I hope that you are getting into the spirit, too.

Merry early Christmas!

The Morning After

For many people, last night was devastating. (God knows that Facebook was a livewire of emotion!) For many others, it was a time for celebration and the anticipation of "change." I am not one that enjoys debating politics, but I do find myself playing devils advocate in many conversations. Both presidential candidates understood that "change" was needed in Washington. Both brought their best action plans forward to obtain it. Only 1 walked away the winner. As with any race, there is a winner and a loser. How we embrace our wins and losses determines our attitude and is ultimately a reflection of our character. With that said, I wish I could tell you that our Christian communities and friends have responded to this Republican defeat with grace and dignity. Surprisingly, it's quite the opposite. With responses like this across the country, we should stop and pray for ourselves. If you voted, then you did your part. If you did not vote, then what right do you have to complain about who was elected?

Below is an article I found on msnbc.com this afternoon. I found it "spot-on" with today's high emotions. Starting right now, may we embrace the change that is coming to us and learn from our mistakes so that we will not make them again.

The good news is that God has been/IS/will continue to be bigger than anyone or anything. Have faith that His will was done last night...even though we may not understand it right now.

May each of us begin to recover and move forward as united Americans.

Weathering the post election storm

VOTE '08

Here is the voting line that I stood in for well over an hour before making it to the front door. This picture was taken at 7:15a.m. this morning (doors opened at 7:30). Totally worth the wait. We each should take pride (and patience) in exercising our civic duty.

Around About the Meadville Way

Those of you who know me well, know that when I go home to Mississippi, it is a whirlwind and every single minute is jammed packed...lots of early mornings and late nights. And for the last 2 years, every trip home has been for an "event" and not "just because." This trip was no exception! The purpose of this trip was for a Grandparents Shower for my Mom and Dad. Baby Girl Sullivan will be born the week of Thanksgiving (parents: Chris & Stephanie). My sister and I decided to give a Grandparents Shower for Mom and Dad, but because it was such a "different" event, we kept it to just a few close friends and family. However, after the fact, we should have invited so many more people because it was SO MUCH FUN!!! More on that later...

Bonus' of the weekend included: quality time with my cousin Jasmine running errands in Jackson, a very "beneficial" trip to Gail Pittman, lunch with my Mamaw Sullivan to celebrate her birthday, a trip to MUMC Annual Bazaar that included West Side Burgers by the infamous Mark West, and the triple added bonus was seeing Ms. Anna after many years of her living on the East Coast!! (Check out this site for more on the MUMC Bazaar as you will want to make plans to attend next year!) I also got to spend quality time with Ben and Cindy in which I was gifted with a Homochitto Wompas Cats Cycling Cap that was monogrammed with my name on it!!! Serious motivation for getting in shape for the MS Ride next year (150 miles...)

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

I am "powering up" for the shopping adventure in Gail Pittman

(and ultimately a VERY full day ahead)

Ms. Anna just arriving to MUMC...isn't she beautiful???

Yes, I made this cake....

Mom and Dad trying to unscramble baby words at the Shower

Look at the concentration on Mom's face...

Aunt Edna, Uncle Earlie, Mamawgran & Grandaddy doing their best to name baby items for each letter of the alphabet

Sharyn, Cindy, Judy and Mamaw Sullivan reciting Nursery Rhymes

No telling what is transpiring among these 4:
Lisa, Sarah, Elliot, and Chris

The "Big Bottle Prize" Winners: Dale and David Cox
They won 2 out of the 4 word games
("Big Bottle" was a calf bottle filled with candy...yes, the one used in the Children's Sermon on Sunday at MUMC)

Family Group Pic:
Uncle Earlie, Dad, Grandaddy, Mom, Mamawgran, and Aunt Edna

Seriously....putting together a Pack-n-Play is NO easy task these days...
It took Joddie and I over an hour to assemble this piece of work!!! This is one mack-daddy of a Pack-n-Play, though. It will sing, rock, vibrate, give off a light show, and entertain baby in one place.
My cycling cap...wasn't it nice of Ben to have my name put on it??? Guess I am committed to the MS Ride next October....aye, aye, aye!

Quote

God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED.
To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.

CONGRATULATIONS!

CONGRATULATIONS, SARAH & OMAR!!!! They got engaged on Saturday at the Wisconsin Badger's Homecoming....Jumbotron and all....We all have been patiently waiting for Omar to pop the question. (and Sarah said yes....). Jen B, Bonnie (Omar's sister) and I could not let the occasion pass to "trash" Sarah's house as a surprise when she and Omar got back from Wisconsin on Sunday night....

Other fun things happening this past weekend included Shelley teaching me how to work with fondant (stay tuned for future project...) with the help of Eloise and Isaac, her two youngest children. Isn't the cake we made adorable?? We really didn't have a plan, it just created itself....

Eloise ready to help with the "play-doh"

Isaac doing his part EATING cake

Yeah...that's a "bow"

The magical chef, herself....Shelley!

TAH-DAH!

The whole cake....

Saturday was a very "BIG" day in NW Arkansas....Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Ole Miss Rebels. This was the first game the teams matched up since AR lost their head coach to Ole Miss. Emotions were running high....However, my good friends, Liz & Richard Esch are part of a wonderful tailgate group known as Hogtropolis. They are always so gracious to invite me and a few other friends.....GOOD TIMES in Fayetteville!

L-R: Richard & Liz Esch, Steph, Melissa Niebruegge
Back L-R: John Niebruegge, Holly & Michael Vavricka

Front L-R: Erin Johnson, Steph, Matt Johnson

Back L-R: Mike Duley, Adam Roscher