Wednesday Hodgepodge - Year in Review edition

Once again, Joyce has come up with some interesting questions ... I look forward to Wednesdays!  If you want to play along or see what everyone else has to share, just click on the button above.

1. Share your Christmas Eve traditions.
I've never been able to develop any Christmas Eve traditions.  When DD was growing up, she'd spend one of the two days (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) with me and the other with her dad.  The days always seemed to vary so that we really weren't able to create any Christmas Eve traditions.  Once she married, then she needed to spend some time with her hubby's family ... and now that she has littles, she needs to spend some time with her own family.  And when we have Christmas with her and her family changes from year to year, so we still don't have any significant traditions.  But it's all good ... we have time with them, opening gifts and preparing/eating great food.  And on whatever day that it's just DH and me, we open our gifts and have a nice quiet day together (usually watching more Christmas movies). 

2. What was the best book you read in 2010? (we're not going to include The Bible here)
I didn't do a lot of reading this year, and while I enjoyed what I did read, none of it was so outstanding as to stand out in my mind or recommend to anyone else.  I hope to do more reading in 2011 (especially based on what everyone else has shared on their Wednesday Hodgepodge posts).

3. Do you have pets and if so do you allow them on the furniture?
Yes and yes.  Although DH allows them to lie on the couch only ... as long as I have an old quilt over it to keep it from getting too dirty (I just had a thought ... I'm very anxious to replace or reupholster that couch ... it's 20+ years old and definitely says 1980's ... maybe if I forget to put the quilt on the couch, it'll get so dirty that we "have" to replace or reupholster it????  ha!).

4. What event from 2010 are you most thankful for?
This is a toughie ... nothing significant stands out in my mind.  2010 was a good year, don't get me wrong ... but nothing significant happened ... at least nothing that I can remember.  

5. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before.
Went to Colorado, to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.  As you all know, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the beach, but I enjoyed the time in the mountains more than I thought I would.  I was taken aback by the beauty and majesty of the mountains.  While the beach will always be my #1 vacation destination, I wouldn't mind going back to the mountains some day.

6. Brussel sprouts...friend or foe?
I liked Brussel sprouts as a child but hadn't had them in years.  I decided to try them a couple of weeks ago ... I'd been hearing a lot about roasted Brussel sprouts, so I tried some.  They were ok, but I don't know that I'll have them again.  My mom didn't roast them, so maybe if I prepare them like she did, I'll like them??  

7. Who would you nominate for man/woman of the year? 
My daughter.  She has 4 littles and homeschools the older 3.  She has such an engaging personality, a heart that seeks to please God, and a selfless nature.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Enjoy these last few days leading to Christmas ... and remember "the reason for the season".