Five Favorite Christmas Traditions

1. Dad's Egg Nog- We certainly have no "nog" in the Dean home, but my dad does the BEST version of this classic holiday drink. He puts a premade egg nog in the blender with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla and tops it with a dash of nutmeg. Creamy heaven!
2. Christmas Eve- My church has the most amazing Candlelight Service. It is so special to see all of the old friends that have returned home to visit family. My favorite part is a new edition to the service in the last couple of years. As the crowd is singing Silent Night to end the service, it starts to snow!!! Really! Well, Texas snow at least...
3. Papa's Menagerie- My dad's father was a Christmas NUT! He used to wake us up at 5 o'clock in the morning! He also collected all types of moving Christmas toys. Some sing, some dance and others just do cool toy things, but he had them all out for us to play with. Since my grandfather's passing, my dad does it. We add something to it every year and it so special to see Caroline playing with the same toys I played with.
4. Cooking with Mom- My mom always made a huge deal about Christmas cooking. We would pour over recipes for weeks in advance and pick the ones we liked best. They never came out like the picture, but we made a lifetime of memories. Again, this is something I have enjoyed doing with my daughter now!
5. Our Movies- On Christmas Eve (or whatever night closest to that we can all get together- I know you all undertsand!) we eat tamales and watch It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. We sing the songs and quote the lines. It is such a good thing that no one but immediate family is there. We are probably all so annoying. Occasionally i catch Chris looking at us funny, but he will have to get used to it. Wait- it is our 9th Christmas together, maybe he will always look at us funnny! These are honestly my favorite Christmas moments.

Congratulations

I have three events in the lives of dear friends that I would like to celebrate!!

1. Brad Gentry graduating with his Masters from t.u.

2. Precious Robert Bryan Sloan IV being dedicated on December 9th at church

3. Laura Dean graduating with her Masters in something about being healthy

Pictures from Laura's Party

Cool Gift Idea

http://www.createsticksandstones.com/Default.aspx

I'm not sure if you can get these by Christmas, but this is such a cool website that my cousin showed me! This lady took pictures of letters that she saw occurring around her (in a window or door or in nature). You can pick which picture you want and they put it in a frame spelling out your name. Here is what mine looks like...

Today is actually the Friday Fave 4, but because it still has the "F" thing going it counts right?

The other day, Amy was saying, " I think us girls are like a cake. Each of us is an ingredient that has to do with our personalities." (Amy is the creative one...) So here are my Favorite Four cake ingredients.

1. Amy- Amy is the nuts. She is the bohemian, academic one. She adds the special "crunch" to the group.



2. Laura- Laura is the icing. She's sweet and fun and the part of the cake that people always ask for extra of.


3. Emily- Emily is the flour and sugar. The are the basics of the cake. The "staples." They make the base that the rest of the cake can stand one.

4. Shavon- Shavon is the sprinkles. She adds color and fun to the cake. Seriously, isn't everything more fun with sprinkles on it?

Random comment from one of my kids...

I asked who is pictured on the quarter. Maya answered, "Uhhh, George.... Clooney!"

Here it is- My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Movies

1. White Christmas- This is certainly a Dean family classic! The music and dancing is to die for!! I wish you could see my sister and I while we are watching it! There is one point, right after they sing Count Your Blessings, where we stop and Dad makes egg nog. I will go into detail on that in a future post! Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney sing hits like White Christmas, Sisters, The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing, and MORE! This movie also has some of the best dancing I have ever seen. Vera Ellen and her 80 pound frame do things that seem physically impossible!
2. It's a Wonderful Life- This movie is special to me for so many reasons! One of them is that Jimmy Stewart reminds me so much of my dad. That "always have to do the right thing" thing is so like my dad. He also yells "Yeah!" like Jimmy does about 200 hundred time during the Christmas season. I love the scene where the gym floor opens at the dance and they all end up dancing in the pool. I know so many ridiculous pieces of trivia from this movie, but I won't bore you with that at this time!
3. Miracle on 34th Street- I prefer the new one, but the old one is great also. I like it when the mother brings her daughter to see Santa and she says that the little girl is deaf, but just wanted to see him. When he speaks in sign language to her, good grief, I just lose it! It makes me cry every time!
4. Christmas Vacation- It has nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas and it is certainly NOT a family movie, but it gives me my best Christmas belly laugh. A few of my favorite things are the lights on the house, when Clark gets stuck in the attic, the crazy Aunt that wraps up her cat and says the Pledge of Allegiance for her prayer and when they go get the Christmas tree. We could be here all day quoting one liners, but again I will spare you!
5. Small One- I don't know how many of you will know this one but it is a Disney cartoon about a little boy who takes his old donkey to town to sell. He looks and looks for a suitable owner that will love him and take good care of him. He eventually meets Joseph. It is such a sweet little story.

The Piano Man

Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man. Sing us a song tonight. Well, we're all in the mood for a melody and you've got us feelin' alright...

Last night, thanks to my favorite Emily, I went to the American Airlines Center to see Billy Joel in concert. I am not going to pretend that I am a real Billy Joel fan. Believe me, last night we saw REAL Billy Joel fans. But, it was a fabulous concert. I can generally appreciate any music that requires talent. He definitely has talent! His piano skills were spectacular! It seemed like something he still loved doing.

He started the night by playing the Yellow Rose of Texas, which I love because it shows that he actually knew what city he was in! I always wonder if musicians are on auto pilot when they go on concert tours. He also did these beautiful renditions of Christmas carols between his hits. People in the audience all began to sing, which I thoroughly enjoyed. One of my life dreams is that everyone around spontaneously bursts into song. This is probably as close as I can get to that. I had a wonderful time listening to the music and watching the freaks around us.

The only two things that sort of stressed me about the night were these- 1. we moved to better seats, so we were constantly worried that this big Usher-lady was going to tap us on the shoulder and throw us off of the top deck and 2. He didn't play Uptown Girl, which I have decided is because he is still madly in love with Christie Brinkley and can't sing it without dissolving into tears.

Anyway- Thanks Emily for the great experience!

Below are some pictures taken from my phone so pardon the poor quality.

Sorry for the delay...

I just finished reading the over 4,000 page Harry Potter series and let me just tell you- they were amazing!! Mind you, these are not for children in my opinion. So here are my five favorite things about Harry Potter. SPOILER ALERT- don't read if you don't want to know how things work out in the books!

1. Dumbledore- I love the endearing, elderly figure that guides the younger characters. He is like Galdalf from Lord of the Rings. I think my favorite thing about him is that, until the last book, you never really felt like you knew him, but you just trusted that he had Harry's best interest at heart. I sobbed when he died! I never dreamed that it was possible for him to die.


2. Quidditch- It was so funny to me that by the end I could have actually played a game of quidditch, if I had a flying broomstick of course. I liked how it took some of the intensity out of the books.


3. The Moving Photographs- I think it would be so neat to have a newspaper where the photos move and show what is actually happening or the have an album where the people wave at you. Love that!


4. Characters- Professor McGonagall- I love her spirit. She is so emotional but also large and in charge, Sirius Black- I was sad that he wasn't in the storyline longer. He was kind of like Harry's family and I liked the side of Harry it brought out to have someone he could be honest with, Neville Longbottom- He started off so dorky and unsure, but by the end he led the uprising at Hogwarts. I would have liked it if in the end he and Luna had gotten married.


5. Gadgets- The Sorting Hat-a hat that can read people's minds- how cool is that!, The Pensieve- I would love the chance to go back in time and look at other people's (or my own) experiences, Wands- Oh to be able to cast spells at a moments notice!, Invisibility Cloak- These would be so handy, but I would so misuse it because I am so nosey!

I could go on for days!! If you have read Harry Potter and love him the way I do, I want to hear your favorite parts (characters, scenes, whatever!)

A friend from school did this and I want to see Emily and Amy's responses!!

1.Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice:M*A*S*H

2. Name a show you can‘t miss:Grey's

3.Name an actor who would make you more inclined to watch a show: ??

4.Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show: Alec Baldwin

5.Name a show you can and do quote from:Everybody Loves Raymond

6.Name a show you like that no one else enjoys:The Contender

7.Name a TV show which you've been known to sing the theme song:Growing Pains

8.Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch: The Andy Griffith Show

9.Name a TV series you own:Don't Own DVD's really

10.Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops in television:Rev Run from Run's House (not really acting, but so good)

11.What is your favorite episode of your favorite series? Goodbye, Farewell, Amen- This is M*A*S*H's final episode. It's 2 hours long and hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

12.Name a show you keep meaning to watch but you just haven’t gotten around to yet:Heroes

13.Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad?Dancing with the Stars

14.Name a show that‘s made you cry multiple times:Extreme Home Makeover- I cry at the beginning when they introduce the family, in the middle when the famly gets the video messages and of course when they all come home. What a genius show!

15.What do you eat when you watch TV? anything in sight

16.How often do you watch TV? WAY too much

17.What's the last TV show you watched?I watched the Real World last night- embarrassing I know

18.What's your favorite/preferred genre of TV? Drama. I want to feel like I know the characters

19.What was the first TV show you were obsessed with? Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman

20.What TV show do you wish you never watched? Man vs. Wild, but my husband loves it

21.What is the weirdest show you enjoyed?The Contender

22.What TV show scared you the most? Anything with suspense. I can't take it! Now that I have DVR I skip any kind of cliffhanger moment or reality show reveal

23.What is the funniest TV show you have ever watched?The Office- no doubt. It is honestly painful

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time to just get away. I think the best part was the weather! So many times when we go down to Glen Rose, we are wearing t-shirts! I loved the snow flurries and constant roaring fire! We had a total of 25 people at the Thanksgiving lunch I think! It was a blast!

We also spent some time (by some time I mean HOURS) looking at old slides from my mom's childhood. I loved looking at the clothes and cars. What a simpler time that was! My grandmother made their birthday cakes and clothes and they were as happy as they could be. Nothing was about image. During the never ending slide show, I realized that I think my daughter has the least hair of any child in my family's history. Those of you that know me know that this is a source of constant grief for me! My Aunt Suzanne did, however, deal with the mullet that had come to live on her precious white head! Thank God!

One of my teenage cousins brought his Nintendo Wii with him out to the camp. We plugged it into the TV in the game room to give the kids something to do. Little did we know that it would be the adults who enjoyed it most! I don't mean 20 something adults. I mean over the hill adults. One night all of the young people went outside for a walk and we came back and my 82 year old grandmother and all of her over 50 children were bowling! I have never laughed so hard in my life!

My favorite new tradition is the Granbury lights parade. They have a really quaint square and they do a Christmas Carol sing along by candlelight and then they did a lights parade. It was such a special time! I do believe my aunts and cousins are the only ones that know 3 part harmony to every song. Chris loved us all singing at the top of our lungs in public! We were all bundled up and and freezing, but it was definitely a night we'll all remember.

In honor of my camping trip this weekend, I am writing my 5 camping essentials~

1. Apple Cider- I love cooking it in a metal pot right on the fire! Why do I always come home from a camping trip with a burned tongue?
2. Pig Tails- I used to be a regular pig tail wearer in college, but now I only get to unveil them out in the wild. It really works when you are not going to be showering (NOT one of my favorite camping things!) or if you want to stick a hat on.
3. Camp Food- I am determined not to have something to do with food in every week's post, but I have to include it this week. I love smores, hamburgers and anything cooked on a stick. My favorite camp food is breakfast. There is just something about eggs and bacon cooked outside!
4. Camp Clothes- There is never a better time to bust out your fleeces and scarves. It is also acceptable to wear a bandanna, which I believe is otherwise always off limits.
5. The Campfire- There are so many amazing memories for me that have happened around a campfire. Everything is funnier when it is said by a fire. It makes for such a great ambiance to have the shadows and warmth and crackle. I DON'T love that the smell permeates everything for 5 square miles!

Oreo Turkeys

Emily suggested I devote a blog entry to the Oreo turkeys, so here goes...

Ingredients

Oreos (the ones with orange cream look best)

Chocolate icing

Candy Corn

Whoppers

Red Hots

Using a knife, seperate the two side of the oreo, leaving the cream on one side. Put chocolate icing on the side without the cream and put the candy corn on it like feathers. Put a large dab of icing on the edge and put the whopper in it. Then put a small dab of icing on the whopper and attach the red hot as the waddle. Prop up the oreo you've been working on against the one with the cream so it stands up. You're done!

I took a few weeks off, but I am back with my 5 favorite things about Thanksgiving

1. Glen Rose- My family spends every Thanksgiving in a cabin in Glen Rose. It is a small cute town, but the best thing about it is that is might as well be 100 miles from home. Don't get me wrong, it has flat screen TVs and plush bedding, but it feels like we are in another world. I have always gone down early with my dad. It used to just be the two of us that went and got everything set up a day or so before everyone got there, but now Chris and Mom come too. It is my favorite time.
2. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade- We watch it every year as we are starting to get lunch going. It is definitely a tradition.
3. The Decorations- I love the feeling of putting out my pumpkins and fall decorations. It starts the best time of year. I feel like I need to put on a fire and wear a sweater. I really enjoy watching the fall colors come out in nature as well (or look at pictures of it happening in other parts of the country since it just goes from hot and green to warm and brown over night around here)
4. The Food- how could I not mention this?? A few Dean family traditions include- Oreo turkeys, mandarin orange salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, Aunt Suzanne's rolls, popcorn cake, Allison's cranberry salad, and of course green bean casserole.
5. The Start of the Christmas Season- Growing up, I was STRICTLY forbidden to start listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies until Thanksgiving was over. It really is the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year..." (more songs to come next week on my Fave 5) A good movie to start with on Thanksgiving night is Miracle on 34th Street because it begins at Thanksgiving (more to come on movies in 2 weeks)

Dad's Race

I have always been very proud of my dad. For those of you who know him, this will come as no surprise. He has that amazing balance that so many Christians strive for. He is absolutely adamant about what he believes, but he doesn't feel the need to preach (ironic, I know...). He is passionate, but not aggressive. He makes anyone feel comfortable.

The most recent event in my dad's life has been the Marine Corp Marathon. He ran in memory of his father, BJ Dean, and my mom's father, RL Cranford, both of whom were veterans. He ran his first marathon last February without any problems at all. As he was training for this one, he began to have some pain in his leg. It turned out to be a stress fracture. He went to see a number of doctors and they all advised him to take it easy for the 6 weeks before the race. He was forced to continue his training by riding the stationary bike (for 3 hours!) and treading water. He was determined to continue on with the race. As anyone who runs knows, the last few weeks are critical. He was up to 18 miles in his training before he had to quit running. He didn't really know how he would make it.

We told a few people, so that they would pray. He really didn't tell many people about his injury. Were it me, I would have been telling my sob story to everyone, just in case I failed. I would want everyone to know I had a good excuse. This is not his way. His quiet faith and confidence were all he needed.

Well, race time came and he did an amazing job. One of his sweet friends, Chad Brantley, jumped out of the crowd at about mile 21 and ran the rest with him. What an amazing surprise! Allison and I did the last bit with him. I could tell he was having to use everything he had at that point. This weird cheerleader thing came out in me! I wanted to say or do anything to help him. I have never been prouder of him than I was when he ran across that finish line. He ran the entire way and miraculously had no pain. Thank you Lord.

"This is why they think Texans are stupid..."

I cannot tell you how many times I said this comment while we were in D.C.! It was really a comedy of errors!
The trip there was quite and ordeal. I think Emily described it best, so I have included an insert from her blog...


We left Friday on The Company Plane and got into Baltimore around 7 PM. We caught a crazy shuttle to the Greenbelt Metro station, bought our tickets and got on our way to Arlington, VA. Once we were on the green line, two men behind us were arguing with conversation laced with profanity. Nice. They started inching closer and closer to one another, and we were certain they were going to fight. This is fantastic for two girls alone on the subway. We were slightly scared so at the next stop we jumped up and sprinted to the next car. With all our luggage. Sprinting.So once we finally got to the Rosslyn station, nearly 3 hours after our flight landed, we got to the escalator to take us to street level. It was the tallest, steepest, most frightening escalator I've ever been on, and I was sure it was Jacob's ladder taking us to heaven. It was that tall and the picture I have does not do it justice.


Here are some pictures of our crazy weekend.

Ladies Night Out

A few people have been getting on to me because there are not enough pictures of Caroline on my blog. Here are a few from this weekend...

Friday Fave 5

In honor of the last week of the State Fair, here are my FIVE FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT TEXAS...

1. The history- This may make me a dork, but I love that we can go to all of the the neat battlefields and places that have to do with the Texas revolution. *TRIVIA* Texas is the only state in the union that can legally succeed without it being considered an act of war. With the current influx of immigrants, this is something the rest of the country may ask us to do soon. That brings me to my next fave...


2. Tex Mex- I can't call this 'Mexican food" because I am from New Mexico and know that wolf brand chili is found nowhere in the legacy of real Mexican cuisine... I love that everything on a Tex Mex menu is covered in cheese. I love that there is nothing really funky or unidentifiable, just greasy, cheesy goodness with refried beans on the side.


3. The culture- Texas has all of these neat little towns spread out that have such fun cultures. There are Czechs, Germans, French... and the list goes on. My appetite for yummy pastries really enjoys this particular feature of our grand state.


4. The landscape- I have always thought that it was cool that Texas has beaches, hills, lakes, woodlands, plains, deserts and mountains (sort of). Not many states can boast such a feat. that also has to do with one of the other things about Texas that I love- it's size. I don't know why I feel like it is something to brag about when you could say that your could drive all day and never get out of our state. Speaking of bragging...


5. The pride- I know other states may think they are better and have some kind of cool identity, but really nothing beats Texas. It's like we sort of tolerate everyone from other states. The rest of the country thinks we're stupid hicks, but we don't care because maybe that will keep the northerners from coming into our territory. Really there is no state that can compare. I mean who has songs written about them like "All My Exes Live in Texas," "Luckenbach, Texas," "Amarillo by Morning," "Deep in the Heart of Texas" or certainly "God Bless Texas."

Losers

All three of my teams lost this weekend (Dice K will turn it around tonight for the Sox!) AND it's pouring down rain early on a Monday morning. My hair is frizzy and my kids are watching a movie. The start of another fabulous week...

Friday Fave 5

After I did old movies last week, I decided to do my 5 FAVORITE MOVIES FROM CHILDHOOD.

1. Old Yeller- The saddest ever. I showed it to my class last year, they'd never ever heard of it. When it was over they were looking at me like I was the meanest person ever to show them a dog they'd fall in love with, just to see it shot!



2. Anne of Green Gables Series- these came on the Disney Channel I think, but I instantly identified with Anne and her propensity for trouble. Gilbert Blythe was the man of my dreams!



3. An American Tale- I still cry today when the sister sings "Somewhere out there, beneath the pale moonlight..."



4. Pollyanna- Again I connected with the girl that was always saying the wrong thing. I loved the scene where her aunt takes her to buy all of the new clothes.



5. Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast- These two tied. There was just no way I could pick which is best. I can sing every song, quote every line, do every dance. I have already passed on a love for these to my daughter.
   

My Man

My sweet hubby is so amazing, so I thought I'd put on the Husband Survey.

1. Who is your man? Christopher James
2. How long have you been together? We started dating almost 9 years ago (so crazy for me to think about!) and have been married for a little over 4 years
3. How long did you date? We dated for almost 4 years before we got engaged. That includes 3 homecomings, 3 proms, 2 high school graduations and lots of annoying teenage drama
4. How old is your man? 25
5. Who eats more? I am embarrassed to say that when I cook (a whopping once a week) I serve up two almost identical plates and secretly hope he picks the one that has 2 less fish sticks on it
6. Who said "I love you" first? Chris said it first. He almost said it on the phone one night and didn't want to do it that way, so he came over to my parents' house really late at night and told me.
7. Who is taller? He has about a foot on me
8. Who sings better? I sing better, because he only can sing one note. I am convinced it is my years of vocal development in Baptist children's choir.
9. Who is smarter? Since I'm pretending to be a good wife in this post I won't answer
10. Whose temper is worse? Definitely mine. Chris doesn't get riled (a Texas word that I'm not sure has a correct spelling) up very easily
11. Who does the laundry? I do it now, but I think he let's me because he knows I want to help him out. He has way more experience and I think stresses every time I do a load
12. Who takes out the garbage? He does after I nag him to do it for several days
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. Not sure why but I always have
14. Who pays the bills? I do. It's the control freak thing in me.
15. Who is better with the computer? We're probably pretty even.
16. Who mows the lawn? Well, once I tried and 3 neighbors, a girl friend, 2 one year olds and I think CPS got involved so there will be no sequel
17. Who cooks dinner? I say that because my last name is cook that I always cook, but Kraft macaroni and nuggets doesn't count to everyone
18. Who drives when you are together? I would like to say that Chris does because that's what my dad told me should happen (it's Southern Baptist, submission, man in charge thing)
19. Who pays when you go out? Whoever is not in the bathroom with Caroline
20. Who is most stubborn? Me again. Everyone knows Chris is a better person than me.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me mainly because I like to be able to say later "I always apologize first and you never do."
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, they go to church with us and watch Caroline every day
23. Who kissed who first? Same time on my parents bottom step on Super Bowl Sunday '99
24. Who asked who out? We were friends for a long time before we dated and I asked him if he wanted to go to the rodeo after 3 other friends couldn't. The sparks flew and that's history. There is magic at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo...
25. Who proposed? He proposed on a bridge in a park on A&M's campus
26. Who is more sensitive? If you mean getting my feelings hurt over everything and crying every day as opposed to everything sliding right off his shoulder- I'd say it's a close tie
27. Who has more friends? Me
28. Who has more siblings? We both have big sisters
29. Who wears the pants in the family? He lets me think I do, or maybe that's the other way around...

My Girls

My Girls


I received an email the other day that was a article Beth Moore wrote about how important the ladies in your life are. Then I was with my Thursday girls last night and I started thinking about how many different wonderful women God has placed in my life through the years! I can't begin to name them all, but here's a nod to a few I could have never lived without...



High School-

Moriah- New York, Old Movies, Skiing, Cooking, Crafting, Singing in the Car
Brandy- Eating at her house, Crafting, Singing in the Car
Lindsey- New York, naps, Victoria's Secret, Duets
Julie C.- Proms, Our Boys, Letting me drive her car
Kristin S.- Hondas, Bueno, Camp, Spain, Anne
Meredith- Hondas, BYOC at the Golf Course, Bueno, Spain
Lauren- Money Belts, Tanning, Spain

College-
Julie R.- Phi Lamb, Cooking, Laughing, The Pavillion, Wedding Plans
Karen- Wedding Plans, The Pavillion, Moulin Rouge
Kristin E.- Classes together, Learning to be married

Marriage and Mommyhood-
Emily- Aggieland, Building Houses, I love shocking you!
Shavon- Our ICU nurse, Suzie Homemaker
Laura- Running, Neighbors, Unplanned Pregnancies!, Joe constantly calling
Carrie- Robby in Iraq, Branson
Amy- Babies, Sunday School Classes, Harry Potter

Kim- pregnancies, Parkway

This doesn't include my amazing mom, sister and cousins on both sides that have meant the world to me!!!

Friday Fave 5

In honor of my splendid friend, Emily, I am going to start a Friday Fave Five. I am also going to copy her subject for this week...

5 Favorite Old Movies

1. Holiday Inn- Bing Crosby opens an inn in the country that is only open on holidays. He puts on these great music spectaculars that celebrate the specific holiday. It also has Fred Astaire in it. He plays a friend who is constantly competing for attention and women! Little trivia- the song White Christmas debuted in this film.


2. The Quiet Man- One of the BEST John Wayne movies ever! It stars Maureen O'Hara as well. It is based in Ireland. Wayne is a former boxer (i don't know what it is with me and boxing!) that moves back to his family's land in Ireland. He meets a very sassy red head (O'Hara) and they butt heads for the rest of the movie and definitely fall in love!


3. The Glenn Miller Story- Has the best music of any movie ever! It stars Jimmy Stewart as the famous Big Band leader. It's amazing!


4. The Music Man- I can do every dance and sing every song from this movie! I have so many fabulous memories of watching this with the girls in my family. Great love story. Definitely a classic.


5. An Affair to Remember- One of the most amazing love stories of all time! It has Deborah Kerr and Carey Grant. They meet on a cruise to the Mediterranean and are instantly attracted. They are both in other serious relationships, so they have a problem. This has one of the best twists in any movie so I won't say any more.

OK- this was only supposed to be 5 but I have way to many favorites!!! So... here's a few more.

Sound of Music, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, It's a Wonderful Life, West Side Story, Rebecca, The Parent Trap... I could go on for days!

How My Life Has Changed!

My Daughter Has Pants

I started to realize something the other day when my sister posted some pictures and videos of Caroline on her Facebook. I looked at them and discovered that she is not wearing pants in most of them. My first thought was "Oh my gosh, I am that white trash mother that lets her daughter run around half naked." My second thought was "It's easier if the pee just goes right down her leg when she has an accident than it is to constantly be doing smelly laundry." My third thought was "It must stop!" So, my daughter will no longer be videoed or photographed without pants. I spend more money on her clothes than I do on mine, so I have decided that she will wear the entire outfit- top and bottom- until bath time! SO as a memorial to her pantsless days, I have attached a video of Caroline singing along to Princess Fiona on Shrek (of course, she is not wearing pants).

20 Things You Probably (But Might Not) Know About Me

Well since I (FINALLY) started my blog, I thought I'd do the whole "get to know you thing." BUT, as most of you know, there aren't many things that are secret about me.

So here is my list of 20 Things You Probably (But Might Not) Know About Me

1. I was born in New Mexico
2. I have a freckle on my eye lid
3. I have two fake teeth
4. I tape the boxing show The Contender religiously
5. I've never broken a bone
6. I have the MOST brittle nails in the entire world
7. I listen to R&B and Hip Hop
8. I've been to 5 countries
9. I've been to 31 states (I think)
10. I graduated in the top 10 of my high school class
11. I graduate Cum Laude from A&M
12. I hate cats and birds
13. I like to decorate cakes
14. I am reading the Harry Potter books
15. I went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming on my honeymoon
16. I am training for a half marathon
17. I was student body president in high school
18. I take at least one bath and one shower everyday
19. My favorite movies are White Christmas and Pride and Prejudice
20. I've met George W. Bush