Seville, Spain (June 6, 2008) Hot and Fabulous Day 8!

Buenos Dias Espana. I remember I awoke first of everyone (a very rare thing in my life especially without an alarm clock). I particularly recall there being a cool breeze from the open windows, and nary a sound or movement in the apartment or on the street below at 8AM. I lingered in bed. What was I going to do, wake my hosts or scavange in the kitchen? If I was the kind of person who relished an early morning run, this would have been ideal, but what did I do? I lingered until 8:45 am and starting getting our things (ie mine, Sophia and everyone's various articles) together. Around 9am or so, everyone starting rousing and shuffling around. Happily Sophia and Ben entertained each other while we breakfasted on cereal and yogurt. What was on the agenda? Well a treat for me (burden for Adam and Ale though) was that the Spain days were organized and guided by Adam and Ale. I am better with Spanish than French but here I also was granted a reprieve from being the group translator and leader. And it was a delicious time for me to simply follow our kind and educated guides around their adopted hometown. First was a 30 minute bus ride to central Seville (the oldest part) and to the Seville Cathedral.
As we walked from the bus stop to the Cathedral I reflected on this similar stroll I took with Ale in 2001. How the combo of the busy streets with cars and people, the dry heat and the historic architecture was all seemingly the same. With the added plus this time of street performers playing flamenco music while an adept dancer moved to the sounds in her colorful flowing dress and Spanish style appearance. Upon a closer look I notice she was Asian and Ale then commented that some of the dance students from the local performance school make some extra money for the day performing in the tourist area. I wanted to cross the street and watch awhile but here is the rub, with a family of 5, especially a toddler included: you keep moving even when there are things you really want to see, because you just don't know when it will have to come to a stop to accommodate our littlest trooper. Plus David and the girls get a little embarassed when I stop at performers or stop to clap and tip them. So instead, on to the Cathedral with the sounds of Spanish strumming surrounding us. Ah Espana.

It is funny to think that there was a longish line to buy tickets into the Cathedral. But, hey, they have to keep up the 0ver 600 year old building somehow. I can't describe how it took the breath away to look up, up, and up the tall sculpted columns to the gothic ceiling. As our eyes grew accustomed to the dimness (high ceilings and only a few stain glass windows equals dimness) all around us we could see the larger than life religious statuary and frescoes that rose upwards. This Catholic church that still holds services also hold a few remarkable characteristics: 1. Above see the gold, yes, gold, altarpiece that has scenes out of the gospels was supposedly built with the gold of the New World for Seville to show Spain's power to the world, 2. Below, are the bones of Christopher Columbus (supposedly) and the four pallbearers are symbolic of the four dominant regions of Spain at the time,

3. Seville Cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world, behind the Vatican, and St. Paul's Cathedral in London. After taking the Rick Steves guided tour of the Cathedral, (quickly) David and the girls went up the Giralda (bell tower) and took this pic of old town Seville. Where we were headed next. I waited with Adam and Ale while Sophia and Ben enjoyed each others company. Ale and I were roomies in college and a couple of years into our work lives after college when we lived in Austin. I can remember how we shared our hopes and prayers for the husbands and families we now have. Throughout this time together in Spain I reflected on those early hopes, and each time I could only thank the Lord for his amazing answer to prayers and the plans He still has for us. Once David and the girls joined us it was on to visit the nearby Barrio de Santa Cruz (the old Jewish Quarter). From my first visit to this one, this area of Seville, to me, is a bit magical and dreamy. The city sounds that surround you near the cathedral quickly fall away and even in the heat (near 110 degrees) the narrow walkways of this old neighborhood become cooler. The walkways are like a maze (called kissing lanes, because they seem so close the buildings nearly kiss, or for some other reasons, I guess) and built closely so the buildings' heighths can shade strollers from the strong Spanish sun. But the intricate weaving of the walkways and sometimes roadways, the lightposts, the colorful splashes of hanging plants, the hidden courtyards that open up as you turn a corner, the surprising small plazas with trickling fountains, cafes, and artesian shops selling Spanish fans, hand molded painted pottery, and flamenco dresses, etc tumbles you into a feel of true Spain. Bold, romantic, and alive. The girls had no preconceived ideas about Spain. For them it was simply time away from France where we were going to visit my friends. But I think at this point, even in the heat, they delighted in the discovery of a pretty fascinating city and culture.
Then we did them one better. We were hungry and it was time for TAPAS. When I visited in 2001 and first had Spanish Tapas, there was no such animal in my area of the US yet. About two years later, tapas were known as the appetizer-as-meal food sensation stateside. When I went in 2001, it was a food revelation to me. We would just pay about $3 for a drink, and either South Spain favorite "tinto de verano" (a very refreshing sangria like concoction), or a shandy (beer lemonade) was my choice and then an array of very tasty nibbles (tomato salad, small sandwices "bocadillos" that we would probably call sliders, olives, fried calamari, etc) were presented along with the drinks on small plates at no extra charge. The sweet idea being that the more you nibbled the more you drank.

This time around, Ale and Adam took us to their favorite tapas bar that during the day was frequented by locals and families. Here you see Ben nearly crying because he can't reach the small plate of Paella (oh, this was achingly delicious). He loves his food. Adam thoughtfully ordered us a wide selection of tapas that included small plates of fish, veggies, fries, rices, calamari, chicken with different sauces, and more. Here is where the girls truly found out that they liked exploring the world of Spanish food. Yes, at this point even more than world renowned French food. We were hooked.

The best souvenir shopping was to be had in this neighborhood. Now don't get me wrong, I love cheezy Eiffel Tower keychains, and made in China I love London t-shirts bought in their particular countries as much as the next gal but in Seville you can find, for surprisingly reasonable prices, artist made pottery, jewelry, fans and shawls that are made and sold authentically Spanish. Here the girls are taking a rest from our shopping/tapas crawl near one of the delightful fountains. Ah Espana.

Next, we walked over the the Plaza Espana that is colorfully tiled and bricked in artistic and eye appealing patterns. A great photo op for the girls and their newly purchased fans. It is a tourist draw but not teaming with history as one would think because it is a baby in European history, only 100 year old or so. It was built for some kind of World Exposition/Fair.

Boy, was it hot. And our feet were feeling the heat through the soles of our shoes. We bussed it back to the apartment and picked up some pizza fixin's for our dinner. Sara modeled her find of the day, a Spanish-style dress (yes, the made in China variety, only $10!) As dinner was being prepared Anna helped me hang our clothes to dry on the apartment roof top's permanent lines. The laundry demanded to be done and this task gave us a nice view of Seville around us. Again here I will state that the girls were always jumping in to help and good sports throughout our trip. We relaxed in wonderful hospitality ala Adam and Ale, and called it a night around 10ish.

Day 7: ESPANA!! Seville/Sevilla! (June 5th, 2008)

Here is our parting shot of the Loire as we drove away at about 7am. Ah, lovely. Here it was, June 5th, and the temp was in the low 60s. Chilly, but oh so welcome. We bid adieu to our homey gite, all packed, and drove 3 hours to Paris's Orly airport to catch our flight out to Seville to see some family friends. I so wanted this airport experience to be smooth sailing but the wrench in our early arrival was almost getting to the gate late because the Air France check-in attendant questioned Sophia's car seat. She was positive it had to be stowed and it was too large for the plane seats. I actually hate to say I wanted to cry. Oh, to have to communicate in broken French that we had already used the car seat in our 3 prior flights. It was as if she didn't want to listen to me and she was charging ahead and labeling the seat to be stowed. I held on to the seat and protested that we needed to talk to someone else and if we couldn't go ahead and ask the attendants at the gate. No, she would find someone in the know and get back to me. We had to get out of line hold all our luggage until she had checked everyone in on the flight and then she could go ask. UGH! What to do?

I prayed. Yes, sadly, I was fussy with my family. David watched me carefully as if I was a bottle under pressure and about to blow. Then as I paused to calm down I saw an Air France "official"-seeming-person approach the info counter near us and pieced together enough French to state our situation to her. She was patient and understood more English then the earlier attendant and immediately addressed the issue with the first lady that had put us on hold. Yes, we did have to wait until the long line that we had originally been in front of was checked in, but the second lady said she felt sure it would be okay. (I truly wondered how this could not be something the attendants would know). So 15 minutes before it was time to board we got to our gate and I asked the gate attendants if the car seat was a problem. They quickly said no, that they had families use them all the time, "Pas de problem", no problem. Hmmm.

But the flight was, in word, delightful! It was crowded and rowdy. There was an instant difference in atmosphere amongst the mostly Spanish passengers from the French crowds we had been in before. There was lively chatter and the sound of children. The lady next to me was a native of Seville and a font of information. Yes, we actually conversed in Spanish and French because she had never formally learned English. She was friendly and warm and her easy going demeanor reminded me of the wonderful first experience I had with the people of Spain a few years before.

In the summer of 2001 I visited Spain because my dear college friend Ale (short for Alejandra), was a missionary in Granada with Campus Crusade for Christ. I went to visit her, see the ministry she was a part of and get to know her teammates that I had heard so much about. But I truly didn't go because I was enticed by Spain. When I would think of Spain I would picture dry landscapes and hot weather. But once I got to know Spain through her experienced eyes, the Spaniards she introduced me too, and take in the the rich history, I can cheezily say, I fell in love with Spain. The food is delicious, the culture lively and the history is amazing. In this visit I wanted to again see her, her hubby Adam, and to introduce Sophia to their toddler, Ben. But, truly I hoped that David, Anna, and Sara would have an appreciation for the country that we could share.

After 2 1/2 hours and a rocky stop (very, very rocky), the cabin broke out in applause for the safe landing (only in Spain) and we could feel the heat as be debarked. Ah, Espana. Adam found us easily as we collected our bags and packed us into his small compact car. To haul us and our luggage took him two trips, but thankfully they lived only 20 minutes from the airport. Boy was it hot. 100 and some degrees. What a difference from the damp cool of our French stay. What sweet refreshment it was to simply see Ale and Ben and visit in their air-cooled apartment. Adam announced it was a good time for a "merienda." "Jenny?" Uh, sure I am up for anything you guys suggest. Chuckle, "Do you know what a "merienda" is ? No. But it sounds good. And it was. Ale said it was a favorite feature for Adam of the Spanish lifestyle. "Snack time" Yum. The English call it tea time, the French hang out at cafes, and the Spanish take a snack in the warmer part of the day in order to enjoy warmer meals in the cooler part of the day/night usually around 9pm. Ale and Adam are such wonderful hosts and provided the girls with some pasta, while David and I had some cheese, olives, and fresh tomato salad.

Once we were all contentedly filled we took Sophia and Ben out to the local park. The park was not elaborate but the two sections had play sets and a slide and Ben and Sophia darted around and interacted readily with the several Spanish little ones and their families. Sophia seemed to brighten just being in Spain. It was such a change from her just being a bit fussy and tired with our French travels before. There were varying ages of people enjoying the small park and all were involved with the children at play. Watchful, friendly, and welcoming. Ben and Sophia even ended up playing with another toddlers toys because, as I understood the mom to say to her little girl, "you have a lot of toys and need to share." It is a small example, I know, but from my previous visit to this one, being gracious hosts with a generous spirit seems to be the Spanish way.

The girls also played and listened as we chatted with Adam and Ale and caught up. I do admire the purpose in their living in Spain in order to share their faith daily as they meet university students and young families in their community, but at this point, after over two years, they were readying to return to the States for spiritual refreshment and a possible location change. I was glad for this small time to see them at home in their locale, yet also knowing this was time for their goodbyes to what they had known daily. It is quite a gift to visit another country but even dearer when you can take it in with local insight and everyday encounters. This time was definitely a gracious gift of Adam and Ale to our family.

This night we left the playground (8pmish) a bit tired from travel. Sophia was revived from the play and outdoors, and actually hungry. When Ale and Adam produced a feast (from their tiny kitchen) of Tortilla (not our flat bread-like Mexican variety but a similar shaped egg, onion, potato pancake), olives, cheeses, pork chops, hot dogs (a welcome familiar food item for the girls), and wine, Sophia grabbed David's pork chop with both hands, chowed down, and began her love affair with the food of Spain. She seemingly filled her tummy for her return to French food later, where her appetite was lost again.








We slept with the windows of the Watermans 8th floor apartment open to the cool of the night and the lively sounds of the residential street floating in until nearly 1am. Good Night ESPANA.

London anyone?

Well, I still need to finish our last year's trip write up (for my own sake, yes, I know.) I dearly want to share this year's trip because I am just one of those people who likes to have stories to tell. I so enjoyed London again and everytime my mother in law stated that she didn't want us to be bored upon our second viewing of the sites I couldn't express to her enough what a wonder all this history is to me still. I would do much of it over again if any more friends or family would like a tour guide (anyone?, anyone?). But for now I will reminesce (such is me) once I finish my France/Spain travelogue. I do want to share one London pic though for now:

This was actually our amazing view out of our windows each day and night. After quite a bit of trouble booking an apartment, we found (Lord lead) this aparment only a week and a half before we set out. I was simply glad we had to place to stay for our price range and then WOW. It took my breath away. I will share more later.

Day 6 (6/04/08): Lazy day, packing, Castle at Cheverny

Pre-entry warning: I am way behind on what I intended to do here with blogging about our trip. Yup, sadly, pathetically (sp?) it is more than a year later and I am still plugging away at drafts of quick notes I put down to help assemble a better remembrance for all of us. I am gonna do it. I am gonna finish this. Unlike the three scrapbooks that lay still in tidy piles in my pile infested bedroom. So here goes. And yes, this trip was done a year ago and here we are blessed to have another big trip this year in August. We are going to London/Dublin for a week as inspired by my mother-in-law who, not having had a vacation in ages, and has forged through a lot in the almost three years since my father-in-law died to rise up and proclaim she wanted an adventure. Then I will blog a bit about that. Really! I will. Now does anyone have to read it. No way, but thanks for anyone that does read and comment for indulging me. Now, here goes our last day in the Loire:

Oh, how hard it was to rise from the bed this day. I woke first and carefully asked David to fetch us our breakfast, throwing him out of his comfort zone (language-wise), for sure. My sweet David drove the short distance into Preuilly to gather some pastries for our breakfast as it would have taken far too long for us all to beautify, dress, and pack for the day and THEN get breakfast. He returned as we were finishing getting ready. But before we could meet the day, we had to get some washing out to dry, because we knew it would take most of the day to dry. Why so long to dry? It was damp our whole stay in the Loire and that dearly affected drying time. And while I always think rain clouds and rain can make a beautiful dramatic landscape more dramatic, it also makes foreign travel for newbies like us, um, lets say, stressful. And the laundry. Well because we packed lightly (well lighter than most families of five) laundry was a every other day necessity. As we loaded up for the day I noticed we were starting at the early "afternoon" time of 2pm. "Ah, well Jenny," I told myself' "you have to let go of the all-American obsession of packing every vacation hour to the full and instead let this day just go with the flow."

Now this drive was only for about 90 miles. I assumed that meant it would only take us, oh, about 1 1/2 hours or so. Well a little over 2 hours later (without potty stops) we arrived. See when you are not on one of France's pristine, well marked, higher speed autoroutes you are invariably on a winding country road that hits every small village, suburb, neighborhood possible, with all the speed decreases along the way. But our spirits rose when at the end of our last country road the castle majestically came into view at the end of the avenue. We arrived at Chateau de Cheverny antsy and hungry. But with my need for keeping on task I nixed the station wagon picnic and promised the splurge of some snack on the castle grounds. (Hey these babies are old premises but most all historic sites in France have their own tourist friendly cafe or snack stand.)

As we arrived I realized we were exactly in time for the feeding of the hounds. This 17th century built castle/chateau still has descendents of the original family in residence on the third floor. And they still go on grand hunts with the 70 or so hounds that they tend in the large kennels next to the castle. We could not miss the kennels either, with the large crowd surrounding it and the eager hounds atop their kennels in a fenced in roof space, barking ,jumping, and pacing. Then the smell hit our noses. I had pushed the girls into a close space to get a view because keeping true to European sensibilities about lines and crowds, it is pushiest gets it, kids and short people outta tha way. Poor Anna and Sara (because they had to deal with me always moving them forward, and keeping them stuck to us throughout our trip) had a clear view (Sophia napped undisturbed in her stroller) of where the smell was originating and what was creating a frenzy in the dogs: huge quantities of some kind of raw meat mixed with equally huge amounts of dog food were laid in a 2 foot wide, oh, about 15 foot long pile. Novel idea? No. But the spectacle was the next part . As the castle clock bells chimed the 5pm hour the dogs were in full uproar. The trainer kept them waiting a minute and then signaled for them to be released into the kennel area with the food. Still jumping and yelping, the dogs all stayed about 2 foot away on one side of the pile, waiting for the call. The trainer now waited, waited and waited. He blew a whistle and they were still and quiet , one more blow and after the devouring rush the food was gone in 30 seconds. Pretty cool to see in person. Hmm I was hungry.


We found some yummy ice cream for about 4 bucks a scoop (typical) and Sophia woke up in time to munch on an empty cone. We approached the grand entrance to the chateau and walked by a young Asian couple taking wedding pictures, on their own, tripod and all. I wish I had taken a picture of this as the small stature couple stood out so flamboyantly, with his rhinstone studded tux with tails, and her equally bedazzled ballroom wedding gown. What a grand backdrop to have, I thought as be breezed by the photo shoot and entered the castle. The rooms were very carefully laid out in pristine period styles that the castle had gone through decor-wise, but, dare I say it... we kinda blew past it all because of the crowds and the fact that the rooms were roped off as to keep from exploring the full space, thus the mass pushed you forward to the next sight...no savoring. Yet, having started late in the day we left the chateau, and hurriedly toured the gardens and grounds.

Here we had another potty pause. Funny note: in French public places where "facilities" are provided it is incumbent on the , uh, pottier, to "tip" the provided attendant for use of said "facilities". Yes, I can definitely understand this as their are good sized crowds at these gigs and all the "tip" encouraged potties are nearly spotless. But what is different from place to place is if children are included in this social rule. Here at Cheverny the elderly lady attendant seemed to chide me when I added tip for me and the girls. She did a tisk-tisk sound and returned the extra bit I had included for the girls and in French told me that children are free, as they did not have the control of adults. Point taken. Later I would go by this rule (in Paris) and be chided about remembering a tip for each person, including children. Ah, go with the flow Jenny.

Now I suggested that the packed picnic could be fetched and eat at the chateau, but all around the vote was to head back the two hours to our gite for our last Loire night and picnic on the road. We had lots to do too, dishes to clean, clothes to gather, and packing, packing, packing to do for our flight out the next morning to ESPANA!!!!

American Idol: the humble

I think I can sing. Yep, I have a nice enough singing voice. The kind that when I am singing along to the radio and my family is seemingly being held captive in the car so that they HAVE to listen, it doesn't bother them to distraction, just enough for eye rolling or at times they join in order to tune me out. But let me just say Holy Cow, this year's Idols could SING! This is the first year I watched Idol from beginning to end and I was so impressed with the last 13. And it was somewhat to do with the singing but, the better part of my impression was made by the commradarie of the last finalists.


They never conveyed an air of "I am the best" or "me, me, me" that usually creates the drama in reality programming. Throughout, the judges seemed to urge the contestants (Simon specifically) into the overall sentiment of "to win this thing you have to claim yourself as the best". And it just never rubbed off on this group.

Even last night, as Kris Allen claimed the title, it was endearing to see he and Adam embracing and bolstering each other up and as if to convey "we've made it on this wild ride." The word I am looking for is "refreshing". Truly talented, deserving, sincere people were in a competition where the person that America voted for wasn't the showiest, obvious star, but a nice, capable, grateful performer. They even showed an early clip of his answer to their typical audition question of "why do you deserve to be the next American Idol?" and Kris's response was that he didn't "have the best voice" but that he knew he had a lot to offer. To which Simon commented that Kris lost his vote for Hollywood by saying so. But I think if you asked Kris or really any of the last few finalists that same question (because honestly the last four were great in such different distinct ways), it was a matter of respect (that they all seemed to have for each other) and simply being humble. And that is truly a lost character trait to be seen or appreciated in reality TV or even our everyday.

Questionnaire

1. Name: Jennifer Kristine

2. Birthday: November 6


3. Birthplace: San Antonio,TX

4. Eye Color: Brown

5. Hair Color: Dark Brown

6. Height: 5'0"

7. Ethnicity: Hispanic

8. Weakness: Pizza, travel, Sophia's toddler voice calling out" hode me" (hold me) as her little arms stretch up reaching for me., coffee,

9. Most missed memory: Summers with my cousins, just me and my mom having breakfast after church

10. Thoughts first waking up: what time is it? (I have no internal clock), did David make coffee?,

11. Last time you cried: Hmm. Now, I cry when I worship the Lord. My stepdaughters stare at me and I have had strangers at church ask me if I needed to be prayer (and yes, I think we all need prayer). I guess because it seems overboard but it is something I can't control and just happens.

12. Song title that currently says how you feel: "Here comes the sun"

13. What is the perfect day for you: Tho' I hate packing, I love a good family road trip. We wake somewhat early, Pick up some donuts for the road as the sun rises to shine brightly in anticipation of fun and time together.

14. Ever been asked for an autograph? Yes actually. I was the Mom (M'Lynn) in our high school's Steel Magnolia play and it was surprising to me that a couple of ladies asked for my autograph and then of course my friends mocked me about it.

15. How do you vent anger? talk, talk , talk

16. Who do you talk to most on the phone? David, mom, sister, and Ale.

17. As a kid, were you a lego builder? No, I was a Fisher Price Little People person myself.

18. Do you chew on your straws? I confess, sometimes it happens.


19. Do you sing in the shower? Yup.

20. Who's the last person you stayed up late talking to on the phone to? Dont really do the phone thing alot. But David is the one person I have stayed up talking the latest to.

21. The last place you went to in a plane? France and Spain

22. Do you cry at weddings? Depends on what tear jerking song is sung, what praise is lifted and then of course whatever gushy romantic stuff the bride and groom may decide to share.

23. Are you afraid of the dark? No.

24. What are you addicted to? hmm. I guess something I am always "compelled" by are Period piece movies and such, especially Jane Austen.

25. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Crunchy

26. Who do you fight with the most? David is around the most to be in enough situations with me where conflict may arise ("fight"), but thankfully it is never on a grand or heartbreaking scale and always apologies are exchanged because we talk it to death.

27. Who can you tell anything to? David and my mom.

28. Who can't you get enough of? My family and dear family friends.

29. Who makes you laugh the most? My kids

30. What is the worst feeling ever? Of course, when people I love are hurting. More superficially? When my clothes are tight.

31. How many pillows do you sleep with? Uno. and not a great one at that.

32. How many rings before you answer your phone? Lots. I can never find my phone.

33. How many times do you press the "snooze" button? David is controller of the alarm since I have been an at home mom with Sophia.

34. How do you sleep? Hard and on my back or right side.

35. Last time you laughed: Just last night at Chik-fil-a with David and the girls when David and I were acting out how embarrassing we would be as substitute teachers for one of the girls classes.

36. Ever looked at someone ugly and said "EWWW"? No, thankfully.

37. What is your favorite color? Blue

38. What is your favorite state? Texas!

Now anyone can copy these Questions and answer and share them too but please let me know so I can be nosey and know the random facts too. (Marcia, Steph, Lindsey,Well those are the only three people I know that may actually read my blog)

My Christmas Movies of all time

Ahh. I love movies. Can I officially call that a hobby? If I had to choose between a manicure, seeing a movie, or buying a new shirt I would typically pick seeing a movie (with hubby+snacks). But when it comes to Christmas movies I have mostly seen those at home. Now this list is not super well thought out but I can easily name the holiday movies that, oddly enough, if I miss seeing them this time of year...well I'll just say, I don't usually miss seeing them. I know after I list these I am gonna remember some more so I just might have to update the list, as vital as it is and all. Drum roll please.....................

1. It's a Wonderful Life I was a freshman in college when I first saw this movie and I sat in tears at the end wondering where it had been all my life. I remember thinking how romantic George and Mary's first kiss was and how I just wanted him to get that ol' Mr. Potter. I have loved Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed ever since. My mom and I try each year to find a time when we can sit together (and she usually is not one to sit for a movie at home) and take it all in as George runs through snowy Bedford Falls and calls out to all the old familiar things that have been the backdrop to what he finally realizes has been his Wonderful Life.

2. The Muppets Christmas Carol Oh, how do I love thee o' Muppets. I shall count the ways. Gonzo and Rizzo are hilarious and sweet as the narrators of the tale. I had not thought much of Michael Caine as an actor B4 this movie but his portrayal of Scrooge is spot on and endearing. He was perfect. I have always appreciated Dickens' tone and meaning in this story but the Muppets version is the gold standard of it's retelling and with all the Muppets' flair the old tale gets a nice polish and is new again. Watch it! Yes. I think I will.

3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation It just plain ol' cracks me up but good. I can still remember seeing this at the theater with my Dad because as a teenager I shrunk into my seat as he howled with laughter (a trait I get from him) so loudly to Clark flying uncontrollably on his sled that he was that person in the audience who continues to make the audience laugh in response to his laughter even after the scene is over. Simply enjoyable.

4. Elf Now I totally enjoyed this movie the first time I saw it and still do. But it most definitely had to grow on my husband and two oldest girls. I can recall taking the girls to see this as a treat after the last day of school before the holidays. Everytime Will Farrell did anything embarrassing (which to them was pretty much everything he did) they actually had to hide their faces in their hands (you know, like people do at horror movies) and they shrunk so low in their seats that I had to pull Sara up for fear she would try to sit on the nastyness that is a movie theater floor. (Or maybe it was my howling laughter that did it?) Anyway, I have made them rewatch it so much that they now sit with silly smiles as they watch Will Farrell in full force as the Elf who delights in all things Christmasy, Santa, sugar! and love.

5. My Cinematic departure: Charlie Brown's Christmas. Who doesn't hear those faint strains of children singing slightly off key to "Christmastime is hereeee" and have a flood of childhood Christmas memories? But what I love best and most is that Charlie Brown's search for the meaning of Christmas is beautifully found in Linus' recitation of Luke 2:8-14.

Well, that's it. For now. I think. What are your Christmas favorites?