Allie's Favorites

Hey everyone,

I'm soooo glad it's finally Christmas break! Homework and soccer were taking up basically all of my social life, so now I actually have time to blog. Here are some of my favorites of Christmastime and I hope you enjoy reading them.

1. Favorite ornament: My favorite ornament is a sparkly, glittery, silver snowflake-ish looking ball that has been my favorite ever since I was little. (Mom always puts it near the top of the tree because its fragile).

2. Favorite tradition: Sitting around the fire eating Nicoise salad on Christmas Eve is one of my favorite traditions. And opening one, and only one, Christmas gift that night. It's always entertaining trying to eat our dinner peacefully before our dog, Benny, eats it from the low coffee table where we have Christmas Eve...good times. I think one year he got part of our food and mom got really mad and shut him in the family room...that was the last time Benny ate dinner with us...

3. Favorite gift: My favorite gift...hmmm...I would have to say last year when my parents allowed me to lease a horse for three months and I got to ride 4x a week. It was one of the best days (and months that followed) of my life. I love riding horses and I adored the horse, Midnight, that I was able to lease. I was thrilled and had a ton of fun riding Midnight around the ranch for the weeks that followed. It was a gift that meant a lot to me and I know it was probably a pain for them to drive me to the ranch during that time because we were really busy.

4. Favorite Christmas meal: This is no competition...my mom's cranberry strudel for breakfast beats anything else we have all year. It's that delicious. Cranberry filling (with nuts) and flaky, buttery, phyllo "crust" surrounding it. I would do almost anything for it.

5. Favorite Christmas cookie: This is a hard one... I would have to say either gingerbread cookies or peppermint bark (from Williams-Sonoma). I absolutely love making gingerbread cookies because they are soooo delicious =) and they're pretty much the only thing I know how to make. Peppermint bark is...well, there's no way to possibly describe the scrumptious taste and smooth texture. So if you've never had peppermint bark, you definitely have to try some. (It's basically layers of milk chocolate and white chocolate and peppermint...what more could you want!)

6. Favorite place to be: For Christmas and Christmas Eve, I love to be in front of the fire with my family in our house in San Diego. But, after Christmas (or before) I am obsessed with snow and I love to be anywhere it snows...Deer Valley, Big Bear, Ohio... Basically anywhere that's cozy and has snow is my favorite place to be.

7. Favorite memory: My favorite memory of Christmas is a couple years ago when I told my family that I wanted to read the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve. So I got out my Bible and I read the Christmas story from Luke. I don't really know why this memory has stuck with me for so long, but I will always remember reading it to my family. (We should have videotaped it.)

Reid's Favorites

Way to go everyone on the comments! Reading the numerous contributions Thursday stirred up a lot more memories for me. I appreciate those who took the challenge and highly recommend everyone click on "comments" at the end of the December 18th post to hear what others chimed in. I had totally forgotten the faux green crocodile bedspreads at my grandmother's house! Good times. Wish we were all together in one room--singing carols!

Reid and I sat down before dinner and he offered these answers very directly. Glad I asked! He is so easy to please.

1. Favorite ornament: the golden star

2. Favorite tradition: snow in Ohio

3. Favorite gift: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory video

4. Favorite Christmas meal: bean and cheese burritos

5. Favorite Christmas cookie: the gingerbread man

6. Favorite place to be: the family room watching whatever new DVD I get

7. Favorite memory: singing at Borders

got comments?

We must confess, in our zeal to re-invent the Christmas card, we have inadvertently created what Jim is now calling, the Christmas newsletter on steroids! That was not our intent; but it's where we are.....and it's only December 18th. So, at this point, I will take it over the top and give you an assignment. Today's post begs a reply from you.

Beth Moore is my current favorite Bible teacher. She and her daughters posted this Christmas questionnaire and I thought it bore repeating. My mom is infamous for posing a "profound question" at the dinner table which everyone must go around and answer in turn. Since they often fall in the same category as the following, Jim and my jeering response is, "We'll decide whether it's profound or not."

To relieve any pressure, I would simply call these fun for the whole family. You decide how profound you want your answer to be! As Reid often says, "Come on, don't be shy." And as Allie recently told a friend who is fed up with their militaristic soccer coach, "I don't quit." I figure if I can get Jim, Allie, and Reid to reply, that's four more day's posts! Benny would make five. And Christmas is just 7 days away.

Here are mine. Will you give us yours in a comment? Just click on "comments" and share your 7 answers.

1. Favorite ornament

many, but this angel that I've re-glued multiple times because it reminds me of the Neopolitan tree at The Met in New York
2. Favorite tradition

waiting at the top of the stairs at Nana's in Sandusky; my aunts and uncles required all the cousins to do this when we were children so they could turn lights on, put batteries in, start the coffee and get the obligatory photo before we all descended to unwrap presents. The multiple photos capturing it make it all worthwhile in retrospect. (Where are those, anyway?)

3. Favorite gift ever received

cross country skis from Jim because I was NOT expecting them at all and he stretched me to new limits believing my potential for the future; coffee table art books from my mom because they broke from her normally practical nature in a streak of decadence and appreciation of beauty

4. Favorite Christmas meal

turkey with nouveau gourmet variations on the traditional, like brussel sprouts with orange glaze or mashed sweet potatoes and rutabagas or cornbread/sausage/chestnut dressing or pumpkin cheesecake with ginger snap crust

5. Favorite Christmas cookie

powdered pistachio mexican wedding cookies to eat; gingerbread men to look at

6. Favorite place to be

home in our living room Christmas Eve around the fireplace with salade Nicoise each opening one gift

7. Favorite memory

waking up to heavy snow falling outside the windows at the Moriarty's in Chagrin Falls and the exuberant sledding that ensues afterward down their hill

Anticipation is half the fun of any celebration. The other half may be memory.