The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Sleepless In Seattle

Okay, it's the last installment of The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies! :( I will miss it. I saved the best for last! This one is one of my favorite movies, not just of Christmas, but of all time! It's Sleepless In Seattle.

In this movie, Tom Hanks' character looses his wife. A year or so latter, his son calls a radio station on Christmas Eve. & tells the talk show host that his Christmas wish is for a new wife for his dad. Well millions of women hear this & write to him, wanting to fulfill his sons wish. :) Let the fun begin!

Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: People who truly loved once are far more likely to love again. Sam, do you think there's someone out there you could love as much as your wife?
Sam Baldwin: Well, Dr. Marcia Fieldstone, that's hard to imagine.
Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: What are you going to do?
Sam Baldwin: Well, I'm gonna get out of bed every morning... breathe in and out all day long. Then, after a while I won't have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out... and, then after a while, I won't have to think about how I had it great and perfect for a while.
Doctor Marcia Fieldstone: Tell me what was so special about your wife?
Sam Baldwin: Well, how long is your program? Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together... and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I'd ever known... I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like... magic.

"When you're attracted to someone,
it just means that your subconscious
is attracted to their subconscious,
subconsciously.
So what we think of as fate is just two neuroses
knowing that they are a perfect match."

Of course I cried. I'm a crier! I love this movie! I watch it often. The soundtrack of Sleepless In Seattle is awesome too! Get it if you don't have it. You wont regret it. Especially if you love some of the old classic, romantic songs. And a few years ago, I got to travel to some of the places featured in my favorite movie . . .

Tom Hanks in front of a fish market in Pikes Place Market in Seattle.

Me, in front of the same fish market!

Meg Ryan on top of the Empire State Building in New York City!
Waiting to meet the man of her dreams.


Me, on top of the Empire State Building!

I bought an ornament of the Empire State Building
the year I went to New York!

This movie not only celebrates Christmas, but also New Years & Valentines Day! So this is a great time to watch it! And I hope this New Year is filled with Love & Laughter for you and everyone you love!

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: The Family Stone

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas spent with Family & Friends. We're winding down The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies series, but it's not too late to find & watch some great Holiday movies. Like this next one The Family Stone.

This one is a newer film that's a lot of fun! But, if like me, you have spent any Christmases with someone you love, knowing this could possibly be their last Christmas with you, then had subsequent Christmases without the ones you've lost, then you will find the deeper meaning to this movie.

In this movie, the Mother of this fun (if not wild) family is loosing her battle with Cancer. One of the sons brings home his girlfriend he is planning on purposing to, who is uptight & does not fit in at all. None of the family like her. His brother tells her "You have a freak flag. You just don't fly it." :) She brings in her sister for reinforcement & chaos ensues.

"I'm just as good as any of you!"
"Maybe better."
"What's so great about you guys?"
"Oh nothing! It's just that we're all that we've got."

On Christmas morning we got up, came down stairs, the kids saw what Santa had brought them, we opened our stockings, like we've done every Christmas morning. Then one of my girls pulls out a small present & said "Mom this is a special present, open this one first." The tag on this gift (in my son Kyle's hand writing) said "To my little sis, Star From your big sis Debbie" and inside was a cute little ornament that lights up & said sister on it.

Those of you who know me, know my one & only sister, Debbie, passed away several years ago. And I still miss her.

Every year, knowing how much I loved Christmas, she would give me an ornament. And even now, every year when we put up our tree, as we pull out the ornaments, we remember & talk about her. Her husband Tom, after she passed away, gave me ornaments that were hers as well. He went to be with her in Heaven this past year. Here are just a few of the ornaments she gave me over the years . . .

As you can see, this one is from 1989.

I guess Kyle saw the sister ornament in a store & wanted to continue the tradition in her memory. :) It was very sweet.

This one is a red heart
but when you open it you see a scene of a family decorating their tree.
It's one of our favorites that Debbie gave me.

With my Birthday being Christmas day,
she thought I needed a Birthday ornament for my tree!
I love it!

We also lost my dad a couple years after loosing Debbie. He loved Christmas too. And always told me I was the best Christmas present he ever received. Even if my brothers never forgave me for interrupting their Christmas morning by being born. :)

Dad & Mom with Santa!

On Christmas day this year, we were blessed to have my Mom over to Celebrate with us. We all love being with family. Hope you had precious time with your family this Holiday season.

Me & Mom!

The kids with Grandma!
Left to right: Erica, Zach, Mom, Kyle & Lexi

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!"

And what happened then . . . ?
Well . . . in who-ville they say
that the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!

Merry Christmas to all my readers!
And may your New Year be filled
with Love & Laughter!

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

"You better watch out. You better not cry, you better not pout. I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town." This movie was one of my childhood favorites!

It gives us a story of how Santa may have come to be. An orphaned baby ends up being raised by an Elf family named Kringle. The nearby town of Sombertown is run by the Mayor Burgermeister-Meisterburger. Who I remember as pretty scary! There is also Winter Warlock to contend with. Kris sneaks into town & hides toys (which have been outlawed) in the children's socks hung to dry by their fireplaces.

"Toys are hereby declared illegal, immoral, unlawful
And anyone found with a toy is his possession will be placed under arrest
and thrown in the dungeon. No kidding!"

"Put one foot in front of the other
and soon you'll be walking out the door!"

Kris also meets the local school teacher, Beautiful Jessica, who shares his love for the children. She helps him, they fall in love, and she becomes better known to us as Mrs. Claus! He also wins over the Burgermeister when he gives him a Yoyo! Men will be boys! And they do love their toys! :)

"What would happen if we all tried to be like Santa
and learned to give as only he can give:
of ourselves, our talents, our love and our hearts?
Maybe we all could learn Santa's beautiful lesson
and maybe there would finally be Peace on Earth and good will toward men."

Our family seeing Santa this year!
Left to Right: Zach, Erica, Santa, Lexi,
Olivia & Kyle,
John & Me!

As you know we have a tradition of getting our kids picture taken with Santa every year of their lives. You can see all our pictures with Santa through the years here.

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: White Christmas

On the Eighth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me a White Christmas DVD! Okay, really it was a VHS tape, but that doesn't rhyme with me! :) And I have a funny story that goes along with this one:

There is a famous evangelist named Rich Wilkerson who happened to be speaking at the Church we were on staff at when I found out I was pregnant with Twins at that they were girls. Many people over the years have tried to spiritualize this by asking me if he prayed over my girls. And they are surprised by my answer. No he didn't, but he started singing this funny song about sisters! I asked him if that was a real song or was he just making it up. He said indeed it is a real song and it's from the movie White Christmas! Imagine my shock! Me, who thought I knew EVERY Christmas Movie ever made & all the songs in them.

Me, carrying the "Sisters!" :0

Believe it or not, I had NEVER seen White Christmas! This classic Christmas Musical. So guess what I asked Santa for that year? And being me, who is of course, always on the Nice List, got what I asked for. And I loved the movie! Especially the Sisters Song! "How can a guy that ugly have the nerve to have sisters? Brave Parents."

Sisters

Sisters, Sisters
There were never such devoted sisters

Never had to have a chaperon "No, sir"
I'm there to keep my eye on her

Caring, Sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome
She wore the dress and I stayed home

All kinds of weather
We stick together
The same in the rain or sun

Two diff'rent faces
But in tight places
We think and we act as one

Those who've seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us

Many men have tried to split us up
but no one can

Lord help the mister
who comes between me and my Sister
And Lord help the Sister
who comes between me and my man

Sisters, Sisters

My girls are teenagers now and I still watch this movie every year. Usually when I'm home alone & wrapping presents, spread out on the living room floor. Maybe I could get Zach to watch it with me if I told him it was a "war" movie! :) Soldiers who are musical, this could actually be right up his alley! "Theres no Christmas in the Army!"

And here are my girls in their own Christmas Musicals this year . . .

Erica singing with her school's Choir:

Lexi playing the Flute with her Band

One of my favorite lines from White Christmas is: "When your worried and you can't sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep." And this movie is of course, also responsible for the best selling Christmas song of all time; Bing Crosby singing White Christmas!

"And may all your Christmases be White."

The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies: A Christmas Story

Okay, it's time for a good laugh! And the funniest Christmas Movie around is A Christmas Story! If you've never seen it, just turn on TNT on Christmas day, they play it repeatedly for 24 hours straight! It must be Ted Turners favorite Christmas Movie ever! :)

My boys especially love this type of humor. We all quote lines from this movie all year long! Get ready to lol! And please, feel free to share your favorite parts with us too!

"Some men are Baptists, others Catholics;
My Father was an Oldsmobile Man."

"First nighters packed ear muff-to-earmuff, jostled in wonderment before a golden,
tinkling display of merchandised, electronic joy!"

"It's a major award!"
"Fra-gee-lay, that must be Italian.
Uh, I think that says Fragile, dear."

This is also a very educational film. In it we learn how to stand up to bullies! How to dress to play in the snow. How to get what you want for Christmas. And what happens to you if you use swear words! (see photo above) :) Oh yeah, and what happens if you lick a pole in the winter . . .

"I Triple-dog-dare ya!"

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

"Deck the harrs with boughs of horry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra."