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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

As Summer Ends

     Thanks to Ginger's Bring Back the Words linkups, I have been blogging a lot more recently. However, I haven't really talked much about what has been going on with us, just responding to her prompts.  As you all know, we sold our house and moved in May.  School ended and our summer began.  I'd like to say I'm one of those moms who plans all these fun activities for my family to do during the summer.  Truth is our schedule doesn't change much just because it is summer.  Sean went to camp at his school and Jackson attended the summer session at his daycare.  My office implemented summer hours which meant I worked 10 hour days 4 days a week with Fridays off (normally we do 4 9's and half day Fridays).  The only major change this year was having Sean here rather than heading to his mom's for the summer.  So I thought I'd do a quick recap of our summer now that it is coming to an end.

June:

  • I spent a week in DC with my boss attending a conference and training on some of the software we use at work.  When we weren't in session, we were out seeing the sights of our nation's capitol. Lesson learned: always pack tennis shoes and comfy clothes even when you don't think you will need them.  I apparently need a mid-sized suitcase because I underpacked since I didn't want to take my large suitcase on the trip.
  • Sean took swim lessons so he could be free to swim in the pool at camp without floaties this year. Plus I felt better knowing he was able to handle himself in the water.
  • Chris and I celebrated 3 years of marriage by being in different states.  (I was in DC.)  My boss bought me wine and dessert to thank me for missing my anniversary.
  • We finally found a Bible Life class that we love at church.  Even though we miss as much as we attend, we are excited to hear the lessons each week again.
  • We visited Chris's grandmother and extended family in Wichita Falls for a long weekend at the end of the month.  It was high time Jackson and I met the rest of the family.
July:
  • I spent the 4th of July trying to calm Maverick down while our neighbors immediately behind us shot off fireworks.
  • We celebrated Jackson's birthday at The Little Gym with his friends from daycare, church, and the gym and an Elmo theme.
  • We spent Jackson's actual birthday in Alabama with my family.  It was nice to have a week off work. We wrapped up the trip with a visit to my brother's family in Houston and the Houston Aquarium on the way back to Austin.  Jackson loved seeing all the fish.
  • We celebrated Sean's birthday at Bricks 4 Kidz with his school friends and an Angry Birds theme.  I will never again plan 2 birthday parties and a vacation in two weeks time.
  • I started Weight Watchers at work in an effort to lose the baby weight (OK...I just need to lose weight period.)
August:
  • I met up with my sister-in-law and her family to shop till I dropped at the MamaCents consignment sale.  I bought a mesh rail for J's bed and we converted his crib to a toddler bed.  It has actually been a quite easy transition without a lot of fussing or issues.  J seems to love being able to climb in and out of the bed on his own.
  • Chris and I finally moved the excess furniture that we had stored when we staged the house out of storage into the new house.  We still don't have pictures on the walls or boxes cleaned out. Eventually we will be all moved in.
  • I went to the range with Chris.  I shot once and that was enough for me.  I'm good.  I checked the box.
  • We attended my company's summer outing at the Round Rock Express stadium.  The boys enjoyed the baseball game more than I expected they would.
  • Chris was promoted to Senior Deputy.
  • We took the boys to the McKenna Childrens' Museum.  If McKenna was closer, we would go there more often but I can't justify the hour drive there to go a lot.  The boys loved it.  Jackson went 90 to nothing the entire time we were there.  I have decided my boy has one speed: GO!
  • As of the end of the month, I have lost 10 pounds.  Chris joined me on my Weight Watchers journey and he is down 15 pounds as well.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

BBTW Week 10: Back to School

Prompt 2: School is starting for a lot of people these days. Tell us your most memorable “back to school” related story.


I didn't get this post in before the cut off for Ginger's link up last week but I still wanted to write my story so here it is.  I don't remember anything significant happening on any of my days heading back to school.  I can remember loading down the car to drive to Marion for college (my freshman year sticks out most in my head).  I can remember helping out with registration at Murphy when I was a cheerleader.  But mostly, the back to school moments never really seemed like a big deal to me.  What does stick out to me was the year I had to change schools in elementary school.  

Growing up in Alabama, even in the 80's and 90's, racial tension was always an issue.  So much so that I was forced to change schools when I was heading into the 4th grade because they were cracking down on the districting that was in place as a result of segregation case that had been ruled on in 1971 in Mobile County.  The result was school districts set up to try to even the balance of the races in schools, which resulted in students being bused across town to schools that were uneven prior to the districting.  For the first time in my school career (and that of both my brothers), we were required to show a proof of residence in order to attend school for the year.  Prior to that, we had been using my grandmother's address to go to school out of district. The school we attended was closer to our house and the high school, middle school, and elementary school were all in one location which was good since we were spread over all 3 for a couple of years.  The only way out was a transfer and those were very hard to come by.  

I clearly remember when the news broke that we were going to have to change schools.  It was only a couple of weeks before the start of the new school year and we were already registered to attend our old school for the year.  My parents were scrambling to try to get us into our new schools for the year (at the time, my oldest brother was in college but my other brother was heading to 8th grade).  I called all my friends from my old school in tears because we would no longer being going to school together.  That first year at my new school I only knew the students in my class.  I didn't know my way around the school and I rarely had to enter the building since we were in a portable (which was new to everyone in my class but not to me). I hated it.  My missed my old friends and my old school.  That was probably the hardest year I had in school socially because it was all so new.  I only attended that school for two years before I headed to middle school.

In the end, that change was for the best for me.  I was able to get away from some bad habits I had picked up at my old school and my academics improved.  I ended up attending one of the best high schools in the state because of the districting (a 30 minute drive across town past another high school) and I loved it.  But this experience has also stuck with me which is why I don't want the boys to go through the same changes I had to.  It's hard starting over that close to the end of a school and I am happy to see that our district will allow students to transfer back to a school for their final year at the school if they move out of district.

Monday, August 26, 2013

BBTW Week 11: Legend Has It

Prompt 1: Tell us a story that is “family legend.”
In this week's installment of Bring Back the Words, Ginger is asking us to tell a story about a family legend.  Well, this prompt has been wracking my brain trying to come up with a story to tell.  I keep thinking back to stories I heard from my grandmothers and their sisters growing up but none really seem like legend.  So I decided to tell a story that isn't so much legend because I actually lived it.  It is the story of how I met the elusive Harper Lee.

If you have ever read the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, then you know it is set in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama.  What you may not know is that it is based on the town of Monroeville, Alabama, which just so happens to be my father's home town.  Harper Lee grew up in Monroeville and was known as Nelle to those who knew her in town.  That included my grandmother who taught Nelle (aka Harper) in the 4th grade before she married my grandfather.  I remember hearing stories about Nelle when I would visit my grandmother growing up.  She also encouraged me to read To Kill a Mockingbird one summer while I was there well before I was required to read it in school.  Needless to say, my family was pretty proud of our link back to so famous author.


One day when I was in late middle school, we were visiting Nanny (my grandmother) and we decided to head out to lunch to one of the few restaurants in town.  David's Catfish was our location of choice for the meal.  For some reason, it was only myself and my oldest brother on the trip with our dad.  While we were sitting there, a lady came over to speak to my grandmother.  They chatted for a few minutes and Nanny introduced us but she never mentioned the lady's name.  I didn't think much of it because my grandmother had been a fixture in Monroeville for years and knew just about everyone either from church or her days working at the bank. After the lady left, Nanny leaned over and said, "That was Nelle." Of course, I hadn't seen a recent picture of Miss Lee so I had no idea that was who had been standing at our table.  My brother and I both geeked out.  We immediately went over and thanked her for her work on her novel and told her how much we loved it.  I am sure she hated it because she has always hated for people to make a fuss over her.  But we couldn't let the opportunity pass.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

You Had to be There

     I finished reading John Green's Looking for Alaska last week. As with many of the books I have read recently, I didn't really know much about the book before I read it.  I had just heard some recommendations for John Green's work and I decided to check it out.  I was pretty excited when I read the synopsis that the book took place at a boarding school in Alabama.  I just knew this book was going to remind me of my time in Marion and I was right.  
     You see, I went to college at a Southern Baptist women's college that was three blocks away from a military boarding school in small town Alabama.  MMI, the military school, was a high school and junior college.  While I was there, they added 8th grade to the school.  Most of the younger students were locals who opted to attend the school over the local public school so they could receive a better education. However, there were several students at the school who were sent there because they were behavior problems. Personally, I always thought this was a bad idea.  It didn't make sense to me to send children who were acting out away to a school with limited adult supervision.  Even with the rules in place at the school, there were always antics going on.  Pranks and partying were regular occurrences on the campus.  All while I read the book, I could imagine similar events taking place in Marion.  Pudge and the Capitan and Arizona all reminded me of people I know while I was in school there.  So Looking for Alaska really brought me back to a different time in my life.
      Marion was a special town that seemed to be separated from the rest of the world.  I have often said that I had a unique college experience but no one would really understand it unless they had lived it as well. It's like all of us who were there share a secret that the rest of the world can't be a part of. It was hard to leave the bubble of Marion at the end of my 4 years there but it was time to move on. I cherish the time I spent there because it helped shaped who I am.  

Thursday, August 22, 2013

BBTW Week 10: Hobby Time

Prompt 1: Tell us about a hobby/addiction/obsession of yours.
I used to have hobbies.  I would cross stitch and scrapbook.  I danced when I was younger.  I acted in musicals.  I was an avid reader. And then work got busy and I got married (again) and had a baby and my hobbies kind of disappeared.  I moved my scrapbooking supplies for the 3rd time and still haven't taken them out of the box because I have no time and no space to work on all the books I have wanted do over the last 5 years.  Same with the cross stitch work.  And the dancing and musicals fell to the wayside as I got out of shape thanks to sitting at a desk all day with no exercise.  I am trying to read more but even that is hard to fit in.  So I really don't feel like I have hobbies anymore.  But I am hoping that will change.

As for obsessions, well, there is this certain college football team I am kind of fond of.  You know, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.  Heard of them?  I mean they aren't very good.  They've only won three of the last four national championships.  Of course, if you know me, then you know that saying I am fond of Alabama is an understatement.  I love college football.  I spend most of my Saturdays in the fall glued to my TV, starting my morning out with College Game Day and then watching whatever game interests me until Alabama plays.  College football is my sport but Alabama is my team.  It's interesting to be an Alabama fan in the land of the Longhorns and Aggies though.  I'm sort of a fish out of water but somehow I keep finding fellow fans around me.  I have two coworkers who are Alabama grads.  Our neighbors are Alabama fans.  There are a few at church and our pastor is from Alabama but he is an Auburn fan.  I try not to hold it against him.  I am so ready for football season to start.  9 days and counting!
Check out Ginger's Linkup for Bring Back the Worlds Week 10!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Bring Back the Words Week 9: Where Have I Lived?

Prompt 2: A getting to know you list–share all the places you’ve lived (and if you want to, how you got there, and why you left). Bonus points for expanding on whether you plan to stay where you are now, or if you have a dream location you still want to get to.
I'm not sure if I will answer Ginger's other prompt from this week because I have absolutely no idea what character from a TV show I would want to be.  So I'll have to think on that one and come back to it.  But talking about where I've lived is pretty easy because it hasn't been that many places.
1977-1995: Mobile, Alabama - Obviously, this is home.  I was born here.  I have spent the majority of my live (so far) here.  I wouldn't be opposed to returning here one day.
1995-1999: Marion, Alabama - I'm not really sure if I should count college but I did spend 90% of my time in this town while I was in college.  Although I like going back to visit Judson's campus periodically, I know I would never want to live here again.  This is truly a town that time forgot.
1999-2005: Mobile, Alabama - Back home after college.  This is where I started my career, went to graduate school, and got married the first time.  I also bought my first home in Mobile before I got married and sold when it came time for us to PCS.
2005-2007: Killeen, Texas - We moved here when my ex received orders to Fort Hood.  I call it the armpit of Texas.  I never really enjoyed living there so I was happy to leave once I started my job in Austin.  Killeen has a lot of bad memories for me and I've only been back a handful of times since I sold my house there in early 2008.
2007-2008: Austin, Texas - Maverick and I lived in an apartment in NW Austin for the first 6 months we lived here while I got the lay of the land and decided where I wanted to live.  I really loved this area of town because it felt close enough to everything without being right in the middle of it all.  
2008-present: Round Rock, Texas - I decided to buy a house in Round Rock when the time came to move out of my apartment because the housing prices were cheaper in Round Rock but I was still close enough to my job that it didn't matter much.  We have been really happy here and Chris has lived most of his life in Round Rock so that is where we are for now.  
We are still on the fence on whether we want to stay in Round Rock or move closer to my job.  That would put us back in Austin but I really don't want to live in South Austin.  There is nothing wrong with it.  I just like the N/NW Austin area better myself.  At this point, I would say our options are either moving into Austin or heading back to Alabama one day.  I wouldn't be opposed to either so we shall see what happens.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Bring Back the Worlds Week 8: To Take a Trip

Prompt 2: What are your top 5 favorite vacation locations?

The second prompt from this week's Bring Back the Words linkup asked us to list our top 5 favorite vacation destinations.  This one was harder for me than I thought it would be because I realized when I started writing it that I really hadn't traveled as much I would have liked in my lifetime.  So I had to try to pick from the places I have actually been.  I didn't really want to include any of the traveling I've done around Texas, not that there aren't lovely places to visit here, nor did I want to count trips to see family.  So here are the places that my list.
  1. New York - My mom work for the University of Mobile Theatre Department for several years after I graduated from college.  Every other year, the director would take her seniors from that year & the upcoming seniors to New York to see shows and tour the city.  The last four times she took the trip before leaving the school, Mom and I were able to tag along.  The last two trips also included my sisters-in-law, Shannon and Jenny.  I love everything about New York. The hustle and bustle, the food, the atmosphere, the shopping, and especially the theatre.  It's been five years since our last trip and I am dying to go back. 
    Shannon, Jenny, Mom, and Me on the top of the Double Decker Sightseeing Bus
  2. Disney World - My first trip to Disney World was during my senior year in high school when I went with the Azalea Trail Court for the Easter Parade.  I've been 8 times since that first visit, including my honeymoon the first time I got married.  Every time I step through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, I am swept away by the feeling of being in another world.  I have a love affair with the Mouse.  I can't wait to take Jackson to Disney and I only hope he loves it as much as I do.  If I actually thought we could squeeze it into the budget to take the four of us, I would be there in a heartbeat. 
    Me with Mickey during my last visit in 2004
  3. Hawaii - This trip was supposed to be a pre-deployment getaway before my ex's 3rd trip to the Sandbox that did not happening.  He ended up not staying with the unit so he didn't haven't to go overseas but our trip was already planned so we still went.  It was amazing.  We stayed in Waikiki on the island of Oahu and we were really in the heart of everything.  I loved the food (taro pancakes with coconut syrup, iced mango, pulled pork at a luau).  I loved the culture.  I loved the blue water and the weather.  I felt like I was living a dream so much so that I could pretend my marriage wasn't falling apart while we were there. Chris has promised me a do over for this trip so I can replace some of the so-so memories with happier ones.
    Me at climbing Diamond Head
  4. Gatlinburg, TN - Chris and I got married at a B&B in Gatlinburg (OK...technically it was Sevierville but close enough).  When we decided to elope instead of having a "real" wedding, Gatlinburg came up on the list of options as a place where a lot of people elope.  I had no idea they had wedding chapels and special rates on marriage licenses for out-of-towners.  I had always heard wonderful things about Gatlinburg so we decided it would be the place for us and it did not disappoint.  The Smokey Mountains were beautiful and majestic while the area had a quaint, small town feel to it.  We are dying to go back when the opportunity presents itself.  I'm just hoping we don't have to wait till our 10th anniversary like we promised the minister who married us to renew our vows.
    Chris and I on the balcony of our cabin overlooking the Smokey Mountains the morning after we got married
  5. Austria - My sophomore year in high school my band director put together a 10 day tour of Europe for those from our band as well as other schools in the area who wanted to participate.  On a whim, I asked my father if I could go and he agreed with the stipulation that my mother go to.  It was an amazing experience at only 15 years old and one I would love to repeat some day.  We visited Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and England.  We saw a lot the countryside traveling from one destination to the other but I have to say I feel in love with Austria the most.  We stayed in Salzburg and Vienna while in Austria and both cities were wonderful.  At our crazy pink hotel in Salzburg, we had a fondue party our first night.  In Vienna, my balcony opened up to a view of the Opera House across the street.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to see this amazing cities.
    Not a picture I took but a sight I did see: the tree lined street from The Sound of Music

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Bring Back the Words Week 8: TV Time

Prompt 1: Share your top 10 favorite TV shows with us.
One of the questions Ginger gave us this week was to list our top 10 all-time favorite TV shows.  Just like the movies last week, it was hard to narrow it down to 10.  I love TV.  I watch a lot of TV.  I easily have more than 10 shows scheduled a week on my DVR.  So I really had to think about the shows that I could rewatch again and again or the ones I was upset to see cancelled.  Here is my top 10 (in no particular order) with a few extras added in.
  1. Sex and the City - We didn't have HBO when Sex and the City was on so I didn't watch it until after it was over and I purchased the entire box set.  I loved this series.  I firmly believe there is a Sex and the City episode that relates to most of the issues women face.  I can think of several episodes that I have encountered personally.  (I'm a Charlotte by the way.)
  2. JAG - This was a show that my parents and I would watch each week.  It played into my love of men in uniform and had me wanting to go to law school just so I could go JAG.  I know that most JAG officers don't deal with all the exciting encounters that they did on the show but it just still made the career seem fun.  I still wish I knew what happened with Harm and Mac after the show ended.
  3. Friday Night Lights - This was another show that I watched after it ended and I still can't figure out what I didn't watch it when it was on with as much as I love football.  This show was amazing.  The cast was amazing.  The storylines were amazing.  I am still sad that FNL is no longer on the air.  I will admit that I am not a Riggins fan.  I started to like him as the show progressed but I always thought he look kind of greasy to me.
  4. Downton Abbey - I started Downton around the time the 2nd season was starting by catching up on season 1 on Amazon Instant Video and I was instantly sucked in.  There is just something you want to love about the characters.  You get invested in them.  You want to root for them and you want to see how their lives play out.  I'm still mad about the season 3 finale.  I cried when Lady Sybil died because it hit so close to home.  I can't wait to see what is next both upstairs and down.
  5. Gilmore Girls - Oh my favorite fast talking mother-daughter duo.  There were days I wanted to tell them to step away from the coffee.  But the show had such fun, quirky characters.  I really wanted to live in Stars Hollow becuase it just seemed quant.  But, why oh why, did Rory tell Logan no?
  6. Smash - A show about the creation of a Broadway musical...what's not to love?  The entire 1st season I wanted Bombshell to be a real musical.  Unfortunately, they went down a different path the 2nd season and tanked the series.  I was sad to see it end but they didn't carry on with what made the show great during the 1st season.
  7. Boy Meets World - Boy Meets World started around the time The Wonder Years ended and I loved Fred Savage so much that I wanted to see what his little brother could do.  The only episodeI ever missed was Cory and Topagna's wedding.  One day I will track it down to see it.  I am looking forward to Girl Meets World next year.  I hope it lives up to my expectations.
  8. The Wonder Years - I am still sad to know that Winnie Cooper and Kevin Arnold didn't end up together.  I grew up with their characters.  I watched history unfold in front of their eyes in a way that made it seem like I was there living it with them.  And I hate that I can't buy this on DVD because of all of the music rights associated with the show.
  9. So You Think You Can Dance - If I was younger, in better shape, and a better dancer, I would totally try out for this show.  This is the one reality show that I really can get in to. I have watched and loved it from the beginning even the seasons where I wasn't as invested in the dancers.  I even watched the season finale in 2011 during one of my hospital stays the summer Jackson was born.
  10. Dawson's Creek - Joey, Pacey, and Dawson...what a love triangle.  I'm sorry, guys, but I wanted Dawson to win.  After all, it was his show and his lake. But I think it ended well except for the whole Jen dying thing and leaving her baby behind.   
Honorable Mentions: Glee, Lost, Felicity, One Tree Hill, West Wing, and Friends. All great shows that I loved as well and never wanted to miss an episode but didn't quite make my top 10.

What are you all-time favorite TV shows?  Want to see what everyone else is saying?  Check out this week's linkup on Ginger's blog.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Kids These Days

One of the things we have been excited about in our new neighborhood is the number of kids Sean's age on our street.  We live on a cul de sac and there is a playground at the entrance so there are kids out playing all the time.  This is something we didn't see much of in our old neighborhood.  There were kids but they weren't out as much.  So it has been nice having others around for Sean to spend time with until Friday.  There is one little boy who lives across the street and he has just rubbed me the wrong way from day one.  If we tell him Sean can't come out because it's dinner time or too late then he starts questioning us.  He basically has no respect for our rules (I know...he's only 8 but still) and we know he has rules at home because we've met his parents and heard some of the things he gets in trouble for.  However, things reached a breaking point on Friday.  Eric was at our house and left only to be sent back a few minutes later because he had "traded" some toys with Sean.  Eric's dad said he couldn't do that and Chris agreed that wasn't OK with him either.  I'm not sure how Eric got out of the house without Chris seeing the toys in the first place but I wasn't here when it happened.  So I asked Sean over dinner why he'd given the toys to Eric.  He said Eric told him that he would leave and wouldn't be his friend if Sean didn't give him the toys.  Oh, I was livid.  The kid basically bullied Sean and, because Sean wants to still have a buddy to play with, he went along with it.  It just made me so angry that this kid was taking advantage of him.  Of course when Eric came back, he didn't return all of the toys he took from Sean.  We made the decision then that we just didn't want Sean playing with Eric anymore.  It seems our instincts were right to caution us against him.  So today Eric came over and wanted to play and Sean had to tell him no.  My heart just broke for Sean because I know it was hard and he didn't fully understand our decision but no one is going to treat him like that.  How is it that kids this young can learn to be so mean?  I just don't get it.  I don't remember people being like this when I was young.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Bring Back the Words Week 7: In Another Life

I am participating in Ginger's Bring Back the Words Link up...check it out!

Prompt 1: In another life, what career/job would you have, and why?

I've thought a lot at different times through my life what I would do different if I was able to start over and select a different career.  There are a couple of ideas that have crossed my mind at different times and given the right circumstances, I could have made them happen.  But let's first start with my current career.  I decided to study business in college because I had a dream of opening my own dance studio and I figured a business background would help me know how to run the place and my school didn't have a dance major.  My first business classes included accounting principles and, much to my surprise, I was actually really good at it.  Accounting made sense to me.  Once I realized that, my path changed and suddenly I was exploring my options for completing an accounting degree and sitting for the CPA exam.  The CPA exam hasn't happened and I have ventured away from true accounting to a more finance role within my industry (government contracting) but I do have the accounting degree now.  I don't love accounting but I am good at what I do and it pays the bills so it works.
 
Now if I was to do a job that I would love it would either be as a makeup artist or an arts administrator.  I have always loved playing with makeup.  I love the colors and seeing what other people wear.  My sister-in-law was a Mary Kay lady while I was in high school and college and my favorite thing to do was go through all the samples to try out the different colors.  So fun!  I'm not sure how far I would have been able to get making a career out of makeup.  I'm not a sales person so doing Mary Kay wouldn't work for me and I doubt I would have ever made it doing makeup in the theatre but that doesn't change my love for it.  Surprisingly, I don't wear a lot of makeup on a normal basis.  I love to dress up with makeup but for every day, it is just the basics.
 
As for being an arts administrator, I really think this is the career I was supposed to have.  My senior year in college (a little late at that point!), someone came to speak from the Alabama Arts Council about her job as an arts administrator.  She worked on grants for arts programs and other activities around the state.  I was fascinated listening to her describe what she did and suddenly realized I had found my calling.  I love dance and theatre and most everything associated with the arts.  This sounded like a dream job to me.  I went so far as to apply to the College of Charleston's Arts Administration program.  I was accepted but the timing and the logistics just didn't work.  So here I am 10 years later doing what works not what I'm passionate about and that's OK because I think about all the things I wouldn't have if I had followed a different path and that I wouldn't be OK with.



 

Movie Time

Prompt 2:  Give us your top 10 favorite movies of all time.
So Ginger gave us something a little different to work with this week for our weekly link-up prompts.  We are supposed to list our top 10 favorite all time movies.  Well, most of my fellow bloggers couldn't limit it to just 10 and I'm not sure I will be able to either.  So I have decided to just list my favorite movies in no particular order.
  1. Mona Lisa Smile - This movie reminds me so much of my college experience.  Even a women's college in the 90s had a tendency to feel like we were still living in the 50s or 60s.
  2. Under the Tuscan Sun - I watched this the first time around the time I was going through my divorce and it just hit home.  While I didn't decide to movie to Tuscany, I did decide to move to Austin all on my own.  Not exactly the same (OK...not even close) but I knew what Frances was going through.
  3. Chasing Amy - I love Kevin Smith movies but this one is my favorite of his.
  4. Lion King - If I had to pick one Disney movie, this would be it.  I was a senior in high school when this came out and I watched it several times to the point I had it memorized.  I almost did Jackson's nursery in Lion King until I found all the elephant stuff we ended up using.
  5. Center Stage - As a dancer, how could I not love this movie.  This was the life I wanted as a teenager when all I did was dance.  Only I'm not that good.  (I have bad feet!)  Who wouldn't want to do the final dance sequence though with the red shoes and everything.  Just fabulous!
  6. Rent - Have I ever mentioned the time I saw Rent 3 times in one week just because it featured Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal and I wanted to make sure I got the opportunity to see the guys who created the roles in the show? No, really?  Yeah, that was about 5 years ago right after I moved to Austin and Anthony and Adam were touring with the show.  It was amazing.  So is this movie.  Most of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles which helped to keep it true to the show.  I just love this.
  7. Courageous - Chris and I love this movie not only because of the lesson it teaches but also there are some really funny scenes (The Snake Kings scene!)
  8. The Blind Side - There is nothing I love more than a good football movie (except maybe a musical) and this is one of the best football movies out there.  Sandra Bullock is great as Leigh Anne Tuohy and I just want to hug Micheal Oher.  It warmed my heart to see him playing in the Super Bowl this year along with a couple of my Bama Boys (Mount Cody!)
  9. Les Miserable - Chris and I saw this during one of our date nights early this year and I just didn't want it to end.  The cast was so well selected and it was so well done.  I was completely sucked in just like I have been the 2 times I've seen this show live.
  10. 13 Going on 30 - I really do think this was one of Jennifer Garner's best roles.  Plus the Thriller dance scene...I want to learn the Thriller dance now.
So I narrowed it to 10 but there are some other movies that I have to mention that I will watch every time I see them on TV even though we have them on DVD.
  • For the Boys
  • Beaches
  • Steel Magnolias
  • The Notebook
  • Legally Blonde 1 and 2
  • Grease
  • any of the Harry Potter movies
  • Mary Poppins
  • Wizard of Oz
  • Hairspray
  • A Few Good Men
  • Chicago
  • Shag
Well, I guess I could basically list my entire DVD collection since I only buy movies I really love and would watch over and over again.  I will also note that this does not include any of the movies we watch regularly thanks to a certain tiny man (I'm looking at you, Cars, Finding Nemo, and The League of Incredible Vegetables!)

Want to find out what other movies my fellow bloggers loved, check out Ginger's Bring Back the Words link up!