Friday Top Five

Happy Friday! This morning I decided to list my top five favorite Christmas traditions that either I've grown up with or have recently begun with Dean and Tommy:

1. Baking cookies the entire month of December. My mother-in-law thinks I'm nuts but I think every year I get more into it and just bake like crazy. I totally got that from my mom, who is probably pulling a pan of gingerbread men out of her oven at this very moment.

2. Christmas shopping in the mall. I know it's way easier and more convenient to do all my shopping online, but there's something about going to the mall and fighting the crowds. And hearing the Christmas music piped in. And seeing some of the disgruntled looking employees in Santa hats. And of course the decorations. Even just to look and not buy anything. But I won't leave until I've at least bought a frou-frou coffee and sipped that for a while. That's just part of the fun.

3. The Time Life Treasury of Christmas album. When we had it, it was an actual record and I loved it. I still smile when I hear Elvis singing "Here Comes Santa Claus". I couldn't tell you half the songs on there now, but I think it was the only Christmas music we had when I was really young. At least it's the only one I can remember. Then we got The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait CD.

4. The First Baptist Fort Lauderdale Christmas Pageant. Yes, I was a regular in the Christmas Pageant for 10 years. But this wasn't just your run-of-the-mill little church play. No, when I last was in it, we had 19 performances spanning 3 weekends. They rent a circus full of animals (literlly, a circus), who traipse in and out of the church for a month straight. I imagine camel poop is very hard to remove from the carpet. Last year when we were in Ft. Lauderdale for Thanksgiving, Dean went down to First Baptist to meet with one of the pastors and while he was waiting, he heard a knock on one of the doors and when he opened it 3 goats walked through. That's the Pageant for you. It was a huge part of my life growing up and I've done everything in it from being a blinking star in the children's part to a flying angel in the biblical scene. It's a great ministry that has led lots of people to Christ and something that is a part of many people's traditions in South Florida.

5. Walking through Dorothy B. Oven Park. It's small, but I think they have lit every sqare inch of that place and have everything from the basic lit reindeer to coca cola bears to giant gingerbread boys and girls. Tommy hasn't been through there yet this year but we're going the first night we get a chance. As you get closer to Christmas, the right lane on Thomasville Road before you get there is backed up for blocks with people waiting to get in. It's definitely worth seeing and walking around.