it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

oh christmas tree :)

Christmas day has a well known schedule in the Flynn house hold each year.  First, Kyle runs around and wakes everybody up.  Second, Dad passes out presents while we each open ours one by one, first being jealous that one of us got something awesome, then coming to the sweet realization that we all got it in a different color or size.  After we are finished opening presents, the animals open their presents (seriously, santa had his elves wrap presents for the more furry Flynns as well).  

stockings from st. nick!!

This is how Marley opens his presents...

this is how murphy opens his :)

The prettiest kitty in the world opening her presents!!!

total destruction of the living room after we opened all our presents 

Flynn kiddos happy with all of our WICKED gifts <3

Third, we eat either marshmallow puffs or roll-me-ups depending on the mood of Mom.  And lastly, we all get washed up, put on one of our new outfits, and head out to the movie theaters for a Christmas day movie.  All of this was exactly the same this year as it was every other year and this time around we decided to watch Little Fockers.  Holy Toledo that show was sooooo funny!!  I mean, I wouldn’t recommend it if you were in the mood to watch an educational film, but this movie did give me quite a few giggles to say the least.  Christmas evening was spent with all the Flynn kids and Mom and Dad eating a nice big Christmas dinner of ham and turkey and all the fillings in between.  Kyle got a kinex (no idea how to spell that) for his wii and we spent all of christmas night acting like fools playing stupid games on the wii.  I don’t think I’ve seen Erin move that fast in years.  If you haven’t played this game, I suggest you stretch a bit before doing so.  The sibs and I were quite sore the next day.  Christmas is a great day just for the simple fact that you get presents and stuff your mouth with as much amazing food as you want, but being at home with the family on Christmas day just makes things really feel like Christmas.  It’s far too little that we find all 9 Flynns (4 kids, 2 parents, 2 dogs, and 1 cat) together and it’s just one of those amazing moments that we’ve really come to treasure.  I love my family :)  We’re freakin awesome!!

You know me; (first) class, class class

The perfect meal: Mellow Mushroom and Magic Hat #9

Once I arrived at the Madrid airport I found my check in desk with the large DELTA sign all star spangle bannered out in the very patriotic red white and blue logo, I quickly realized I was no plain jane.  You see there is this funny little thing we like to call "status".  Some people aspire to have it, some work their entire lives to get it, and some have the greatest dads in the world who get it for them.  I, being in the last category, saw on my boarding pass the 3 magical little letters that would altogether make me feel like a complete rock start and never want to ride economy on airplanes again.  These three little letters?? B.U.S.  That's right folks, this little chica realized, with much delight and confusion, that she would be riding first class on the long ride from Madrid to JFK.  Holler back, youngin  whoop whooop.  So, I side stepped the huge line to check in and made my way over to the line of men in business suits and high class toúpees.  I was greeted with a very friendly, "Oh yes, Miss Flynn, we've been waiting for you.  Let me take your luggage.  We are here to make your stay with us as comfortable as possible.  Please make your way up to the Delta lounge and enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks with luxurious sofas to relax in while you wait for you flight."  Wham, Bam, thank you ma'am and I was out of there with no questions and on my way to mojito heaven.  Naturally i walked up there as composed as I could be (even tho deep down all I wanted to do was take a picture of myself in front, inside and all around the lounge) and ask for a mamosa.  I briefly struck up a conversation with an investment banker that was also on my flight and things were going great until he realized that I was both not interested and still in school.  After I struck up conversations with exactly three other semi unwilling first-classers, it was time to get to the gate.  Due to the crazy amount of traveling I have done in my short life, I have a certain way I like to do things and getting to the gate early is on the top of my "traveling alone" to do list.  I got to the gate to be yet again greeted with fake smiles and promises of making my time with Delta as perfect as possible and was told that the boarding would begin momentarily.  I waited until the plane arrived and all the people getting off the plane had disembarked before I saw the crazy spaniards starting to line up (those of you who are unfamiliar with the line situations in spain, I'll give youa  very brief overview: THEY SUCK AT WAITING THEIR TURN HERE.  They line up an hour before the are supposed to and ther eis absolutely not an ounce of structure to go along with it.  one of the more comical things I have noticed about their culture thus far) and decided for the heck of it that I would not partake in their silly queues just this once.  This was to my advantage.  While all those people were waiting in a "line" the loud speak came on with a polite "we would like to welcome all of our business class elite passengers at this time.  Please step around the line and board the aircraft at this time".  Now, I have grown used to all the people looking at pointing at me like a circus animal when they hear me speaking english with my friends around Madrid, but the stares that I was getting when I was boarding were all together different.  Judging eyes were all around me as I walked past them to the front of the line with the other business elite members.  I gave them a nice "o yeah man, I am waaayyy better than you today" smile and walked on and to my seat.  Before the other passengers even started boarding I was offered a refreshing mimosa and was almost about to passout with delite when i was shook back to reality when once again all the coach riders walked past in half disgussed as I was sitting there, mimosa in one hand, gummy bears in the other :)  During the plane ride I went thru about 7 more mimosas, 3 cartoon movies including Despicable Me, 2 first rate meals, one snack, and one very delicious sundae that was made just for me in front of my own very eyes on the plane.  I also got out a book by Devid Sedaris and polished that off while the old "grown ups" all around me watched more intelligent films such as Inception and were all reading a mandatory copy of The New York Times.  Also, while the others were sleeping during the long voyage across the Atlantic, I was busy playing with my seat.  For those of you not prive to first class seat knowledge, I'll be the first to tell you that those things are as big as a bed and do things I have never seen a chair do before.  Extending, reclining, up, down, and even equipt with my very own microphone that went directly to the flight attendants in the off chance that I might need something extra.  After about 8.5 hours, we finally touched down in JFK and I was catapulted back into mainstream society.  After a quick layover I boarded my second plane and within 2 hours I was touching down in beautiful, snowy, dark, and cold Columbus.  I got off the plane and sprinted (with my carry and backpack weighing me down) to the exit.  I past the threshold and there they were.  My family.  My WHOLE family.  Mom, Erin, Sean, Kyle, Briana (honorary), and my Dad...holding a dozen roses.  Could my life be any more perfect??  Well it turns out ladies and gents, it can and within the hour it did.  We went directly from the airport to Mellow Mushroom to get the best pizza in the world and my favorite beer on tap.  Complete nirvana.  I had a slice of Kosmic Karma pizza in one hand and a cold Magic Hat #9 in the other and was surrounded with the only people in this world that I could never live with out.  I love Spain so much but I wouldn't trade that moment for anything in the whole wide world.  I was home, the family was whole again, and all was right with the world :)

When the lights. Go out. In the city...

EEEEEPPPPPPP serious sebatical for about 4 weeks there, sorry dear friends and fam.  I completely neglegted my duties on this thing.  Well, I guess it happens to the best of us every now and then, eh?  So let me take you back.  All the way back to 2010 (I know, crazy, right?!)  The day was December 22.  Cold. Rainy.  Time for me to head back to the good old Los Estados Unidos.  For those of you that know me just a little bit are well aware of my incredible ability to procrastinate until the absolute last possible minute and with exactly 8 hours before I was supposed to leave my piso and head back to the states, I decided that I should finally start packing.  It was 10PM and all was quiet on the homefront on Cáceres.  I was just getting finished laying all of my clothes out and FINALLY about to start the actually packing process when my pretty little roommie Callie and I decided that we should probably take out the garbage before we forgot about it.  We walked down the five flights of stairs, disposed of our rubbish, and returned back up to a completely pitch black apartment.  AWESOME.  We tried the breaker and with the amazingly old spanish electricity through out the building, the only sort of light I could manage was the spark that flew when I shocked myself.  We went up to our landlord's apartment (yes it was 1AM but it's Spain.  Even the elderly are up until atleast 2).  He came down immediately and started checking every outlet, lightbulb, and appliance in our apartment.  After about an hour it was concluded that we couldn't see anything and there would be no hopes of light until the next day.  So, all that was left was to guess what was left to pack (everything) and take a much needed shower.  I opted for the shower first.  Welp, little did I know that our water is also electricity which would mean there was not a single drop of hot water to be found.  perfecto.  I had exactly 2 hours until I needed to be up and decided "the hell with it" and passed the heck out.  At 6AM I woke up and by the moonlight packed everything i thought I would need for 2 weeks in the freezing cold Mecca I call Ohio.  I took the fastest shower I have ever taken in my life that nearly gave me hypothermia to in time to get out of my cave of an apartment and start the trek to the airport via the Madrid Metro.  Normally I don't mind the metro.  However, when I have wet hair, a thousand pounds of excess weight in luggages and need to fight the morning commute in to work...not such a great place for me.  After an hour and 3 train switches later, I made it to my check in gate.  Within 20 hours, 6 time zones, and a quick stop in New York, I will be back in the homeland with the crazy little suckers I like to call mi familia :)