Mickey's Christmas Party

Last night I had the privilege of going to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. It was AWESOME!!!! We had such a great time, and it was so magical that you couldn't help but smile the entire night. In an unfortunate turn of events, my camera stopped working, so all of the pictures in this post are courtesy of my most fabulous and talented roommate who is sharing her photos with me so I can show you what we got to experience. Here is a picture (or many pictures!) of our evening....

When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, it was just starting to get dark. They close the park early and only people who are attending the party are allowed to stay, so it wasn't crowded at all. We never had to wait more than 10 minutes to ride anything. Right before 7, they turned the Christmas lights on the castle on, and it was awesome! Cinderella made a wish, and her fairy godmother turned them all on. Here is the castle decked out in icicle lights...

And just because it was so pretty, here are some other pictures of the castle that we got!





Another really cool part about the Christmas party is that it snows on Main Street! It was so amazing! We had a blast standing in it and trying to take pictures. Here are a few pictures from Main Street, one showing the snow. There is also one of a quartet who were singing Christmas carols - they were great!



They had a special firework show set to holiday music, which was fun. They also had posts set up throughout the park where you could get free hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. Because it wasn't crowded, Nikki and I got to ride Dumbo. It's one of the most popular rides there, and the lines are always so long. It was really fun! Here are a couple of pictures from our ride.


Towards the end of the night, they had a Christmas parade, and that was a lot of fun to watch. Here are some fun pictures from the parade!







As we walked throughout the park, Christmas music was playing in all of the speakers. It was such a jolly night! We had a blast, and as we left, we stopped for one more round of hot chocolate. I love Piglet and couldn't resist taking a picture with this one...

I would highly recommend this event to anyone wanting to come to Disney! I had such a great time and am glad I got to have the experience. Now I must go get a few things done in preparation for my family arriving in just a few days!!!! Have a great weekend!

Because I Am Easily Amused....

Make no mistake though - Ellie is not amused. :)

A Christmas Preview

Hi everybody! Time for another bloggy update. I really do have grand plans to update my blog more than once a week, and maybe someday that will actually happen again. Hopefully there will be more to share soon. My family arrives two weeks from today and I am SO EXCITED to see them all!!! There will be many fun pictures from that to share....

Anyway, I thought I'd fill you in on a little of the Christmas joy I am experiencing. Since Nikki and I are singing in the Trees, we have been rehearsing Christmas music since the beginning of September. That is a very long time, and so I have been in the mood for Christmas earlier than normal. So you can imagine my delight when we went to Disney the other day and it was already decorated for Christmas! I plan on getting better pictures, but here are just a couple for you to get a glimpse.


It was beautiful! And they also have Christmas music playing all throughout the park. :) LIke I said more pictures to come at a later date, but this post is all about previews.

Hopefully later this week I will have a preview of the trees that we will be in for our performances to share with you. I just have to remember to bring my camera to rehearsal. They have been working on building the set for a couple of weeks now, and both trees are up on the stage and look amazing. I'm looking forward to finally getting to perform! More certainly to come on all of that very soon.

In other Christmas previews, here is a picture of Ellie that will give you a glimpse of what will be happening with her this holiday season. Definitely more and better pictures, but for now a smile from my cat....

Finally, in news not related to Christmas, at my temp job today I was told they didn't need me again this week until Friday. Then beginning next week, they only want me to come in 2 days a week. I'm just so fabulous that I got them all caught up and they don't need me anymore. :) I knew this would eventually happen but wasn't expecting it now. I don't know what I will do or how I will pay the bills or eat, so if you would join me in praying for a full time job with benefits in an area where there are few of those, I would really appreciate it. I know God is sufficient and He has promised to take care of me, but it is still hard to not worry. So a job would be great. Or sponsors. Or investors so I can start a photography/creative design business. :)

In my small group last night, we watched a movie clip that had this quote: "When the storm comes, some will drown in terror. Others will spread their wings and soar." These last few years have been tough. This year has been a challenging one to navigate. But as uncertainty remains the theme in my life for now, it is my prayer that with Christ as my foundation, I won't drown in the terror that comes with the unknown. Instead may I soar - which to be honest is the far more frightening option! - into the uncertainty with trust and joy and peace, reflecting the hope that comes from Christ alone. And as we all begin the journey into the holiday season, let's remember how much we have to celebrate. Merry Christmas! :)

Sick Musings

Greetings from my germ infested apartment, where today we are having a rather lovely fall day with highs in the mid-70's. It's supposed to warm back up to the 80's, but low to mid 80's are better than the 90's we have been having, so I think that will be just fine. It is truly hard to believe that we are in the month of November, mostly due to the weather I'm sure. I'm used to wearing multiple layers and warm clothes by this point in the year, so to still walk around in short sleeves and flip flops is a little different, but I love it! :)

So we have had much sickness here in our apartment. My poor roomie was sick with a really horrible cold for over a week, and then when she started getting better, she got the swine flu. I started taking lots and lots of vitamin C to try to stay well, but alas, I came down with the flu myself late last week, although I did not get it as bad as Nikki. I had to wear a mask at the doctor's office, and anyone who came in my room also wore a mask. Talk about feeling like a leper! It was kind of weird. In honor of Halloween and having a mask to wear, we took the following pictures...


Contrary to how this may appear, Ellie does not like the Tigger costume. She is very afraid of it, which makes holding her difficult. You'd think she would enjoy being held by a big cat!!

My entire family is coming down here for Thanksgiving, and they arrive 3 weeks from today! I am SOOO excited to see everyone! We have many fun things planned, pictures of which will certainly make it into the blog. The Singing Christmas Trees are getting closer too! Our first performance is 4 weeks from Thursday, and I am really looking forward to it. They started building the trees this past weekend, so I'll try to get some pictures. Our first rehearsal actually in the trees is in a few weeks, and it should be really cool!

I am still working my temp job (except for when I am sick on the couch), and I'm hoping it will last through the holidays. It might not though, so I'm trying to look into other options as well. Pray for a permanent full-time job with benefits to show up soon!

That's it for now - off to rest for awhile. Have a good week!

It's Halloween?

Greetings! Today is October 28th. The high today in sunny Orlando? 91. Sorry for all of you who are already in the cold and gray weather. But it's hot here! I went to a pumpkin carving party on Saturday night. I purposely kept my pumpkin inside so that it wouldn't rot and put it outside only last night. This is what has happened to my poor sad pumpkin in one day in the Florida heat...

Isn't it so sad? I had created a cute little pirate pumpkin, complete with an eye patch. But alas, now he is rotting and full of mold and generally disgusting so he is going to be thrown in the trash before Halloween even gets here. I suppose that is the trade off for the warmth I am continuing to experience, although from what I'm told, this is abnormally warm right now.

Gotta run for now - Singing Christmas Tree practice calls. Hope your weeks are going well, and Ellie says hello! :)

Happy Weekend!

Greetings from the warm and sunny south and happy weekend to you all! I am so thankful for the weekend to be here. It was a long and crazy - though good - week, and having a chance to rest is rather glorious. I am sitting here writing this blog still in my pj's, even though it's past noon. Ahh, gotta love it!

Anyway, I do apologize for the length of time between blog posts. I had such a great time in the Great White North and just didn't have time to post a blog from there or earlier this week, but we'll get caught up now....if anyone still reads my blog.... :)

I spent last weekend in the Great White North, getting to hang out with my brother and his fiance, catching up with old friends. And let me tell you, it was COLD!!!! From the time I got on the plane in Orlando to getting off the plane in Boston, there was a temperature drop of 50 degrees. Thankfully I took my puffy, so that helped keep me warm, but it was freezing. Most of the weekend was cloudy, gray and rainy, which helped me remember some of why I love living down here so much more. I think I am addicted to sunshine!!

On to the weekend....I was able to spend some time with my old co-workers, and that was really fun. It was great to see everybody and get caught up a bit. I was also able to spend time hanging out with some of my favorite people up there from the church, and it was awesome to just hang out and relax with friends. Most of all, I really enjoyed getting to spend time with Michael and Bekah. I have known Bekah for awhile, but I haven't spent time with her in the context of her being my soon-to-be sister-in-law. I also hadn't been around the two of them since they first started dating, and I enjoyed watching their interactions. I never thought I'd see my baby brother be smitten and lovey dovey with a girl, and it was so cute! :) They were kind enough to allow me to take some engagement pictures for them, so we all braved the freezing cold for a couple of hours to see what we could do. The following images are some of my favorite.





Michael and Bekah were kind enough to ask me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, which I was very honored by. Brother Matthew will be a participant as well, as the best man, so it will be a fun family affair. I am truly excited to be a part of their lives and have a front row seat to the story God is writing for them.

Although it was super cold in the Great White North, one really cool thing happened. For those of you who have followed my blog for awhile, you know how God used snow in so many different ways to show me how much He loved me while I lived there. It has always been something that made my heart smile, as I think it to be one of God's most beautiful creations. While I am thankful for where God has me now and truly love living back in the south, there are certainly elements of living up north that I will miss. I mostly miss the people, but while I am thankful I won't have 5 months of winter, I confess I will miss seeing snow fall. And in a most gracious gift to me, early and somewhat out of season, on my last night in Boston, this happened...


It snowed for about 4 hours, and it was beautiful! I went out and stood in the street while it fell around me and even drove around for a bit. I considered it to be such a gift from God, and it was really cool.

I will try to update my blog again soon, as there are some awesome things going on that I'd like to share. For now though, I am going to go enjoy this day of relaxation before heading to a pumpkin carving party later tonight. Have a great weekend!

Redemption In Many Forms

Greetings on this lovely Sunday! I am sitting here on this day of rest, enjoying the sunshine and the peacefulness that comes from not having to go anywhere or do anything. It's been a crazy few days of life and I wanted to fill you in a bit. First of all, I spent 3 hours Friday night and about 5 hours yesterday at rehearsal for the Singing Christmas Trees. We were actually recording all 12 songs that we are singing in the show so that they can have a CD ready to sell at the performances. I must say that it was a lot of fun! It's really nice to just be a participant in a big production instead of being one of the people in charge of making it happen. And I'm having a lot of fun singing Christmas songs! :)

But the most important news that I have to announce is that my youngest brother asked his girlfriend to marry him on Thursday night!! Yep, Michael and Bekah are engaged!!! I am thrilled for them and so excited to welcome Bekah into our family. We all went to the same church in the Great White North, and I must confess that I thought she was perfect for my brother long before they started dating! I plan on taking some engagement pictures for them when I visit next weekend, so of course I'll post those when I have them, but for now, here is one I took on an earlier visit.

I must say that if I needed any sort of proof of the miracle that God has worked in my heart and the healing He has done, it came in the form of my reaction to this news. To be totally honest, I have wondered at times how I would react to people I love getting engaged and married. I wasn't sure I would really be able to be excited and that I would have a really hard time with it, for a variety of reasons. But I can truthfully say that when my brother called me with the news, I was nothing but thrilled and excited and filled with joy. I am thankful that I am going to be able to share in this journey with them and be a part of the story God is writing for their lives. And folks, that is a miracle.

I genuinely desire that someday I will be able to post a blog that announces my own engagement and that God has that as part of His redemption for my story. Whether or not that specifically happens for me, I am learning that redemption comes in many forms. It shows up in unexpected places, perhaps when we least expect it. But it's there, and it's as real as the God who makes it possible. And for now, redemption showed up in the form of a big sister being proud of and excited for her little brother, and deeply grateful for the God who made that moment possible.

Workin' Girl

Greetings from the HOT sunshine state! Yes, it's October 8th, and our highs this week are in the mid 90's! It's hard to believe that it is actually October because of that, but I must admit that I am still enjoying the sunny warmth. It's glorious! And when all of you who live in the north get tired of the cold, you can come visit me this winter. :)

So thankfully tomorrow is Friday! I am soooo tired. I had forgotten what it was like to work full-time for a whole week, but I am now remembering how tiring it is. My temp job is going very well, and I am really enjoying working at this company. I am working in the HR department of IBC/Merita bakeries. They make things such as bread and twinkies. The HR office is next to one of their bakeries, and it smells so fantastic whenever you're outside. And my car has a permanent coating of flour dust on it!! I'm not sure how long this job will last - right now they are hoping to keep me through the month of November, but I don't know if that will be the case or not - but I am thankful for the provision while I have it and will think about what to do next when the time comes!

In random updates on my life.... I got a haircut. Here is a picture my talented roommate took...

Nikki and I are singing in the First Baptist Orlando Singing Christmas Tree this year. We've been in rehearsals for about 6 weeks now, and I LOVE it!! I am having so much fun being part of a great choir. There are about 400 singers, so it's really cool and I think the shows are going to be awesome. And I can't wait to be in a Christmas tree! I'll be sure and get some pictures and tell you more about it when it gets closer. For now, here are a couple of pictures from a previous year. Because there are so many people, they have 2 trees. Here is a picture of them so you can see how the choir fits in and then a pictures with the trees lit up, when you can't see the singers at all.


Next weekend, I am going to the Great White North to visit brother and friends, and I can't wait! I decided to go for a long weekend so I can get a taste of fall. There promises to be many picture opportunities, and I will have much to share with you, so keep checking the blog for cool posts to come!

I am missing my family tonight and hating that we are in 4 separate states. So here is a picture of us so that I can smile. :) Hope you all have a great weekend!

Fried Okra

I'm a southern girl through and through, and I LOVE fried okra. It is one of my very favorite southern foods. I missed eating it so much during my two years in the Great White North. Now that I am back in the south, I have had it a couple of times at Cracker Barrel or other such places, but I decided that I couldn't call myself a true southerner if I had never made it myself. They had some at the grocery store the other day, so I got some, hoping to have a successful attempt at cooking this fabulous food. I was so proud of myself that my first try came out so well. Here is picture proof!!

I will definitely be making this again! And I am excited that I have added this southern delicacy to my cooking repertoire.

In other news, I have a temp job! It should last for a few weeks, and while it might not be permanent, it's still a step in the right direction. I am working in an HR office, helping them with their recruitment, and I think I am going to enjoy it a lot. I worked half a day on Friday, but starting Monday, I'll be doing the 8 hour a day thing again for the first time in awhile. It'll be good to get in a bit of a routine. I'll keep you posted on all of the happenings. For now, have a great weekend!

Unredeemed

Hey everybody! It's been awhile since I wrote one of those blogs - where I let you know what's happening in my life and give a little insight into a deeper part of my soul. So I thought I'd do that today, as another week begins with me still searching for a job. I am including a few of my favorite pictures in this just to help break up all of the words!

I have been in Orlando for 3 full months now and cannot believe that it is about to be October. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined that I would still not have a job. And even though there is a good amount of stress that comes with not having a job and needing money to pay bills, I am also thankful for this time that God has given me.

2009 has been a long year. I have battled so much anxiety and stress, dealing with the physical effects of that, including heart palpitations and such. I have never struggled with my health in any way, so this has been a new thing for me and I haven't really enjoyed it! But I've learned a lot about myself this year and a lot about God, and I'm thankful for this journey even though I'm more than ready to move on from it.

After dealing with pretty severe heart palpitations for awhile, I finally ended up at the doctor about a month ago. Most of you remember earlier in the year when I had an allergic reaction and severe withdrawal from the meds that were suggested for anxiety the first time around, so you can imagine my hesitancy in trying anything again. But after talking with my new doctor here and explaining what happened and my history, he suggested a very mild anti-anxiety medication for me to try that he thought might really work for me. After doing much research and speaking to several very trusted people, I decided to try it. I had come to the realization that some issues were going on that needed to be dealt with, but it's very hard to deal with issues when your body is not healthy, so I knew I needed to let my body recover as well.

So here we are now....and the medication seems to be working really well! I am no longer having heart palpitations, and I feel so much more relaxed and able to handle life like a "normal" person. I have also been back in counseling, with a fantastic counselor through a church here in the area. God has been revealing so much to me, both about Himself and in some of the ways that I need to change. It has been fantastic, painful and glorious, and healing continues to occur. In all of it, I am feeling much more hopeful and excited about whatever it is that God has in store for me. I think sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in and believe the lies that are whispered about who we are and who God is, and being reminded of the truth and walking in it makes a huge difference.

As of this moment, there are a few things that you can pray for. First of all, I really need a job. Even Chick-fil-a is not hiring here. Pray that God will open a door very soon. Secondly, the medication is working splendidly. The only negative about it is that I am shedding hair at a pretty rapid rate. I don't want to stop taking the medication right now because my body is finally recovering, but I don't want to go bald either. :) So please pray that the excessive hair shedding (apparently a common thing) will stop immediately. Finally, pray that God will continue to reveal those places in my life that need to be refined and that I will have the courage to follow Him and trust Him as He continues to heal and reveal the story He has written for my life.

I realize the title of this blog post might sound weird, so let me explain it. There is a group called Selah, and they have a new CD out. One of their songs on there is called "Unredeemed" (lyrics at the bottom of this post or listen here). It has been a powerful reminder for me lately as I reflect on what has happened over the past few years. We base our view of God so often on the circumstances we see around us and in our own lives. We doubt His love for us because of what is happening to us, and yet if we just look at the cross, it shows us the depth of His love in such a way that we should never have any questions about how He feels about us. So often people will say to me, "I just know God is going to bless you with an amazing godly man and a great marriage to redeem what happened to you." Maybe He will. Or maybe He won't. But no matter what parts of life here on this earth may be left unfulfilled or unrestored in our eyes, they will never be left unredeemed. Even if it doesn't look like how we think it should or how we want it to here on this earth, there will come a day when all will be made right and new, and nothing will be unredeemed. Until that day, may we cling tightly to the only One who is unchanging, who is faithful and true, and who gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine. Love you all!

"Unredeemed"

The cruelest words, the coldest heart
The deepest wounds, the endless dark
The lonely ache, the burning tears
The bitter nights, the wasted years

Life breaks and falls apart
But we know these are

[Chorus]
Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored
But when anything that’s shattered is laid before the Lord
Just watch and see it will not be
Unredeemed

For every choice that led to shame
And all the love that never came
For every vow that someone broke
And every life that gave up hope

We live in the shadow of the fall
But the cross says these are all …

[Chorus]

Places where grace is soon to be so amazing
They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored
But you never know the miracles the Father has in store
Just watch and see it will not be
Just watch and see it will not be
Unredeemed