Blog Brain Dump

Okay, y'all. As you can see by my Disney World ticker, I have 2 days until our trip so this blog entry is more like my brain dumping out all at once. I'd normally make these topics separate, but who has the time to do that? Certainly not me...

First up, Kindergarten Circus was yesterday at the girls' school. It was super cute! Kyla was a clown driving the clown cars and a balance beam walker. I dressed her up like a rodeo clown, because we live in Texas, right?. But, I was surprised that she was the ONLY rodeo clown out of the entire lot of clowns performing in the clown act (about 15 kids). I must be the only true Texan that attends our school. That... or, I'm the only mom who refused to buy clown paraphernalia for a 2 minute performance. Oh, that's not true... I went to Party City looking for clown garb, but it was all sold out. Probably due to the fact that all of the Kinder parents bought it all up for the 2 minute performance their kid was performing in. Because you just can't go wrong with the rainbow afro wig. So, instead, I pulled this outfit together with the stuff around the house. Clever, right? And, free.
Here's a few pictures of my garden. I'm super excited about it, since we haven't had a garden since I was pregnant with Elisan. Wow, that was nine years ago! Anyway, we planted tomatoes, strawberries, jalapenos, basil and rosemary. I know, it's kind of an eclectic group, but that's okay. I don't have a ton of room for a full garden, so I had to be selective in my planting. The girls have really been excited to see the growth and fruit develop on the plants.
So, Disney, right? We're super excited and I'm in the midst of packing. No more prep work... that's a thing of the past. I took the advice of my IRL friend Lorrie and checked out the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World from the library. Yep, that was all I needed to plan and prepare for our trip. It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it. Especially if you are Type-A, like me. If you are not Type-A, but rather, Type-B, C or Z, then this book is probably NOT for you.

My friend Rachel wanted me to post pictures of some of the stuff that I made for the girls to take on the trip and some of the "souvenir" items I'm bringing with me.

I made the girls each a passport book to take with them to Epcot as we tour the various countries. At each country, the girls can get their book stamped, signed and stickered. You can buy the passport books at Epcot for $10.00/each, but rather than have a lengthy discussion on the merits of a passport book with Randy while at Epcot, I decided to make one instead. I'm glad I did. I thought it turned out nice. (If you are heading to WDW and want my passport book files, let me know and I'll send them to you!)

I also made each girl an autograph brag book. I customized each page with the character image, name and the girls' names. You can buy autograph books as WDW, but I wanted theirs to be more customized. I bought the brag books at Michael's for 1/2 off at $2.50/each. Not bad!

And finally, here are a few of the items I'm bringing for the girls. My plan is to place a souvenir out each morning before they wake up... as a surprise! I think it will be so much fun for them! They have no idea, so "SHHHH!"

Everything shown here, except for the Minnie Mouse ears, I paid $3.00 or less for. That includes the sweatshirts (for cool evenings), the hoodie jacket and t-shirts. The pens, socks, glow sticks, buttons and "princess" hair barrettes were all from the dollar bins and Target, Hobby Lobby or HEB.
So, that's it for now. Unless something monumental happens between now and the time I leave for WDW, I'll be seeing y'all later.

I {heart} Pickles!

Remember these?

Here's my final product!

These pickles were so good... "were" being the operative word. They didn't last long in our house! The pickles turned out crisp and crunchy, much like Claussen pickles. And, they even kind of tasted a bit like Claussen pickles too. I am definitely going to make more when things slow down a bit around here... summer, maybe?

Here's the recipe again. I'd suggest reading through the comments to get user feedback. That definitely helped me as I tweaked the recipe a tad. (I can never follow a recipe exactly! It's not who I am.)

Japanese goodies, Crusader Fest and Soccer

My title leaves little to the imagination, I know. But, I could not come up with a clever title for today's entry.

A few weeks ago, I won a blog contest hosted by my friend blogging friend Erica. Erica and her family live in Okinawa, where her husband Chris is stationed. Her package arrived yesterday and it was chocked full of tasty treats and fun finds from Japan!

I especially love the tin of Spam. Notice the picture on the front... Mmmm, can you say Spam Sushi? Thank you Erica for all of the fun stuff you sent to us!

Yesterday evening, was the girls' school spring carnival. There was a food, various booths, a rock climbing wall, petting zoo and many, many bounce houses. The girls had a lot of fun, but enjoyed the rock climbing wall the most. It was nice to get out and see all of their friends and families at this event.

Today we wrapped up Elisan's soccer season with a double header. Elisan's coach complimented her on her hard work this year and was genuinely impressed with how well she improved this year. She did a great job and we are so proud of her!

Inspiration welcomed here!

I'll admit, I've been feeling out of sorts for about a month now. What with all of the bad news swirling around (here, there and in the news) ... it has a way to bring you down, ya know?

Yesterday, I decided that I had had enough. I cranked up my praise and worship music and just let the sounds fill my house. Then, while I was eating lunch, I caught up on a missed sermon from a couple of weeks ago and it was just what I needed to hear!

Our pastor preached on "Courage" and how to defeat the 'Goliath's' in your life. It was dead on and I walked away with a fresh word and renewed spirit.

I shared this with my husband last night, and as usual, he sits amazed that I can even be sad, much less on the brink of a depression. Then today, he sent me a video of a former co-worker standing on his artificial legs for the first time. It was remarkable and inspirational, to say the least. The look on this man's face was priceless.

See, this man, Randy's friend, had died. The team at the hospital worked on him a long time to revive him and finally, they did. And while I don't recall all of the facts surrounding his illness, apparently, his body got a severe infection in the process and he lost both of his legs and all of his fingers to the middle joint. But, today, he's standing on artificial legs, bracing himself against a table with hands that do not have fingers. He is a walking miracle.

So, while I've had a major pity party the last month, I realized that I have a lot going for me. For my family... for my future. I'm a child of the most high God and need to start acting like one.

Lord, forgive me for not trusting you, for placing my trust in myself. For seeking peace in a world that has no peace. I pray for your peace. I pray for your wisdom to handle the difficult times. I pray for your supernatural healing over my mind and emotions. In your hand is strength and power, to exalt and give strength to all. I'm worth more to you, than the value I've placed on myself. Help me to shine your bright bold light on those around me. Forgive me Lord. Amen.

Rooted

First of all, thank you all for your kind words over the death of my cousin, Sean. I debated about mentioning the circumstances surrounding his death, but realize that his death can bring someone closer to God.

On Tuesday, my cousin took his own life. As you can imagine, this news shook our family to the core. It was a senseless death. A death that could have been prevented. The reality is, that Sean was having a very hard time. His life circumstance were difficult and he could no longer endure the pain. He was trying to turn his life around... trying to make a difference in his life, but couldn't see the light for the clouds.

Sean had recently recommitted his life to God. He was going to church, getting involved and trying to turn his life around. The sad fact is that we fight an earthy enemy - Satan - whose sole desire is to steal, kill and destroy. And let's face it... if we aren't rooted in God's word and grounded in our spiritual walk and prayer life, then we could be overtaken by the enemy of this world too.

You know, I have to believe that Sean is resting in His Heavenly Father's arms right now, because we serve a God full of grace, mercy and love. I have to believe that Sean's death is not a victory for Satan, but victory for God. Sean is at peace now. I truly believe it.

The enemy is real. He is brutal. And he will not stop.

But, we can stop the enemy... by asking God into our lives and becoming rooted in His word, His ways and His love.

In Loving Memory

Today, I learned that my cousin Sean passed away today. Sean leaves behind a wife and four children.

Sean is one of my first cousins on my dad's side of the family. The Sullivan side of my family is a tight knit group of folks. This is the family that gets together without fail, every Christmas and squeezes into a rented building and celebrates as a family. (Yes, rented building, because there are so many of us.) So, as you can imagine, his death (along with the recent death of my uncle - on the same side of the family) is hitting us pretty hard.

Sean has always held a special place in my heart. At one time in our early/mid-20's, Sean and I used to hang out quite a bit. We'd frequent this super yummy Chinese restaurant near my apartment and just laugh and philosophize about life, relationships and the future. Of course, as most friendships do, we both moved on, moved away and got married. And even though I lost touch with Sean over the years, I could always count on him to give me a great big bear hug and give me a hard time in the process about one thing or another.

Sean, you will be sorely missed. I pray you are at peace and seeing your Heavenly Father's face today. I love you, man.

Test and Prove

For those of you that don't know, I am married to a Chemical Engineer. Granted, he does not work in the chemical engineering field, but by degree, he has a lot of scientific knowledge of all things relating to applied chemistry.

In a way... he's like a scientist who must test and prove theories and processes on a daily basis, even in his current position.

Why am I bringing this up? Because living with a scientist (of sorts) can be annoying at times. Let me draw an illustration for you...

Yesterday afternoon he walked in the door from work and I said, "Kyla's soccer practice is rained out tonight." (He's the coach of her team.)

He says, "When did you check?"

I say, "A few minutes ago."

He then proceeds to pick up the phone and call the rain-out number, to test and prove that soccer practice was indeed canceled for the evening.

Of course, this isn't the first time he's tested and proved something I've told him. It happens all the time and he doesn't even realize he's doing it.

Last night before bed I poked fun at him for his testing and proving methods. He said... "Someone has to make sure a car will stop when the brake is applied, or that an airplane will fly every time it hits the runway, right?"

I conceded. Yes, I suppose that's true.

I married an engineer/scientist. What did I expect?

Random stuff

On Monday, I had the pleasure to attend morning Chapel at the girls' school. In addition, the 3rd grade classes were performing their "Heroes of the Faith" presentation. It was lots of fun to see all of the kids dressed in their "period costumes". Elisan was Florence Nightingale. I made... actually sewed from scratch... her apron and skirt. Impressive, ain't it? (Especially since sewing is not my thing.)

I also enjoyed seeing Kyla enjoying the praise music the kids sang at Chapel. Our school is run by the Baptist church in Round Rock. I didn't know Baptists were so charismatic!
Yesterday, I made an impromtu trip to a bluebonnet patch near our house on the way home from school. The girls have been wanting to get in the middle of a bluebonnet patch ever since they sprouted a month ago! With all of the rain we got this past fall and winter, the bluebonnets really made a showing this spring.

Remember this necklace I posted a picture of last week? I made my knock off version last night and I'm pretty excited with how it turned out. My version cost me around $9.00.


And finally, if you like spicy food, allow me to suggest this. It's Spicy Hatch Pozole soup by Central Market brand for HEB, . Very good and very spicy. I added shredded roasted pork to my bowl with some crumbled tortilla chips, with a side of avocado. This jar only served 2 and it was kind of expensive, but it was a nice change of pace around here.

Disney on the brain

I'm sorry people, but I have Disney World on my brain and you have to suffer through it with me.

I wish I could convey how overwhelmed I'm feeling. I wasn't overwhelmed with the planning of this trip until I began digging around websites and guide books and realized that there are people who plan their Disney trips months (sometimes, years!) in advance. And, silly me... I thought we were going on vacation.

No. Apparently, we will be entering a world of sensory overload of lights, music and mayhem... accompanied by bleary eyed moms hoping to squeeze every last MAGICAL MOMENT of out Disney on behalf of their kids. Even, if it kills them.

There is a such thing as 'over-planning'. I'm nearly there. And, honestly, I'm not even half as prepared as some of the families we will be sharing our Magical Moment with. (I'm sure we will be called 'novices' more than once while we are there.)

I've had some great advice along the way. My good friend Leigh Ann and Cyndi both recommended purchasing souvenirs/trinkets ahead of time to avoid most of the costly park purchases and since I love a good deal, I thought I'd share my shopping experiences with you!

Walmart/Target:
I didn't realize how much Disney stuff was available until I began actually looking for it. I was able to buy each girl 2 "souvenir" t-shirts on sale for $3.00/each. I bought them each a Tinkerbell t-shirt and a Snow White t-shirt. They are nice quality t-shirts and hopefully will keep my kids from wanting a $20.00 t-shirt at the park.

Target had a lot of Disney stuff in their dollar spot section of the store. I bought them each a pair of Tinkerbell socks and a package of pens that have a cord to hang around your neck (for autographs!)

Disney Outlet Store:
I know not everyone has the privilege of living seven minute away from a Disney outlet store, but we do, and I took advantage of it.

I walked in on Monday and they were marking an entire section of Disney apparel for $2.99/each. I bought them each a short-sleeved hoodie (to wear at night when it cools down), a Sleeping Beauty shirt and a PJ dress. I also sucked it up and bought them each a set of Minnie Mouse ears. The ears were NOT on sale, but they were still only $7.50/each.

eBay:
I have read about the "Pin Trading" phenom that occurs at Disney and knew that my girls would want to be in on that action. After reading up on it and asking around, I discovered that each pin costs around $4-$10/each depending on style. I knew Randy would have a cow if the girls wanted to spend that kind of cash on a few pins, so I checked out eBay to see what I could purchase ahead of time. I found a seller in Florida who sells lots of 20 "official" Disney pins. I caught her auction as just the right time, because I was able to purchase all 20 pins for $16.00. (Later on that day, I checked her other auctions and the same lot of pins was selling for $25.00!) I also found a seller who was selling the lanyards that you attach the pins to (don't ask...) and I was able to pre-purchase them as well.

Craftiness:
And finally, I decided to make the girls' autograph books with my mad graphic skills and it turned out cute. I was able to personalize each page as well.

We'll have a souvenir budget for the girls once we arrive at the park, but I wanted to have some extra goodies for them as well. I think with a little pre-planning, it's not impossible to find a few key items that will make everyone's trip more enjoyable.

My creative side

So, a while back, I created a new design and I sent the image to ARTSCOW.com and made some really cute dog-tag necklaces. While I was placing my order, I sat there and thought... this is really cute and I bet I could sell some of these. So, I ordered one for me and a few more to sell.

If anyone is interested, I'm selling these one-sided dog-tags that state "I AM REDEEMED" Isaiah 43:1 for $5.00/each. I'm not trying to make a killing on them... I just thought someone else would enjoy wearing one as well. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing one.

Here's what they look like in real life.

Why pay more when you can copy?

I've been struggling with finding my "style" lately. I don't know about you, but I go through phases of how I dress or want to look. I'm now in the sporty/athletic phase of style searching and I discovered the wonders of ATHLETA. I love the look of their clothing line. I do not, however, love their prices. In fact, I can't see how anyone could pay $59.00 for a tank top. I mean, who does that?

Thankfully, their clothing line isn't that hard to duplicate... I just needed a little inspiration! So, that's what I plan on doing... duplicating it!

I will say that I scored a nice Goodwill find last week. I found a pair of Athleta shorts in sage green that are the same style as the light blue shorts shown in the top right photo. Total score for me! I paid $5.99.

So, I recently checked out a book based on an online book review. The book is "The Winter Rose" by Jennifer Donnelly. The book is good so far, but it is over 700 pages long. And the type face is über-small. Like almost a super-script. I'm only on page 150 or so, and I've had to renew the book for a second time. Granted, I'm a slow reader AND I've had other pressing items to read - like Bible study materials and now Disney planning materials, but wow... at this rate, I will have to renew this book probably 2 more times in order to finish it. Makes me wish it was a book on CD so I could just listen to it instead.

Speaking of Disney planning, thank you to everyone how provided me with helpful information. We are staying in a WDW resort and we do have the Disney dining plan, so I know we are heading in the right direction as far as that goes. So far, I've at least planned our meals each day, so now I can write up our itinerary around the food. Isn't that just sad? Planning our day around food... at Disney. Shouldn't I be planning our food around our trip? I didn't realize food was such a big part of the Disney experience. Oh well. You gotta eat... that's my motto.

In Loving Memory

Today, my Uncle Tommy passed away.

What do I remember most about my Uncle Tommy? That he always had a smile on his face. He was probably one of the most cheerful people I've ever encountered and because of that, he never met a stranger. He was also the kind of man that would give you the shirt off his back... sacrificing to help others. He was a Christian and is now in Heaven with his Heavenly Father.

He was known and loved by many people. He leaves behind my Aunt Tonna and two adult children and 8 grandchildren. He was 59 years old.

Our hearts ache for the loss of this man. Please keep my family in your prayers.

iPad and Deodorant

Yesterday morning, Kyla came downstairs and crawled into my lap and we had some special mommy/daughter bonding time before the morning mayhem began. Here's how the conversation went.

Kyla: "Mommy, do you know that there is an iPad?"
Mom: "Yes, I saw it on T.V."
Kyla: "Mommy, do you know how many dollars it costs?"
Mom: "I think about $500. Maybe you can save your money to buy one?"
Kyla: "No. I think Elisan should save her money to buy one, and then I can have her iPod Touch."
Mom thinking: 'smart cookie!'

So, last night, after soccer practice we're all sitting at the dinner table talking about Elisan's practice and Randy announces to me that Elisan needs to start wearing deodorant. Okay, seriously, I am mortified. I mean, this is my baby. My 8 year old baby. AND, this deodorant proclamation is coming from my husband! I do that thing with my eyes that alerts him to DROP THE SUBJECT immediately and he does not. He says... what's the big deal? We all stink... it's human nature. Again, with the eye thing, but this time I throw in a head bob in the direction of Elisan and finally, the man stops talking about it.

Later on, after we put the girls to bed, I tell him that the fact that she needs deodorant isn't THAT big of a deal (well, to me it is, but I knew it was coming eventually...) the BIG deal lies in the fact that her DADDY... a MAN... is telling her that she stinks! AHHHHHHH, yes... ding, ding, ding... he gets it now. So, that's settled. But, then, it doesn't stop there.

Elisan comes downstairs this a.m. and the first thing out of her mouth to her Daddy is, "Daddy, do I really need deodorant?" (Me... screaming inside 'please be delicate with her... please!') And he says, "Just when you play soccer, I think... you know, when you get sweaty and stuff." (Me...breathing sigh of relief...)

Now, the big issue is, making sure I get a "teen" version of deodorant that is acceptable to Elisan. I'm sure the novelty will wear off in a day or two... And, then of course, she'll need to wear it and will forget... Ah, to be the mom of a prepubescent little girl.

Lord, give me wisdom on how to raise Your daughter in a way that is pleasing to You. Help me to raise her the way You want her to be raised. Thank you for entrusting her little life to me, someone so utterly clueless and undeserving. Amen.

Easter 2010

Happy Easter!
Jesus is Alive!

The Big Hunt

All 3 Kindergarten classes race for their 12 eggs!
I am so blessed to be able to be apart of her fun.

Disney 2010

We're t-minus 30 days from our Disney trip and let me just say... I feel totally and completely unprepared. And if you know me, you'd know that being unprepared is not a characteristic of mine.

I have Disney Planning Disorder and here's why. I simply type in the word "Disney World" in my nifty Google box and here is what pops up:

"Results 1 - 10 of about 43,000,000 for disney world. (0.03 femtogalactic years)"

43 million! I can't possibly wrap my brain around that. And can someone tell me what femtogalactic years is?

See, the deal is... All four of us are going on this trip with Randy's family, which includes his mom, dad, brother, sister in law and 8 year old niece. (Do the math... that's 9 people!) I have taken on the role as planner and itinerary coordinator because I don't trust anyone else to do it. But, now that we are 30 days out... I'm getting a bit... shall we say... nervous/anxious/scared?

So I thought I would come to you... ye old wise Internets and pose a few questions to you.

1.) What is your BEST Disney planning advice?
2.) What is your BEST Disney itinerary advice?
3.) What was/is your favorite Disney experience?
4.) What would you NOT recommend at Disney?

Come one, come all... lurkers too. All comment welcomed and encouraged. Give me your best advice.

Oh, and femtogalactic years? Apparently, it's Google's way of being geeky on April Fool's day. Whatever Google... ya got me! Hardy Har Har!