Cruisin' on a Sunday Afternoon

I am sitting here at terminal E67 in the Tampa Bay Airport about to get on a plane home to Salt Lake City and my baby, Miss Emma. It is a bittersweet moment as I have missed my baby SO much, but am also to be concluding the cruise that we had been anticipating for nearly a year and that fulfilled and surpassed all previous expectation. I know, you probably all want to kill me, but it was a lifetime experience that we feel very blessed to have had.

This is the prior to picture post, since I don't have the cord to load them onto the camera (it awaits me at home), but I will just mention a few highlights of our trip:

-A Day in Disney - Four parks is our new record. And though Matt complains that he is "Disneyed Out" I can never tire and so we began the day at Animal Kingdom to ride Everest Expedition twice and a couple other tamer rides. It was better than we remembered! You should go. Next: to MGM and Rockin Rollercoaster. The lines were long, but the wait well worth it both times. Tips to making the wait go faster: play "Name A Band" (each person has to name a band starting with the letter in the alphabet that they are assigned starting with A and continuing through - if someone can't think of one they are out!) this game can also be played with Movie Titles - I rocked movie titles! After hitting RR twice we rode Tower of Terror and proceeded to the exit. Next was Epcot. We single rider lined it through Test Track, fast-passed it through Mission Space, and hit Nemo and Friends just as it began to rain. Via Monorail, we made it to Magic Kingdom in time for Dole Whip and Pirates of the Caribbean. At this point, we were gussied out and satisfied with our Disney experience and thus we headed out of the park to Olive Garden for some Italian Cuisine and to Marriott Vacation Club for a warm shower and a nice warm bed.

-Im Ports Tant - In trying to sum up our cruise into a reasonable read for those of you who don't really want all of the details, but just a brief overview (a.k.a. anyone reading this). I will note Cave Tubing in Belize, which was an incredible if not life threatening experience. The cave tubing part was the safe part - I just thought I was going to die on the bus ride out! But, the company we booked with were incredible friendly and capable - also knowledgable. We had a great time. Guatemala was just beautiful from the people to the scenery. They were the most friendly people we came across outside of the ship and the landscape was completely made up of lush foliage covering rolling hills. The poverty was rampant, but the people seemed content with what they had and happy to have visitors. Matt got a private tour of Santo Tomas De Castillo from some local children. He would probably tell you that it was the highlight of his trip! We also got a quick tour of some Mayan ruins and another crazy and lengthy busride through the country. In Cozumel we had a rough snorkeling experience and mostly came out on top with the shopping. And those are the ports.

- All Aboard! - The most amazing part of our entire experience was the friendships that we made with our cabin steward and dining stewards. I hope to be able to post pictures of Rizky, Dwi (Dewey) and Vindi. They were all from Indonesia and all were some of the most friendly and personable people I have ever encountered. I was SO impressed with all of the staff on the ship and also thrilled with some of the friendships we made with our fellow passengers. I never expected a cruise to feel so welcoming and so homey. Oh man, the beds were incredible and though the pitching and rolling of the ship was a little hard to adjust to when awake, it was also akin to being rocked to sleep every night and I have never slept so good in my entire life! I will also note the food - DELICIOUS and readily available at every turn which was Matt's favorite part of the cruise. We both enjoyed the luxury of having as much or as little to eat at any time of the day with no thought to cost or calorie. We will probably be thinking of calories now that it is over!

All in all, it was the most carefree and luxurious vacation we have ever taken and we recognize the fact that we are beyond incredibly lucky to have had the chance to go. I promise to post pictures as soon as we get home!

Snow here we come!

Sarah

Twilie's Unite

It has been awhile since I mentioned Twilight, but I have news: An Edward has been cast. Apparently, I am, like, the last person to know, but I still thought I would remark on my excitement. YEA! I am excited. For those others of you who may not have already been informed, the lucky and appropriate gentlemen is the one and only Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter. This news has thrown me back into the world of vampire romances. For those of you who have read the books but haven’t read the excerpt on Stephenie Meyer’s website from Midnight Sun…you should. It is Twilight from Edward’s perspective and it is enthralling, to say the least. It really illustrates the intensity of Edward’s drive to kill Bella and gives you a greater appreciation for the self-control that he exerts in order to be around her. Here read: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_chapter1.pdf

I know, I know, I am a Twilight geek like the Trekkies of old. I’m a Twilie. At least I have accepted it.

Images Period

Everybody celebrate! I found the cord to my camera and now have something interesting instead of just having to read my novel blogs all of the time! The above is (finally) a picture of Emma trick-or-treating in her Hedwig costume that I lovingly slaved over. It was so authentic she even MOLTED!

Next we have...

My adorable daughter and adorable nephew glued to the television. Too cute not to post. Don't you think they look like brother and sister? Emma loves her cousin Bosty! AND...she is wearing the same shirt TODAY! It was meant to be.

Some holiday pics...



Emma helping to decorate her first Christmas tree. I have to admit I was a little nervous to have a tree with a toddler running around the house, but she has been adorable. She will look around to see if anyone's watching, go for an ornament (her favorite is the tin soldier pictured here), get caught, and then we have trained her to fold her arms and "just look" at the tree. She is a good girl. Now we just have to ask her to fold her arms and she does.

One more and then my blogging time is up:

Emma's favorite game lately is to constantly move the chairs to the little play table. The kicker is that she has to have them perfectly lined up every time. This particular day she had a stuffed animal for every seat. It was so stinking cute!

Okay, I lied, I have four more minutes...

To close out this post...some big smiles from Emma and me for YOU for Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Questionnaire

I was trying to think of something fun to post for the holidays and I got this questionnaire thing in an email. SO...I decided to post my answers. Enjoy:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both – depends on what I’m wrapping
2. Real tree or artificial? I prefer real, but Matt and I have an artificial one
3. When do you put up the tree? When it works with my schedule
4. When do you take the tree down? When it works with my schedule
5. Do you like eggnog? I will drink a little every year, but I don’t necessarily enjoy it
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The kitchen that made me faint
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? My mom does
8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad
9. Easiest person to buy for? Emma
10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? None – no, I mean, literally when the person who drew my name for Christmas forgot me
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, White Christmas, The Christmas Story, all of the Cheesy Hallmark Movies
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Crepes
16. Clear or colored lights on the tree? Mine – Clear. The one I grew up with - Colored
17. Favorite Christmas song(s)? All.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Ondasher, Onprancer, Oncomet, Oncupid, Ondonner, Onblitzen, Dashaway, Dashaway, Dashaway and All. Oh – Rudolf too.
20. Christmas tree top or star? I top my Christmas tree with a Santa bell and whole lot of love!
21. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Pajamas on Christmas Eve, Draw Name gifts on Christmas Eve, everything else Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The fact that I have to work
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition that you miss doing? Christmas Pajamas (cause we aren’t getting them this year and I want to cry!)
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? The Blow-Up Snow Globe
25. Which looks best--theme trees or homey trees? I like theme trees, but there is nothing like the tree I grew up with that has a memory attached to every decoration. I love it!

KOSY 106.5

I was thinking of something exciting to write about and decided that I wanted to wait until I could post pictures with the blog. That is always more exciting. But then I remembered that Heather got voted out of America's Next Top Model and the joy that it brought me and I had to type. No offense to people with Ausberger's but she was definitely not model material. I was glad that Tyra let go of making a statement and simply accepted the truth. Not going to work.

Oh, and it snowed the most beautiful blanket of perfect Christmas snow here. It was the most wonderful way to start the most wonderful time of the year. AND I am almost completely done with all of the Christmas shopping, including Marilyn's. I have one more person on my list, neighbor gifts, and cards. AND I finished the Christmas trees for the city and got the approval from the big guy. Santa loved them. Red and Green. Once again, I will try and get some pics.

That is all for now until I have some pics and more exciting stuff to say!

Sarah

I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite.

Hey all! Did you miss me? Lame excuse for not blogging, but I liked having all of the pretty pictures at the top. What, since I lost my red shoes, my blog just doesn't seem the same and having Halloween Harry and Ginny greet me with a smile seemed great. To explain the abscence of the shoes, on some computers the format just didn't fit and it frustrated me to such a degree that I eliminated them - and now I long for them. The sad sad day.

Anyway, in other news....how much do you love Thanksgiving? I am thankful for Thanksgiving. That is all there is to say. That and "cranberry sauce rocks!"

For all those inquiring minds, yes, I did participate in the madness that is Target at 6:00am on Black Friday. Is it sick that I LOVE IT!? It makes me happy to just sit here and think about how much I enjoyed it. And I would like to send a SHOUT OUT (because I am not 30 and I can) to the line guards who did their best to keep the line jumping to a minimum. If I were honest I would admit to the fact that I only witnessed it because I was a little bit trying to get in on the action, but I will lie and say that I was only there for the entertainment value - which was HI-HIGH! I maybe would have tried if the people in the line weren't beginning to get violent. Despite having to go to the end of the line around the back of the building by the portable storage container, I was triumphant in getting my big ticket item: Ratatouille for $14!!! Killer deal, right?

The great joy in my life at the moment is that my mother-in-law has entrusted me to play Santa this year and I have had the great pleasure of blowing $100 per person on a bunch of CRAP this weekend. No no...I think I have done a pretty good job, with a little help from my Number One Elf! Who, I might add, is the key to all of my gift giving successes. I was very lucky to have married such a thoughtful person!

The second great joy in my life at the moment is that my boss has entrusted me to play Martha Stewart and decorate a tree for the city building all on my own. See, it falls in the "floof-de-flomp" category which is my sole responsibility. I have found the most amazing color scheme and decor samples to show him on Monday - which I guess would be cool if he wasn't colorblind. For those of you who can see colors, when I complete the masterpiece, I will take pictures and post. Until then, I will continue to shop for the family and the city and the WORLD!

Oh...one last joy in my life at the moment - the realization that I can now watch Elf to bring in the holiday season. Off I go - but I will watch out for the yellow ones cause they don't stop.

Sarah

As promised....

I swore to myself that I wouldn't post again until I had some pictures, so here they are! Hopefully they are worth the wait! Above you will see the Happy Halloween hosts: Harry and Ginny.
The winner of our Adult Male Contest: Mr. Bob Ross.

The winner of Best Adult Female contest: Ms. Britney Spears.

One of the winners of our children's costume contest: Jack Attack. Along with winner #2:

Pepe Le Peau - Boston.
And just for fun, a couple of fun pics from the party:

Meggan and Mia - Two of K-town's most gee-orgeous vampires!

Mummy wrapped! Mummified! I want my Mummy! Duncan as a mummy.

Porter - the resident apple bobber. We made him use the same one repeatedly...save the fun for everyone!

That is what I have for now...are you proud of my for following through - two weeks later!!!