My blog favorites of 2009

With it being the last day of 2009 I thought it would be fun to take a look back and share with you my favorite posts from each month. This blogging journey has been amazing and ya'll have made it so great and such a blast this year.

Thank you for taking interest in what I have to say and glad you decided to "Walk with me on this journey called life." It still blows my mind!

Without further ado, here's the picks I loved and hope you did as well.

January: Spent the day as a Kindergartner

February: Mardi Gras

March: Florida Strawberry Festival

April: North Carolina trip

May: Mother's Day Weekend in NY

June: Best Friend Monica gets married

July: My Mom gets married

August: Crystal ball vs. Faith

September: Vegas Trip

October: Trip to Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon

November: Best friend Melissa gets married

December: I'm going to be an Aunt again

This should be fun for any newer readers to my blog and for you others... thanks for sticking around to hear my babble of 2009 and hope you enjoyed my walk down memory lane. And here's to more babble in 2010!!

What do ya'll have planned for New Years? My BFF Melissa is throwing her husband a surprise birthday party and having a bunch of people over. His birthday is today. So it will be a Birthday/New Years Eve party. She even hired a real Jamaican band to play from 8-midnight at the party. Should be fun!!!

I hope ya'll have a wonderful and safe New years. Enjoy your last day of 2009.

See you in 2010 :)

Sea World how I heart thee!

Being that I live near Orlando I’m always hearing how Disney World is the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Well, everyone has their own “Happy Place” and my personal happy place would be Sea World.

I love all the shows. I absolutely LOVE the Shamu “Believe” show and cry every single time!!! It’s so encouraging and I’m just in awe and must admit that I’m majorly jealous of the people who get to work with those amazing creatures. To me that would be an incredible job.

The Sunday after Christmas I went with my BFF Melissa for our annual Christmas trip to Sea World. I believe this is about the 4th year we’ve done it. I look forward to it each year and it’s always so fun. We usually go before Christmas but this year we went after. The Christmas cheer was still around and the decorations were still up. It was a cold day, like in the 40’s, but it was a GREAT day!

Enjoy the pictures! :)

















The Polar Express ride. Don't think I've ever seen the movie in it's entirety. This ride only comes out at Christmas. Love it!!




The polar bear sleeping!


My ticket to ride the Polar Express, ha. I had to get a picture with this. This is my motto, and if you remember, even have a tattoo on my foot that says "Believe".




The Dolphin show!






What is your happy place??? :)

Love came down at Christmas time!

So here’s the Christmas weekend recap.

My sister and I headed to my parents house on Christmas Eve.



We then went to the most beautiful Christmas Eve service I think I’ve ever been to. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more spectacular sight as I did when the lights were dimmed in the church and having tons of people lift up their candles.

Amazing.

Then we went back to the house and had soup and sandwiches and then later on watched the original version of the Christmas movie “Scrooge.” We each opened one gift on Christmas Eve and I got an amazing brown purse and LOVE it.

Christmas Day was so laid back and peaceful and spent with all the ones I love. We got up and opened gifts and the rest of the family came over later for lunch. I didn't get any pictures of the gift opening because I had a slight dilemma and thought I had lost my camera. Spent most of the morning looking for it and finally found it. Here are some pictures I did get. This doesn’t even come close to portraying the love that filled the house on that day, but just trust me on this, it was overflow!! :)

Getting the lunch table ready!


Broke out the pretty Christmas dishes!


After we ate we had some Jesus birthday cake. We blew out the candle and sang happy birthday to him!


We were able to get cozy by the fire, haha!!! It's a DVD that my parents have and it plays a fire on the TV. It even crackles and pops like a real fire, ha!


Just wanted to show you some decorations around the house! The whole house was decorated so beautifully. So warm and inviting!!







My mom had each of us take a picture in front of the tree because next year she is going to have ornaments on the tree with all of our pictures in individual ornaments.


And because I know at least one of ya'll are going to say something. Yes, my sister is wearing shorts and it's Florida, mind you... It was in the high 70's Christmas Day, ha! And yes, she knows how to model and pose for the camera, ha!


I on the other hand was ready for some snow, but unfortunately that was not what the forecast called for in the Sunshine State.


My mom and the hubby with sweet Emma!


I got my leopard snuggie for Christmas!!!! And my cute sleeping doggy in the picture didn't care to share in my excitement, ha!


We all drew names for gifts and I got my sister Deborah!


Time for some guitar hero. And someone felt they needed to steal my snuggie to play the game, ha!!




The kids playing around and my doggy chillaxin on the couch.


One of the best parts of the whole day was a ring that all of the daughters received.



It came with a card and on the front it said..

Dear Daughter... You're so special! Wear her tenderly for within Her lies no weariness, and face all of your trials with hope and in his strength rely,for above her wings other tenderness Angels fly.

For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways...Psalms 91:1

And in the inside it said...

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

May this ring always remind you of how truly important you are to me… No matter what is going on in your life…But most of all, please try to remember to ask God for His wisdom in every situation, in good ones and where there is difficulty…Lets both try to become closer and closer during the years ahead, making the very best of the “Destiny God is creating for us.” I pray that God shows me how to say to you the things that will help and comfort you the most! Let our prayers together be that God will Heal your body, help us experience true joy, and give us spiritual wisdom …Here for You…

Its safe to say I will treasure this ALWAYS!!

Then Christmas night we went and saw:



It was such a cute movie and we had a great time!!

Indeed, a ton of love came down at Christmas time :)

Where to begin....

I'm sitting here trying to think of the perfect words to describe Christmas 2009. It was such a wonderful weekend.

It was our first Christmas as a blended family and the start of new traditions!

I seriously have an amazing family.

It was great. It was perfect. Will have to wait to upload pictures tonight and will recap tomorrow hopefully.

The weekend was sooooo full. Now it's back to work today. I have one more week off of school. I have a mile long to do list this week because I have a roommate moving in with me next Monday. Trying not to be too overwhelmed. My friend Jill, one of my very best friends will be living with me. So this week will be spent getting the house ready for her to come. I'm so excited about this. Will sometime very soon have to share with you how this all came about.

So in the meantime until I can share with ya'll my Christmas, what are some of your reflections of your Christmas weekend? I hope each and every one of you had a Merry Christmas and made sweet memories with the ones you love.

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that there's only 3 days left of 2009. Can you?

I know, I know, posts are always made better with pictures, but that will have to wait till tomorrow, ha!! :)

Happy Monday...and yay, it's another short week for me since we have off Friday :)

Oh, and I'm kind of sad to see these go.....





Anyone feelin me here?? haha!!

What's in your bucket this Christmas Eve?

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!!

Each Christmas we see it, the infamous bucket. We see it at the grocery stores, people ringing those bells. We see it various places all around town. Some might just walk right by it, others it might give a nostalgic feeling because it's what Christmas is all about and it's a part of Christmas because no Christmas goes by without it.

Yesterday I was going into the grocery store and there was the bucket.

I'm talking about the Salvation Army Bucket.



A lady right beside it. She had a little radio going playing Christmas music and was singing right along to it. With it being 2 days before Christmas it just warmed my heart.

I stopped in the craziness of the moment and gave what money I had. It consisted of a $1 and cleaning out my change purse in my wallet. It felt good. It felt good to give. It felt good to stop for the moment and give in what little way I could. Afterall, it's what Christmas is all about, right?

After I left and went into the grocery store I started thinking about the bucket. I started doing inventory of my bucket. What was it filled with?

Peace? Joy? Happiness? Hope? Love?

Perhaps all of the above.

Then I started thinking what that small amount I gave was going to fill someone else's bucket with?

Food? Clothing? Shelter?

Hopefully all of the above. And along with that I am praying a little peace, joy, happiness, hope, and love.

So on this Christmas Eve, think about what's in your bucket. What do you have to give away? And in return your bucket will be filled to overflowing.

Just something to think about!!

May your bucket be full today. Love ya'll :)

Make new friends, but keep the old.....

one is silver and the others gold!!

That motto still rings true today......

Right now I am on a two week break from school and loving every minute of it!!

This week my friend Kelly had a small Christmas get together. Kelly and I went to school together and we were neighbors. She recently got married this year and she and her husband moved to Seattle. So they are back down here visiting her family for the holidays. It was so great to see her and visit with her.

She has a blog, so go visit her and check it out. She's still getting in the swing of it but what she does have to say is hilarious! :)



I also got to visit with my good friend Jackie. We all went to high school together. Jackie and I still keep in touch. Wish we could get together more often but we do the best we can do!!





The whole group!


It was a wonderful time!



Then last night I went with my sister and her boyfriend to see the movie The Blind Side on the town sqaure!!!





It was hands down probably the best movie of 2009. I’m sure all of ya’ll have seen it. Did you enjoy it??

I get off at noon today and then let the holidays begin!!!! Happy Eve of Christmas Eve!!! :)

Winter Snow!

This by far has become my new favorite Christmas song of the season.

WOW.

It blew me away when I first heard it. If you have a minute to watch it, please do. It's guaranteed to bless your socks off. Make sure you pause the music on my blog to listen.

I had a blast at the Christmas party last night and the scratch off lottery tickets were a hit. Unfortunately left my camera at home. Will share pictures tomorrow.

Only 2 more days till Ho Ho Ho.... :)

Everyone done with their last minute shopping? Hope so!!

Weekend recap and meeting my first bloggy friend!

This weekend was very full and fun!! Friday night I treated my sister and I to dinner at Carrabba’s. Had a giftcard and I was feeling generous, ha… and then we had fun hanging out in Wal-Mart, it’s the place to be on a Friday night you know, haha!! :) We were going to see the movie The Blind Side but I think we’re going to go see it tomorrow night. I have heard so much about that movie and want to see it so bad.

Saturday got up and met my BFF Melissa to go running at 9am. I should say walk/run and it made me wonder how the world I am ever going to survive a 5k…. but I’ll get there. We all have to start somewhere, right? After that I met up with one of my co-workers Cristina and ate lunch with her and her twin girls at Chick-Fil-A and then headed to Target to shop because we picked a couple of kids from an Angel tree to buy Christmas gifts for. It was fun and didn't get any pictures, bummer. Then Saturday night we did Christmas with my brother and his family because they are leaving to go to the mountains this week with my sister-in-law’s family, and so they won’t be here for Christmas. And then after that a bunch of people came over and we had family game night. Can you believe again I didn’t get one single picture? So not like me at all, ha. We had a blast playing Catch Phrase. I heart my family, like HUGELY heart them!!!

Sunday was the highlight of my weekend.I spent Saturday night at my mom’s house and went to church with her and the hubby on Sunday. Here’s some pictures in front of the Christmas tree at the church.





They have it decorated so beautiful. Then we ate lunch at Nature’s Table at the church. Can you believe they have one inside the church? That had me sold, haha… And then I was off to meet my first blogger friend Lauren...

Lauren, meet Lauren..ha :)


She was as sweet and precious as I had pictured. She and her family are here visiting Disney, so we visited for about an hour or so before her little man Dawson needed to get back to the hotel for a nap. A trip to Disney is enough to overwhelm any little boy, ha.

How cute is he??

Sorry, I look kind of goofy in this picture, LOL!


I bought him a toy and he was having so much fun with it!








Lauren, I had such a great time seeing you and your family. I can't wait to see you again in February when I come to Nashville.

So can ya'll believe the news about actress Brittany Murphy over the weekend? So sad and so young. Just goes to show we don't know how long our days are numbered and to make each day count.

Also I'm going to a Christmas party where we have to bring a gag gift. I was thinking of bringing scratch off lottery tickets. What do ya'll think? Any suggestions??

Happy Monday!!! :)