Snowflake's Big Day***

Hi, my name is Snowflake!

Normally, I'm at college with Kelly. This week, however, she let me stay at home so I could go to a very important appointment. I went to the dentist!

At this dentist office, I was warmly greeted and then offered my choice of coffee, tea, or water.
Everyone knows a bear doesn't drink coffee or tea. Good thing I found Miss Nancy's stash of hot chocolate.



The waiting room was very comfortable and relaxing, with plenty of magazines and books to read.




Too soon, my name was called and I was escorted to the back room.
This chair can seem really big and really scary to a little bear like me!


Dr. D came in and he could see that I was a little nervous.
He took the time to carefully explain everything that they'd be doing. I was only in for a checkup, he said, so I it wouldn't take long at all.


The Dental Assistant, Tabitha, is a real nice lady!
She knows just which instruments to hand to Dr. D, even before he asks for them!



Open wide!



Suction and irrigating . . .



All finished!
Dr. D says my bear teeth are in perfect health because of all the brushing and flossing I do!


He did recommend that I use a mouthwash to kill any remaining germs. It would also help with my bear breath.


I blushed.


I got to look at some x-rays of my teeth.
That was amazing!


My next step was to see Miss Nancy, the Financial Coordinator.
I have dental insurance, so I only needed to pay a small co-payment for this visit.


The last stop was with LeeAnne, the Patient Coordinator.
She helped me set up my next appointment and wrote out a reminder card so I wouldn't forget.

My experience at the dental office was so great!



Who knows . . . maybe some day I could work at a dental office too . . .



. . .maybe. . . .someday. . .




***Kelly left Snowflake in the car by accident. He is being mailed to her today, along with these photos. She has no idea what her bear has been up to, and she's unable to access my blog at school. Heh heh . .

De-cluttering

Drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard, I have been getting rid of unwanted items. This part has been pretty easy.

I just bought a new skillet that works more efficiently. Why am I hanging on to the old one?

Herbs and spices with expired dates? No problem! Toss 'em!

How did I get 4 boxes of the same tea? Consolidate!

It was a little harder going through the books in my bedroom.

I love books.

Some were easier to toss, but some gave me pause. The thing that amused me was all the books that had markers in them, either half-way or a quarter-way through. ADD much? After I blew the dust off, I boxed them off.

It's going to be a little harder to do in the school room because I'm still home schooling. I think Glenna might need this or that . . . but there's really only a select few that she'll need. After this year, for example, I can donate all of my books on Ancient History. Yay! After next year, all of the Medieval books, etc.

What's really "cooking my grits" on this whole de-clutter thing are the mementos I've received or anything with a strong memory attached to it. I have drawers and boxes with this stuff! I received these texts from Kelly:

Bravo, Mom!
I'm really excited about all this purging going on. I think it's a great thing.

Go Mom go! It's just stuff! You'll be without it someday, why not now? Just think; clean open space. Nothing about the people they remind you of will change with the absence of an object.

I'm going to have to print that last sentence or memorize it as I do this. "Nothing about the people they remind you of will change with the absence of an object."

I can do this!

Hey Mom . . .

Here's some photos from where I work. I was downloading new software onto each computer and I had a little time to kill.

This is one of the dental rooms. So great that I actually know what everything is now. On the first day, Tabitha was showing me how to break down a room and she picked up this tiny sliver of metal and said, "Oh look! I almost threw this away!" I remember thinking that nothing that small would ever be noticed by me. Now, however, I know it's a 330 short bit for the high speed hand piece. Oh yeah!


Here's what you see when you're sitting in the dental chair:
As I was sitting here (waiting for the download, people! I'm no slacker!), a calico cat walked past the window. Made me laugh.



If you look over to the right while sitting in the chair, you get to see this:
Take care of your teeth, you guys.


You also see this:
See? Dr. D can take those ugly metal fillings out of your mouth and make them pretty and white again. He has done that for me on the top and we're almost finished with the bottom.

I love my job!

Partied Out

This was this morning:




This was yesterday:
I need to get back to work so I can get some rest!

I'm exhausted. More later.

Lethargy Sets In

Tyler is tired and doesn't really want to do his homework. Here's his vocabulary lesson:


• Marginal revenue product of labor
This is a thing that happens to people who care

• Equilibrium wage
That’s what I did!

• Laffer curve
This is a funny waist line

• Business cycle
Waste management

• Nominal GDP
The middle gross dog poop

• Real GDP
The real thing

• Full employment
Half days, 12 hours a day.

• Inflation rate
How big your belly gets pre pound of spaghetti you eat

I can't argue. I don't want to do dishes, so I'm blogging and watching BBC videos.

She . . .

. . . Is always up for a rockin' good time.



. . . will still cuddle with her Mom.



. . . can finally do what she's watched her siblings do for years, like go to Winter Retreat.
(Bonus: Her brother played with the band that year, so she got to hang out with him. Double Bonus: he was on her team at game time.)



She . . . has grown up way too fast.


She also has a horrible cold right now and could use some healing prayers!

Out in the Open, but Behind the Scenes

Continuing the collection of photos from my phone comes this series taken very late at night. VERY late.

At the Park, each of the rides are tested, adjusted, and maintained during the wee morning hours when the park is closed. Many a night I had dragged my weary behind to the cast member bus stop and watched as the bus unloaded the maintenance engineers as they were starting their days.

God love them!

All of the following photos are perfectly legal as they were taken in the public areas of the ride, so any Joe Shmoe with a camera could have taken these.

This one is the wallpaper on my phone right now.
I thought it looked so cool and it reflects the season I was in at the park. This was taken with all the house lights ON, by the way, but it still comes out pretty dark. It's the console at Load 1, taken from a pretty interesting angle!


Same angle, peering beneath the console at a rocket train, waiting at load. What on earth are we doing here? Where are the guests?
After the park closes and all the guests have left, every once in a while we must assist the maintenance crew with what's called, "Test and Adjust." This is where they make tweaks and adjustments to the ride, then they must send the rocket trains through repeatedly to make sure everything is in proper working order.

So, if the park closes at midnight, T&A happens well into the wee hours of the morning. The thing is, maintenance is qualified to adjust the speed and track of a screamin' roller coaster, but they are NOT qualified to push the button that makes it go.


That's where the cast members come in.

We sit at our stations for as long as they need us to, sending one rocket train after another. In these photos, I am at Load 1. My friend Erica is at Restraint 1 (or I'd have to walk back and forth to send the rockets. Thanks, Erica!). Other cast members (can't remember which ones) were in the Tower and at Unload 1.

Rocket Train in motion, Side A!

In this photo, I drew an arrow to and a circle around the Red Button of Happiness. This is the E-Stop button and would instantly stop the entire ride, requiring an evacuation.
Happiness for the cast, who all get to do something different for an hour. Not so happy for the guests who were waiting in line and now must leave the ride!

The other buttons send the rocket trains, but the button in the middle is the Station Stop button. This stops the rockets only in our station (not the entire ride). We do this because no matter what we say to the guests, some of you insist on giving "high fives" to the people waiting to load onto the rockets as you pass by. Disney safety says this is simply unsafe and not allowed, so we must STOP the train and ask you to keep your cotton-pickin' hands inside the rocket at all times.

We also hit this button if a guest is suddenly in a position of danger, past the yellow line of safety. Or if they dropped something. Or if a little kid freaks out and tries to stand up in the rocket.

Safe-D begins with me!



The following photos are ones that you will NOT see on a regular park day, so keep it to yourselves, you guys.

You hear?

Mum's the word!

What you will not see, and I defy you to try and find, is this:
A cast member sitting down.



Remember that by this time, it's 2:00 in the morning and we've put in 8 hours. T&A is something we volunteer for after work and we're so tired!
I'm also on the phone, chatting to everyone on Side A who is working with Test and Adjust. Our lovely manager, Kim, asked us what we'd like to drink and she went and bought us sodas (or powerade, in my choice). We're talking probably about guests or cast members or singing our favorite Disney songs - things can get pretty loopy at 2 am! I'm sitting on the ground with my back against the console, reaching up to press the button, and chatting on the phone.


Unheard of!

Oh; and my shirt is untucked. That's right - untucked.


This is a shot of what I'm looking at as I sit there.
I'm looking all the way down past Restraint 2 to Restraint 1, where Erica is sitting on the floor with her back against the space wall, phone to her ear.


I know it's hard to see her, so in the next photo, I drew a circle around her.


I distinctly remember her side of the conversation at this point:

"J, what the heck are you doing? Taking pictures of yourself?"

Well, and pictures of YOU.

Rocket Train in motion, Side A!

It's not Tuesday, but here's a Guest Star!

This post was simply too well said not to share. I know I will take many of her tips to heart!

Enjoy!

More Phone Photos

The first time I used the team bathroom at the dentist office, I closed the door and saw this:
George! What are you doing in here?

It actually startled me! This isn't a small photo - it's almost life-sized. I had forgotten about it since Kelly mentioned it two years ago.

I have no idea who put it there, and no one us fessin' up!

Phuzzy Phone Photos

At The Park, there are several rides that take your picture - usually at the most crucial part of the ride. Rather than pay $14 per photo, many guests (and cast members) simply walk up to the screen and snap a photo of the photo with their phones or cameras.

The Park has gotten smarter. Now, the words, "Pick up your photo in the gift shop!" or something similar is displayed across the photo. The following photos were taken before this recent development. Click on the photos to see them up close.

In each of the photos, I'm noticing a recurring theme:


I. Am. Loving it!

Glenna had to talk me into riding Rockin' Roller Coaster. From the photo above, you could see that Glenna was screaming all the tension out that she had gathered while waiting in line. I'm just diggin' it!


Even the not-so-fast rides are fun with Himself along:


It's up to us to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg and save the batteries for the toys!


Silly man was ready for the camera that time.


Below, I went to Animal Kingdom and rode with some friends on the Dinosaur ride. I had been on it recently so I knew what to expect. Of course, I didn't tell Kim or her friend!




In this one, the girl with me in the front row asked, "Is this ride scary?"
"Oh yes!" I replied. "We're chased by a dinosaur that wants to eat us!"
"WHAT????" she freaked.

Heh.



This is how I brace myself to ride Side B at Space. I absolutely hate Side B. It's so rough and bumpy! Side A is a smooth journey, comparatively. Remember Tony's hat? =)


Hey, look! It's our French Guy!


Evidently, I traumatized Glenna at the tender age of 9 and she hated Space Mountain, refusing to ride with her eyes open. As you can see below, she quickly got over it when her friends Grace and Bekah made her ride it 40 million times.



Believe it or not, the following photos were taken in the summer time. Remember, summer is our rainy season.
Good to have rain ponchos, especially for this ride! (Awww, a smooch.)


Glenna and I wanted to ride one more time before the park closed. We were literally the only ones on the ride!

Oh, Test Track; how I love Thee.
(Gotta have the hands up!) Glenna is sitting behind me.


That French Guy again. The rest of us are a mess of humidity and heat stroke and he still looks good.


Hands UP, I say!


I don't care if I'm riding with strangers. If I'm on a roller coaster, I'm having a ball! The guy behind me is missing out!
It was a first time for the guy next to me. He was a little nervous about the fact that the restraint came over our shoulders.

As he should be.

Photos Coming!

Tyler was kind enough to finally figure out how to get photos from my phone to the computer. At last, I'll have some photos to share! For now, here's a sampling:


Me, Ty, Jess, Kelly, Paul, and Glenna

This was us on a recent trip to New York City!

Ok, actually, it's at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

And actually again, it's from Himself's phone - but you get the idea.

Go Figure

How is it possible that we are paying off our debt, and we still have money?

The only answer I can come up with is that God rewards obedience. He doesn't want us to be in debt, and He's helping us.

Before we started to attack our debt, we were continually out of money within days of receiving our paychecks. I would take out cash for food (helps me to stay on budget - no more cash means no more food), then I would find ways to justify spending every last cent in the bank. I would sweat bullets until the next payday or have to transfer from our meager savings to cover everything.

Stress, anyone?

Since we've purposely begun to pay our debts, I've noticed that we are living so much more comfortably. By this I mean that I am no longer scrambling to cover our bank account and except for Christmas, which was planned, I have left our savings account alone.

I have a list of our debts posted on the fridge. I should have put the first three debts on there because the left-brained side of me loves to mark things off a list, even if they're already finished, so I would see that Glenna's English classes, the doctor, and the dentist have all been paid in full. Our list now shows:

IRS (paid!)

Auto Loan (paid!)

Dentist (again; Himself needs two crowns)

One Credit Card

Student Loans

Personal Loan #1

Personal Loan #2

Granted, this isn't a horribly long list and our debt is so mild compared to many, but debt was ruining our lives. Debt is misery! Dave Ramsey suggests that everyone sit down and list their debts, all of them, and take an honest look at their financial situations. We did this and were so discouraged to see how much money was going to debt that could be going to many, many other things.

For example - the money we spend each month on debt could have easily paid for college expenses without needing student loans.

If I think of all the expenses I have coming up (like Glenna's college, braces for two children) it's easy to become overwhelmed. Instead, it has helped to focus on each debt before us on this list. Himself and I have actually become so excited about knocking down this debt!

The strangest part is that now that we're committed to this, we're no longer completely broke. We could knock this out even sooner if we wanted by living on rice and beans with no AC or heat in the house and no extras whatsoever, and it may come to that, but for now we're content with the pace we're at. I love that we can pay off our debt AND get Himself a new pair of pants if he needs it. I love that "Mom, we're out of shampoo" doesn't send me into a panic. I know that this is a small glimpse into the financial freedom we're striving towards.

I can't help but be amazed by all of this. I mailed off the final check to the IRS and within days received a mortgage surplus check in the mail that fully paid for the auto loan! Now, the old me would have run to the nearest shopping center with that check and had a ball. The NEW me recognized it for what it was, a gift from God to pay off the car, and wrote the check immediately. The BONUS is that I had money for a new skillet that I've been needing as well!

We still have much to learn and a way to go, but we are so thankful.

Thank You, Lord.

For the Record

All day, I retrieve and file records. This has given me such an interesting glimpse into humanity.

I just have to say this; some of you have funny names. Butts. Hiney. (I'm not making this up.)

Some of you have names that sound almost like a famous person: Robert Ledford.

I love opening a chart to record some information, and then I find that my Kelly was the last person to write in the chart. I read her words and I hear her voice inside my head - it makes me smile, every time. I also love where she might make a mistake and laughs at herself, right there on the chart. I love that girl!

Dental records, I'm discovering, are extremely important. We have all heard of horrible accidents where the victims were identified strictly from their dental records. It all makes so much sense to me now, especially after working in the charts and on the study models. Our teeth and mouths are as unique as we are!

One job I had was to go through the inactive files, record their last visit, then put the files in a box for storage (they must be kept for seven years after the last visit). So many of these charts record not just the dental history, but the actual history of the patient.

Engaged, wants cleaning before wedding.

Expecting baby.

Childbirth.

Patient not feeling well, will call when better.

Patient Deceased.

The last two are almost always from our elderly patients, and it's so sad at the office when that happens. One dear man lost his wife in a horrible accident and arrived, months later, still wearing a halo brace. Our staff mourned with him and embraced him. It's so easy to become involved in the lives of those who come through our door because we deal with them so personally. It's so easy to care.

I was warned that at Christmas, our care would be returned. They weren't joking! Cookies, fudge, cakes, Bavarian Chocolates; all arrived on a daily basis. I picked the wrong month for a pinkie-swear, but I managed to do pretty well. I just could not get over how thoughtful so many were to us. It made me want to tip those who care for my family as well! (I managed to tip our lawn guy. He's my favorite.) =) We see many patients every 3 to 6 months. I often marveled at how the staff would remember details about my life and ask me about them, and now I know.

Your names are ever before us. We can't help but remember.

If you don't have a dentist who remembers your name and your family, it may be time to look for a new one!

Monday Blues

I am sick. I cannot breathe.

I'm glad there was a flood of mail at the dentist office from our week off! I was able to isolate myself in the back office all morning.

Tyler came home from work today, also sick.

We've had so much company lately and I love it! I love, especially, that my house hasn't been perfect and it didn't matter one bit. I love when Kelly is home from college since the traffic in our home greatly increases. She's home for one more week!

Space Mountain was such a welcome break. I was re-certified and back on rotation While I was sad that so many people have returned to college, I forgot how much fun it was to make new friends! Everyone has an interesting background. By the time I return around June, there will be another rotation of college kids to get to know. Many of my favorite managers were still there, so that was good.

That's all for now. Hard to type and breathe at the same time.

Brrrr. ...

It was fun and strange at the same time to be back on the mountain. So many familiar faces, but so many unfamiliar ones, too! I was basically stuck at the Greeter position all night because they needed a trainer to re-certify me. It was cooooold, friends. I had stopped on the way to work and bought a pair of tights to wear under my costume, had a long-sleeved shirt under my costume, a jacket, and two pairs of gloves. The only things that got really cold were my fingers and my nose. I may have to go to costuming again and ask for a beannie hat!

Highlight of the evening:

I saw a group of young gentlemen wearing familiar high school shirts and sweatshirts. Turns out they went to the same high school I did in California! I was so happy and excited to see them, and they told me of all the changes happening at my old school. I immediately wrote them a fast pass and one of them asked me which year I graduated.

They passed me again with high fives as they were going through the fast pass line. One of them, the one who asked which year I graduated, stopped and asked me, "Hey did you know Jackie B?"

"Jackie B? I graduated with her!"

"She's my Mom."

I didn't care. I grabbed him and hugged him. =)

The park was so full last night. There were two e-stops, which makes the wait time much, much longer. At one time we had a 200 minute wait for standby! For most of the night, it was 160 minutes! I spent my entire time at greeter saying, "Yes, the wait time is REALLY 160 minutes. That's 2 hours and 40 minutes. Yes, the wait time is REALLY 160 minutes!" We were able to clear most of it out during the fireworks and the longest it was after that was 30 minutes. From 12 am to 1 am it was a straight walk through.

When I left at 1:30, I had to sit and warm up the car quite a bit before I could drive home. It was covered in ice! As people would get to their cars and warm up, the steam from their exhausts would flow over my car and freeze. Cars that were by themselves or where no one had left yet were fine.

Tonight, I'm praying a trainer will be available to re-certify me so I can go through rotation. This means they have to explain to me the new cell phone policy and new lost child policy, click it off on my account, and then I'm qualified to push buttons again.

Off to check the weather report!

Merry Christmas!

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7

O Lord, I always want to have room for You in my life.
We praise You, Father, as we remember how You sent Your Son to earth!

It's Christmas Eve!

Yes, we were the crazy ones who waited until today to finish our Christmas shopping.

We went pretty early in the morning, so we actually beat most of the crowds at the mall. We had our lists, left our babies at home, and conquered!

Highlights in hilarity:

Himself: See that shiny red outfit in the store window? I'd pay you $100 if you wore it to church on Sunday.

Me: Those are pajamas!

Himself: $200 . . . .

At Target, we were repeatedly blocked from all progress. There was a woman in front of us at one point whose hips stood at least 12" wider than each side of her shopping cart. As she ambled along, she would drift, with her cart, toward whichever side she happened to be perusing. Himself was following behind me with our cart and I would try to go around her one way; she'd drift and cut me off. I'd try heading to the other side of her; she'd drift and cut me off.

Finally, I feigned right and when she went to cut me off, I zigged to the left! Ha!

Immediately, a man with shoulders the size of Texas stepped from an aisle and blocked my way.

I couldn't believe it.

The two of them blocked the entire aisle. I just prayed and prayed that they didn't know the meaning of Himself's laughter! He practically had tears streaming down his cheeks, he was laughing so hard!

I finally ducked down an aisle to cut across the store. The whole time Himself was chanting, "She's coming at ya! She's gonna get ya!" which of course referred to Miss Wide Angle. Finally, I successfully popped out into the area of intention and let out a "HA!"

At that moment, a very familiar voice spoke in my ear with, "What are you guys getting?"

Ack!

Sons should not sneak up on their mothers who are shopping at Christmas.

Since the Pinkie Swear

Ok, the update:

Himself has already shed 10 pounds, simply by not drinking any soda or milkshakes since the pinkie swear.

Don't hate, people. He can't help it that he's male.

I'd like to say I've lost 3 pounds. Of course, it can never be that simple - I bought these new shoes and they add (not kidding) two pounds (we checked) and then at work there's a scale in the bathroom that also looks to be off by two pounds and that's just too much math for me to handle when all I want is chocolate.

Our dear patients are determined to sabotage my efforts. This week we've been gifted with cake, cookies, truffles, bon bons, crackers, Belgian chocolate cups, more cookies, etc. I had to do a double pinkie-swear with Nancy to keep out of it!

Good thing she won't be in the office today.

Lovely

Ty's Brown-Eyed-Girl sent me this photo. I love it.

I'm so glad Ty's over the phase of glaring at the camera whenever someone wanted to take his picture! That was so annoying.

One more day of work and then I'm off for three days! I plan on staying up late and sleeping in, not out of rebellion or anything, but to prepare me for my Space shifts next week. I'm so looking forward to getting back to the mountain!

I Will Remember

Dear Mementos, Old Costume Jewelry, Trinkets and Tidbits,

You're probably wondering why I asked you here today.

Each of you came into my life through a special event. It may not have been a particularly earth-shattering event, but it was one that brought a smile to my face, laughter to my heart, or tears to my eyes. I have kept you around these many years to remind me of our special day together.

Here's the deal - I can't keep up with you anymore.

The dusting, storing, arranging, and upkeep of you has become a burden I can no longer carry, so I'm releasing you to bring joy to others.This doesn't mean I will forget our special day, it just means I no longer need you to remind me of it.

Thanks for the memories!


Whew! I spent an entire day doing laundry and cleaning my room yesterday. I still haven't finished, because I have dusting to do. I can't describe how good it felt to be able to walk across my bedroom floor again! Ty brought Jessie over and we were all in my room, BECAUSE WE COULD BE, laughing and chatting. I still have some taming-of-the-desk to do but I'm getting much closer to simplifying everything. It feels like I've actually conquered something!

Yesterday, I also wrote a chore list on our white board and invited any and all to pick up a chore. Glenna vacuumed the stairs and washed BOTH dogs (yes!). Himself cleaned off his own desk. We laughed and said we needed to add his desk and our room to the chore list, just so we could cross them off! If only Missy would stay out of my room - I could leave the door open all the time. She gets mad at me and leaves little "prizes" for me to find, so that can't happen. Ugh! Why do I let these dogs run my life?

I also went on the Hub to see if I was able to pick up any Space shifts during the week the dentist office is closed. Boy, did I! I'll be working four days, each shift BEGINNING at 7:30 or 8:15 PM. I can't wait to be back at the mountain, but I'm not looking forward to the late hours again. These days I'm a pumpkin-head by 9:30 at night. It's worth it, however, to keep my seasonal status at the park.

Off to prepare for the church brunch!

Fabulous Friday

Drove all by my onsies last night to pick up our girl. I'm so, so proud of her for completing her first semester of college!

I'm also so happy that she's home for Three Whole Weeks!

A Magical Night

On December 4th, my family graciously encouraged me to meet up with some friends at Disney.

It was so. FUN.


Brieanna and Ashley were two of the CP's (College Program) who worked with me at Space. This is the lighting that we're in the entire time unless the ride breaks down.

The first time I saw them, I came home and told Kelly how alive and vibrant and amazing they were! They just breathe life into any room. Some of you may remember Brieanna's gentle reminder to be careful how I portray people on this blog and I have never forgotten it.

(She thought I was calling her a mean girl. I meant that she knew her business and I needed to know my business, too!)

Anyway, they invited me out for a night at MK and I'm so, so glad I went! It was so out of character for me - meeting up with a group of people at 6 pm, playing all night, then driving home in the wee hours. I felt like I was 18 again, but they've always treated me like one of their peers at work. I love these girls!


Here's Brieanna without her curls. She's so gorgeous!


Disney really goes all out at Christmas and makes the park so beautiful. Here, the castle is covered in lights and it looks like ice has formed. The castle would turn different colors all night, each one so beautiful. The "ice" turned off during the fireworks show.

We were joined by Josh, Nick, and Tony, whom I also worked with. Oops, except I didn't work with Nick - he's a speedway cast member. We always feel so badly for the speedway guys out in the heat and gas fumes all day, but he says he just loves the speedway crew.

We went on so many rides that I've never ridden before, such as Winnie the Pooh and Philharmagic. We must have spent most of our time in Fantasyland.


The following blurry photo is what a very bad idea looks like:


When it's cold outside, don't go on Splash Mountain.
Top row: Ashley and Nick.
Middle Row: Josh and Tony (who lost their gentlemen cards that night!)
Front Row: Brie and Me, about to get VERY wet and thus saving the "gentlemen" who dived into the middle row, forcing us to take the front and the splash!

Yes, I'm holding onto Brie for dear life.

Here we are afterward:

Ashley was laughing so hard, I'm surprised she got the picture! Josh is the one in glasses. Tony has little cat ears on his beannie hat. The cute hat didn't save him from the lecture, believe me!

Why did I even bother with my hair?

After the splashdown, we headed for main street to watch the fireworks. Brie and Ashley have worked the greeter rotation so many times that they have every line and boom and swish memorized. Wishes! Here we are before the show with now wet and frizzy hair:


After the fireworks, Josh had to leave us because of his 6am shift the next morning.

When I was on my way from the cast parking lot to meet them, I ran into a friend on the cast bus. He told me he was working three "sets" at Pixie Hollow and that he would leave my name at the entrance so we could go around the line. After Josh left, we hurried to Pixie Hollow to meet Terrence, friend of Tinkerbell!

Anyone recognize him? ;-)

Terrence was SO much fun and had us all laughing. Ashley is always smiling like that, though!

He introduced himself to each of us and when he got to me, he asked, "What's your name?"

Blink.

"What's your name?"

I just stood there with a stupid grin on my face. I didn't know whether to say MrsJLW or J or WHAT, and there he was, this guy who was my former Jr. High student, and he had an acorn on his head. He broke character a little and laughed silently.

"Does she have a name?" he asked the group. "Should we give her a new one?"

After coating us with Pixie dust so we could fly, he quickly arranged a game of "fly and go seek" with us.

Brie, hiding in Pixie Hollow




Tinkerbell, "hiding"

Surprisingly, none of us cast members had ever been to Pixie Hollow before. We didn't even know where it was! When I asked "Terrence" how to get there when we were on the bus, even he didn't know for sure, saying, "You know, I've never gotten there from the park before."

Just so you all know, it's in Toon Town, in the Judges' Tent.


Group shot!

Nick, Me, Terrence, Brieanna, Ashley, Tony

Here we are with Tinkerbell:

See the ears on Tony's hat?

We had a group photo with another fairy, but I look fat in that picture so you KNOW it's not going up. Just so you know, I was wearing my jacket with all the amazing pockets and the pockets were full so I didn't have to carry anything.

[crickets]

Whatever.

After Pixie Hollow, we headed to Space Mountain to ride and so Brie and Ashely could get their things. It was SO great to see so many of my castmates! I really, really miss them! I can't wait to pick up some shifts at the end of December so I can see them again.

I also can't wait for February, when Brie comes back from Wisconsin, Ashely comes back from Tennessee, and hopefully my other castmates will join us for another magical night!

Yes!

Congratulations to Tyler, who has now passed seven out of seven ASE exams! This means that after the required job experience of two years (one of which was his year in school) he will be Master Certified in diesel!

That's a National certification, you guys.

Back flips encouraged.

=D

Sunday Night Special

I haven't posted in so long.

I'm just dealin' with it all, friends. Wheelin' and dealin'.

Coping?

I hope to get some photos up soon, but my computer time is limited to when I actually have a computer.

Still gathering info for the insurance company. We're almost there.

AWANA was fun tonight! I loved the lesson and believe I could have spent the entire year talking about Hebrews 10:1-18. Our God is amazing!

. . .and On. .

Insurance forms arrived today. I have to show proof that the items were mine and in my possession. They want receipts, repair bills, warranties, photos (HAHAHAHA) or other such proof.

Anyone who knows me knows that insurance companies send me through the roof.

THE ROOF.

They want the replacement cost value. Time to do some research!

On and On It Goes

When the Deputy took our report from the robbery, he left a form for us to use when we discovered more things missing.

When. Not If.

Today, I'm extremely thankful for this blog.

I had carefully downloaded all of my photos from my laptop onto an external hard drive, then deleted them from my computer. The hard drive was an old one that a friend gave me and was held together by rubber bands.

The thieves took it.

They did not take the snappy, sleek external hard drive that Himself had in his desk drawer.

Most of the pictures that were on that external drive have been posted on this blog. Most, but not all.

I had downloaded a program that will help me turn this blog into books. I wanted to do that especially with the story about Himself's family, but I'm even more motivated now. I'm so glad I posted those blogs about my step-dad. I'm so glad I posted so many things.

Of course, now I have to re-download it. The only working computer we have is Himself's, and that's because it was with him in Miami.

Just when I thought I was getting over the anger!

And Away We Go!

We pinkie swore.

Himself and I will be celebrating our 25th Anniversary in February. Because I have such incredible discounts at the park (The Mouse is very generous at Christmas!), we will be staying in one of the resorts for three days and two nights. I can't wait, and I'm already drawing up an itinerary for our trip and putting aside all the extra dollars I can! ($275 massage for two? No. $18 for all day bike rentals? Yes.)

I've informed him that I want to do everything there is to do at Disney that's free or cheap, so he'd better start preparing for a lot of walking! I can't have him petering out and needing a mid-day nap; at least, not on the day I've scheduled for the parks. I mentioned a weight amount I'd like to lose and he mentioned a weight amount he'd like to lose, and we both discussed ways to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Then I held out my pinkie so we could swear on it.

And I held it out.

And I held it out.

And Kelly yelled from the back seat of the Escape "Don't withdraw your hand, Mom! Keep that pressure up!"

And I held it out.

Oh. It's so hard to die to self.

For him, this means goodbye Chik-Fil-A milkshakes! Goodbye nightly ice cream! Goodbye rich foods when eating out during travel!

For me, this means goodbye to flavored coffees and junk foods. It means getting off my behind and exercise.

My friend Lisa McP recently did a walk for breast cancer awareness. She walked 20 miles per day for three days. At the end her feet were ruined (horrible blisters, she needed to use crutches for a while!) but she ended up losing 10 pounds. Now, 10 pounds in three days is a bit drastic, but for me it's a worthy goal from now until February!

Finally,. . . finally. . . with a shout of anger. . . he grabbed my pinkie with his pinkie and sealed the deal. Today he had his coffee black, the way he used to drink it.

Neither of us have decent shoes to walk in. Just when I thought I'd have to finagle our budget around, I went to the mailbox and discovered a refund check from our deposit on Tyler's college housing!

Looks like God is in these plans, too!

"Come on everybody, here we gooooooo!"

The Angry Post

Yesterday, our house was robbed.

Mom, we're all fine. We weren't home.

I came home from work and picked up the girls to go to lunch and Target. We were gone maybe 2 hours. When we returned and opened the door (it was locked), we noticed a huge brick paver on the floor and broken glass everywhere.

Like an idiot incident #1; I immediately looked up at the ceiling. "What? Where did THAT come from?" Within seconds, Kelly and I realized what had happened.

Like an idiot incident #2; we ran INTO the house to see what happened. (Folks, don't ever do this. Shut the door, call the police, and wait. What if they were still here?)

The jerks knew what they were doing. They had gloves on because the police couldn't get a single print. They stole 5 laptops (one was Tyler's old, broken one, and one was a laptop Himself was turning in from work), ipods, ipod touch, and some cash Glenna had on her dresser. They completely ransacked every room and drawer. They destroyed my grandmother's jewelry box by smashing it on the ground. They soon discovered that the only valuable jewelry I have is on my left hand ring finger! I don't think they took any of the cosmetic stuff. (Mom, at first I thought they took grandma's class ring. They didn't.) I think they were looking for cash. They took Ty's Playstation, and cut the surround sound speakers and took them (all except for one over the piano).

They were in the process of taking a television from Ty's room when something scared them off. We think it was my neighbor coming home that did it.

I am so, so angry.

Our youth pastor came and stayed with me until Himself came home (he was driving home from Miami). Then our pastor and his wife came and helped with cleanup, and pastor helped Himself board the window with plywood. We called the bank and put a hold on our account. We called our insurance company.

I'm still so, so angry.

I have left Glenna home alone while I went to work in the mornings. I will no longer do this, but I don't know WHAT I'm going to do yet. The poor dogs were traumatized. Missy was in her kennel directly under the window that was smashed. She eliminated in the kennel.

A couple of humorous-in-a-weird-way incidents:

Glenna's room was so messy that they didn't notice her ipod that had fallen on her floor among the clothes, books, etc. She was spared!

Our next door neighbor has a security camera pointing to our mutual driveways. We called to ask him about it and he said it was a fake and not hooked up to anything.

When I entered my room, I noticed some Christmas gifts scattered on the floor. My immediate reaction was, "Hide those! Don't let the girls see them!" It's the only part of the crime scene I touched before the police arrived.

Jack also eliminated by the door. Ty suggested he was setting a trap for the burglars and was hoping they'd slip and fall, knock unconscious, and be there for the police to grab.

Some things that kept me sane:

Kelly took my hand and reminded me, "It's just stuff, Mom. We're all fine." Pastor's wife also reminded me of this.

My neighbors stayed with me as well and offered to let us stay with them until Himself came home. Since I was busy with the police, this wasn't necessary. Still, so sweet.

Both Tyler and Himself kept calling me as they sped toward the house. Then they both realized they were driving like angry madmen and forced themselves to slow down! I can't tell you what a relief it was when they both arrived home safely.

Folks, locks don't matter. If people want in they'll get in. I've always known this, but yesterday was my dose of reality.

It's Me

I feel like I haven't blogged in a million years.

Life is CRAZY, guys.

I'm also trying to detox again from all the things that give me migraines. I just started yesterday by enduring day two of a migraine without taking any medication. Not fun.

I know the timing stinks because the holidays are coming up, and I've been warned by a co-worker that the office becomes flooded with junk. My friend, Nancy, and I decided that we'd hold each other accountable about eating the stuff.

It's going to be a long holiday season, but I look forward to shedding some pounds again!

Mine

All in one place.



Thankfully, this is happening more frequently!

Lunches

I am so enjoying this season God has given me with my son, before he's out on his own for good. I have even enjoyed preparing lunches for him each day.

As I shop for foods, I realize that he's not the cute little kid with the Spiderman Lunch Box anymore, and I have to be kind of careful with my choices. He does, after all, work with Diesel Technicians. Can you say "burly men"? Pudding cups and Fruit cups are probably out of the question.

My theory was proven when I made him two Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and stacked them in plastic containers so they wouldn't get smashed. One of his co-workers leaned over and remarked, "What you got there? A loaf of bread?" Since Ty never knows what he's getting until he opens his lunch box, he was thinking the exact same thing. He was very relieved to find there were actual sandwiches.

His lunch room is also divided by not classes, but by language. Those who speak Spanish naturally sit together. Everyone also has their "regular" seat, and there was only one seat left in the English section when Ty started working there.

One day, I packed him a lunch of leftovers. This is usually just fine since it would involve spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. This day, however, it was literal leftovers. I had some black beans. I had some shredded chicken. I had some shredded cheese. I had some tortillas. He opened his box and stood in line for the microwave (there are 3 of them) and his Spanish speaking friends took note of his food.

"Hey, what you got there? Maybe you should be sitting with us, eh?"

"Yeah!" said an English speaker. "And if you do, don't come back!"

What is positively, unequivocally, and undoubtedly forbidden, I'm sure, would be a cute note from his Mom telling him how wonderful he is.

I do, after all, want him to come home alive.

A Song

There was a song we used to sing in Sunday School when I was a young girl.

I have never understood it.

I wish I had a little black box
To put my Jesus in
I'd take Him out and
[kiss kiss kiss]
Then put Him back again!

As I'm typing this, Glenna is correcting me. She says Jesus goes in the white box and the devil goes in the black box. She also says that the last words are "and put Him right back in."

I still don't understand it.

White box or black box, I don't want my Savior in a box.

Now Glenna's telling me that the devil gets spankings instead of kisses and tossed back in the box, while Jesus gets kisses and then He's shared with a friend.

Why didn't my lame-o Sunday School teacher tell me THAT? (Yes, I said lame-o, and he was kind of a creeper. No Mom, he never did anything creepy, he just put Jesus in a box.)

A Small Gesture of Great Significance

Dear Family at that Restaurant in Bronson, Missouri;

You noticed my Dad and his friends, a group of six senior citizens, were ooohing and ahhhing over the honey cornbread muffins. You also noticed my Dad was wearing his veteran hat that showed he served in Korea. You then sent an order of honey cornbread muffins to their table with the following note:

Sir,

It's because of men like you that my family enjoys its freedom today. Thank you for serving our country and God bless.


You brought my Dad to tears that day, and he cried again when he read your note to me over the phone.

Thank YOU, and God bless YOU! And thank you for reminding me that a simple gesture means the world to our senior veterans. I hope I get the opportunity to do the same.

A Way with Words

I am beginning to see why Tabitha, my co-worker, is someone whom Kelly loves so much from her years of working for Dr. D. I've decided to compile a list strictly from the words she chooses.

Words Tabitha uses:

This will be easy.

You'll get it.

You'll figure it out.

Keep trying.

That happened to me, too (or) I've done that mistake before.

That looks great!

Nice one!

You're so ready for this!

I can understand how you feel.



Words Tabitha does not use with me:

Forget it.

Never mind.

I'll take care of it.

Give me that!

I also love how she never rescues me from my failures. She's so patient and gives me room to try again, which always results in success, which in turn produces confidence. Instead of making me feel like I have just ruined everything and the world is going to end, she actually laughs out loud! I don't feel like she's laughing at me, rather she's laughing because her same struggles are now happening to me and she can so relate.

What a woman!

Why Don't She Write?

Kudos to anyone who can name that movie, though it's not an exact quote!

Things are crazy here. On one hand I have blessings galore with how well my children are doing. On the other hand, I have trials and I'm so busy. I'm afraid if I were to write what I was really thinking, I'd be carried off to the asylum!

Wait. . . a room to myself without interruption? Hmmm. . . .

Last weekend I was so angry at everyone and everything. It was probably best that Himself went out of town for a few days. I'm feeling much better now. How does the Jimmy Buffett song go? "The longer I'm gone, the closer I feel to you."

Ty and Jessie brought home all kinds of pumpkins last night! Two big ones are for carving on Monday with their Bible study group. The wee ones were for painting. I hope she posts pictures! =)

Workin' It

It's no lie; I am a sinner in need of a Savior.

Himself - even more so.

The last two days I have enjoyed washing dishes, by hand, with Glenna. We put music on and we have the best conversations! Or, sometimes, we just do the dishes in companionable silence. I never thought this would be a chore that I would actually look forward to doing, but it has been most pleasant.

When I first married Himself, as in our first few days in our first apartment, I struggled to figure out that whole cooking thing. My job as a child/teen was to set the table and make the salad. I still make a pretty mean salad! My mother knew I needed help in the kitchen and ordered recipe cards that came by mail every month. I started our married life learning to cook from those cards, which involved fresh ingredients and nothing processed. A few months into our marriage I discovered Hamburger Helper and brought it home - Himself made it clear that under no uncertain terms was I to ever bring it home again. Who could blame him after such fresh, real food?

The only meal I didn't make from the cards was steak cooked on the hibachi, with red potatoes cooked with fresh green beans and tossed in butter. Oh, and a salad. It's still a favorite.

After dinner, Himself would settle comfortably on the couch. I would look at him peering into our 13" TV, look at the kitchen full of dishes, look back at him, shrug my shoulders, and then settle onto the couch next to him.

If he thought I was going to wash those dishes myself, he had another think coming!

The dishes would sit on the counter for a day, or two, or three, until we didn't have any that were clean. Then one of us would grudgingly wash them or, rarely, we would wash them together.

Yes, our apartment had roaches. Why do you ask?

This pattern continued even after we bought our first house. Many times, too many times, I avoided the kitchen all together and we ate out. It also bled into other areas of our lives and home to laundry, cleaning, yard work, and maintenance.

When the children began to arrive and I realized, with great shock, that I had to cook every night, the battle over KP escalated. At this point, we had a dishwasher. Still, I would cook dinner and then Himself would settle on the couch and start a movie.

Yes. Start a movie.

We laugh when we talk about this now. He can't believe what a self-centered person he was then! I can't believe how determined I was to not be the only one doing house work. Stubborn and stiff-necked described me to a T.

If there's one piece of married advice I could offer to newlyweds, it would be this:

Wash the dishes together.

It's a great relationship builder, resentment destroyer, and conversation enjoyer.

Imagine if we had started our marriage as teammates, rather than combatants? We would have started a habit that would have benefited our marriage and family tremendously. Now, we have to struggle against our pre-made habits and plain ole sin natures to help each other out. We're getting better, but how amazing is it to see families who do this automatically? After supper, everyone clears the table. One washes, one dries, one wipes the counter tops and table, and before they know it they're finished and the entire evening is before them!

I cringe when I think of the resentment I've built into my children by making them do this without my help while I've watched television or surfed the internet.

In fact, I know exactly how they feel.

One Hour

In one hour I received the following news . . .

*A dear friend's son was in an accident. His car was stopped on the side of the road, hit, and flipped completely over. Praising God the CAT scan showed all is well and he's already released from the hospital!

*Another dear friend and mentor heard the news today that she has breast cancer.

*Yet another dear friend is on her way to the hospital because her mother just broke her hip.


How fragile we are! Each of these have reminded me to be thankful for every breath and every day.


PS Please don't be afraid to be my dear friend.

Later, Dudes

Since our son is now home from the hills of Tennessee, we have decided to make a trip.

To Tennessee.

Ridiculous, right?

My dear friends ML and BA bought property there a couple of years ago, moved there a year ago, and now the house they're building is nearing completion. We wanna see! I've also been longing to see some genuine fall colors.

If you don't hear from me, that is why.


PS Ty has made it clear he has no desire to drive to TN with us. I wonder why? ;-) He'll be staying home and tending the d-o-g-s.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same

From February, 1986, to March, 1989, I worked in a hair salon. I dealt closely with the personal appearances of customers. I listened to their joys and their woes. I loved some and avoided others.

Then one glorious day in April, 1989, a baby boy was placed into my arms.

I went home and stayed there!

Now, 21 years later, I once again find myself in a position where I am dealing closely with customers, although now they're called "patients." I don't yet deal directly with their personal appearances, but I may some day. At the office, we listen to their joys and their woes. We love some and try to avoid others. (NO! Not really! You're all our favorites. YES! We LOVE when you come in!)

There are so many similarities to my previous occupation that it's uncanny. Some of the chemicals and substances used on teeth, believe it or not, are the same ones I used when making acrylic nails. They definitely have the same smell!

One thing that absolutely has NOT changed in 21 years is something that can be a source of fun or pain for me, depending on the situation.

I am writing, of course, about the music that plays over the speakers in the office.

I am a musician. Music is never, ever, background music for me. If it's on I have trouble focusing on conversations. Instead, I'll be listening for the spot where the vocals turn to harmony, my favorite line of a song, or that cool bass line that I know is coming up. My friend Diral was the same way - so much so that he would purposely make sure music was OFF when guests were visiting. "If we're going to talk, let's talk. If we're going to listen to music, let's listen to music." I thought this was so strange back then, but I fully appreciate it now!

The music at the office is delivered regularly via the U.S. Postal service in the form of two CDs. We upload them into two different players; one is for the speakers that everyone hears, and one is for patients to select for their headphones while a procedure is done.

When I was working in a salon 21 years ago, the music we listened to was, of course, 80's pop. Sometimes there'd be some songs from the 60's and 70's, depending on the radio station or whether the boss was in the shop.

At the office, SURPRISE! The music is a blend from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and even some 90's. Every once in a while, there will be current pop as well. All of this tends to make me feel like I'm in a time warp or experiencing severe de'ja'vu.

"Wait. Are you here for a spiral perm or a dental cleaning?"

And have you noticed that leggings, scrunch socks, stripes, and sweater dresses are coming back?

The world is going through an awful lot of trouble to make me feel like I've never left the work force.