Halloween

Tonight after work Pete and I went to my sisters.  She lives on a good street in a good neighborhood and it is fun to give out candy at her house.  This is our 3rd year, so I guess it’s tradition.  Tonight we painted up her belly.  Doesn’t it look cute.  LOL  She was a bit cold outside once the sun went down, but got lots of compliments.  The orange stained my fingers, but thankfully not her belly!  My Dad was there working, Laura is finishing a 2nd story on her house so there will be plenty of room for Princess, so since my Dad was there and we were all together we thought we would order some Chinese food.  We ordered from Pete’s favorite place called Chopstixxs.  Yummy!  We just got home and I made up the little picture above.  Had to show off my pumpkin!

Ryeah Saturday

Pete and I had the very best day with Ryleah on Saturday! Here is a little Video of her singing and flipping and laughing with Pete!  She is truely the best kid ever!  She is sweet and oh so very funny!  I love her so much.  More then I ever thought was possible!  I treasure the time we spend together!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day!

 

Nice Night

Tonight after work I stopped by our favorite Pizza place and got a pizza for dinner.  Laura came over to get her back adjusted and to have dinner with Pete and I.  It was a good visit.  A little short, but good.  While we were talking and eating I asked Pete if he wanted to go to Best Buy.  I knew that he would want to go, Best Buy is his very favorite store.  I got two CD’s while we were there.  The new Backstreet Boys CD and the new Britney Spears CDs came out today.  Pete got a few CDs too.  He was such a nice boy and let me play my CDs on the way home.  LOL  We also were looking at this camera.  We are hoping to buy t for each other as a wedding gift.  But that really depends on money.  We have been talking about wedding favors.  I want to give something really good to the people who are planning on cruising with us.  Some mints and a little thing of wedding bubbles is not thanks enough, I mean these people are coming all the way to the Bahamas for our wedding.  We have desided on Beach Towels.  We are going to have them embroidered.  I’ll be posting the design under the wedding planning page .  Let me know what you think of it.

Weekend Get-A-Way

I just got off the phone and I got a Bed & Breakfast all booked for Pete and I this weekend!  I am really excited.  We are going to to to Rehoboth Beach, DE.  My family used to own a summer home here when I was growing up and I hold fond memories of the time we spent here. We would spend all summer at the beach with my Mom and my Dad would drive to stay on the weekends.  It was wonderful.  This weekend is going to be a little getaway before I start the new job.  Pete took off on Friday so we can have a nice time.  We got the best room in the B&B with a King Size Bed.  I will take tons of pictures.  We plan on doing some shopping at the outlets and hitting Sonic on the way home of course.  Laura and Brandon are going to be at Ocean City staying at our condo so I think on Saturday they are going to meet us for lunch at our favorite local pizza place in Rehoboth.  It will be a great weekend.  We are going to start some Christmas Shopping this weekend too!   

This means I need to tackle the mound of laundry that needs to be washed so we have some warm clothes to wear! 

Disney Again?

Since announcing my engagement and wedding plans I have got the “Why Disney?” question a few times and the “Disney Again?” more then once.  I know some people haven’t had the chance to travel,  at least travel as much as I have.  I have been to other countries, tons of states lots of different vacation spots, but there is that one that I always long to head back to.  Walt Disney World.  Why you ask? 

It’s the Little Things!

Well everyone knows that I love all things Disney, especially the Mecca of all things Disney, Walt Disney World.  At least once a week I get the old “Disney Again?” “Don’t you want to go somewhere else?” “Don’t you want to vacation other places?” “Why Disney?” “What makes Disney World so great?” Well in four words “It’s the little Things!”  I usually take at least 2 vacations a year, if not more.  I try to make one of them Walt Disney World.  It is hard to understand if you have never been to that shiny happy place in central Florida.  Sure there is the fact that it is an Amusement Park, but the “Amusement Park” part doesn’t make up one tenth of what makes Disney World magical. For me it is the Disney experience (wouldn’t you agree Michele?). When I go to stay at a hotel I usually don’t use the wake up call, especially if there is an alarm clock in the room, but at Disney you get a wake up call from the Big Cheese himself.  How can you not opt for that.  When you go to breakfast you don’t get just waffles, you get waffles in the shape of Mickey Mouse.  When you are at a non-Disney Amusement park and the line wait is 60 minutes to ride one of the major attractions you stand in line for 60 minutes with nothing to look at but the sweaty unhappy person in front of you.  Now think of this, you are waiting in Line for the Tower of Terror in Disney Studios.  The wait is 60 minutes.  You start out waiting in a zig zaggy path through the grounds of the Hollywood Hotel, you go past over-grown gardens, waterless fountains, statues that have eyes that follow you, you hardly notice that 20 minutes have past, now you are entering the Hotel, it is old and creepy, the lobby is covered in dust and it has that “old” smell, you go into a room and watch a short episode of the Twilight Zone and you don’t even know you are traveling to another line queue.  The doors of the room open (another 20 minutes gone) and you are in the basement of the hotel, you see the boilers and the cement and you are heading to an elevator, a service elevator.  After 20 minutes of exploring this area you are on the ride. So it isn’t like you stood in line an hour for a 2 minute ride.  It was an experience, not a line!  How about the music that is in the background no matter what area of the park you are in.  You don’t notice that the music fits the theme of where you are or that is changes with each new land you go into.  I could sit on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom for hours and watch.  Watch what?  Every thing, nothing.  Have you ever been to an Amusement Park that didn’t have as much as a gum wrapper on the ground, a park that has topiaries and manicured lawns and lakes and rivers all in one place.  How about a park that doesn’t have a thing that needs to be painted, it is brand new all the time.  Well if you have been to Walt Disney World you have!  You can go into Epcot and visit far off lands, travel around the world in a day.  As you go to each country everyone who works in that country is a native of it.  They speak the language, they have the stereotypical “look” they will share their home country with you.  It is also very cool that when you go into Germany you will run into Snow White, France has Belle and the Beast, Morocco…Yup Aladdin and Jasmine, you may even get lucky and see Mulan in China.  You can eat in tons of countries.  You can try natove foods with out traveling to the ends of the earth.  Did you know that under the Magic Kingdom is a whole town of tunnels and buildings?  The reason…Walt didn’t want the guest in Future World to see the Cast Members who work in Adventure Land on their way to their stations in their Adventure Land Clothes.  Walt didn’t want the experience of the future to be off even a little bit!  In Animal Kingdom there are continents that most of us have not had a chance to visit.  There are more animals then you can imagine.  There are two broadway worthy live shows.  You can see 100’s of carvings on the trunk of the Tree of life.  You can even stop to listen to a steal drum band and end up dancing with a photographer who works there. 

It is also the Joy and happiness.  When you are in the 47 square miles that make up Walt Disney World you are happy (tired, but happy).  Everyone around you is happy.  The other guests are smiling the children are ecstatic, the cast members (park workers) are helpful, happy and courteous.  It is an amazing place that fills you with joy.  A place like no other!

Weddings and marrying the love of my life is something else that fills me with Joy.  I think getting married on a tropical island surrounded by my closest friends, and then visiting the Happiest place on earth is pure magic.  I think spending my honeymoon, together time with the most wonderful guy ever, in a place that invokes such joy and happiness is a privilege.  It is a privilege I am so happy to have. 

So when people ask me why?, the only real answer is why not?  Most of the time the people asking have never experienced all there is experience in the Happiest Place on Earth, most of the time it is people who have no life experience and have spent their entire life in one place (I have met people who have never left the state of MD!).  I am not the closed minded one in the conversation.  I have seen alot of America and a few out of the country locations as well and no other place has the joy and happiness that you can find in those 47 square miles in central Florida.  No other place cares so much about “The Little Things”.  You don’t get the questions from people who have been to Disney World, never, those people know why you are going back! 

These are just some of the Little Things that make it so special. There are 100’s more! Do you have any to add????

Week27

 

If your baby was born in week 27 of pregnancy, he or she would have a 90 percent chance of surviving. He or she would also look similar to a baby born at 40 weeks, albeit a lot smaller and thinner. This period of pregnancy from 27 weeks onward is known as within the period of fetal viability.

Keep in mind, though, that there is still a lot of development that will occur during the next 13 weeks. Also, a premature baby born during this week of pregnancy will be in for a long hospital stay. A baby born this premature will probably not be able to breathe on his or her own, cannot maintain a consistent body temperature, and cannot protect him or herself against infections.

When you’re 27 weeks pregnant, your baby measures about 9.6 inches crown to rump, and weighs a little more than 2 pounds.

When you are 27 weeks pregnant, your baby’s brain embarks on a period of rapid growth. The forebrain grows to cover the rest of the brain, resulting in some important brain development.

During week 27 of pregnancy, your baby’s muscle coordination will allow him or her to start thumb sucking. This activity calms the baby and strengthens cheek and jaw muscles for nursing.

Other fetal development that is occurring when you are 27 weeks pregnant includes the following:

• The network of nerves to the ear is completed
• The baby takes some breaths, and although breathing in water, not air, it is good practice for the lungs
• Eyelids begin to open, and the retinas begin to form
• Your baby may be able to recognize your voice and your partner’s voice.

Change of Heart

We have had a great morning with Ryleah.  She is truly the best 2 year old in the world.  Ryleah has always been not to fond of Pete until today!  She loved him.  We all played ball for like an hour and then when the rain died down we headed to Cookies for breakfast!  Ryleah enjoyed talking to all the people in there and totally charmed them all.  She was cracking Pete up the whole time we were there.  She was “hiding” a crayon in her hand and getting him to pick which hand it was in.  It wasn’t hard since about half an inch of crayon was hanging out of each side of the little fist!  SOoo funny!  When we got home from breakfast she let Pete get her out of the car seat and carry her in the house.  She ran right for the office to play with the ball again.  Pete even got a hug!  Then she wanted to watch “Cinderelli”.  We all laid down on the sofa and watched the whole movie.  Pete fell asleep and Ryleah wanted some peanut butter so she and I got up.  I put the roast on and I got her some peanut butter (off a spoon none the less) and some Juice.  Then we laid back down and finished up the movie.  It is one of my favorites!  It is Ryleah’s absolute favorite!  Once the movie was over I took her up for a nap.  I have been doing some Honeymoon planning and I think I worked a few awesome things out!  I am soo excited!  It has been such a fun morning.  I love that Ryleah has come around and now is liking my sweet boy!  Nikki and I think that she was scared of him cause he kinda reminded her of her Dad but then he would get close and find out that Pete isn’t Jason.  They don’t look alike, but they are both big guys with glasses.  Whatever the reason it’s great that it’s over!  LOL

Weekend is Finally Here

I am so glad that the weekend is finally here.  It has been a really long week.  It is now 6:30am on a Saturday Morning and I am wide awake.  I had a bad dream and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Ryleah should be here in about an hour for the fun to start.  I am excited to be able to spend the day with her.  It is still raining!  Gosh I wish it would go away!  I used to like the rain.  I love fall too, which is why Pete and I choose fall to get married.  This rain is driving me nuts!  There is a leak in my roof and my basement is flooded.  I just wish the rain would go away.  I want to go to the park, I want to enjoy the great Fall outside.  But  nooooooooooo it is pouring outside and I am stuck in my leaky house.  My basement always floods, I need to go pump it out.  Sucks!  At least Ryleah will be here soon snd the nut can start.

So I emailed my four top girls (aka my bridesmaids) about the dress situation.  Of course I got a split decision back from them.  Nikki and Shannon for Black and Crystal and Laura for the tropical print.  So it was left up to me anyway!  I am going to go with the black.  I am 99.99% sure.  I was thinking about the guys, Ryleah and Dakoda.  It will be too hard to match the tropical. The shirts I like for the guys will not match the tropical print.  Here is a picture of the shirts for the guys.  I am thinking the Green color.  Pete already has his in the cream color.

    It is going to be so Pretty.  I am also 99.99% sure these are the flowers I am going to pick for the girls to carry. 

 

Well I am going to get off here and go make some coffee.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Creepy Ad

Look at this creepy advertisement for Walt Disney World from the 1970’s!

Almost the Weekend & the First Dress

I start looking forward to the weekend around Monday afternoon.  I can not wait for the weekend.  Weekends are when Pete and I get to spend time together.  This weekend I will be spending time with my favorite little girl again.  I love my Saturdays with Ryleah.  She is the sweetest!  I don’t know what we have planned for this weekend besides Saturday babysitting.  Sunday is open.  I do know I am going to cook a roast, make some things for lunches next week, clean and wash clothes!  How exciting!  LOL

I found the prefect casual flower girl dress for Ryleah to wear in the wedding. 

 

Isn’t it GREAT!  It is dainty and casual all at the same time!  Nikki is ordering it.  I offered to get it for her though.  It is a steal, and end of season sale.  We got it a size bigger and hope she will fit in it.  If not we will need to find a new dress.  I think it will be fine though!  I love it.  One dress down 5 more to go!

Wedding Stuff

So since I am having an official Disney Fairytale Wedding. I want to add some Disney Fairytale Touches to it. I want this hidden Mickey in my flowers.

Also I wasn’t thinking Roses, I was leaning towards the tropical Flowers. Then I seen this:

Look at those hidden Mickey’s! I know it cost extra for them, I asked my wedding planner. How cute are they though. They will be totally hidden to the naked eye!

I also got something else all booked. I have let a few of you in on the secret, but don’t want to make it really public until after the wedding! It is BIG though. Atleast for me.

I love dealing with the Disney Wedding Planner. She is very good. The whole department is. They are really making this easy. I can not wait until this wedding. It is going to be so magical. It is two whole weeks of fun! We have the cruise, then the Disneymoon, and then the party here.

I have to go to the post office tomorrow. Hopefully it wont be raining. I am dreading seeing the postage on these invasions. I can’t wait for people to get them though. I posted on on the Wedding Planning Page. Check it out!

New Job, New Job

Well last night was great at my new job.  I really liked it.  I really think it is something I can do and do well.  The manager was great and the other photographer was pretty nice.  They started teaching me what is and what isn’t allowed.  There is alot more to it then I ever knew.  The only bad part was IT IS SO FREAKING HOT in the store I almost melted!  I am going back tonight.  Actually all this week.  I am hoping to learn a whole lot.

Another new job!  A week or so ago I went on an interview for a law firm in Baltimore.  It is a very upstanding law firm that is well known in the industry.  There was a test and an interview and it was a pretty big deal.  I got the call yesterday and they made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse.  It doesn’t have as much vacation time as I would like, but the pay is great and the benefits are even better!  They are a very family oriented company and I have already told them I will need the 2 weeks off in November and they are fine with it. 

I start at the new Job November 5 so I am trying to see if Pete can take off on November 2 and us go away for the weekend!  I am seeing a Bed and Breakfast with our names on it!  Hey we need to celebrate!

Start of the Week!

Well it’s Monday, the start of the week (Yes I know Sunday is when the week really starts, but to me it doesn’t start til I get to work).

I start my Photographers job tonight and I am soo excited about it.  I should not be this excited about a new part time job.  I figure I will be able to make some nice money on the side to put away for the wedding!  Ohh the wedding…I am so excited about that too.  I been in contact with my wedding planner to get all of my little questions answered and taken care of!  So exciting. 

Ryleah and I had such a wonderful time this weekend.  The pictures are on flickr, but here are some of my favorites.  She is just a joy to be around.  Always happy and so smart and friendly! 

Blogging from Bed

Well I am sleeping in the spare room again tonight.  The other day Pete was wearing his dumb slippers and slipped down the last two steps.  Well he messed his back up pretty good!  Yesterday it was awful and he was hollering out in pain all day.  I slept in the spare room last night because I wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.  I am doing it again tonight.  I am so lonely sleeping back here all alone.  I brought the laptop up to watch the episode of ER I missed two weeks ago, only to discover ER is not showing full episodes online anymore.  So I thought I would blog real quick.  I am starting my new job tomorrow.  I am super excited!  Wish me luck.  LOL   

I am so thankful I got the invitations done.  I will go to the post office one day this week to get them out in the mail.  I dread seeing how much they are going to cost apiece to send out. 

Well I am off to bed.  Just thought I would ramble on one last time before I head on to bed!  Hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I did! 

Week 26

Week Twenty-Six

• Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length

• To support the fetus’s growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple. Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.

• Air sacs in the lungs form now.

• Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn’t expand after the baby is born.

• Although they’ve been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby’s eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.

• Retinas begin to form.

• Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.

• Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means her optic nerve is working.

Sunday is a Great Day!

I love a good lazy Sunday!  Today wasn’t nearly as lazy as I would have liked, but some-lazy never the less!  I got up late and then I cooked Pete and I Breakfast Burritos.  Then we watched some of our TiVo’ed shows.  There were so many.  Then I took me a nice long nap.  Atleast 2 hours or so.  We have the most comfortable sofa!  When I woke up I started on the mounds of laundry that needed to be done.  So many!  I cooked up some stir fry and a some Orange Roughy.  I had some leftovers from yesterday and since it was so really good yesterday I thought it would be good today.  I was right.  After that I stuffed 50 invitation packets.  Each one included a letter written by Pete and I (and signed), an article on Disney Cruises not just being for kids, a Price information Sheet, Passport information, a Passport Application and Cruise Material that I ordered from Disney.  Oh and the formal Invitations (which turned out fabulously!).  It took hours.  We are inviting about 40 families.  We know most people will not be able to make it, but it’s kinda a heads up for the reception back here in Baltimore.  We have 150 or so people to invite to that party.  It is going to be so fun!  I can not wait.  I know for sure my Bff’s and Dad and sister will be at the wedding, plus Pete’s parents and sisters and some of his friends.  It will be nice and intimate.  The wedding is going to be on a private section of the beach before the other cruise guest are allowed off of the boat.  It will be secluded and beautiful!  I cannot wait to see the pictures.  We are opting for the big picture package (of course)!  I am so excited about this wedding.  Not only is it going to be fabulous, but I am going to be married to the greatest guy ever! 

 

Early Morning

I woke up early today because I kept having a bad dream about someone in my past.  I dreamed they died in a fire or car accident, I can’t remember.  It was scary though.  I really hope that this person is ok.  I am not in the position to just call and chat with them to find out.  I don’t know, I hate the way my mind thinks sometimes.  I haven’t heard from this person in a while, and I hope I hear from them soon.  I probably won’t since it has been so long, but it would be a nice surprise. 

I still need to dust and vacuum and shower before Ryleah gets here.  I am so excited about us spending the day together.  I will have her all to myself for about 12 hours.  Such good practice.  I don’t think I am ready for kids.  Pete and I talk about it and he isn’t ready either.  We are thinking 31 or 32 will be a good age.  I am just not ready to give up my spontaneous trips, long mornings laying in bed and going out to eat!  I do know I want a family.  I think I will be a good Mom.  I had a good Mom and learned alot from her.  I miss her so much.  I think about how she isn’t going to be here when Laura has the Baby.  I also think about my wedding and her not being there for that.  I think about how she will never know Pete, never know Princess (the baby’s nickname). What makes me so sad is that they will never really know her either.  Sure Pete has heard stories and I am sure the baby will too, but nothing is like knowing my Mom, like having some of her good cooking, have a conversation with her, crank calling with her, chasing police cars with her.  She was quite a character.  Never a dull moment.  Something I have never really told anyone but Nikki is that I am jealous of people with Moms.  I know I shouldn’t be; everyone has had one at some point, but I am jealous when people get to do Mother/Daughter things.  I am jealous when I see Moms out shopping with their kids, I am jealous when I see Moms and their kids out eating, I am jealous when people have Moms!  I shouldn’t be because for the little bit of time I had my Mom, I had the best and I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to lose their mom!  I like Pete’s Mom, but she isn’t mine!  I hope that I grow to get close to her and have a Mom-like figure in my life, but I still wish I had my own Mom.  I don’t know why I wrote all this this morning, but I just felt like I needed to vent!  I hate jealousy.  I am not a jealous person at all.  But once in a while it creeps in.  I don’t think a elous person is a good one.  I try to be a good person.  I don’t like hurting people, I try to do the right thing most of the time.  I think I do a good job, too.  I have never been in any kind of trouble (aside from a speeding ticket or two).  I think about things I could have done, how I habdled situations, things I could have said, even in a situation when I am not at fault and 99% of the time I bite my tongue and do the right thing.  I just don’t see a point in hurting someone else.  It doesn’t make me feel better to make other people feel worse.  I try to treat everyone like I want to be treated.  I think everyone should live by this theory.  I think the world would be a happier place.

Speaking of happy.  I am happier (overall) then I have ever been.  I am engaged, I am going to marry the love of my life, in the best place ever with awesome photo shoots set up.  I am going to be an aunt, I am going to have a new sweet baby girl in my life to love on and spoil.  I have a new job, another one, that I think I was born to do, a job that I am going to love!  I have an affordable home and a nice things.  I have the best friends a girl could ever ask for, friends who love and support me.  I am lucky and sometimes I forget it!   Sometimes I get down when I think about the crap that has sprinkled my past, there has been some horrible ordeals I have overcome.  I need to remember I have overcame them and that my life is good!                      

Fun Weekend Plans

I have a really fun weekend planned.  Tomorrow I need to clean up a bit and them Ryelah is coming to spend the day with me.  We are going to have a great time.  I can not wait.  I think Crystal and Dakoda may stop over for a visit too.

I tried to talk Nikki into an overnight visit for Ryleah but she said No Way! LOL  She just can not bear to go to sleep at night without her baby in the house with her.  I completely understand because I don’t think I could leave my kids either.  I don’t understand parents leaving their kids all the time.  The lady at work is even planning a vacation with out her two kids!  A VACATION, Like a Week or 10 days or something!  That should be a family affair.  My Dad’s Girlfriend’s daughter went to Disney with us in January and left her FIVE kids home!  They were all heartbroken!  How do you go off and have fun with out your kids!  I do however understand a weekend getaway every once in a while if it is to somewhere not appropriate for kids, but could not stand more then 2 days tops away from them!  I am a firm believer that you should not have kids if you are not ready for them to be part of your life 100% (at least 98%) of the time.  My parents never once went on vacation without my sister and I.  I can probably count on one hand the number of times we were left with a babysitter too!  I just think that is how it should be.  Now once we got older we were all about sleepovers with our cousins and grandparents and school friends.  I am sure our parents enjoyed the one night break, but they always came early the next day to get us.  My mom also said she cried every time she would drop us off!

I am also going to finish up all of the invitation packets to get them mailed out.   Just to see the actual invitations in print makes me all weak in the knees!  This is really going to happen and I couldn’t be happier!  I don’t know when I should order my dress.  I am losing weight and I don’t want it to be super huge, but i know all dresses need to be altered anyway!  I am not sure where I should store my dress after I get it either.  I don’t want Pete to see it, until I make my grand entrance!  LOL 

Last weekend I went to Both Ryleah and Dakoda’s Birthdays!  The pictures are on flickr, but these are a few of my favorites.

Dakoda’s Party 

Ryleah’s Party

I Got It!

Well I got the Job!  It was a great interview.  The hours are super flexible and I start Monday.  It is really close to where I work now so that is a plus!  I am so excited to be getting paid to do something I love anyway.  Pictures….Kids…..These are two of my favorite things.  Now if I was only taking picture of kids in Walt Disney World, I would be set!  LOL  The pay is a great amout for a part time job.  Plenty to help pay all of the thousands of dollars the wedding is going to cost!  LOL  I have so much to pay for this year!  With the new baby coming and showers and all.  The extra money would be great!  Plus the free and discounted promotions are soo wonderful! 

Happy Birthday Epcot

 

25 Epcot Fun Facts from Disney
October 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the Epcot theme park at WDW
Resort. Following are 25 remarkable facts about Epcot:

* It took nearly 3,000 designers and 4,000 construction workers to
build the first phase of Epcot.

* 54 million cubic feet of dirt was excavated to build the park.

* Epcot had its soft opening Sept. 28, 1982, at 4 p.m.

* Spaceship Earth, the visual and thematic centerpiece of Epcot,
weighs 16 million pounds, measures 165 feet in diameter and encompasses 2.2
million cubic feet of space. The outer “skin” of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.

* At Spaceship Earth, Mickey Mouse is hidden in his own constellation just beyond the attraction’s loading area.

* The fountain at Epcot Innoventions Plaza can shoot water 150 feet in the air — within 30 feet of the top of Spaceship Earth. If all of the
shooters were fired at once, there would be 2,000 gallons of water in the air.

* The ride technology for the Soarin’ attraction was based on an erector set model created by Walt Disney Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.

* It took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop Mission: SPACE. The Imagineers’ efforts took place over a five-year period.

* At Mission: SPACE, there are 13 quotes by space explorers and
visionaries on the attraction’s wall of honor. The most recent was added in
September 2007 by teacher-turned- astronaut Barbara Morgan, reading “Reach for your dreams . . . the sky is no limit.”

* At nearly a mile long and reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track
is the longest and fastest ride at a Walt Disney World theme park.

* The body of water at The Seas with Nemo & Friends provides a home to 3,000 fish and other sea creatures and contains 5.7 million gallons of water, one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world.

* More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at The Land pavilion each year are served in Walt Disney World restaurants.

* The Land has a “tomato tree” that is the only one of its kind in the United States. The massive plant has produced a world-record harvest of more than 32,000 tomatoes from a single vine.

* World Showcase promenade stretches 1.2 miles and World Showcase Lagoon spans 40 acres.

* The gardens of Epcot are among the most extensive at Walt Disney World Resort. The themed landscapes are maintained year-round by a horticulture
staff of more than 50.

* At United Kingdom’s Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in World
Showcase, a specially designed ale warmer can heat your Guinness to 55 degrees, the
temperature favored by Brits.

* 26.2 miles of bratwurst are served every 60 days at the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion. That, by the way, is the length of a marathon.

* The Eiffel Tower replica in the France pavilion is 103 feet tall.

* The castle in Japan is a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji, known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan.

* A Disney crew carried a 300-pound camera up 4,500 steps of the Huangshan Mountain in the Annui Province to film the Circle-Vision 360 film seen in the China pavilion.

* From bonsai to roses, there’s something for every gardening guru at the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Disney horticulturists rotate the crops twice during the festival to keep the 30 million blossoms colorful and fresh.

* Each year at the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, more than 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne are uncorked, 1.2 million hors d’oeuvre plates are served and 100,000 miniature desserts are dished up.

* More than 26,000 feet of lights outline the World Showcase pavilions for the “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” nightly fireworks show — a string long enough to stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge more than six times.

* Earth Globe is a 28-foot-diameter sphere on World Showcase Lagoon and the centerpiece of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.” The globe weighs 350,000 pounds and is wrapped in more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes arranged in the shape of Earth’s continents.

* Some 2,800 firework shells are used during each “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” show.

Interview and other stuff…..

I have a Job Interview tonight.  I am excited.  It is at Sears Portrait Studio.  Now you all know how much I love kids and love taking pictures.  This would be a part time job to get some extra money for the wedding stuff!  OMG Wedding Stuff is expensive.  

Last night Pete and I went to eat and then we went to AC Moore to get the last few things for our invitations.  I am so excited about these.  I have worked so hard on them.  I hope people like them.  We have whole packages to send out to each family invited.  Well last night we were in the Scrapbook section and Pete started buying all kinds of embellishments.  He told me he wants us to make a scrap book from the cruise, wedding and our honeymoon.  How sweet.  It has been a long time since I have scrap booked.  I made the most beautiful scrap book of the last vacation my ex boyfriend and I took.  Hours and hours of work went into it.  It was very pretty and so fancy.  But after we broke up I ripped it up.  I reused alot of the pages and stuff, but I couldn’t bare to look at it, to have it in my house.  I boxed up all my scrap stuff and didn’t look at it for two whole years or so!  Shannon begged me not to give up something I loved so much because of a guy, but I could even look into at the box.  I do know that the pain was alot deeper then some pieces of paper and pictures, but it was just how I had to deal with the whole situation.

It is amazing how much my life has changed since then.  After the whole break up ordeal and all of the crap that followed it, I didn’t think I would ever be happy again.  I spent so long laying in bed just crying.  I didn’t think I would ever trust another man again.  But low and behold only 8 months after the worst breakup anyone could imagine Pete popped into my life.  He was like a ray of sunshine and hope!  I know 8 months doesn’t seem like that long of a time and I was so scared getting into a new serious relationship so soon.  Scared of getting hurt.  That was over three years ago and all seems so far away now.  You know I do think God has a master plan for people and I am very glad mine worked out like it did, I can’t imagine not having my sweetie in my life, I do however wish less people got hurt in the process! 

Tonight I have to put the finishing touches on the formal invatations and then tomorrow I have to go to the printers and have them printed up.  On Friday I will be addressing envelops all night.   How exciting is all of this! 

Week 25

Week Twenty-Five

• The structures of the spine begin to form — joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child’s body.

• Blood vessels of the lungs develop.

• Your baby’s nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!

• The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!

• Her swallowing reflexes are developing.

• Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.

• Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm)

Invitations & Dresses

This wedding stuff is so much fun!  I have been moving full speed ahead getting everything together.  We are hoping to get all of our invitation packets out this weekend.  I have been working on them!  Last night I finished the design for the actual formal invitation.  I need to have them printed this week.  If you wanna see it let me know, I’ll email it to you.  I don’t want to post it on here.  Oh I can make it a private entry!  Anyway it turned out really good, I am very happy with it.  In the packets I am also including passport information, a letter that Pete and I wrote, information on pricing and information on the ship.  I still have some supplies to get to make it disney-fied.  It is going to be so wonderful.

Now my next dilemma….Dresses, not mine, I have mine picked out and I will be ordering it next week I hope.  My Bridesmaid dresses.  Since the wedding will be on the beach we are definitely forgoing the long ballroomy dresses (although I love them) and since my bridesmaids (I love you guys) will be paying lots of money to stand by me and support me I don’t want them to have to put out alot of money.  I have two options on the table and I am wondering what the general public thinks.

Option 1……..

Each girl picks out their own knee to tee length dress in black.  They will all be comfortable in them and like them and be able to wear them again.  If we go with this option the guys will wear black and white Hawaiian shirts and black pants or shorts (haven’t decided).  It will look like this picture from the Mexico wedding we went to.

Option Two…….

I found these dresses on line and love them.  They would be in the design I like, but each girl could pick the style of dress she likes.  If we go with this option the guys will wear tan pants or shorts and a solid color camp type shirt.

Not Just for Kids!

Disney Cruise Line: Not Just for Kids!

To a lot of people, the very word “Disney” conjures up visions of children laughing, characters hugging, and the general joy that comes with childhood. So naturally, this vision would spill over into a Disney cruise. It must be all giggles and diapers and sticky, jelly-covered fingers, right?

Well, nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, a Disney cruise can be a magical family vacation. But it can also be, a wonderful adult experience.
We began our adventure in a stateroom with a verandah. This little slice of heaven allows you to sit out and overlook the deep blue sea or various ports of call by yourselves, with not a child in sight.

There is the option of the late dining rotation, which will have fewer children and more adults. And the dinner choices make you think you are on a gourmet dining experience. You can also forgo the whole dining room experience for a change, and have in-room dining. You can have breakfast delivered to your room and feel like royalty, dining privately al fresco while the ship docked at Castaway Cay or the Bahamas.

And while we are on the subject of dining, did I mention Palo? Palo is the adults-only dining experience on both of Disney’s cruise ships. You must be 18 to get in, no ifs, ands, buts, or children. Dinners are outstanding, upscale, delicious and definitely adult!

So what about entertainment? Well, the first thing you will notice is that deck 9 is divided into three distinct and separate areas. There is the kiddie area, complete with Mickey’s pool, and then there is the family area, complete with Goofy’s pool. But keep going…further down the ship is Quiet Cove, the adults-only pool area. Here you will find plenty of lounge chairs, comfortable seats, two hot tubs, and the pool, all reserved for guests over the age of 18. You can get a drink from Signals bar, or sip a quiet double latte from The Cove Cafe, a coffee bar, also exclusively for the enjoyment of the adult crowd!

Not far from Quiet Cove is one of the Disney Cruise Line’s highlights, The Vista Spa and Salon! Here you can get a massage, work out on state of the art equipment, get a manicure, enjoy a spa treatment or relax in the Tropical Rainforest Room. And guess what? Adults only!

And how about night time? Well, Disney is of course known for its great family entertainment, and the shows are geared that way at the main, Walt Disney Theatre. But after the last show, head on down to Route 66 for some kid-free entertainment. There are comedy shows, illusionists, live music and themed party nights. Do your disco best and you might get to be one of the Village People live and on stage! You can also end your night with a relaxing drink in the Promenade Lounge. While this is not an exclusive adults-only area, musical entertainment and drinks provide an adult atmosphere.

Castaway Cay has its share of adult-only spots as well. Take the tram past the family beach and head out to Serenity Bay, the adults-only beach, complete with its own bar and barbecue. Grab a few chairs or a hammock and enjoy the crystal blue waters. For a real treat, book a couples massage in the open air cabanas! (These need to be booked in advance, but they are wonderful!) When you get hungry, you can eat at the open-air adult barbecue, right at Serenity Bay. This dining alternative means you never have to leave the adult area, even to eat! And there are a few things on the adult buffet that aren’t on the family buffet, including salmon and steak!

So there you have it! A relaxing adult time provided by one of the world’s foremost leaders in family entertainment. Your cruise can be as adult or as family oriented as you want to make it. Either way, you are sure to have the experience of a lifetime!

Mexico Day 4

Our last day in Mexico!  We are both totally sad to be leaving.  It was such a great getaway!  We got up super early to head back to Tucson.  We wanted to be able to spend as much time with Pete’s parents as we could. We took our last pictures before Checking out.

We checked out of the hotel and stopped to get some money from the ATM.  $500 pesos!  We need gas and toll money.  None of the Gas Stations we seen had Pay at the Pump.  They were all Full Service!  Once we were on the road we stopped for gas and all of these stray dogs flooded to the car for food I guess.  It was sad to see all these hungry dogs, not to mention the dead ones on the side of the road.

We stopoped at a Carl’s Jr. (which is just like a Hardee’s) to use the bathroom and grab some breakfast burgers at like 9am!

We had two check points to go through where the guys had HUGE guns. I was a bit nervous, but we didn’t have any problems.

We made it to the border in good time.  There are so many people selling stuff at the boarder!  They swarm your car!  They let us back in the Country so that is good!

Then we headed on to see Pete’s parents.  We went and had family pictures taken before dinner.  Then we got a few of just Pete and I.  I will post them when I get them from his sister.  It’s funny, I like 5X7’s, I like sitting them around in frames,  Well Pete’s Dad is all about the 10X13’s.  He ordered like 8 of them!  :)   After pictures we headed home to hang out and have some of the ebst food ever!  We also showed his Dad how to do a few things on his MAC.  It was a great day!

Mexico Day 3

WOW….We were tired and slept in until 7:30am (10:30 east coast time, for those of you keeping track).  We got up and headed to get breakfast with everyone as alot of the guest (our friends) were leaving around 8am to catch flights that afternoon in Tucson, AZ.  I found the prettiest (dead) butterfly.

We were so happy we were not leaving.  We had another wonderful Breakfast overlooking the water.  It is truly an experience that I wish everyone could have!  The cool breeze, the sound of the waves, ahhh I wish I lived here.  Right in this hotel!  LOL  So we said our goodbyes to the guest leaving and then we went to sit on the beach and make some phone calls home! It was perfect!  We walked along the shore and just really enjoyed ourselves!

We went for another little drive after relaxing on the beach, we went back to the same area as yesterday and dug deeper! We found a little fishing village and some more cool areas to drive around!

We went back to the hotel for a drink and the Bride and Groom were getting ready to leave.  We had a drink with them before they left and we talked with them a bit and then it was time to say good bye.

We discoved it was lunchtime…all ready!  So we went to this awesome beach side bar called The Hangout.

It was full of Americans.  It was down near this little fishing village at the very end of the town.  It was awesome to get to explore on our own.  We had a great lunch.  There were even people arriving on horseback!  How neat! As we were leaving there were some locals with jewlery and all for sale. I got a nice silver braclete. The guy selling the stuff offered to sell Pete weed! It is semi legal in Mexico, but because I was there Pete turned it down! LOL

After lunch we went to the hotel and I took a siesta while Pete helped some friends get to the House the brides Mom rented for the MONTH!  Then he woke me up and we hit the pool! 

It was so warm.  We swam for an hour or so then we headed down to the beach to swim some more.  We spent hours on the beach!

I collected shells and rocks and wrote our names in the sand.  I may use one of these pictures as part of the wedding invitations that I must get done by next week or so!

We watched the sun start to set and then we headed back to the room for showers before our last dinner.

When we were already the Sun was just ready to slip behind the mountain, so we got a few quick pictures!

We were planning on going to Heaven’s Door, but apparently Heaven is closed on Sunday’s so we came back to the hotel to eat!  WOW are we glad that we did!  We had one of the best meals of our lives.  We started off with Guacamole and Chips and Salsa; then I had Steak and lobster and Pete had the lobster (it came with 2 whole lobsters), both of our meals came with baked potatoes and veggies and beets and tortillas.  We got Flan for desert to share and we each had about 4 frozen mixed drinks!

We had the best fresh squeezed Margaritas! Our total bill including tip was only $734…pesos!  That is only like $70!  It was amazing.  We then headed to bed, but not to sleep

The rooms didn’t have a TV or a Phone, but we found that we didn’t need one the entire trip!  If I was getting ready then Pete would head to the bar for a drink and I would meet him there and he would have made a few new friends!  We had the ipod speakers so we fell asleep listening to music and had wonderful dreams of our vacation!   

Mexico Day 2

We were up this morning bright and early.  6:30am!  It was 9:30am east coast time so it wasn’t hard to get up!  LOL  Our first glance at the water and hotel and beach were breathtaking!  I took so many pictures. 

We headed over to the bar to get some breakfast!  A few others were up and we had a great time talking and eating and believe it or not, people started drinking.  The view from where we ate each day was so fabulous. We were in awe every morning.

There was no sign of the bride or groom.  They were staying in separate rooms so they wouldn’t see each other.  After breakfast Pete and I got ready and went out to explore San Carlos.  It is a small little town right on the Sea of Cortez.  There is a Harbor and so many mountains.  It is great!

We each picked out our favorite homes that were in the little residential town of San Carlos. My favorite is the first one and then it’s Pete’s favorite.

We went up the side of this mountain where they were building new homes…..Talk about a view!  It was so beautiful!

We stopped back at the hotel and the wedding party was having a quick rehearsal so we hung around and watched.

That is the groom holding the clothes…he looks like a Rock Star!

Then we went back out on the town to buy some gifts for our family.  We had fun stopping in all of the little shops.  We kept seeing signs for JC’s so we thought we would try it for lunch.  It wasn’t really good, but it was ok.

When we got back to the hotel the staff was setting up for the wedding!  It was looking so pretty!  I was getting excited!  We headed back to the room after I snapped tons of pictures to take naps. 

We snuggled up in bed and looked out over the sea of Cortez and took the best nap ever.  It was like the nap Joey and Ross took on Friends that time.  Just the best nap ever!  After napping we got up and took showers and got beautiful!  Well of course my trusty 4 year old hair dryer would pick this time to up and die on me!   My hair was 90% dry so I just pinned it up and got dressed. I was almost ready and Pete told me Amanda was coming out of her room.  Well I got so excited and ran out to see.  OMG  she was a gorgeous bride.  I took some pictures of the set up and all as her photographers were taking some pre wedding shots of her on the beach!

Then she went back into hiding, so Pete and I took some pictures of each other!

We all headed to the beach and the wedding started.  They had two ceremonies.  One was the legal Mexican one and the other was a traditional wedding service.  The sun was setting on the beach and they were having a great time.  It was perfect!  I got all teary eyed.  I can not wait for my beach wedding!

After the wedding Pete took a few pics of me in the sunset and then we all headed up to find our seats and get a drink.  Well the wait staff was the best ever.  You never had an empty drink in your hand.

The bride and groom took tons of pictures and then the party started!  It was the most fun!  She had over 130 people at the wedding.  Amanda, the bride is a Chiropractor in Mexico so she had invited lots of people she knew from the area.  The Groom works in Mexico also in the ford plant so he knows alot of locals too!  I also loved how anyone staying at the hotel or eating there was invited to dance and party with us all!

I was sleepy and turned in around 10pm I guess, I just couldn’t hold my eyes open anymore.  The time changed screwed me all up!  It was a wonderful wedding though and I am so glad we went!    

Mexico Day 1

Pete and I woke up at 5:30am on Friday October 5.  We jumped up and got dressed since we had showered the night before.  We loaded up the car and headed on to my Dad’s house.  He was not ready yet so we had to wait for him.  Then he had to find my good copy of my birth certificate.  Then we were off to the airport!  After a smooth check-in we headed to our gate.  Why are we always at gate 28; never gate 2.  The flight from Baltimore to Atlanta was Easy Peasy and then we changed planes and went on to Tucson.  I sat next to a really nice lady from Alabama.  The airport in Tucson is tiny and we got off and got our bags.  This is when I thought it would be a good idea to check the balance of the credit card I had paid off.  I paid it off to use for this trip, for the car and hotel etc.  Well I checked the balance and it was wrong.  Damn it!  After a bit of research it seems I paid off the wrong card and the one I paid off was in Baltimore (or so I thought).  Pete was madder then mad.  It seemed like his head was going to explode.  I was sitting in the airport crying my eyes out.  What were we going to do!  Well I called Laura who got online and transferred money from our savings account into our checking account.  We just would use our ATM instead of our Credit Card.  Whoa problem solved.  So we go pick up our rental car and we were really surprised when they brought out a brand new (only 3k miles on it) Mazda CX-7   We loved it. 

We headed to a Kinkos to make copies of our documents.  We were scared of losing the real ones.  The we were famished.  It was 1pm Tucson time, but to us it was 4pm and the last thing we ate was peanuts on the plane (so glad they are back to nuts).  We spotted a SONIC!  My favorite fast food place ever.  I got the hugest Cherry Limeade and a burger and Pete got a milkshake with whoopers in it.  Both so yummy!  We pulled out our directions and headed to Mexico!  When we left the Sonic is was exactly 2pm. 

We are off!  The directions I used were fabulous and told us what to expect.  We crossed the border with no problems, but we eyed up the long line on the other side waiting to get back into the USA. 

We drove a bit then stopped at the Mexican Bank, HSBC and changed our Dollars into Pesos. 

Our next stop would be to get our Mexican Tourist Cards or Visas.  That was also pretty easy and then we were on the road for the long trip! 

 

On the way to San Carlos there are 4 tolls we had to pay. I was counting out pesos like a pro before we even got to San Carlos.

We seen so many new things while making this drive. Seatbelts are obviously optional in Mexico. The Mountains we drove through and around were breathtaking and we seen so many Cacti!

As we entered Hermosillo it started getting dark.  Apparently the trip that Pete and I thought took 3 hours was really 6 hours and this was going 130-140KM an hour for most of the trip. 

We talked about the wedding alot during this trip and made alot of choices , so that was nice.  Thank goodness we had the ipod and car adapter!  We got to our hotel around 8:30pm or so (11:30pm east coast time) and I was beat!  Everyone was at the bar partying so we had to go down and check it out.  I unpacked and rested a few then we headed over for dinner and drinks.  The bar was just about 100 feet from our room!  It was great!  After I ate I said my good nights and Pete walked me back to the room and tucked me in before he went back to join his friends.  It was now like 10pm Mexico time and 1am East coast time!  I fell asleep before the first song on my Hairspray Soundtrack was even over! 

Flowers

I think I have picked what flowers my girls are going to carry in the wedding, now I have to pick mine.  Here are some of my choices.  Which one do you guys like? 

 

I have been filling out all of the paper work for the wedding. It is so exciting.  I have never filled out a mariage license before!  It’s funny we needed to fill out two, one for Florida and one for the Bahamas.  Well in the Bahamas you need to list your status.  My choices were Spinster, Divorcee, or Widow.  LOL  I guess I am a Spinster!  LOL

My Boy the Blogger

Pete has joined the blogging wolrd!  You can find him at http://weeklyadjustment.wordpress.com/  His blog is going to be about Chiropractic care.  Go check him out.  Leave him a comment or a question!  Make him feel welcomed into the blogging community!

2 Years……WOW!

2 years old!

Today Ryleah turns 2 years old!  I can remember holding her for the first time like it was yesterday and now she is such a little girl, not so much a baby!  She is the sweetiest thing and I love her more then life itself!  She is so special to me!  Her Birthday Party is Sunday and I am excited about it, she is going to love it! Look how much she has grown!!!

 

A few Minutes old!

One Year Old!

I DO!

Pete and I did alot of final planing and talking while spending 12 hours in the car driving back and forth between Mexico and Tucson. After talking to my Dad last night I got the go ahead to start the planning (and paying for) of the wedding!

Pete and I are going to be married on Castaway Cay, the private island owned by the Disney Cruise line. We will be married on the beach in the morning on November 4! I am so excited. I just got off the phone with my Disney Wedding Coordinator. She is just the sweetest lady! We got it all set up and also set up my group number. The cool part is with me being a Travel Agent I get to handle all of our friends and family’s bookings! I set up a web site to list all of the information.

The wedding is going to be so beautiful! I can not wait. If you click here you can see some of the pictures from Erin’s wedding. I have been talking to her through email and she loved her Disney Cruise Wedding!

I am hoping that all of my friends and family can make it! I know my BFF’s will be there and both of our parents and sisters. I am excited to get planning all of the details! Let me know if you want to take a Disney Cruise in November…I know a great week! LOL

We were 100% set on Vegas until I see a special on the food network about having a Disney Wedding. One of the main selling points to me was the fact you can have a photo session in the Magic Kingdom in front of the Castle. Well I can’t even think about the beauty of the Castle without tearing up, so just thinking about getting my picture taken in my wedding dress in front of the Castle more than excited me. Well after checking into it the cost was ungodly! I just couldn’t think of paying that much. I didn’t give up on my dream though and after watching a show the on the Travel Channel I got this idea of getting married on the Disney Cruise Line (With Nikki’s Help, of Course).  One of the most awesome things is you can be married on Castaway Cay (pronounced Key). So a beach wedding!  For a wedding in Walt Disney World you are looking at about $100.00 per person. In addition to what our guest would have paid to travel to Florida. Well with the cruise it is much more affordable.

Wedding package includes:

• Florida marriage license
• Concierge Service 
• Fresh flower bouquet and boutonniere
• Officiate services
• Solo musician
• Dress steaming
• Two-tier wedding cake and keepsake cake topper
• Champagne toast with Fairy Tale Cuvee
• $100 On-board credit
• Special Wedding Gift
• Wedding Certificate
• Wedding Coordinator 
• Bride & Groom Pins
• Dinner for the couple at Palo, on ceremony night
• Note from the Captain/Hotel Director
• Complimentary Photo
• Champagne & Strawberries delivered to room

I am so excited about this. We are planning doing a short cruise. 4 nights. Sunday – Thursday. Then we will go to Walt Disney World for a honeymoon, just the two of us. This is the perfect way to do it. We will have the whole  cruise (short I know, but much longer then a 4 hour reception) to visit with our friends and family. The cost for them is a bit higher than other cruise lines, but the quality is a lot higher.  The cruise leaves port at 4ish on Sunday then Monday would be a day in the Bahamas, then Tuesday Morning would be our wedding at 10am, followed by a private Cake and Campaign Reception (and first dance) in a special room in Palo. Then we could all change and head to the beach for the day! Then on Wednesday you get a day at sea and on Thursday you wake up and check out! Easy Peasy! We would then go to WDW and enjoy a relaxing week and still be able to get pictures in front of the castle in our wedding attire! We would then have a blow out fun casual party back here in Baltimore! That way all of our friends and family could come celebrate with us!

We are Home!

We are home and we had a WONDERFUL vacation!  I have about 600 pictures to upload and a whole trip report to write up!  I am heading to bed right now, but will write more soon!

South of the Boarder

Not long now and we are heading south of the boarder!  I can not wait.  I am so excited.  I still have so much to do tonight.  We have haircuts right after work and then I have to go to the store to buy something special, then head to get some gel from another hair dresser.  Then I have to iron and pack for Pete and I.   So much to do so little time.  But it will be so worth it come tomorrow when we are in Sunny Mexico…..In less the 24 hours we will be pulling up to our hotel in San Carlos! 

Last night Pet eand I went and had pedicures.  I had to drag Pete in kicking and screaming, but after a few minutes in the chair he declared that we need to do this once a month!  LOL I got a french to match my nails.  Pete got no polish!  LOL

Work has been so busy since I have been trying to set everything up for my mini vacation. I had to put notes on every file so my co worker knows what os being done on each one.  I am so looking forward to a few days off.

I probably won’t post again until I get home from Mexico.  We won’t even have phone service let alone Internet.  I will come back with lots of pictures and maybe some more definite wedding plans.  Heck I only have a year to plan here!   

      

Cancer is a Bitch

I am so very sad.  I seen my Grandfather yesterday and he told me that my aunt, my favorite aunt has cancer.  I am crushed.  How can god be so cruel?  This is my aunt who lost her husband just a little over a year ago.  She has two daughters who are 18 and 16 and without a dad.  My aunt had a lump in her lymphoid and they removed it and they said it was cancerous.  Then they did a PET scan and found a suspicious spot on the back of her throat.  She is having that removed/Biopsied on Monday!  Why did this have to happen to this family.  Haven’t they been through enough.  My 16 year old cousin is taking it the worst.  Poor thing.  My aunt is such a great person.  She is a Kindergarten teacher who has done nothing but help people and be a great person for her whole life!  I hate cancer, it’s a bitch and I really wish there was some sort of cure, some way to save all of the people who die from it each year!

Week 23

  

  

Week Twenty-Three

• Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn’t begun to form body fat.

• Bones located in the middle ear harden.

• Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)

• The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.

• The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.

• If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, her odds going up with each passing day. .

• The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

Is it Friday Yet?

LOL…I wish.  We leave for Mexico on Friday and we are both so very excited!  There is still so much to do.  Last night we went to Target to get any last minute things we needed and we have a full week from here on out!  Tonight we have to go to the Chiropractor, to the Seamstress to pick up my dress, to the store to get stuff for dinner and I have to go home and wash all of our clothes!  Then tommorrow we have pedicure appointments and packing and on Thursday haircuts!  SO SO Busy!  I am excited about it.  I love traveling!  It is the best. 

So Excited!

I am so so excited.  I know I posted this once already today, but I have never been so excited in my life.  It’s like I just won the lottery, the lottery of husbands!  LOL  I know I sound corney, but I am just so happy.  We have set a date and picked our wedding party and know the location!  I have to wait on a few more details and then I will be sharing it all with you lucky people!  LOL  I have had close to 200 hits to my site.  I have even had some lurkers who hid behind proxies come out and read up on my great news!  It really is great news isn’t it.  I have recieved Congratulations from unexpected people, one real shocker, it’s been so nice.  Thanks for all the well wishes!  We leave for Mexico in four days and really have something great to Celebreate! 

Life of the Enagaged!

I promise I am not going to turn this into Bridzilla The Blog, but I am so giddy still!  I am in shock.  I am so excited!  Nikki and I started planning yesterday already!  LOL  Pete really did a great job of surprising me didn’t he?  It was great and what I love so very much is all the thought that he put into it.  He has had the ring since JUNE and the Snow Globe was ordered in July and he got it in August, and then he found the DVD case in September.  He told me he really wanted to surprise me and knew that if we went out somewhere I would know something was up!  Which is totally true!  It was so unexpected, just a random Saturday.  It was the surprise and the thoughtfulness that is what was the most important special thing ever!  This was truly the best proposal I have ever evan imagined!  The love letter was so sweet and really made me cry like a baby.  My boy is so very thoughtful!  I can not stop looking at the most beautiful ring ever!  It sparkles so much and that shiny platinum just shines in the sun so nicely while I am driving!    I never imagined I would feel the way I do!  Elated, the happiest of all Happy!  It is a feeling I have never had before!  I love it!

Now onto this Mickey Mouse Ring Rumor …… It’s not a Mickey Mouse Ring, not a real one, I am sure the designer of the Ring wasn’t designing the ring to have a Mickey head in it (although there is a designer who specializes in Disney Jewelry), It just looks like one.  Pete said he picked it because the three side diamonds reminded him of the Mickey Mouse diamond earrings I wear every day, except all three side diamonds are the same size and the bottom one isn’t bigger (like on the earrings), but didn’t think anyone else would notice.  He was shocked by how many other people see the “Hidden Mickey”  I seen it right away!  He was all surprised, he thought it would be our own private hidden Mickey.    I think if people didn’t know about my love of all things Disney, they wouldn’t see it so readily!   I love it, I love how it isn’t all flashy Mickey Mouse in your face, and how it still very much looks like an engagement ring, with only a tiny hidden Disney touch!   

I want to thank EVERYONE for al of the kind comments, both here and at my Myspace!  You guys are the best!  I have tried to respond to each of you, if I didn’t…..THANK YOU!

Places to Eat

Susan and I were talking abotu places to eat and our favorites and stuff the other night on AIM and I love traveling, isn’t it funny how when you go to other states or places there is always that one place you want to eat? In Rehoboth Beach, DE it’s Louise’s, In Ocean City it Harborside, in Gilbert, SC it is Shealy’s, in Rock Hill, SC it’s Red Bowl, in Las Vegas it’s The World Buffet, in Disney World it’s Le Celliar Steakhouse in Canada, in Tucson it’s the Pancake Haus, in Lancaster PA it’s Good and Plenty. Why can’t we have all of these places right here in Baltimore. LOL We arn’t going to have time to eat at the Pancake Haus in Tucson this go round, so I will have to wait to next time for some awesome Potato Pancakes. I am however planning on going to Ocean City and Rehoboth in October or November for some Christmas shopping so I will get my Orange Crush fill up then. What’s an Orange Crush you ask? Only the best drink ever! It is served in this little out of the way bar in Ocean City called Harbor side.

My family has been going there for years! We are also going to hit up Rehoboth Beach for some outlet shopping and to go to Louise’s. We used to own a house in Rehoboth Beach and we had Louise’s Pizza at least once a week all summer long. I miss our beach house. We have the Condo in Ocean City and that’s a close second. Pete and I also have our Bed and Breakfast gift certificate to use up before the end of the year. Oh maybe some outlet shopping in Lancaster is in order with a stop at Good and Plenty!