...5,4,3,2,1 Happy New Year!

2008 is almost over. This year has been such a roller coaster of ups and downs. But one thing I can say is that it flew by. Especially the last five months.
I think I can put this year into 2 categories: Before the Hurricane and After the Hurricane.
Before the Hurricane I had to deal with the possible move to Texas and the illness of my cat Tabby. Both were not pleasant and seemed to drag on forever! They were two of the most difficult times this year. However, both have been resolved and feel like a lifetime ago. I honestly forgot that Jorge spent any time in Texas. At the time that it was happening, it was all consuming. But now that I look back on it, it was not as bad as I thought and it does not even compare to other events that happened this year. Tabby's illness was a hell of a lot worse. My poor baby has been through a lot this year. She was poked and prodded and even took a strenuous trip to another state. But as I type this, she is laying next to me purring like crazy. Her health has improved 100% and she is as feisty as ever. Thank you Dr. Durocher!
Well, the worst of 2008 was probably the hurricane. The world stops when you get hit by a hurricane. Gustav started wrecking havoc during the last week in August. Lives got turned upside down. My family and I, pets included, evacuated to Little Rock for a week. The drive was slow and miserable. We were all nervous because we didn't know what we would return home to or if we would be able to return home at all. The worst part was hearing stories about the damage and destruction back home. How most of these stories got started, I don't know. We heard the worst of them. I am thankful that the majority of those stories were false. However, extensive destruction was done. We couldn't use the water for a month. Homes and businesses were destroyed. And the financial strain it put on all of us is still felt today. But something weird happened after the hurricane. Time seemed to disappear. The second half of 2008 has flown by! Maybe it was because the worst of it was over and all of the good, fun stuff started happening. I don't know, but I'm not the only one who feels this way. "Where has the year gone?" I hear this at least 3 times a week. It's like how your lunch hour is the shortest hour of the day. When things are good time seems so short, but when they are bad it drags on forever!
Well, my fun started and it is flying by. The NKOTB concert was so much fun. I hear they are coming back again in 2009. I will have to get my dancing shoes ready. New York was amazing! I cannot thank my cousin enough for that trip. We will have to get away more often. Disney with my family was one of the most incredible weeks of my life. It will always be something that I will look back on with great love and emotion.
So, 2009 has a lot to live up too. It will be a great year. I plan on continuing the fun that this year ended with. I know I will be with friends at the Britney concert. Jorge and I are trying to come up with a great new place for us to vacation. And most importantly, Bush will be out of office and Obama will be leading our country. That alone will guarantee that 2009 will be better than 2008!
Have a safe and happy New Year! See you in 2009!!!!!!!!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!

Aaahhh, the Disney trip! It was such great fun. My parents took the whole family (minus my brother) to Disney World as a gift for Christmas. We stayed at the Boardwalk Resort, in huge rooms with balconies overlooking the lake. It was fantastic! Because Prince J and Princess V are three years old, we made reservations to eat with the characters at least once a day. Sometimes we had more than one character meal a day. This was so much fun! I recommend everyone get the Dining Plan. We ate at some wonderful places and saved a ton of money on food. Some meals would have cost J and I $150, but with the Deluxe Dining Plan we didn't have to pay that. We loved the Flying Fish, Brown Derby, Cinderella's Royal Table, Cinderella's Ball at 1900 Park Fare, and The Liberty Tree. The breakfast buffet at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway is a great place for kids to meet Belle (in her yellow gown), Mulan, and Jasmin. They are usually harder to find than the other princesses. The Playhouse Disney breakfast at Hollywood & Vine and the Winnie the Pooh breakfast at Crystal Palace were so cheery and colorful. Nothing beats Mickey Mouse shaped waffles! The one place I would never eat again and wouldn't recommend to anyone is Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. The food was terrible and the place was a mess! This is where Goofy molested me. I really don't want to get into it at this time, but lets just say that sometimes a hug is more than a hug. Okay?
Another great thing we got to do is the Magical Fireworks Voyage with Captain Hook. We had a party with Captain Hook and Smee, then we got on a boat and watched the fireworks over Cinderella's Castle from the lagoon. We sang songs and played Disney trivia for prizes. When we got back from the voyage, Peter Pan was waiting for us to take pictures. It was the perfect way to end our trip.
Other must things to see and do is Fantasmic!, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, The Tower of Terror, and the Rock n Rollin coaster. The kids loved the motor speedway, Goofy's roller coaster, the carousel, Dumbo's flight, the Buzz Lightyear rides, and It's a Small World.

I wish I could detail all of the highlights from this trip, but there were far too many. We had 7 jam packed days of fun. Well planning is the key to a successful vacation when traveling with 8 people. We did almost everything we set out to do. Prince J and Princess V had a ball. It was so much fun to watch them experience Disney for the first time. On the last night of our trip, my mom was trying to figure out who was Goofy and who was Pluto. She was getting them mixed up. My husband told her that Pluto is Mickey's pet dog. She then asked "What is Goofy?" J told her he is also a dog. To this Princess V responded "Goofy is not a dog. He wears pants!" Such a smart 3 year old!

Coming Soon....Pt. 2?

So, this is my third attempt to post part 2 of my New York trip. My first two drafts have been lost. At this point I do not have the energy to rewrite about my trip. Trust me, I had a blast. I'm sure I will try to write about it again in the future, but for now I will have to put it aside. My next post will be about my Disney trip. Check back soon to read all about it.

New York Trip part 1

New York and Equus was amazing! We got to meet Daniel Radcliffe & Richard Griffiths (The actors who play Harry Potter and Uncle Vernon in the HP movies.) As you can see from the picture, they were kind enough to sign my playbill. How cool is that? Dan is such a cute little thing. I just wanted to pick him up and put him in my pocket. He is so teeny tiny! As for Uncle Vernon, ugh I mean Richard Griffiths, he is huge! He has a belly that hangs to his knees. But I have to say this, that man can act! His performance was flawless. Daniel was fantastic too. I never once thought "Harry Potter" during his performance. And as for that famous nude scene, it was extremely intense. I was on the edge of my seat with my head in my hands. Dan killed it! Oh, and the guys who played the horses were hella hot! Especially Lorenzo Pisoni who plays Nugget. We got a chance to attend a work shop with him the day after the play. It was really nice to hear his take on things.

All in all, I give this trip two thumbs up. If you get a chance to make it to New York before February, you must see this play. It will be well worth your time.

I have to cut this short, but I will be posting more about my trip, so check back soon!

The BIG Apple

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today. I want to be a part of it- New York, New York!!

Well, the time has come. I am off to New York and I can't wait! I have this nervous excitement that is hard to contain. There is so much I want to see and experience, but I'm sure I wont get to half of it. The weather might hamper some of our outdoor fun. They are predicting rain and snow for a couple of days. Yikes! I have no idea how to navigate in that kind of weather. I just know there is a patch of ice somewhere waiting for my behind. I can barely walk on dry, even concrete without tripping and breaking something much less a slick, slippery surface. This is sure to be an adventure!

...It's up to you, New York NEW YORK!!!!!

....and I will eat cake

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

WOW! 35................

YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!