Free At Last...

Does anyone have the same problem as me in that I sit down to look up one thing on YouTube and end up watching videos for hours?  It's TERRIBLE!  But I usually can't stop!

Today, as I sat down to watch a video a friend had recommended to me, a suggested video popped up on my screen for Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech from back in 1963.  Eighteen minutes later and I'm sitting here with my mouth hanging open.  Obviously, I have heard this speech before...several times, actually.  It's something that we study in school and that we're reminded of at least once a year, when Martin Luther King Day rolls around.  But have I ever really taken the time to let his words roll through me & over me and really understand what that particular moment in time meant for all of the people that gathered by the Lincoln Memorial that day?  Had I ever cared to delve any more into his speech than the last 2 minutes so that I could pass a test or answer a question if my teacher asked?  I sit here today ashamed to say that the answer to those questions is no.

What an amazing day that must have been.  What a beacon of hope must have been felt as Martin Luther King spoke.  I sit here today with a renewed sense of hope myself.  This speech being put in my path couldn't have come at a more perfect time where I feel like my purpose is fading from right in front of me.  At a time when I feel like the things I say or do are causing my own sense of self to be confused with the world's view on how to live your life.

It's a powerful speech with powerful words spoken by a powerful man.  So if you have a few minutes to spare, check it out.  Whether you're just curious because you haven't seen it awhile, or you've never seen it, or you just don't have anything better to do...watch it.  It's worth your time.

M-to tha-U-to tha-G Swap! #mugswap

Guys...swapping of any kind is where it's at.  Don't you agree?  Here are some of my favorite swapping activities:

• Stories.  I'm a talker; we know this, let's move on.
• Clothes.  My sister-in-law is the clothes swapping QUEEN and since we met at age 13, she has taught me oh-so-well.
• Recipes.  My friend, Katherine is to blame for not only my complete lack of calorie counting, but for my fattening-by-the-minute recipe box!  Love!
• Spit.  Oh come on, the hubs is hot!

And making its grand debut to the list....MUGS!  We met on a fine summer afternoon in August.  My friend Katherine sent out an "I'm signed up for the mug swap...you should, too!" email.  So I click on the link and check it out.  

Is anyone else with me when I say I was taken back to the junior high days when chain letters & pen pal programs were all the rage?  Immediately I'm ALL over the mug swap and want to be a part of it.  I email Kim, she emails back and the rest is pretty much history.

I had SO much fun picking out my mug and filling it with Florida-appropriate treats for my awesome New Yorker recipient @amanda_r0se!  Even cooler is the fact that now we're Instagram buddies and all from a little ol' swap!

A few days later, I received MY mug in the mail!  Yaaaay *happy dance*.  It was from the awesome Ashleigh and get this guys, she HAND PAINTED my mug!  She has her own Etsy store, which I'm totally going to plug here and I love that she incorporated her art into my mug.  And for the bonus point, she included a delicious Lara bar!  Here is a pic of my goodies:

Needless to say, in the words of my bud Katherine, "I'm signed up for the mug swap (2013)...you should, too!"

Survey of the Day

I love surveys.  Allll kinds of surveys.  They used to be my favorite part of the teeny-bopper magazines I would plow thru when I was younger because I felt like I was really getting to know the person.  This also could have been why I thought I was "totally gonna to marry Prince William" because I KNEW him on a personal level....thanks to the surveys.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to do some that I've found in various magazines, tv interviews & blog posts.  Feel free to do these on your own if you'd like, I do not own the questions!  :)

1.  Biggest Fear- this is a tie for me.  I am, like all 5-year-old children, afraid of the dark.  Well, not so much the dark rather than, I am scared to walk around in the dark.  However, I am also terrified of butterflies.  Yes, butterflies.  Stemming from a visit to South Florida's Butterfly World when I was about 10, I was covered in sunblock (as most red-headed, non-Floridian children are) and the butterflies LOVED it.  They wouldn't get off of me and I had a panic attack.  At any rate...Butterfly World is NOT on our family's list of top places to visit and never will be.

2.  Last Time You Cried-  I always tear up during the Olympics (welcome to my life the last week and a half), but the last time I really cried was when I went to visit my friend Katherine in June.  We were saying our goodbyes and she told me not to cry...my reply?  "Too late!"

3.  Childhood Nickname- I'm sure like many other people, the answer to this is many.  There were the obvious choices, Les being the most popular.  Although my mom hated it when people called me that!  My Poppa coined Lester waaaay before anyone else, and my friends had a chain of names: Lursley...Lurley...and finally, Lur.  Yes, Lur.  I even had a necklace that said that.  But I probably enjoyed my Peepaw's nickname the most.  He called me Pixie.  There's no big long background story for it...he just called me Pixie.  And I love it.

4.  Favorite Movie- Gooosh, there's so many!  I love a LOT of movies, people.  But my favorite of ALL time would have to be "Mannequin".  Is anyone with me on this?  It's classic 80s and if you haven't seen, do so immediately!  Kim Cattrall & Andrew McCarthy?  SO good.  Also the start of my love with Jefferson Starship with their credits classic "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".  It's cheesy, predictable and everything a good 80s movie should be.

5.  What would you spend your last $20 on?- I'd like to say I have some amazing answer here like, donate it to charity or put it in the bank.  But alas, I would definitely spend it on food.  :/  I know some of you feel me on this one!  If I get a shrimp tempura bento box, a small harusame salad and a diet coke, I'll still have $5 left over for tip (how nice of me!) and a small dessert!  Or, if the tip ate up the $5, I would definitely get a fortune cookie.  :)  Yeah...that sounds good.

6.  Top on your Bucket List- Of course there are tons of things I want to do before I die, but definitely tops on the list would be to have a family; be a mother.  I don't feel like I need to explain this to you all...you know what I mean, yes?  Yes.  Good.  :)

7.  Sum Yourself Up In A Song Title- "Home Life" by John Mayer.  Good song; listen immediately.



Fun!  Thanks for reading!

Top 11 of 2011

As this year draws to a close, it's been both fun and a struggle to think back over the highlights of 2011.  Some have been amazing and some have been hard.  But the beauty of this life that's been given to us is that from ALL of these experiences, we learn something, grow and prepare ourselves for whatever God may have in store for us in 2012.  Here are our top experiences of 2011:

#11:  Continued success at Starbucks!  I'm sure with most people's jobs, the year consists of a lot of "I love my job!....I hate my job!...I love my job!..." etc, etc.  The same goes for me, but I can say that this year proved to have more moments of success & pride than anything else.  I built my team up with a group of truly amazing baristas and they helped make this year one of our best yet.  We beat our target sales by over 25% the majority of the year and just a couple of weeks ago, received a 95.5% on our Eco-Sure health audit (our highest score since the store opened in 2008!).  I love my job and am so thankful for the team I have.

#10: Working for Destinations in Florida!  If you know me but at all, you know how much I love Disney!  In February of this year, I was given the opportunity to work for an amazing company that allows me to book Disney vacations!  I can work right from home and get the chance to make other families' dream vacations happen.  I love being able to put smiles on people's faces and getting to help them experience the magic of Disney that I so believe in!  In working here, I met some other amazing agents that are big Disney freaks, just like me!  We met a couple of times in Orlando for training and had a blast- so thankful for this opportunity!

#9: The departure of Katherine.  She will laugh at me for writing that so dramatically ;)  In August of 2010, I met and became friends with Katherine.  We met thru her husband, Jonathan, who was the worship pastor at my church at the time.  In a VERY short amount of time, we grew very close and spent a lot of time together!  (I take pride in having taken her to Disney for the first time at age 29!).  So when the news came that she and her beautiful family would be moving to Atlanta in the summer, it was a rough time.  It especially sucked when moving day came and they ended up leaving earlier than expected and I couldn't make it home in time from a small vacation I had taken with my family.  Luckily, I am VERY good at keeping in touch ;) and was also fortunate enough to visit Katherine and her sweet babies this past October.  We had a blast and I am very grateful for her friendship.

#8: Meeting Carter Anne!  My cousins Chad & Melissa were blessed with another baby girl this year, and I was fortunate enough to go home to Arkansas and meet Miss Carter Anne in August.  I am always so thankful for trips home, but especially when I get to welcome a new member of our family!  She is a spitting image of Chad and such a sweet baby- can't wait to watch her grow!

#7: Swedish Fish!  This year, we had an exciting reunion for our family!  Our aunt and cousins came to visit from Sweden!  This was very cool for me, because I always love meeting members of my family from Chile.  But this reunion was really special because my father-in-law hadn't seen his sister (my aunt) in more than 18 years!  She surprised him with a visit and they stayed for 5 weeks!  It was very cool and we all bonded right away.  We took them to Disney for the first time, and we all had a blast just spending time with them.  Now, we keep in contact and are already planning the next visit- and Sebastian and I are hoping to go to Sweden soon!  

#6: Help for keratoconus? Sebastian has keratoconus.  Keratoconus is the degeneration of the structure of the cornea.  Basically, he is blind in his left eye.  This has been progressively getting worse since he was about 11 years old.  These last couple of years have been a real struggle as the condition worsens.  To add to this, he works with computers every day and this, obviously, puts a real strain on his eyes.  Just a couple of months ago, I was reading a blog written by a woman that used to play the violin for the Jonas Brothers (do NOT judge me).  Her husband has the same condition and they recently learned of a doctor in Beverly Hills that developed a surgery that not only stops the degeneration of the cornea, but repairs the sight that may have been lost!  We are looking into this and just ask for any prayers that you may have while we start this long, drawn-out process.  Here's hoping for sight in 2012!

#5:  Getting my 1st tattoo!  I had always wanted a tattoo.  The problem was, I never knew what I wanted.  I usually tossed the idea of a shooting star around, but it never really seemed like something I HAD to have on my body for all of eternity.  So, I never got it.  I figured if something ever came along that really made me want to have it, then I would get it.  And that is exactly what happened.  My Meemaw, who passed away in 2009, absolutely loved redbirds.  This trend had started with my Granny Annie, gone thru both my Meemaw & my momma, and now has ended up with me.  Meemaw would have approved (ok ok...I don't know if "approved" is the right word but...maybe after some time she would have!)

#4: Orlando Trip to visit Daddy.  I was very fortunate to have been able to visit with my dad, who lives in Tennessee, several times this year.  I should say, I'm very fortunate that my dad came to Florida to visit ME several times this year.  :)  In the summer, he flew into Orlando and Sebastian & I drove up to visit with him for a couple of days.  We went to Disney (of course) and even got to see Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba (me & Seb's favorite!).  My dad and I didn't see each other for several years so I am EXTRA grateful for the time we do get to spend together and that is why it is one of the tops on my list for 2011!

#3:  Down with mold.  Some of you know (and some of you don't) that what has literally been consuming our lives the last half of 2011 was some scary mold that appeared in our home in July.  We fought with our leasing office, after they tried to tell us that what we were seeing wasn't mold.  Sebastian, we found out, is allergic to mold so we had to move...quickly.  We came to a different unit, only to find that it is here too.  Needless to say, 2012 will be filled with allergist appointments and, most likely, a new home.  This was definitely one of the negative highlights of 2011.  :/ The picture below is what they told us was NOT mold...

#2:  Continued part of our nephews' lives.  We have 2 of the cutest nephews on the planet.  We feel very fortunate to be so close to them (both in proximity and in relationship), and there was memory upon memory made in 2011.  Both Ignacio and Christian were named Student of the Month in 2011, we took more than one trip with them to Disney, and our favorite outings are the sleepovers we had.  They are such cool kids and we love to just be around them and soak up that energy that only a child can give you.  We look forward to watching them grow even more from sweet babies to sweet young men in 2012!

#1:  Diabetes Turnaround.  My top highlight for 2011 has to be my decision to really make a change in the way I was living my life.  With diabetes, you have to maintain a certain way of life to make sure that you are as healthy as possible.  I was NOT living this way and finally, after much prayer, I finally understood.  I really GOT it, you know?  I recognized that the way I was handling things was not going to bode well for my future.  For the past 3 months, I made the necessary changes and am happy to report that my blood sugars have been in line.  It's not always easy, and there have been a couple of frustrating moments of wanting to just revert back, but I know that if I push thru, I will be happier in the long run.

    

And that pretty much wraps up 2011!  What a year.  Happy for the memories, thankful to see it go- only because I know that 2012 will be just as filled as this past year was.  I look forward to creating new memories and continuing to grow.  I hope everyone's New Year was safe and full of love, and that you all have memories to learn from and appreciate in the coming years!

Happy New Year!

   

Books to Movies

I am a huge book fan.  It all started with Green Eggs & Ham (who's with me on that?) and I haven't stopped since.  Books always took me far away from whatever was going on around me, whether that was homework (shhh), music drifting thru the house from the dance studio, and even my diabetes.  I am one of those "fully-immerse" readers and I love it.  The characters and scenes leap right from the page and go directly into my brain and for whatever amount of time I am reading, I am in that book's world.

One of my favorite series of all time is the Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin.  I had every single book in  this collection- this includes 132 regular books, 15 Super Specials, 26 Mystery books, 4 Super Mysteries, 3 Special Editions and 6 Portrait Collections.

I loved these books more than anything and could not get enough.  I asked for the books for my birthday and Christmas; I saved my allowance so that I could get new ones whenever we'd go to the bookstore.  I remember propping the book behind my cereal bowl in the morning so that I could read a few more pages before school.  My love for these books is real and it's deep.

You can imagine my excitement and pure joy when they announced that they were making a Baby-Sitters Club movie...a MOVIE!  Ohhhh my goodness, I could barely contain myself.  I started re-reading the books and counting down the days until I could finally put a face to the ones I had painted in my head for so long.

The day had come.  I was in the car headed to Hot Springs (the nearest town w/a movie theater) and I was bouncing in my seat, I was so excited.  The movie started and I held my breath.  About 20 minutes (okay maybe I breathed a little in between) into the movie, it came whooshing out of me in disappointment.  It was just all wrong...the baby-sitters didn't look right, the kids didn't look right, Kristy wasn't bossy enough, Stacey wasn't sophisticated enough and the list went on and on.  It was a huge letdown (well, for a 12 year old, at least) and I remember feeling cheated out of my imagination.

I think this caused me to be very wary of book series that are turned into a movie franchise.  Luckily for me, I didn't read Harry Potter or Twilight until AFTER the first movie had come out.  This meant that the character's images were already in my head when I read and the books and that I'm saving myself from the heartbreak of the movie creators' failure to recreate my brain in their films.

On that note, I am very excited for THIS to start:

The bottom line is, books will always be #1 in my heart...no matter what number their movies are in the box office.

Have a great day, y'all!  Now go read a great book!

Thirty Day Photo Challenge!- Day Eight: Flowers

Man, these last couple of weeks have been crazy!  I know y'all all know what I'm talking about- Christmas parties, gift shopping, gift wrapping, and the list goes on & on!

I always love the week before Christmas, not only for the hustle & bustle of everything, but because I also get to celebrate my wedding anniversary!  When Sebastian & I got engaged, I definitely had visions of poinsettias & Christmas colors dancing in my head!  We both love this time of year so much, that we loved the idea of being able to celebrate our anniversary during this special time (although I'm not sure if all of our family appreciated the traveling right before Christmas...but they did it, 'cuz they love us!).

I woke up to these beautiful flowers (hence the photo challenge post):

This year, we went out for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Grand Lux Cafe (if you've never been, go NOW and order the beignets for dessert!).  We went to town- fried pickles, flautas and all of that stuff that's REAL good for you! :)  As you may have guessed, my favorite thing about Grand Lux is the dessert.  They fry up fresh beignets (New Orleans style) and bring you 3 different sauces to dip them in and they are UH-MAY-ZING.

Sorry for the darkness!

After dessert, he handed me a box to open.  I knew it was a jewelry box, but had no idea why I was getting it.  When I opened it, there was a ring I had seen back in Stuttgart (Arkansas) in August while I was visiting my family.  I drooled over it, but wasn't able to get it.  Well, after he heard me talk about it, he got in contact with my Aunt Gayla and cousin Darby and they pulled off a mission impossible!  I say this because...I am nosy.  There's really no other way to put it.  I always find stuff out and it's really hard to surprise me, but man!  They did it!  I was so shocked and touched.

After dinner, we went to catch a movie (he was going to endure "New Year's Eve" for me- now that's love!), but realized when we got there that the movie wasn't starting for another 2 hours!  And since we are old souls, we decided that would get us home too late.  :)

It was an amazing day and a great way to celebrate 6 wonderful years with my very best friend.

Christmas Traditions

Since this week has been one of pulling out Christmas decoration boxes, putting up Christmas trees, wrapping gifts, etc., I've been thinking a lot about my family's various Christmas traditions.  Since they are traditions, I don't usually analyze their meaning or why we do them, they just ARE a part of our holiday.  And I find it so interesting that no one really has any of the same traditions as I do.

A lot of my friends do things with their families that I have never heard of before.  My husband's family, for instance, do not do stockings.  In Chile, this was never a tradition.  They do; however, go to midnight mass and when they return home, Santa has already visited their house.  A lot of my friends have a big Christmas dinner, whereas my family always has a big breakfast and then that's it for the day.  I know people that have a tradition of doing all of their shopping on Black Friday, and then others that do it ALL on Christmas Eve.  The spectrum is so wide and I love that!

Sebastian and I have talked about the kinds of traditions we will incorporate into our own family someday.  Which ones we'll keep from our two families, and which new ones we'd like to add.  For example, we will still go to my mom's house to help her put up her tree while we exchange holiday pajamas and listen to the Kenny & Dolly Christmas album.  This will happen every year.  On the other hand, neither of our families ever had real Christmas trees; they were always the big artificial ones that you dug out of the attic and spent an hour straightening out the smushed branches.  :)  For the past two years, we've gotten a real tree, and we can't wait until we're on our way to a Christmas tree farm to choose a tree in the snow with our family.

There's something pretty magical about the whole "carrying on" of family traditions.  In a world full of growing up and growing out of things, these traditions have a certain pull that can bring us back to a really special place, even if only for a few weeks out of the year.

So here's to you and your family's traditions- whatever they are and wherever you may be.  Merry Christmas!