Things that make me smile...

Seeing my weight loss ticker finally move again! This means that I have lost all my Disney weight, plus a little. Now, I weigh the least I ever have in my adult life. There is something to be said for persistence! More to come!!! :o)



Seeing all my dog's toys on the stairs. You would think we had children in the house, or something.



My hubby's skinny smile. He's lost even more weight than me. What's with guys losing weight easier than women, anyway?!? :o) Oh, and no, that is not his sweater behind him. He is sitting in someone else's chair.



Beautiful mountains and the moon in the morning on our way into work.



Finding the blankets not covering our couch when we get home. It used to be that they only removed half of the blanket. Now, it's both sides. Gotta love em', huh? At least they make me smile. :o)

Don't stop praying for me. I can tell, and I greatly appreciate it.


Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

It's about time, C.C.!!!

I know, I know. I've dropped off the face of the earth. I've actually got a lot to say, but I think I will have to break it down into different posts (or at least sections... we'll see!), or I may get all lost and tangled up in my futile attempts to make it all perfect. ;o)

Bread pudding & Dole Whip & Dessert Parties, OH MY!!!
Our trip to Disney was good. Tiring and fuh-ree-zing!!! I'm sure you've heard all over the news that the price of our orange juice might go up because the Florida farmers are losing their crops (is that what it is called on a tree??? Maybe harvest is a better word.) because of the weather. Well, it was seriously cold while we were there. 30's-50's every day. Disney made a killing on gloves, scarves, and sweatshirts. I really did abandon all dieting efforts while I was there, and boy did I enjoy it! Not the meats and side dishes so much. Nope. It was more the SUGAR!!! :o) Yeah. Having a scale with me did positively NO good! I gained 9.5 pounds, which I am now quickly working off. :o( I'll post a few select pics and some video clips as soon as I get a chance to upload them. Christmas time really is AWESOME around Disney!

Class is creeping up on me!
My next intensive class starts in a little over a month, and I have a TON of pre-class work to get done!!! I better high-tail myself into gear! This class and one more will put me at half-way through my program.

Other random things...
I've got a bunch of other stuff floating around my brain right now, but time is short. So, I guess I will just post some things randomly as I get a few minutes here and there. I do have some thoughts I have been investigating and studying about a verse that I am sure y'all are familiar with.



Has this verse ever been special to you in your life? Please, SHARE! :o) I remember LOVE-ing this verse as a teenager when life was so full of possibility. Now, as an adult, it kind of irks me a bit. Just keepin' it real. You know how life can shade the way we see things. So, I decided I better examine the context to see where the writer was actually coming from, and you know what I found? There is a lot more to this verse than initially meets the eye! I'll share soon.

Guess that's it for now. Somebody, please slap me the next time I wait this long to post! I'm amazed I actually still have any followers at all. See y'all later! :o)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Meet the new C.C. & D.T.!

We decided to get a new one since we are both... well... thinner than two years ago! :o)

I know. It is just a caricature, but hey, ya know. I like it! :o)

Having a blast! Wish y'all could be here with us. :o)

Oh, and as far as my luggage, an honorable mention kudos to bo, jill, and breanna londagin for their guess of a picture of our dogs. That was a very good guess, but unfortunately incorrect. A winning kudos goes out to "C," another friend of mine who guessed privately via email. We brought our scale. Not the food kind. The body kind. I know. Crazy!!! I just want to be able to catch myself before I am too far gone out of control.

It's not working. :o( My family says it isn't real weight. That it is just all of the salt. Maybe they are right. I don't know. We'll see. :o)

Oh, well. Having a blast! Wish y'all could be here with us. :o)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Any guesses...

...as to the most unusual item in my suitcase? I bet none of you have ever packed one. Kudos to the first person to get it right! ;o)



Isn't our new bag cool, too? I thought so! :o)

Well, tomorrow officially starts our vacation and the good food that comes along with it. There is a lot of walking to be done around the parks, too. I hope I don't gain any weight while we are there, or at least no more than a pound or two. I wonder if there is any chance that I could continue to lose weight. Wishful thinking, huh?!? Oh well, there are a few things I am really looking forward to, like the Dole Whip at the Magic Kingdom and the bread pudding at Ohana's and the... oh my, I think I am gaining weight just talking about it. I think I'm in big trouble!

Wish me luck and don't forget to guess what I packed! I'll even be generous and give you a clue. It is square. Hahahahahahaha! ;o)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

T minus 24 hours...

...or so, and we will be in the happiest place on earth! :o)

Hey, can somebody remind me to find the Dopey penny for my friend while I am there? It's the only one she is missing for her collection and the only thing she wants in exchange for house sitting for us. Cheap labor, huh? LOL! :o)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Thanksgiving ~ Romanian style! :o)

Y'all can be thankful for your turkey. We will be thankful for our pig! Seriously. I'm okay with turkey, but the hubby ~ like any true Romanian ~ is more a fan of pork. So, that's what we're having! LOL! What tradition breakers are on your Thanksgiving table???

It will be SO nice to have four days off in a row! I am so excited. We are sticking around the house this holiday which is kinda nice and kinda sad. We've been doing so much traveling lately that we thought we would just chill out for awhile. Plus... Disney is coming soon... 10 days to be exact! :o)

I am truly grateful for so many things. My family, my job, my husband, my LORD! Not necessarily in that order. :o) What are you grateful for?

obligatoryquestionthatallbloggersmustaskoftheirreadersatthanksgiving#

:o)

Seriously, though, how has the LORD blessed you this year?

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

A quick hodgepodge...

I have been sick for the last two days. Sinus yuck. Better now than in 17 days. Yep, only 17 days until Disney!!! I am getting ready to register for my next two grad classes. Actually, I should have already done this, but ya know... procrastination... busyness... registration hiccups. Anywho. These two classes will put me at 30 credits. Halfway! Goodness, this degree takes a good, long time. I have lost a total of 28.7 pounds. Almost 29! Only 5.3 to reach my goal!!! Hmmm... what else? I really wish this cough would go away. Ya know... the annoying you feel better but cough every two seconds and make everyone think you have some horrible disease cough. Yeah, that one. The dogs did enjoy my presence at home for two days. They mostly relaxed so that I could, too.



Can you tell who is in charge? I'll give you a clue. It's not the big dog who moves aside the protective blankets on the couch because she likes to sleep on the actual couch. Nope. Not her. She doesn't think she is a person, either. ;o)

Embracing His Joy, Hope, & Peace...

Friday Photo Flashback ~ She may very well kill me!

Welcome to Friday Photo Flashback, as hosted by Alicia at More Than Words!



Yet another picture of me and my sister at Disney World. Can you tell we really like Disney World and can't wait to go back??? She is actually going this October. Without me. Traitor. Lucky duck. ;-)


Hmmmm.... what's with my tights? With tennis shoes??? Did anybody else wear those absolutely everywhere when you were little? No. Oh. Guess it was just me. And I'm noticing that my sister had the perm thing goin' on before me. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.

Bring on the killin'!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Friday Photo Flashback... Sisters @ Disney World!!!

Welcome to Friday Photo Flashback, as hosted by Alicia at More Than Words.

This picture was taken "back in the day" (read: I can't remember the year) with my sister, Jennifer. We were on vacation at the Polynesian in Disney World. Last year, we went back and had a totally AWESOME time!!! I SO want to go back right now!


Here is us today (well, last year...) as close to the same place as the previous picture as possible.

I do find it particularly amusing that my sister is holding her hand in the exact same position on both pictures!

I spent a lot of time with my older sister as I was growing up. When I was really young, I couldn't say her name (had lots of trouble w/ R's), and I called her Too-Too. I think it had something to do with her playing trains with me. Ya know, "Toot, Toot!" Hahaha! :-)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Live, Laugh, Love...

Well, Disney World was fun, one last chance for a vacation before a baby comes our way, and an opportunity to learn and confirm a few things about myself...

1. Family is important to me.



2. I can be a little "goofy" from time to time... :-)

On the way from the airport to our hotel
aboard the "Magical Express,"
my sister and I had fun taking pictures
of each other taking pictures.

DoubleT was not amused. I think he was wondering
what in the world he got himself into,
and if the two of us were going to do
this the WHOLE time.

He was happy to arrive at the hotel...

while Jennifer and I were still taking pictures.

Notice, DoubleT is walking away from the two of us... lol! :-)

Our first afternoon at the park,
I dragged DoubleT into being "goofy" with me.
It didn't take long.

We even got some great hats!

And had a caricaturist draw our "portrait!"
I think she did an amazing job!!

3. There is a bit more of an adventurous spirit in me than I previously realized, as evidenced by my (only somewhat reluctant) willingness to go on rides such as Space Mountain (which I refused to go on as a child), Test Track, and the Tower of Terror with my sister. In the 2nd and 3rd pictures, notice how I am the one totally freaked out and holding on for dear life, while my sister is the one smiling and/or laughing at me! In fact, the whole time we were on Space Mountain, the only thing I could hear was the sound of her laughter behind me while I screamed...

outside the Tower of Terror

inside the Tower of Terror...
do you see her laughing at me?
do you feel the love?

on Test Track...
you know, I think the ride in the next picture
from when I was little is much more my speed! :-)

4. I can be rather nostalgic. One of the things I looked forward to the most on this trip was the chance to do the things my sister and I did together when I was little...

Riding the Haunted Mansion...

Floating on a boat through "It's A Small World"...

Traveling from park to park on the monorail...

Getting wet in the "leap frogs" at Epcot...

Traveling with Figment through the Journey into Imagination...

Swimming in the Waterfall pool at the Polynesian...

And, we had to take another picture
just like the one when we were younger!

5. In general, I'm a pretty flexible person. While I had a good time on the more intense rides with my sister, (poor DoubleT would have liked to participate in the excitement, but he knew his back would not appreciate it later...) I also loved doing the things that DoubleT enjoyed most...

Playing at the arcades and such...


Exploring the different countries in Epcot...


Especially Germany and the all-you-could-eat buffet...


Watching Mickey's Philharmagic in 3D and listening to the music...


Shopping... we did find a few items that
described DoubleT's demeanor
when he gets too hot and tired
from the nasty Florida heat and humidity...
The only one we actually purchased very appropriately
featured the Disney character "Grumpy."

6. Like DoubleT, I hate hot weather! If there was ever any doubt in my mind, this trip confirmed for me that I can definitely never live someplace like Florida. Unless God makes it clear to me that that is where He wants me to be, it just won't happen. Fortunately, we were able to find a few creative ways to help us all cope...

Yummy Dole Whip with pineapple juice!

One shaved head!

Tropical slushees that changed the color of our tongues!

7. I like free things! The Disney Dining plan which was free during the month of September was a very tasty and money-saving thing! We had some incredible food, all included...

Breakfast with Chef Mickey!



and dinner at Ohana's!

Enough to make even
Mr. "Grumpy"-from-waiting-so-long
turn "Happy!"


We also had a great view to see
the fireworks across the lagoon from our table!

8. I love peace. The best, I mean absolutely the BEST ride we ALL enjoyed was the new attraction, Soarin' at Epcot. I can't even begin to describe to you the incredible sense of freedom, peace, and relaxation while seemingly "flying" through some of the most beautiful scenes across America. They even used scents to make you feel like you were really in the orange groves of California. If you ever have the chance to go to Epcot, do NOT miss this ride. I could have stayed on it all day long. I do not have any pictures, but fortunately, YouTube has a pretty good video. The only thing missing is the feeling of actually being in the ride itself...

Well, there was much more than I could include, even in such a long post as this! We were glad to go, yet also glad to come home and return to the next chapter of our lives. The dogs even seemed glad to have their respective owners home, and even more happy to play with their new Disney toys!

Jen's Bertie girl!

Ben & Goldie with their new Mickey Mouse chew tire!

I guess that's about it for now.

Thanks for sharing in our memories, and as they say in Walt Disney World,
"Have a magical evening!"

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...