Six Things

I got tagged by a few people in the e-mails and journals I caught up on, so here are my six things you may or may not know about me!


(1) I love browsing through, & sending greeting cards......I spend hours in Hallmark stores!

(2) If I open a bag of potato chips, I will dig through the bag to find all the "folded" ones first.

(3) I love dishes! Especially serving platters, bowls, & holiday pieces. I know I have too many, and then I'll see this cute little bowl or plate and.....I just need it ;)

(4) I feel very deeply, and I always see things in a situation that lay beneath the surface. When I read a letter from someone, I read between the lines, so it does you no good to lie to me......everyone who really knows me says I would make an excellent profiler! Have you seen the new show, "The Mentalist?" Every week when we watch it, Marv says "he is soooooo much like you it's scary". LOLOL!

(5) I have said this one before, but I detest them so much it needs to be repeated! I HATE onions, all peppers, cucumbers, & tomatoes!!!

(6) I sleep with a towel curled up under my head.....I don't remember how it started, but I've been doing it for years, and I can hardly sleep without one now!

Eat To The Beat

I forgot to mention the "Eat To The Beat" concerts that we saw in EPCOT during the Food & Wine Festival. The three different nights we went over there, we saw Kool & The Gang, Atlanta Rhythm Section, & David Cassidy. They were all so great and it was so fun to see them now! I didn't take any pictures because I was too busy enjoying myself, but Mandy did remind me before David Cassidy was over to snap one! It's not that great, but it gives you an idea. I put a You Tube video of each band to remind you of one of their songs....take you back does it? Fun stuff :)

David Cassidy In EPCOT

Kool & The Gang


David Cassidy


Atlanta Rhythm Section

Disney Trip

Here are a few more pictures as promised! We had so much fun together, and the time just flew by. We spent time in all of the parks, and of course.....wore ourselves out! A few new things to see which is always fun.....especially the Toy Story Mania in The Disney Studios, where the wait was 80 minutes and more in the stand by line! They also have a new parade in the studios which is called "Block Party" and it's really awesome....don't miss it if you head that way. The Food & Wine Festival was once again, FABULOUS! We ate way too much, and I'm taking the fifth on how much wine we sampled ;) I think Marv & Mandy enjoyed the Lamb in Australia the most, while the Ziti in Italy won my vote! I didn't buy too many things this trip because until we see what collectibles we have to replace, there is no sense to it....although we did buy a couple of new pieces of art work. I did send home a box of goodies to Connor, Emmy & Peyton though, and can't wait to hear if they liked them....Emmy is into Cinderella, so that part was soooooo much fun! Oh, and Sugar.....as soon as I'm on my feet, you have a little surprise coming your way because I couldn't resist :)

Seeing Mandy at work is always a time of pride for us, because all bragging aside, she was simply born to do this job! Her ability to both firmly control "situations" at a moments notice, and happily socialize with thousands of people each day just amazes me. We met many of her cast, and some of her co-workers, everyone was so nice. But the best was hearing the words that make every parent happy...."You did such a wonderful job raising your daughter, they don't come much better than Mandy". Oh if you think we were both proud & teary eyed.....you guessed right!! :)

We spent one day taking her shopping, and after many furniture stores, she finally found the perfect couch, it is really nice. Because she special ordered the color, she has to wait a few weeks for it, but I'll try to have her take a picture when it arrives. We also spent some quality time in Sephora....I mean, ya just have to spoil your girl with some make up and sparkly stuff, right? ;) Her Daddy was a good sport and sat out in the mall & read....as to how many chapters he was able to get through, well, that's just our little secret! (LOLOLOL!)

I did pretty well on food, I always ate a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, and a very light & sensible lunch, and then had whatever I wanted for dinner. I had a few desserts, but did not go wild and order them at every meal.....I'd probably say I had them 4 out of 10 dinners, and we usually split it between us. The only two days I over ate, were the days we went through the Food & Wine Fest....it's almost impossible not to, YUM-O! As soon as my swelling goes down, I will get weighed, but I really think I did well enough that I'm not worried that I gained a great deal at all. Yeah me! :) I will also tell you that people were pretty well behaved with their cruel comments, I only had two incidents where their ignorance tried to ruin my trip. However, it did not......I held onto my knowledge that the problem was theirs, not mine. The stares were a bit worse, but I did okay with those most of the time.....I just kept repeating over & over in my head "to smile and be proud of who I am". That worked 90% of the time, and the other 10% I had Marv & Mandy to catch me when I broke.....they were very comforting glue :) I've been back to eating right since I've been home though.....this trip was a huge wake up call, and when I'm ready, I'll share some of that part of it with you. I know I can't remain where I am any longer weight wise, or I won't be able to travel anymore, and maybe I won't even be here to enjoy my family. It was a sobering realization, but one which I needed to have.

I'm still suffering the effects of extreme swelling in my lower extremities, but I will try to start playing catch up tomorrow. Until then.....Pooh Hugs & Love :)

Happy Mom & Mandy :)

Mandy's Friend Josh Joined Us For the Afternoon

Eating Dinner Together in Celebration, Where Mandy Lives

Mandy & Marv In "Chef's De France" In EPCOT

My Handsome Hubby....I love this picture!

Eating Sushi!

Got Frozen Pina Colada?

Having Fun In The 50's Prime Time Diner

Mandy's Sweet Roomate, Casey, Joined Us For Dinner.......Just Pals :)

In Love In Paris....(hehe)

Back Home!

We got home last night, and now we need a vacation from our vacation!! LOL! We had an awesome trip and spending time with Mandy was wonderful.....she looks so good and is very happy. It was so hard to leave her behind, but now I'll start counting the days until March when we will see her again :) Miss Abby did well staying with Connie, she loved playing with the kids and the two puppies.....but she was so happy to see us and is being a little snuggle bug today.

Those of you who have been with my journal for a while know that I swell terribly when I travel, and this trip was no exception.....so I won't be catching up on journals until this weekend when I'm able to sit for longer periods of time. Until then, I'm catching up with my parents and helping Marv unpack. I can't wait to see what you all have been up to though....I hope all was well in your lives while I was away :)

Oh, and as we came home to a new President Elect, I will congratulate all those who supported him. I did not, and was not very happy with the outcome of the election. However, just as I have always supported President Bush, I will support President Elect Obama...I believe strongly in a country standing behind their leader, even if they do not always agree with his policies. So, I am sincerely praying for The Obamas as they prepare to take the helm of our nation, there is much work to do and the road will be long. I hope everyone who, like me, voted for John McCain, and those of you who didn't vote for either, will now close ranks as simply, Americans, and support our new leader. May God bless President Bush in his final months in office, and as always.....God bless and protect the troops who serve.

Here are just a couple of pictures to tide you over until I post this weekend with more about the trip and more photos.

Me & My Girl

My Family, Together Again!

Me & My Bear