I've decided to start another blog. Not to worry, this personal blog is staying put and I plan to keep up with it. But I decided to start a second blog about all things Disney. I get asked alot of questions from people about my travels to the magical land and I very much enjoy talking about the topic in general. So, I decided I'd do some blogging about it. Itll be a good outlet for me and hopefully offer up some advice for others.
If you are interested, there is a link on the right side of this page. Ive called it Pixie Dust Memories.
Or, you can simply follow this link here.
PS - If there is anyone else who has been on a Disney trip (be it any of the parks or a cruise) and would be willing to share a story, highlight, review or photo from their trip, please let me know. Would love love love to add some guest blog entries. Thanks!
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Heavenly thoughts
Matt and I had the pleasure of attending a Third Day concert Friday night and we had an absolutely wonderful time! It's always great being surrounded by a bunch of Christians praising God.
At one point the whole auditorium was singing, 'Holy Holy Holy... Lord God Almighty..." without any instruments. It was just hundreds if voices lifted up in worship to God. It was pretty moving and it made me think,"Wow. We think this sounds incredible? How much more incredible will it be when we are in Heaven and there are thousands upon thousands of voices doing this?"
I can't even imagine. But I'm sure eager to hear it!
At one point the whole auditorium was singing, 'Holy Holy Holy... Lord God Almighty..." without any instruments. It was just hundreds if voices lifted up in worship to God. It was pretty moving and it made me think,"Wow. We think this sounds incredible? How much more incredible will it be when we are in Heaven and there are thousands upon thousands of voices doing this?"
I can't even imagine. But I'm sure eager to hear it!
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
My beautiful friend
Recently I had the opportunity to do some catching up with one of my dearest friends. Her and her husband are missionary's in Nicaragua so I only get to see her once or twice a year. She is one of those friends that no matter how often we talk (and believe me... its not as often as we would like) we easily fall back into the exact same kind of friendship we had before. It is like nothings changed with us, even though everything around us has.
But we love to reminisce about the olden days. The emotional and intense 1am phone calls, our bizarre snacking habits, our crazy book character conversations and our quirky 'birthday' traditions (that so wouldn't go over with our husbands now by the way...)
When she visits it reminds me how much I miss having her a part of my daily life. Especially as a mother. But its okay, because for now I know that she is exactly where God wants her to be. And where else could be better then in His will?
I am beyond excited that she is soon to be a mommy! She is hands down one of the most gorgeous pregnant woman I have ever seen.
Wouldn't you agree?
Noah was totally absorbed in her belly. I guess he hasn't been around any pregnant woman recently so it was the first time he has seen anything like it. He kept looking back and forth from her face to her belly and touching it. It was pretty cute!
Heart to Heart. Love you Al!
But we love to reminisce about the olden days. The emotional and intense 1am phone calls, our bizarre snacking habits, our crazy book character conversations and our quirky 'birthday' traditions (that so wouldn't go over with our husbands now by the way...)
When she visits it reminds me how much I miss having her a part of my daily life. Especially as a mother. But its okay, because for now I know that she is exactly where God wants her to be. And where else could be better then in His will?
I am beyond excited that she is soon to be a mommy! She is hands down one of the most gorgeous pregnant woman I have ever seen.
Wouldn't you agree?
Noah was totally absorbed in her belly. I guess he hasn't been around any pregnant woman recently so it was the first time he has seen anything like it. He kept looking back and forth from her face to her belly and touching it. It was pretty cute!
Heart to Heart. Love you Al!
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Stay at home mommy
My maternity leave is officially ending this month. Wow. You think that a year is a long time but its really not. With that comes a decision... Matt and I have decided that I will not be returning to work and will be staying home with Noah full time.
I love being a mommy. Its what I always dreamt of doing one day. Stay home, raise my children and take care of my house. Not very woman's lib I know, but its what I love to do. I feel very fortunate to be in a position where that is an actual financial possibility for us. I know its not for many.
Stay at home mommies get flack sometimes because people think its an excuse to be lazy (people who haven't done it Id imagine...) But I think anyone who actually takes care of a child and a house fulltime knows that there is not alot of sitting around watching TV time. Its busy and exhausting, and sometimes lonely. It would be easier for me to go to work and spend a day socialising with people my own age. But I feel called to concentrate on my own family for the next several years. I want to put all my energy into raising my children how we want them raised. And for that I need to be at home.
Its hard because I really did love my job. I worked with the most wonderful people everyday. I also found it to be an incredibly rewarding job.
I am not totally saying goodbye. I do plan to go on the sub list for the three schools I have worked at. It'll be good to get out of the usual routine now and then, be challenged in a different way and it doesn't hurt the bank account either. But for now, this is our plan.
To all of you whom I have had the joy of working with at the Christian school the past several years, both staff, parents and students- you have all made an impact on my life and it has been a joy being around you each day. I will miss you!
I love being a mommy. Its what I always dreamt of doing one day. Stay home, raise my children and take care of my house. Not very woman's lib I know, but its what I love to do. I feel very fortunate to be in a position where that is an actual financial possibility for us. I know its not for many.
Stay at home mommies get flack sometimes because people think its an excuse to be lazy (people who haven't done it Id imagine...) But I think anyone who actually takes care of a child and a house fulltime knows that there is not alot of sitting around watching TV time. Its busy and exhausting, and sometimes lonely. It would be easier for me to go to work and spend a day socialising with people my own age. But I feel called to concentrate on my own family for the next several years. I want to put all my energy into raising my children how we want them raised. And for that I need to be at home.
Its hard because I really did love my job. I worked with the most wonderful people everyday. I also found it to be an incredibly rewarding job.
I am not totally saying goodbye. I do plan to go on the sub list for the three schools I have worked at. It'll be good to get out of the usual routine now and then, be challenged in a different way and it doesn't hurt the bank account either. But for now, this is our plan.
To all of you whom I have had the joy of working with at the Christian school the past several years, both staff, parents and students- you have all made an impact on my life and it has been a joy being around you each day. I will miss you!
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Noah meets some fishies
Today Matt and I decided to have a 'family day' and took Noah on his first trip to the Aquarium; just the three of us. It was alot of fun but man were we exhausted afterwards! Funny, I don't remember being tired like this in Disneyland. It must have been the small walking areas and teeny tiny bathrooms that made it feel more claustrophobic. They could really use a bit of renovations for such a popular Vancouver attractions.
We took Noah to the Dolphin show first, stupidly thinking it would be a great introduction. We had a great viewing spot; right in front of where they would jump! Our bad. They were way too close for Noah's comfort and we ended up leaving the area in about 10 minutes. Dolphins are just too fast and too unpredictable for a 9 month old!
We decided to opt for something a little more slow moving and took him down to see the Belugas. Definitely more his style. He loved sitting and watching them swim while Daddy & Mommy ate some lunch.
We then set off to enjoy all the other tanks and exhibits the Aquarium had to offer. Noah loved leaning in close to get a good look at everything.
By the way... he did end up enjoying his second viewing of the Dolphin show... from the underground viewing area. Better luck next time.
We took Noah to the Dolphin show first, stupidly thinking it would be a great introduction. We had a great viewing spot; right in front of where they would jump! Our bad. They were way too close for Noah's comfort and we ended up leaving the area in about 10 minutes. Dolphins are just too fast and too unpredictable for a 9 month old!
We decided to opt for something a little more slow moving and took him down to see the Belugas. Definitely more his style. He loved sitting and watching them swim while Daddy & Mommy ate some lunch.
We then set off to enjoy all the other tanks and exhibits the Aquarium had to offer. Noah loved leaning in close to get a good look at everything.
By the way... he did end up enjoying his second viewing of the Dolphin show... from the underground viewing area. Better luck next time.
Friday, 4 May 2012
Reflections... Our Wedding Day pt 4
*in case you missed it... you can find part 3 here *
... the wedding was perfect! I couldn't have imagined it being any better. Is that crazy or what? How is it possible that our wedding day turned out to be better then we could ever have imagined and we didn't even know whether it would happen only a week before.
The ceremony was beautiful. Matt and I said 'I do' amongst tropical flowers, palm trees and the ocean behind us. We had loved ones around us; supporting us, encouraging us and just 'being there' for us. It was a very hot day, around 32 degrees, but I barely noticed.
... the wedding was perfect! I couldn't have imagined it being any better. Is that crazy or what? How is it possible that our wedding day turned out to be better then we could ever have imagined and we didn't even know whether it would happen only a week before.
The ceremony was beautiful. Matt and I said 'I do' amongst tropical flowers, palm trees and the ocean behind us. We had loved ones around us; supporting us, encouraging us and just 'being there' for us. It was a very hot day, around 32 degrees, but I barely noticed.
 |
| Our wedding party - too bad all our guests weren't in this picture too! |
We enjoyed an incredibly unique reception with traditional Hawaiian music and fantastic food, right on the ocean. We had a private table just for our group. Such a blast and totally unforgetable!
We couldn't have planned anything more perfect. God had a better plan for us that we had for ourselves. And seriously... what a story!
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Reflections... our crazy wedding story pt 3
... So we were all booked to go to Hawaii along with a group of friends.
*you can read part 2 here *
*or part 1 here *
Matt and I looked up local photographers and found one for a good price that we liked. We called him up and he said he only had one date of availability; the following Thursday. We looked at each other and said, "Okay, guess we'll get married next Thursday!"
We knew we wouldn't be able to plan a full reception last minute. My family and I had been to a Luau a few years back run by the Christian group YWAM and wondered if that would make a good dinner reception. After all, it was entertainment and great food! We called them up and sure enough they were more then happy to accommodate our whole group for the Thursday evening show.
The next day we drove down to Arlington and stayed over night with some very dear friends of ours. The following morning we all met up at the airport (at least all of those from BC and Washington state. There was also a group of family coming from Toronto) and took off to Hawaii.
Once there we started to plan out little details. There was a beautiful garden at the resort and we decided that we should hold the ceremony there. My dad talked with the resort and planned out chairs and a hoopa. My mother and Aunt drove up the street to the florist and planned out the flowers. Our friend Ashley started practising some music for during the ceremony. And I attempted to relax.
Once that was all arranged; we vacationed. We hit up the beaches, the local dining and enjoyed everyones company around the pool. This was why we had decided on a destination wedding in the first place. We wanted to spend quality time with loved ones in a beautiful location. It was wonderful.
There were a few hiccoughs along the way - if you can even call them that. I had no place to get my hair, nails or makeup done. But no big deal, I did them myself. My maid of Honor ended up with some kind of eye trouble. No problem, we got some antibiotics from a local doctors office. I passed out in a Subway restaurant the afternoon before the wedding; not exactly what you envision for the day before you wedding, but I sat through my rehearsal ceremony and was in bed by 7pm.
I woke up the morning of May 7th, sat on my giant lanai with my best girlfriend Ally soaking up the beautiful scenery and feeling 100% calm. Finally, after a year and a half engagement, a cancelled wedding and alot of stress, I was going to marry Matt.
*you can read part 2 here *
*or part 1 here *
Matt and I looked up local photographers and found one for a good price that we liked. We called him up and he said he only had one date of availability; the following Thursday. We looked at each other and said, "Okay, guess we'll get married next Thursday!"
We knew we wouldn't be able to plan a full reception last minute. My family and I had been to a Luau a few years back run by the Christian group YWAM and wondered if that would make a good dinner reception. After all, it was entertainment and great food! We called them up and sure enough they were more then happy to accommodate our whole group for the Thursday evening show.
The next day we drove down to Arlington and stayed over night with some very dear friends of ours. The following morning we all met up at the airport (at least all of those from BC and Washington state. There was also a group of family coming from Toronto) and took off to Hawaii.
Once there we started to plan out little details. There was a beautiful garden at the resort and we decided that we should hold the ceremony there. My dad talked with the resort and planned out chairs and a hoopa. My mother and Aunt drove up the street to the florist and planned out the flowers. Our friend Ashley started practising some music for during the ceremony. And I attempted to relax.
Once that was all arranged; we vacationed. We hit up the beaches, the local dining and enjoyed everyones company around the pool. This was why we had decided on a destination wedding in the first place. We wanted to spend quality time with loved ones in a beautiful location. It was wonderful.
There were a few hiccoughs along the way - if you can even call them that. I had no place to get my hair, nails or makeup done. But no big deal, I did them myself. My maid of Honor ended up with some kind of eye trouble. No problem, we got some antibiotics from a local doctors office. I passed out in a Subway restaurant the afternoon before the wedding; not exactly what you envision for the day before you wedding, but I sat through my rehearsal ceremony and was in bed by 7pm.
I woke up the morning of May 7th, sat on my giant lanai with my best girlfriend Ally soaking up the beautiful scenery and feeling 100% calm. Finally, after a year and a half engagement, a cancelled wedding and alot of stress, I was going to marry Matt.
...to be continued... (the final part...)
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