Disney

What's better than being with a child during their first trip to Disney? Being with your friend from college (and the daddy of said child) on his first trip to Disney!

My friends, Jeff, Abbey, and Reed, were in Orlando for a LifeWay conference. Since I am just a hop, skip, and a jump from there I took a half day off on Thursday and then a whole day on Friday. I have known Jeff and Abbey since they were 18 (I have always been much older and wiser...I was 19!) Since they live in Nashville these days, we don't get to see as much of each other as we would like. Of course they would tell me, "If you would move to Nashville, you could see us all the time!" We try to get together at least yearly. I saw them last year in October, so we basically had less than 2 days to catch up. I also finally had the chance to meet their friend Bill, who apparently stops by my blog on occasion. (Hey Bill!)

In that time we rode the teacups (well, they did, I know better than to get on that ride), Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, It's a Small World, Space Mountain, Aladdin, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, the People Mover, the carousel, and I am sure I am forgetting some. Obviously Reed didn't ride all those rides...in case you thought we smuggled a 20 month old on Space Mountain!

I think the general consensus was the Reed's favorite part was the night parade and the fireworks. He was mesmerized by both. I was really impressed that he didn't cry at the pops and bangs of the fireworks. It might of helped that there was funnel cake too!

As it is everyday at Disney...it was a great and of course "magical" day!

Ten Things That Make Me Smile

1. Catching up with a friend over a cup of coffee
2. Sleeping late on a Saturday morning
   
3. Hearing those sweet little baby squeaks when I talk to my sister-in-law while she is holding Madeline
4. Dark chocolate
   
5. A beautiful sunrise or sunset
6. A surprise
7. When I get to help put Jacob to bed via the phone...especially prayer time
   
8. An encouraging word
9. The way I feel after a good run
   
10. The way my parents talk to each other when I am on the phone with them
11. A good inside joke
12. The way a verse or a passage can jump off the page just when I need it
    
13. My anticipation and excitement when I have a surprise planned for someone
14. When a worship song expresses my heart more than my own words can
15. A good book

Unexpected Surprises

I love a good surprise. For example, I don't like it when I know what I am getting for Christmas or my birthday. I also love being the bearer of a surprise. There is just something about seeing a person's face when you totally pull of a surprise.

Well, this week it was me who received an unexpected surprise. On Wednesday the UPS walked in my office, which is not usual. He smiled and held up a box he was delivering. I figured it was just being polite because I could read the side of the box and figured there was no way it could be for me. However, in a few minutes one of my co-workers came into my office with the box.

I read the card first because I couldn't even begin to think of who would send such a gift. The card was sweet and encouraging, and this is what I found inside.

Thanks to my sweet friend for thinking of me. I was not only pleasantly surprised, but I felt special.

Is It Friday Yet?

This has been a question I have asked myself all week.

I actually have several things to blog about. They are rolling around in my head as I type, but if I am to be honest, I am just too tired. I'm going to watch the last few minutes of CSI and then call it a day.

Oh, and my calendar tells me that tomorrow is Friday! :)

Intentions

I was planning on live blogging Dancing with the Stars tonight. Intentions, if they were golden, then I'd be rich. However, I am really tired. Even though it is only 8:42 I am afraid that my eyes will get too heavy to finish the show.

So with that, I am going to sign off, but before I do...I wanted to share that there is quite a great giveaway going on at Traveling the Road Home. Melinda has become a friend of my boss and the ministry where I work. I've not had the privilege of meeting her yet, but I have been very impressed with her emails and her blog. So go, check it out!

Back Home

I'm back...I arrived this afternoon. I am now in the middle of laundry and getting ready to head into the office in the morning. I have been gone one week. I think I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed the most!

Checking In

Just thought I would check in real quick like. I am sitting in the exhibit hall here at the conference at the Surrendering the Secret booth. Breakout sessions are currently going on, so it is pretty quiet right now. A lot of the other exhibitors are wandering around currently. I might do that here in a second too. Between the jazz music being piped in and the constant hum of the escalator (our booth is at the bottom of the down escalator), I am ready to stretch my legs.

I don't really have anything incredibly exciting to share. I hear it is only 70 something degrees outside and will drop into the 40s tonight, but I wouldn't really know since I haven't been outside since Tuesday evening!

If I come up with anything exciting, I will get back on and blog about it. Until next time...