Highlights of the Week (#20)

boy was it a busy week. I had a cold at the beginning of the week which meant I spent more time resting than being productive. in fact, I was in bed before 9 one night...I can't even remember the last time I did that. but it definitely helped so that's the important thing.

wednesday evening I was scheduled to do recreation for children's choir at church and that's always a fun experience. the kids really just want to play outside on the playground equipment and that's fine with me. they always make me laugh which can be a great pick-me-up in the middle of the week. 

yesterday was the big 10-mile race I had signed up for at disney. my aunt and my cousin were both signed up as well and my mom was going along to be our supporter. well, I decided a couple weeks ago that I wasn't going to be able to do it. I figured I don't want to start anything if I can't finish it. and to be honest, I had not put forth the training efforts that I should have. so my goal (one of many) is to work hard so that next year I can sign up for this particular race again and complete it. I really want that medal. 

anyway, the weekend was still great because the four of us stayed at the boardwalk inn at disney and we had a lot of fun. did a little relaxing pre-race (which began at 10 pm) and Mom and I did our best to cheer them on when we finally saw them on the course...I think it was with just about a half mile left. after the race we could stay in the park (the studios) until 4 am and we almost made it till closing. needless to say, after a short night's sleep...we are all pretty tired today. my cousin's husband was flying in today and they are spending the week at another resort on disney property. lucky them. the rest of us...back to work tomorrow. 

here's hoping the kids treat us well!

Highlights of the Week (#11)

the most fun thing about this past week: the Olympics! I just love everything about the Olympics...the history, the pageantry, the inspiring stories...just the whole spectacle of it all. and I have to say that since the Opening Ceremony on Friday night pretty much all I've done is watch the Olympics. wheee!!! 

I enjoyed most of the Opening Ceremony. my favorite part was seeing JK Rowling b/c as I shared last week...I am obsessed with Harry Potter. and watching the Parade of Nations is always fun too. seeing the different costumes and joyous faces. truly fantastic. I loved Mexico's costumes...I was less than impressed with the costumes of our athletes here in the States. they were super boring. I've been a little underwhelmed by a lot of the uniforms the U.S. athletes have been wearing. oh well. 

I look forward to watching many more Olympic competitions in the coming weeks. and I suppose I'll do some other stuff too. but mostly watch the Olympics. 

am headed to EPCOT down at Disney later today! hoping we miss the rain. have a good one!

Highlights of the Week (#4)

this past week went soooooo fast. anyone else feel that way?? my most favorite thing that happened---I got to see my cousin and her husband! they flew down for the weekend because E is in a wedding. before they drove down to Vero Beach though they spent a couple nights at her parents' house. my mom and I drove down after work on Friday to meet them for dinner at Disney. I love seeing them and wish it happened more often. *sigh* 

at any rate, another HotW was trying a new restaurant. I had a coupon for a fondue place so last night the family went with me to check it out. basically it's just like The Melting Pot restaurant except way cheaper and not-a-chain. oh, and it's fantastic. we all ate way too much but it was seriously good stuff. I love trying new restaurants and all the better when they're local, non-chain places. 

and oh yeah, I finally upgraded to an iPhone. I've been wanting one forever but the timing was just never quite right. but, I finally made it work and I picked it up on Thursday. I love it!

have a great week!

Blooms & Butterflies

this past Tuesday I went to EPCOT for the annual Flower & Garden Show. and my oh my, was it ever gorgeous this year! seriously, so stunning and I'm so fortunate to have captured it. obviously seeing it all in person is so much better than via my photos but for most of you, it'll have to do! 

I hope you take time to get out and enjoy the gorgeous spring weather and all of nature's beauty!

happiness is...

completing my first 5K!!! 

runDisney event: Three Caballeros Family Fun Run 5K

my sneaker (prior to the race) with a TigerHawk to keep me strong

going through EPCOT: across from the globe

closer to the finish with globe in the background

the finish line is in sight!!!

I did it!

there's my mom: almost 65 and she completed her first 5K today too...way to go Mom!!!

mission accomplished...I am IOWA-strong!

happiness is...

seeing Neil Patrick Harris live and in-person! he was a narrator at EPCOT's candlelight processional over the weekend and my mom and I got to see/hear him. it's always a beautiful event this time of year and saturday evening was no exception. and seeing NPH...bonus!

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

so for the last few years my family has gathered at Disney for a weekend in October. we dress as Disney villains (because what's more fun than being a baddie?!) for the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. as there are generally 9 of us who attend, we manage to make quite a statement walking around the park. not only do we compete to see who collects the most candy (my uncle, aka Syndrome from The Incredibles, won this year), but we also compete to see who gets the most picture requests (again, my uncle won this year...gack!). it rained on us this year but thankfully it was only for the first hour or so. 


the other big event we attend on this auspicious weekend is the Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT. now, this is perhaps my favorite special event that happens at Walt Disney World. who doesn't love to eat and drink their way around the "World"?! it rained on us. again. but we managed to enjoy ourselves in spite of the nasty weather. the only thing we really missed out on over the weekend was some pool time because yes, it rained all day Saturday too. though the young ones (6 of us) did hang out in the hot tub a little at night. in the rain. and that was kind of fun.

to recap the weekend: trick-or-treating in the rain Friday night. playing games and drinking in the room all day Saturday. eating and drinking around the "World" Sunday. yep, I'd say it made for one memorable weekend. and Monday when we left, that's right, bright blue skies and lots of sun. go figure. 


below are just a few interesting pictures from the weekend:

30 Day Photography Challenge: days 11 - 15

it's that time again; time to see more of my challenge photos. I enjoyed this set of 5 quite a lot. I tried to think as creatively as possible and believe I came up with some clever set-ups. I hope you enjoy these pictures as well!

Day 11: something blue

White Peach - day 11

Day 12: sunset

White Peach - day 12

Day 13: yourself with 13 things

White Peach - day 13

Day 14: eyes

White Peach - day 14

Day 15: silhouette

White Peach - day 15

so my favorite challenge of mine this time was the something blue. I thought and thought and thought about something interesting I could do for this challenge. suddenly, inspiration struck. school's starting again soon. crayons are an important part of school-life and boom!..a picture of different shades of blue crayons. in an interesting display of course!

my favorite of White Peach's is definitely her with 13 things. I mean, talk about being creative. really clever and fun. 

halfway through the challenge...phew! am not quite finished with the next 5 on the list. perhaps I should get those done. and soon too. happy Monday!

where in the World???

where was I today???

 I love this picture of the Tower of Terror at sunset...it looks beautiful and maybe just slightly creepy. Fun stuff!