Five Years Ago....

At this moment 5 years ago I was getting ready to walk down the aisle. Wow, can it really have been that long? I remember it was a fabulous day. So many of our friends were there, the reception was really fun, and I think everyone had a great time. I am still so grateful for all the fabulous people who helped make it possible. To celebrate Carl and I are getting SCUBA certified this week and are planning to take a trip this spring. Perhaps I'll blog more about life and marriage later, but for now let's celebrate! Check out the slideshow to see some more pics.

Christmas Memories

A few Christmas memories to share...
10. The Lego Christmas video shown at EBC in 04. It was amazing and shocking all at the same time, I mean the Mary lego had no pants on in the birthing scene...
9. Blaring Rich Mullens' "You Gotta Get Up" outside my parents' door one Christmas morning.
8. Making the Pampered Chef breakfast braid on Christmas morning.
7. Unwrapping all the little presents my dad's mom would individually wrap and put in the stocking she crocheted for us with our initials on them.
6. Having stockings from my mom's mom that were so huge and overflowing that she finally one year made us burlap sacks with our names on them to hold our loot.
5. Getting a tent for Christmas that was already assembled, fun to play with and something we would have never expected or thought to ask for. PS: It was never used for camping.
4. Sitting in the back of my rents Corolla hatchback on the way home from my Grandparent's house on Christmas Eve night and scanning the sky for Santa.
3. Singing in the Singing Christmas tree at EBC, especially my senior year with Daybreak, and of course playing on the underside of the giant tree junglegym.
2. Making ornaments and craft presents for my family and learning how to wrap presents for the first time at a kids day at EBC before Christmas.
1. We had this little matchbox when I was a kid that had pieces of brown yarn, a little yellow scrap of fabric and a little baby Jesus. I was allowed to put in one piece everyday and of course Jesus was last on Christmas. I always looked forward to putting in the next piece and knowing I was one day closer to Christmas. Then I looked forward to Christmas, and not that I don't now, but my expectations have changed. Now I look forward to when what Jesus started on Christmas is completed and there is truly peace on earth and goodwill to all people.

Merry Christmas Ya'll!

Santa Claus is coming to town

Doesn't Santa visit your neighborhood on a firetruck?

Black Friday (err Thursday) Madness

So let's just share a little story...

It was the Messina's turn for Thanksgiving this year so off to Jacksonville we went. It had been a while since we saw Carl's Owens side of the family. Good times had by all and I have definitely rubbed off on there family as there was WAY too much dessert. Yes just enjoy the majesty for a moment of the Chocolate trifle with Ghiridelli brownies, pudding, cool whip, and Heath pieces, and then of course the Apple pies with hot caramel, pecans and vanilla ice cream. Mmmm, but I digress...

So Carl sees an add for a laptop that he just NEEDS for school. And of course it's like $300 off and just within our capabilities. But of course there's only 15 per store and they start handing out tickets at 3am for the 5am opening.

We go by at 8:30pm just to check the line...oh just kidding get in line! We were totally unprepared, but the fabulous Gavin went and got us supplies and even stayed with us all night. Praise the Lord there were port-o-potties nearby. Our favorite line was when the rent-a-cop came by the frat kids behind us and jokingly asked if there obvious beer pong table, with beer laden cups and case nearby was apple juice. And then told them to at least put up the case. We actually just missed the cut off for tickets due to GREEDY people and ill-trained employees, but once we got inside we were able to get a ticket from one of the Greedies who decided they didn't need to spend $5000+ on electronics. So yeah mission accomplished.

But for the record, we are not doing that again!

PS: While I joke about our experience, I was APPALLED to find out a man was trampled to death at a Wal-Mart that same morning and then people were more upset that they closed the store and they could get their precious things. We should all be collectively ashamed and repent. How can we live our lives in such a way to change our society so that something like this not only doesn't happen again, but isn't even imaginable?

White or Colored?

I can't remember when it first started. We always had the fabulously tacky Christmas tree with the scary Santa on top (Why not an angel or star? No idea.), chubby colored lights, the silver icicles hanging off and the ornaments I made when I was three. Then one day my mom decided she wanted a nice "matching" Martha Stewart tree. It had to have matching ornaments and ughh white lights.

As I was I believe in high school at the time, I was old enough to know this was unacceptable and must be remedied. So the Clark family started to have 2 trees. Mom's ugly one in the front living room (that we never go in) and my glorious tree in the den where we can daily bask in it's beauty.

Needless to say when I moved out, I had plenty of Christmas decor. And it was made abundantly clear to Carl upon our engagement, that we will ALWAYS have a real tree. I will sacrifice for the starving children of the world all year, but I will purchase a real tree, every year.

I also have an affinity for chubby trees. They just make me smile. So here is the Christmas tree poll to your right. Which do you prefer, the ugly white lights or the beautiful colored ones?

My majestic tree, it's so hard to capture the true beauty here...


Mom's ugly one

Cool Thing about Living in FL...Night Shuttle Takeoffs

So here's the latest shuttle takeoff from my driveway. You can even see the tanks drop off!

My cat is so weird

So notice that she picks up her dry food with her paw, puts it in her water, then eats it.



She's quit going for the feather birdie thing, but the flashlight has been working great.