Disney Bound

Yes, on Sunday the Culp and Broome families will arrive in Disney World for 5 days of memory making fun!  We have been anticipating this trip since the first of Feb. and blowing Etsy and Amazon up with Disney purchases. ~no joke~ Truly, half the fun of any big trip is all the planning that goes into it.

I contacted a friend of our daughter's who is also a Disney Planner and she has absolutely taken care of everythig.  She emailed us our itinerary this past week and it was a bit overwhelming.  We will certainly use it as our guide but  not sure that we can possibly do everything she has planned for us. She did schedule rest time each day and I'm pretty sure all 10 of us will be glad of that. This will be mine, Hubby's and our kids 6th trip to Disney and we've never had an agenda and we had a wonderful time every time.  I do know that Disney has changed a lot and as I said, we'll definitely use our agenda as a guide but we will probably make some modifications as needed.

Our Magic Bands arrived a couple of weeks ago and this is a new addition to Disney since our last visit almost 9 years ago.  These little fellas are truly magic.  They will just be zapped for our entrance, our hotel key, our meals, our rides and any purchases that we make while we are there.  That's a bit scary isn't it?  I'm thinking that things may have gone a little far in the technical world.

We found these shirts on Etsy and decided that they would be our one Disney shirt for all 10 of us and on one our days we will all wear these and we all have a different color.  We will definitely have a family photo taken that day.  On the other days the girls have pretty much co-ordinated their families shirts but Poppa and I will not necessarily co-ordinate but we will have on Disney shirts.

Our DIL created the vinyl image for the top shirt.  I think it is the cutest and Poppa will wear it proudly.

You can't really tell by these pictures but these shirts have BLING!  I love bling and didn't really have any trouble finding Disney with bling.

And, of course, each family needs a backpack.  No one wants to keep up with a purse and carrying a backpack is the only way to go to keep up with the necessary items.

Then I had to find something to put my cell phone in where it would be very convenient for me to grab.  It will serve as my camera and I do not want to have to dig in our backpack to get it.  So, this cute little cell phone crossbody purse should serve the purpose well.  You can't really tell in the picture but it's a beautiful silver leather.  It will match all my bling. ~sparkle-sparkle~

Two of the necessary items in our backpack will be these insulated water bottles customized by our DIL.

Some other items that will be in our backpack will be Wet Ones, sunscreen and rain ponchos.  These travel pouches of Wet Ones are "the cat's meow" for sure.  I keep a pack in my purse at all times and they will definitely be in our backpack.  And, we will be very conscious of using sunscreen!  And, once our rain pouches have to come out of those neat little mesh bags I'm quite sure they will never go back in that neatly. ~shucks~   I'll be sure and take some gallon size Ziploc bags to store them in after their first use. ~smart idea~

I hope we have thought of everything and if not, well, it will be fine.  And, hopefully mine and Hubby's flight will be "hitch free" and we will arrive on time and catch the Magical Express to Disney World.  Then the fun will begin and I'll have lots to "show and tell" when we return..

Added note:  Not sure anyone reading was really interested in this post but I wanted this in my blog book that I have printed every year so I had to do this post.  And, then perhaps if anyone reading this is planning a Disney trip you will get some good ideas for your trip. 

  Stay tuned...............

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

And, it's Wednesday, and that means the Hodgepodge..............

1. What makes you feel accomplished? Explain.
Anytime I have a sizeable task to do and I finish it and all goes as planned I feel accomplished.  One such task would be when I filled out the application for my Dad to receive VA Benefits this past fall.  It was form after form and lots of i's to dot and t's to cross, information to gather and I did it and he was granted the maximum benefit.  I felt such a sense of accomplishment.  And, even the VA representative that guided me through the process said he had never seen such a neat and organized application. 
Another more recent task would be changing our bank accounts.  Have mercy, it has been a huge task of changing automatic deposits, automatic bill payments and on and on.  But, it's almost done and I'm feeling most accomplished.

2. If you had  your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? Tell us why.
Ann Graham Lotz - Ann is Billy Graham's daughter and such a woman of God and I'd love to ask her more details about her life as the daughter of one of the world's greatest men.
Kate , the Duchess of Cambridge - I would like to also hear about her life growing up and did she ever imagine herself being where she is today.
Tiger Woods - I would just love to ask him what is "ailing" him.  I mean, he's pitiful and blowing his entire future in life and golf. It's very sad to me! I feel sure that he is living with a whole lot of mental pain (and perhaps physical as well) stemming from a most overbearing father.  As I said, it is just very sad. I pray he can and will get the help that he needs.
I'm sure there are many others but these were the first 3 to come to my mind.  How interesting!

3. Do you have a great burger recipe? What's in it? What do you like on a hamburger and where is your favorite spot to order one out?
I do not have a great burger recipe, I have no burger recipe at all.  I generally buy the patties already made, I flatten them as we do not like thick burgers, I sprinkle them with plenty of salt and pepper and throw them on the grill.  Hubby and I think they are very good.  I have mine with spicy mayo, onion, pickles and lettuce.  I do not have a favorite place to order one, I rarely eat a burger out.


4. What's the biggest anxiety producing thing you do on a regular basis?
With tongue in cheek.............get up and face each day.  Every day generally has some type of anxiety producing moments.  It might be the traffic, a long wait in the check out line, a health issue, a family issue and the list goes on and on.  It's all I could think of, so thus, this is my answer.

5. This is the last Hodgepodge of May. Tell us about your summer plans.
Well, to kick off summer our entire family, all 10 of us, will go to Disney World this Sunday.  This time next week half of our stay will be behind us. ~that's hard to believe~
 In early July my brother, his wife and their daughter will come for a visit and then towards the end of July our daughter and her boys will come for a visit.
Hubby and I have no plans to go anywhere after the Disney trip but if the right trip came along, we might be game.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This is probably TMI but I've been prepping for a colonoscopy while doing this post.  I always do my posts the night before I publish them and as you are reading this I'm probably having the procedure done at our local hospital.  Can I just say that if my Dad had not had colon cancer I probably would not be doing this.  The prep is absolutely dreadful and especially since the "powers that be" decided since my last one 5 years ago, that there needs to be another dose 3 hours before your procedure.  So, I have almost finished drinking round 1 but have got to go through it again at 3:00 AM.  Of course, I know the importance of this test first hand, it saved my Daddy's life.  But, the prep is NOT for the faint of heart for sure!  The procedure is a breeze, especially the twilight sleep that they put you in for the process.  It's the best sleep in the world.

Have a great rest of the week!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday and it's the Hodgepodge.  Joyce came up with some doozies today.  I think you will enjoy!

1. What color is prominent in your home? Are you glad about that or wishing you could cover it up or remove it?
A beautiful muted gold color is in our living areas and I absolutely love it and so glad that our designer directed me to that color.  It is perfect in my estimation but I love every color in our house .

2. What's something you'll NEVER do again?
Several years ago I decided that I wanted to get permanent makeup.  I started by having my eyebrows and eyeliner done.  It was somewhat uncomfortable but nothing to make me wish I had not done it and the healing wasn't too bad either. (and I've had both done again)  So, those went so well that I decided I would get permanent lip liner and lipstick.  Well, let me assure you that I will NEVER do that again.  The process was horrible but once you get started on something like that then you (in my opinion) are committed, so I hung on and let the gal finish.  Now, she had talked to me about getting a dental block and I told her that I did not need that. ~not a good decision~  And, when I tell you that the swelling afterwards was painful, I mean PAINFUL!  My lips were turned wrong side out the next morning and for several days afterwards.  I really thought I had ruined my lips.  But, over time they did heal but the finished look was certainly NOT worth the discomfort  pain.

3. Tell us a couple of ways you fit the stereotypes associated with your gender, and a couple of ways you don't.

A couple of ways I do:
I love all things feminine
I love to shop
I could list a few others but since Joyce only asked for 2, I'll stop here.

A couple of ways I don't:
I'm very decisive, I do not labor over decisions.
I'm generally accepting of reality, I do not live in a fairy tale world.

4. May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Have you ever owned a motorcycle? Ever ridden a motorcycle? If the opportunity presented itself would you hop on a motorcycle and go for a ride?
No, indeed, I have never owned a motorcycle.  Hubby owned a really small one about 35+ years ago for a short, short time and I think I may have ridden with him one time down the road and back. No, I would not hop on one, I value my life too much.

5. If someone wanted to understand you, what should they read, watch, and listen to?
They could read the Bible or a Christian novel, watch Shark Tank or a Hallmark movie and listen to American Family Radio or contemporary Christian music. I can't wait to read others answer to this.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

The last of our family company left yesterday morning.  We have had my brother, Hubby's 2 sisters and their husbands and my nephew and his girlfriend come for visits over the last 4 weekends.  It was great being with all of them.  We have family in Iowa, Washington state, Georgia, Virginia and of course, our daughter in Oklahoma.  We don't see our family near as often as we would like but we're glad that we've seen most of them this past month. Now, I've got to put the finishing touches on my preparations for our family trip to Disney World that is fast approaching.  Two weeks from right now we'll be there making memories.

Monday's Musings

It's almost the end of May and what a full and busy month it has been.  We've had company every weekend, attended end of year celebrations, and we're gearing up for our family trip to Disney World in less than 2 weeks.  Summer has almost officially arrived!

Last Friday the door bell rang and when I opened the door there was a cute box that obviously had food in it.  As I opened the box I saw that my nephew and his girlfriend had sent the box as a "thank you" for our hospitality last weekend when they came to visit.  Amanda lives in Chicago so I'm thinking that she probably knows Lou Malnati's well and that their pizza is delicious.  We will be chowing down on this one day soon for sure.  It seems that today any and everything can be shipped, just add some dry ice and all is well.  It was such a thoughtful gesture on their part.  You should check out the website . They have all kinds of good looking food items that would be good for yourself or to send as a gift. And, I love that the side of the box says, "someone must really like you."  ~again, it's the little things~

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Our #1 Princess had her dance recital this past Friday evening.  Need I say that she definitely looks like a ballerina with those pretty long legs.  But, of course, ballet is not her favorite part of dance, she's more into tap and jazz.  This dance recital is a huge production and very lengthy.  I would dare say that both Moms, Dads and daughters are relieved that the recital is over and they can think about something else now. ~smile~

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While browsing through the new issue of Southern Living magazine the other day I ran across a recipe that intrigued me.  The name was Blueberry Cornmeal Cake.  I wasn't sure I had read the name correctly, I mean, cornmeal in a cake.  I wasn't too sure about that but I love all things blueberry and decided to make it.  And, it's made in a springform pan which is also different.  Well, the cornmeal is added, so the recipe says, for added texture, but I truly was not all that fond of it.  And, it's not very sweet at all but it is definitely full of blueberries.  Hubby and our company thought it was good and that's all that counts but it likely will not make my  favorite baked goods list. I'm wondering what would happen if I omitted the 1/2 cup of cornmeal and added that much additional flour.  I'll think on that one.
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I can hardly believe that this rose bed is barely a year old and they have grown and bloomed by leaps and bounds.  They make such a statement as we look out the back windows.  And, our Bougainvillea that we planted a month ago in pots has already tripled in size.  I thought the pots we planted them in were entirely too big but Hubby assured me that they were not.  And, again, he was right. ~what can I say~  Of course, the backdrop of the pond is soooo pretty.  It's just a small body of water but it's right out our backdoor and we enjoy it so much.

Until next time...............

Lea's Favorites

It's time for some of my favorites, tested, tried and liked or enjoyed by ME! How much better could it be?

This fragrance has been around for many years and it's been many years since I have used it.  I was in need for some new and decided to get it again.  I loved it the last time I used it and I love it this time just as much.  Lady Primrose makes several different fragrances but Royal Extract is my favorite.  It isn't heavy or overwhelming, just a light and clean smell.  And, the other part that I like is that it is not found in department stores, thus not every woman in the country wears it. ~wink~  If you are in need of a new fragrance you might give it a try.  And, the body cream is wonderful as well.  It is no more expensive than nice fragrances and these will last me about a year.  I love the gold bee that is on the front of the perfume bottle. ~it's the little touches~

If you don't know about these little goodies, you are missing out on a delightful, low calorie snack.  I love the BIG drumsticks but they have wayyyyy more than 110 calories.  So, very often these serve as my night time snack and I savor all 8-10 bites. ~smile~  They really are good!

I started using these air freshening pearls about 2 years ago and  have used them in our bathrooms ever since.  They come in several scents and offer a light refreshing scent.  I prefer the Fresh Linen scent.  Over time the little pearls dissolve until the jar is empty (about 3-4 months).  I generally place them on the back of the commode.  These and diffusers have pretty much replaced my using candles in any shape, form or fashion.

If you are looking for a lower calorie chip that doesn't taste like cardboard then look no further.  I first tried the plain baked and truly they are full of crunch but that would be all for sure.  But, when I bought these it was like a party in my mouth.  They are soooo good.  I think they have another flavor as well but I am so pleased with these that I'm sticking with them.  I usually eat a half sandwich every day for lunch and I HAVE to have chips.  I'm by chips like some folks are chocolate.  I love them so I'm so glad they came out with some with a lot less calories and a whole lotta crunch.

I ran across this treasure a couple of months ago and I snagged myself a jar.  I LOVE peanut butter and like the crunchy kind but, my teeth prefer that I stay away from larger pieces of nuts in anything.  It's awful when you have so many root canals, crowns and implants that you must be careful of what you eat.  Anyhow, this is great and has crunch without large pieces of peanuts.  They are ground into every bite of the peanut better and it's even more delicious on a vanilla wafer with a dallop of chocolate hazelnut spread on top. Yum, yum, yummy!!

When we moved into our new house almost 2 years ago I bought a new mixer.  I know that KitchenAid is suppose to be "the be all, do all."  But.................have you ever tried to move one of those babies.  I did not opt to have an appliance garage or a mixer lift so I need to carry my mixer from the pantry when I  use it.  In my research I came across this compact mixer by Bosch and decided to order it.  The rest is history  I absolutely love this mixer and I doubt that it weighs 5# and it fits very nicely on a pantry shelf.  It's around $175 which is half the price or less than the famed Kitchen Aid. ~just sayin'" ~ 

And, there you have it, another edition of Lea's Favorites.  Hope one of these will soon become a favorite of yours.

Have yourself a wonderful weekend.  We will be enjoying more family guests this weekend.

The Hodgepodge

And, it's Wednesday, once again, and here's the Hodgepodge questions.

1. May 17th is National Pack Rat Day. Sidebar-should we be celebrating this? Hmmm...
Hummm..........I think not.  Celebrating something sounds like to me you are endorsing it and folks don't need encouraging to hang on to "stuff."  It's epidemic as it is without a celebration.

Are you a pack rat? Even if you're not a full fledged pack rat, most people have one thing or another they struggle to part with. Tell us what's yours.
I am definitely not a pack rat.  I make regular trips to the thrift stores in our areas.  I do have some of our children's baby clothes, some keep sakes  and a few other items that I would have great difficulty parting with.

2. What are two things you know you should know how to do, but you don't?
#1 - I'm should know all the ins and outs of all the gadgets on my vehicle. I know about the ones I use on a regular basis and that stressed my brain enough so I left the others to the wind.
#2 - I can say the same thing about our Smart TV's.  I know how to do enough to make them work for us and our interests but they can do far more than we'll probably ever use them for. 

3. Do you crave sugar? Do you add sugar to your coffee and/or tea? Do you use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes? When dining out is dessert a given? Are you someone who has slain the sugar dragon, and if so tell us how you did it.
I do not crave sugar.  I enjoy something sweet but it isn't "do or die" for me.  I do add Stevia to my coffee.  Often I will split a dessert with someone.  I think the whole key to sugar and eating period is self control.  I don't deprive myself of anything but I practice portion control.  To me a little is better than none at all. ~big chuckle~

4. What's a trend it took a while for you to come round to, but now you can't imagine living without?
Well, the first thing that came to my mind was leggings and jeggings.  I said I would not be caught dead in either.  I begin seeing them paired with cute tunics (the kind that cover everything properly) and I really liked the look.  First thing I knew I had bought myself some and now wear them a lot and feel very comfortable in them.

5. What's a song that reminds you of a specific incident in your life? Please elaborate.
Well, it wouldn't be just one song, but when I hear any of the old hymns (Just a Little Talk With Jesus, Jericho Road, Whispering Hope, His Eye Is On The Sparrow,etc) it takes me back to the days of my Dad's early pastorates in small rural churches.  Those were precious times for me and evoke memories of  a very different time.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I have spent the past two days working feverishly closing out 2 bank accounts, our home and our business.  We have done business with the same bank since we married, 46 years ago.  At that time it was a locally owned bank and customer service couldn't be beat.  We have watched it sell about 3 times and it is now a part of one of the nations largest banking systems and they do not know what customer service is in any fashion.  We have wanted to move our accounts for a few years but it is such a difficult task that we just kept putting it off.  Well, we have 2 other accounts at another bank and we been more than pleased with their overall operation and customer service.  Sooooooo, I took the bull by the horns and began the process on Monday of moving our main accounts there.  I first opened the accounts, then ordered new checks, then began the dreadful process of dealing with all the automatic drafts and automatic deposits.  Goodness, I feel like I have run and won a marathon!  The wheels are in motion now and I "think" I have remembered to dot all my "i's" and cross all my "t's."  It will likely take about 45 days for everything to  gel but I think we're on the right track.  So, there you have my random thought! ~chuckle~

Monday's Musings

Whee! what a fun, fun Mother's Day weekend it was around here.  If we had had any more fun, I'm not sure Poppa and I would have survived. ~grin~  It all began on Thursday evening when my nephew and his girlfriend arrived. Aren't they just the cutest!

Warren just finished his junior year of college and will be doing an internship in Chicago this summer.  Amanda graduated from college this past Dec. and is now serving as a tour guide for 2 of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses in Chicago.  They are both so, so talented and love the theater and even shared a bit of their talent with us this weekend.

Warren is my Dad's youngest grandchild and he and Amanda shared some very special moments with Daddy this weekend. He thoroughly enjoyed being with them.

They had a great time doing things, such as riding the 4-wheeler, that they never have a chance to do.  They got to see what life in rural America is all about. ~grin~ And, might I add, they are both so thoughtful and respectful and renewed our hope in the young adults of today.

They had a blast fishing and took our little boat out, cruised the pond and caught a couple of fish in the process.

Tommy had a great time giving Amanda all the tips of fishing and teaching her to drive the boat. And, yes that is a Disney fishing pole she has in her hand that our Grans use.  But, it is a great pole and she caught her share of fish on it.

On Saturday evening our son and his family joined in on the fun and my Daddy even got in on the action.  I'm not sure we ever realized what fun this pond would be.

It was fun to see the cousins enjoy each other as well.  They've always lived many miles apart so their time together has been very limited.  

This was probably the best Mother's Day I have had since my Mom died 8 years ago.  It is always so sad for me and we had so much going on around here that I didn't have time to be sad.  Bridget sent me that gorgeous bouquet of flowers and Brandon and family gave me one of the new inverted umbrellas and an insulated monogramed water bottle for our upcoming Disney trip.  

These two pictures came to me as both our daughter and DIL were headed out the door to church with their sweet families yesterday.  I am so proud of both of them and the wonderful Mothers they are to our Grans.

It was indeed a most special family weekend!