Photo Card

Sunny Christmas Christmas

Shop Shutterfly for unique,Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

Gone but not Forgotten

Hello Friends!

Don't worry I haven't left you.  Just because the challenge is over does not mean I won't be keeping this updated, I promise.  I have just had a lot on my mind this past week or so.  Such as...

1. Graduate School
I am taking two classes this semester and they started last week.  So far so good.  The pace is slow to start but as I've looked forward on the course calenders, I see that it won't be that way for long and I'll soon be very busy with school work.  Keeping up with online classes has also proved different for me.  Its not that I'm not doing the work.  Its just harder for me to keep track of all the deadlines and assignments.  I guess the whole going to class thing I did as an undergrad kept it all more fresh in my mind.  Also that fact that my main focus was school at the time probably contributed to this as well.  I'm working out the kinks and figuring out how to keep all the pieces (full time work, husband, school, home & social life) of my life in order.  I also recently found out that apparently at this particular university, classes become open much earlier than at the college(s) I went to for undergrad.  Unbeknownst to me, Spring 2012 classes have been open for registration for God knows how long and all the ones I need for next semester are now closed.  Arg!  But the chair of the department is working on getting more sections added.  I'm really praying she does so that I don't get behind.  Additionally, I'm still figuring out how the financial aid system works at this particular school.  I currently have a bill for the semester however I am supposed to have enough financial aid to cover it.  I just can't remember how this worked when I was at Southern but I really hope they realize I have the financial aid because I can't pay out of pocket for my classes.

2. Work Winter Bid
Twice a year, in my department, we "bid" for a particular work schedule.  About two weeks before we actually make these choices, "bid lines" are released to us.  These are all the weekly schedule's we can choose from.  People choose based on days off, hours and location.  This past bid, I was fortunate enough to get my first choice.  However that definitely won't be happening this upcoming bid as there are fewer options in the winter.  We "bid" in order of seniority, and yours truly is at the bottom of that list.  So I've also been stressing about that.  The upcoming bid is 8 months and takes us through the holiday season so its definitely an important choice.  Also, hubs' work location is being vague about whether he is going to be switching shifts or days off in the near future, so I don't even know what days off to choose.  I really don't want to choose the ones he has now just to have them switch him next month.  Ugh.  I'll be glad when its over. (About 10am on Friday, in case you were wondering)

3. Home/Social Life
For the past year this has been a struggle for me.  I really have trouble balancing taking care of my home/being domestic, taking care of myself and hubs and spending time with friends.  It has taken me about 3 years to really make friends here in Orlando.  I had gotten used to spending essentially all my free time with the husband and now throwing a few friends in the mix is a change.  Don't get me wrong, I am SO happy to finally have made friends with some amazing people here. And part of me knows that, if I'd like to maintain these friendships, I do need to go out and be social.  But at the same time, since I know that hubs may be switching back to 3rd shift, I want to take advantage of the fact that he's awake during the day right now.  Moreover, he is starting school this week so we will not see each other at all two days a week from now until May.  Its all part of my constant struggle with balance.

Don't take this as excuses or complaining.  This is just what has been going on in my life since the challenge ended.  I'll be doing some more fun posts soon.  I'm looking forward to finishing the Best Day Ever! Series and beginning the Newlywed series.

PS. Check out and follow my husband's blog: New World 

Thanks for reading.

Blog Challenge Day 24: Challenge Complete!

Well, here you have it folks.  The last post of my blog challenge.  And just in time too since I was just looking at the syllabus for my one of graduate classes this semester and it looks like they will definitely be keeping me busy.  I am going to do my best to continue posting on a regular basis though.  I'm hoping to write a minimum of once or twice a week.  I feel like I have a good momentum going now so I feel that this is a reasonable goal.  However, I will have to find that balance of feeling like I'm keeping up with the blog and writing continuously without having it consume most of my free time.  I'm an "all or nothing" person so this will be a challenge in and of itself.  I have enjoyed however taking the time of out every day to write.  I hope that this is something that I'll continue whether its for this blog, school or my own personal journal.  The challenge definitely forced me to think about writing everyday which is something I was hoping it would do.  I don't feel that all my posts were hugely successful and some did not contain enough actual writing.  However, the challenge wasn't necessarily about writing a piece of literature every day.  It was about making a commitment to post daily and sticking to it.  I did this for the most part and although there were some days I just couldn't find the time to sit and write a post worth publishing, I always made up for it.  My goal was to write 24 posts in 24 days and that is what I have done.  I know its really silly but I'm proud of myself for sticking to it.  Especially since it was something I came up with completely on my own, challenged myself to do on my own and had to motivate myself to complete on my own.  I guess it was self-empowering.  I'm also glad I did it just before starting classes because I was (and still am) very rusty in my writing.  This helped me break though those initial barriers and writers block and hopefully my writing has improved.  Thanks to everyone who supported me in this endeavor and those who read my posts.  Special thanks to my husband for reminding me to write my posts on those days when the blog would slip my mind.  I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog challenge posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Thanks for reading.

BC24-8/22

Blog Challenge Day 23: BDE IV

Best Day Ever! Snip Bits from our Wedding Day: We're Married!

When I left you last, I was basking in the joy of the first moments of my marriage.  I was so thrilled as we walked back through the church hand in hand to the beautiful chorus of Mendelssohn's Wedding March.  We mingled in the foyer for a few minutes getting hugs and congratulations for our immediate families as everyone got into place for what turned out to be one of my favorites parts of the day: the receiving line.

It was so nice to be able to greet and thank each one of our guests as they recessed out of the church.  Since we live out of state, this was the first time we'd seen many of our family and friends in two years.  We were also fortunate enough to meet some of each others' extended family which we hadn't been able to in the past. 

All the hugs, congratulations and compliments on my dress were so joyful and genuine; it made me feel so blessed that each one of these people had come to share in our special day.  My bridesmaids also did me the honor of forming their own little receiving line on the church porch and greeting all of our guests.

Once we had seen everyone, we excitedly signed our marriage certificate, finally making it official on paper.  I wanted to have some photos at the church so our families and bridal party happily obliged.  Many of our guests were still mingling on the church lawn awaiting our exit.  They were prepared with bubbles and cheers for us as we made our way down the stairs.

I felt like I was on display as we waiting for a go ahead to leave the church.  Since no one had really thought about how this segue would go, we just sort of stood around in front of our guests waiting for someone to tell us to leave.  Looking back it seems sort of silly since it was my wedding and I didn't have any sort of planner or day of coordinator, but I was still waiting for someone to tell me what to do.  I guess this was really my first decision as a married woman.  As funny as it sounds.  The thing was, after waiting a few minutes for someone to send everyone off to the reception, I realized, the person they were waiting for was me.  I remember looking around for my mom, thinking that she should be the one telling me what to do.  But I was married now, so I guess in terms of this moment, it was my turn to call the shots.  Either way, after lots of giggles and a little embarrassment, our photographer got some photos of us getting into the limo. Then we were off watching the church and few stragglers waving goodbye disspear into the distance.

Finally, a moment alone.  We were able to hug and kiss and revel in our moment.  Our first moments alone as man and wife.  We breathed a sigh of relief as the nerve racking part of the day was over.  We popped our champagne and chatted about the day as we made our way to the reception.  We both conceded that we were so excited and happy about how wonderful the ceremony was but we both agreed that the day was going by so quickly.  Before we knew it (as it was only 15 minutes away) we were at the reception hall and ready to get our party started!

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC23-8/21

Blog Challenge Day 22: BDE III

Best Day Ever! Snip Bits from our Wedding day: The Ceremony

The last post of Best Day Ever! left you with my bridal party and I enjoying our limo ride to the church.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I could barely believe that we were there and that this was really it.  Honestly the ceremony is such a blur of emotions to me.  I don't really remember it specifically but I do vividly remember the feelings, emotions and senses I felt during it.  I got out of the limo onto my red carpet and heard the excited voices of my two sorority sisters who were still outside the church handing programs to the last few stranglers to arrive.

 I will never forget the looks on their faces when we walked past them to enter the church by the side entrance as to not be seen.  They were filled with joy and excitement being the first ones to see my in my dress and be there for my special day.  And then of course one of them whipped out her camera :)  Upon entering the church, the reality of the situation really hit me.  Everyone was there ready to begin.  I saw some of my family for the first time that day and was feeling very excited but getting nervous for the actual ceremony.

I was never nervous about getting married but the thought of being in front of all the most special people in my life saying my vows did give me some butterflies in my stomach.  After of few minutes of sorting out flowers and getting my grandmother into her seat, it was time for us to line up.  Of course being at the back I smiled at each of my girls as she began he walk down the aisle.  For a moment I felt like I might cry but was able to compose myself.  Our usher and a mutual friend of one of my bridesmaids shut the doors and waited for the cue.  "Here comes the bride."  After a moment of confusion of which chorus I was actually going to start walking on, they looked at me, asked, "ready?" to which I took a deep breath, smiled and nodded.  They both smiled back, opened the doors and I was instantly flooded with sights, sounds and smells which had before been muted behind the white double doors.  I remember it feeling warm and inviting,  I remembe smelling the burning candles and seeing all the beautiful gold light they had created.  I remember seeing all the people standing, watching me as I emerged from the foyer which had apparently become flooded with the afternoon sun behind me when the doors had been opened.

After a moment, I began to walk (far too quickly, I think) down the aisle.  I don't really remember the walk too well as I was concentrating on 1) smiling 2) trying not to run down the aisle and 3) not tripping and falling.  Once I made it to the end, I saw my husband looking extremely calm and happy which made me feel instantly relaxed and ready to get married!

As we exchanged our vows I remember having the most intense feeling of happiness I think I have ever felt.  Our pastor was so wonderful and brought so much joy to the ceremony which really translated what I was feeling.  I remember feeling so overwhelmed as I was making those sacred promises to my husband that I nearly began to cry because I couldn't believe I was finally saying those words.  I remember squeezing my husband's hands so tightly and nearly jumping up and down when the pastor finally announced that we were married! Waiting through a prayer for our special first kiss was so difficult for me.  But it was worth everything.  And then that wonderful moment after the kiss when we held hands to tightly, smiled at the pastor, smiled at each other, smiled for the camera and finally to all our family and friends as were announced as husband and wife.

 It is honestly so hard for me to convey into words how it felt.  As we walking back through the tears, smiles and applause of our family and friends, I remember thinking I couldn't believe it was over so quickly.  So many years of waiting, so many hours of planning and just like that we were married and I was overwhelmed with joy.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC22-8/20

Blog Challenge Day 21: Origins

Today we were strolling through Barnes & Noble looking for ideas for books to get for the Kindle when I came across "Brave New World" and others by Aldous Huxley.  This got me thinking about the origin of my first name.  I looked around the shelves for her but it seems Barnes & Noble doesn't carry her books; or at least not in that section of the store.  The her I speak of is Elspeth Huxley.  She is also an author and is related by marriage to Aldous Huxley.  Yes, I do realize that my name is not Elspeth.  (Its also NOT Elizabeth either!)  However this is where my parents heard the name. 

So here's the story of how I became Elsbeth (pieced together from stories of my birth from my mom).  I was born just after midnight on the first of November. One of the delivery nurses asked my mom for my first name.  She responded "Elspeth."  Needless to say the nurse did not react well to that name so my mom opted to changed the "p" to a "b" because that's more normal. (haha just kidding mom!)  And there you have it. 

Although my name tends to give me difficulty when introducing myself to new people, I don't think it being Elspeth would have made a difference.  I'm very glad my mom wasn't so taken aback by that nurses response that she changed it to Elizabeth.  No thank you.  I like having a unique name.  Its a good conversation starter if nothing else.  And I'm glad she didn't stick to her guns with Elspeth either.  Not only doesn't it sound completely different then Elsbeth but it also has that "p" with its stem going down below the rest of the letters.  To me, with my OCD tendencies, it would drive me crazy to see that one letter stem just chilling down there in the middle of my name.  I like the way Elsbeth looks much better.

I would love to know the origin's of your names.  Anyone else have a story about how they were named?

Thanks for reading.

BC21-8/19 

Blog Challenge Day 20: Weekend!

Its the freakin' weekend baby I'm about to have me some fun!

Its my weekend anyway.  For those of us who work at Disney, we all have our own "weekend."  Being a seven day a week company makes it highly unlikely that I could ever get an actual weekend off.  As a full timer, I'm entitled to my own weekend which currently is Friday/Saturday.  Hubs is the same so we're fortunate enough to get our weekends off together. 

It always seems like the work week drags on and the weekends fly by.  I feel like this is true for most people.  I also seem to have trouble allocating my "free" or weekend time.  I feel like what I want to do in my non-work time falls into three categories.  1. Chores 2. Relaxing 3. Going out and doing things.  No matter how much I go into a weekend with the intent of doing a satisfactory amount of all three, it rarely happens that way.  As much as part of relaxing is not having every moment planned out like during my work days, I feel that if I don't plan out my weekends, I don't feel satisfied at the end.  Its not that I haven't enjoyed the weekend.  Often its that, I've spent too much time on one activity.  Too much relaxing and not enough chores.  Too much going out and doing things and not enough relaxing.  So I guess the best way for me to do this is tentatively plan it out.  But to remember if I don't stick exactly to my plan, that that is okay and that whats important is that I'm enjoying my time away from work.

Enjoy your weekend too...during whatever part of the week you have free time.

Thanks for reading.

BC20-8/18