Stress

This has been a stressful stressful week.  By looking at what I do all day you would never know how stressful it can be!

I think one of these might be in my cards for the weekend... Swedish massage compliments of my lovely husband!

"Hogwarts A History"

Hogwarts

This coming week will soon become a significant landmark in my history.  This weekend an epic battle will be fought and many lives will be lost.  The good guys will fight the bad guys and only one can win.  It has been a long fight.  A hard fight.  A fight that began when I was a mere lass in Junior High School.  

For those of you who aren't quite as well read ;) , I am talking about the epic and classic tale of none other than Harry Potter.  The Chosen One.  The Boy Who Lived.  I have grown up with Harry Potter.  I remember checking out the first book when I was in the 6th grade and reading the last book when I was in my third year in college.  Thats a pretty significant chunk on my life spent in anticipation.  Anticipation about the next book, the next movie, and a visit to an amusement park attraction.  

In a way, Harry, Ron, and Hermione have taught me about loyalty, bravery, and friendship.  As Harry and his friends were growing up so was I.  When I read the last page of the last book I cried.  It was the end of something great.  Something I looked forward to and now something that I can look at and remember precisely what was happening in my own life as I was reading different parts of the story.

Now I am preparing to watch the final movie with my mother.  We're celebrating in true Harry Potter movie going style.  We will be wearing our dorky Harry Potter shirts, Harry Potter glasses, and carrying our wands.  We are seeing the double feature.  Deathly Hallows Part I followed by Part II at midnight.  And again I will cry because it marks the end of something that carried me through the final chapter of my childhood.  Something that I hope to share with my own children one day.

If you aren't a Harry Potter fan, you are rolling your eyes about now.  If you are, then I think you understand.  :)  Pictures to come.

Drinking Butterbeer with my Mama

The Elder Wand

Ignore the weird man in the doorway...

I don't know if you can see, but there is puke
coming out of this ghoul's mouth.

Honeydukes

All aboard the Hogwarts Express!

Happy 9th of July!

There may be one thing better than the 4th of July.  The weekend after the 4th of July.  Yes, you heard me right.  The weekend after.  It's like the 4th of July's appendage... or its big brother.  It's an encore to all of the fun that I had the previous weekend!  Complete with an amazing fireworks display that I wouldn't even be able to begin to justify by posting pictures.

Every year my family attends a fireworks celebration at Sugar Mill Lake.  There is food.  There are fireworks.  There is a golf cart parade.  Oh yes, a golf cart parade.  

All of the kids scramble for candy and trinkets in the 95 degree heat.  It's fun.  Really.  

Truthfully its all about family.  And friends.  And pie.

My grandmother prepares a feast that is concluded with pie.  Raspberry, peach, apple, and strawberry.  A 4th of July tradition... oh sorry... 9th of July.  Mmmmm....  Theres also a lot of cold beer, cornhole, card playing, napping, and just plain being with family.

I hope you had a Happy 9th of July!

This made me laugh... Ha!

Summer Treats

I love the Farmer's Market.  Here in Muncie its fairly small, but I like that fact that I can recognize all the vendors and they recognize me.  Like the guy who sells the Afghan Naan bread... when he sees me coming he is ready with the best of the selection of the bread.  Delicious, let me tell you, delicious!

The best part of Farmer's Market is the flowers.  I usually pass them by and dream about how beautiful they would look in my apartment, but I couldn't pass these up.  Aren't they lovely?

I think that Splinter liked them even more than me.  :)

I also picked up some of these.  Mmmm!

The Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye on the 4th of July.

What is better than an Indiana 4th of July.  Nothin, I tell you!  Swimming pools, fireworks, hot weather, and cookouts make this by far my favorite holiday of the year.  I love the heat.  I love the watermelon and corn on the cob.  And I love being with family and friends.

Caleb and I spent the long holiday weekend pooling it up with friends from our hometown.  I love going back.  Driving through the country with corn rising up to the sun on both sides.  The smell of cut grass and the hot breeze that almost has a life of its own.  Stars so bright at nighttime that you almost don't need the fireworks.  After living in a run-down city made of concrete and pavement its hard to deny the beauty and charm that I once took for granted in the place where I grew up.  Where cows are plentiful and and everyone waves when you pass them driving down the country roads.  Lovely.

Whats even more lovely?  My name twin and handsome husband.  Oh, and the hairy man you can see in the background of the first photo.

 

The amazingness continues this weekend with a family campout, reunion with an old friend, cookout, and a grand firework display at Sugar Mill Lake.

The Luckiest Gal on the Planet

Yesterday we celebrated two years married.  Could I be any luckier?

Did I mention that he got me an hour Swedish massage for an anniversary gift?  :)

A Parade of Dreams

I've got it bad.  The vacation blues.  It hits me hard every time I board that return flight, return to my apartment, and realize I have to unpack and return to work.  I. Love. Vacation.  And I never want them to end.  Caleb says that traveling wouldn't be so special if life was one continuous vacation, but I have a hard time finding the flaws in non-stop laying by the pool, sipping icy cocktails, going to fancy dinners, and visiting places as amazing as Disney World.  Not to mention spending 24/7 with the people that you love the most.

Caleb thinks I'm crazy, but I asked him to find a job in Orlando so that I can end my career as a social worker and work at Walt Disney World.  He thinks I'm joking, but deep down it has been a secret desire for years.  It started when I was little and wanted to be a Disney Princess (preferably Belle) and continued through college when I learned about the work programs that Universities advertise in which they partner with Disney World.  I know that in real life it wouldn't be near as glamorous as being a princess, but I also wouldn't mind selling ice-cream in one of those cute little shops in the Magic Kingdom.  And I could definitely man the "It's a Small World" ride.  Just a pipe dream.  :)

I'm in love with this picture...

While at the Magic Kingdom, my mom and I braved the heat... and when I say braved I'm not sure that is an exaggeration... our butts were on fire from sitting on the blistering hot curb and sweat was dripping from every inch of our being... anyway... we braved the heat of the mid-afternoon sun to see the parade.  The one with all the princesses.  Snow White was there.  And Cinderella.  And Jafar and Aladin.  And Belle.  Yes, Belle.  When she rolled around the corner on her float accompanied by Beast I felt like a little kid again.  I could remember what it felt like being a child watching Beauty and the Beast, wondering what my real life prince charming would be like... sure that I would find him somewhere as glamorous as a castle (I did find my prince charming, but definitely not in a castle...).  At this point in the day I knew that my mom was ready to go and sitting on a curb hotter than the face of the sun to see Disney Princesses was probably the last thing on her to-do list, but she did it for me.  I love my Mama.

One of the floats read "A Hundred Thousand Dreams to See."  This phrase is magical.  Not only when applied to our trip to Disney World, but in relation to life.  I truly believe I have a hundred thousand dreams to see.  And I can't wait!

Sharing this trip with my mom was special and time that I wouldn't trade for anything.  Lets not neglect the fact that we also went to Hogwarts together!  :)  I can't wait to tell you all about that in my next post!