Vacation Goals

We usually go on vacation twice a year.  However, due to scheduling conflicts, we were not able to go on vacation until now.  To say we were ready is a huge understatement.

We are on a mission to visit all 50 states and this time it was Florida!  Disney World to be exact.

Our good friend is a Disney travel agent for Vacations Gone Goofy (in fact, we have several friends that work for this great company).  She has been helping us plan for months.  We told her exactly what we wanted to do, how long we wanted to stay, etc., and she made it all happen.

We stayed at the All Star Sports Resort in the baseball section (of course!) and spent 2 days in Magic Kingdom and 2 days in Epcot.

To be honest, it was probably 2 days too long for our family.  We are not die hard Disney fans (sorry, friends), but we wanted to experience these 2 parks.  We could've spent just one day in each park and been good. Plus, after walking about 500 miles each day (cue the song by The Proclaimers), our feet were so tired and sore.

We saw a lot of characters, but we didn't want to wait in line to meet them.

We went on all of our favorite rides: Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain, and more!

We saw some fantastic architecture.

We also saw some magical fireworks every night.

We did have fun, ate lots of food, went on lots of rides (and even felt motion sickness from one of them), but it was time to really relax.  So, off to the beach we went.

We've been to Gulf Shores before and we were so excited to go back.  The only downfall was that we were not there long enough.  We always stay at a condo on the beach and it's the most relaxing place, we were never in a rush to do anything, and we could listen to those waves crash all day long.  

There was a hurricane in the Caribbean and it affected all of the gulf.  The water came in closer than usual in the morning, brought some light afternoon showers, and the waves were a little more unruly.

Gulf Shores always has spectacular sunrises and sunsets and we got to see dolphins every single morning.

All too soon, it was time to head home.  Back to reality and all the responsibilities that await us.  But we're already looking forward to our next vacation!

Work Goals-The End

The end of the road.  The end of the journey.  The end of the chapter.   Closing one door.  Whatever you want to call it, it's here.  After eight years, my time as a music preschool teacher has come to an end.  I will now spend my days as a full-time Music Therapy student at a nearby university.

The years have gone fast and honestly, sometimes the days were long.  They were tough.  They have been exhausting and even caused some tears.  However, the days full of joy, laughter, and lots of amazing music is what I'll remember the most.

To my fabulous boss...
I remember the day I told God I wanted to work in music again.  I wanted to find that passion that I had briefly lost.  The very next day was when I was offered this job.  Thank you for being obedient and so instrumental in my life.  We have cried, laughed, and experienced so much together.  Our friendship is deeper than just being co-workers.  There were many, many times we spent in your office talking about more than just work and simply sharing our hearts with each other.  Most importantly, you always let me be me.  My personality is definitely like no one else's, but you never once tried to change that. 

To my fellow teachers and co-workers...
I will always be thankful for your support and love over the years.  You put up with my sarcastic remarks, repetitive songs, and love of The Wiggles.  You lifted me up and prayed over me when it was warranted.  Some of the wonderful friendships that have been formed will surely last forever.  My favorite part is always when you request a favorite song that I have played throughout the years.  Victor Vito, anyone?

To the parents...
I had the privilege of teaching your oldest child, your middle child, and even your youngest child.  You have flooded me with thoughtful notes, kind gestures, and amazing gifts.  I absolutely love when you share a story of your child singing a song at home that they had learned in my classroom. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to be just one small part in your child's life.    

To my students...
I will never forget you.  I will never forget the hilarious stories and comments you were always eager to share with me.  I will never forget the hugs, I love you's, and smiles.  We laughed so much together while you let me sing in my opera voice, mimic your dance moves, and be just a big kid.  You were always so ready to learn all about God and the powerful Bible stories.  You soaked in the music theory and amazed yourself when you realized you could write your own musical compositions.  YOU are the reason I have found my passion for music again.  YOU are the reason that I want to learn how to help other children through the powerful therapy of music.  YOU are the reason I stayed for so long and YOU are the reason I am leaving.  My heart is full.

As I say good-bye to this part of my life, I am saying good-bye to many other things as well.  The emotions run very deep and personal.  But will I look back with fond memories?  Absolutely!  Will I have any regrets of anything that has transpired over these years?  Never.

I know I am exactly where God wants me to be. 

Baseball Goals

Preston just finished a very long Spring season of baseball.  Practice started the first week of January and we played our 44th and final game this past Sunday.  We started as a 9UAA team and finished as a 9UAAA team.

To say we learned a lot this season is a huge understatement.  We learned what expectations we wanted as a baseball player, as an assistant coach/dad, and as a mom/cheerleader.  We have witnessed poor sportsmanship and great sportsmanship.  We have seen umpire's make some really lousy calls and some spot on calls.  We experienced heartache at a tough loss and jubilee at a really great win.  But most importantly, Preston's love for the game just grew tremendously.

This season Preston played pitcher...

 catcher...

and 1st base.

 He hit hard...

 so he could run hard.

 Sometimes Preston had to slide to get that run...

and sometimes it was easier.  

 They tried to pick him off...

 and other times he did the picking.

Preston tried to warn his teammates when someone was stealing...

and other times he did the stealing (which is his favorite thing to do).

Sometimes players fell on him...

 and sometimes he did the fall on his own (he dove off the pitcher's mound, caught the ball in the air and it is securely in his glove).

 Baseball can be serious business...

but it can also be loads of fun.

Especially when you bring home a trophy...

and when you are blessed enough to have your dad as an assistant coach.