"Where all your dreams come true!"

Before I overload you with pictures - I will give you a few comments. First off - Orlando was a blast! If you have never been to Disney World or Disneyland I highly recommend it. Even if you are 23 years old like myself. It was so much fun and I can't wait to take our kids there. Secondly, I finally experienced a real roller-coaster. The roller-coasters at Frontier City are baby's play compared to Universal Studios. WOW! My favorites: from Magic Kingdom I liked a lot of the traditional rides, Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Mansion, Carousel of Progress, and a new 3-D show called Mickey's Philharmagic. From Universal Studios - Revenge of the Mummy, MIB, and Jaws. From Island's of Adventure: The Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Spiderman (an awesome 3-D ride), and Jurassic Park. Really everything was fun. My advice: save up your money and go to Disney. And now onto the pictures:

Epcot - also a blast. They have the World Showcase there which is just amazing.
Me in front of a statue in "Italy."
Cocoa Beach - it was so nice. My first time to see the Atlantic. In fact, my first time to the East Coast.
Orlando Temple. It was so beautiful and peaceful.Samuel saying good-bye to Florida on the airplane!

For more photos you can go to our Flickr account (link on the right).

Good-bye and Hello

So many good-byes and hellos within the past couple of weeks I don't know wear to start.

Good-bye newborn Samuel - hello crawling-absolutely-curious-about-my-world-growing-up-too-fast Samuel. 7 months old and ready to conquer the world, I will have to post pictures later.

Good-bye Stillwater - hello Norman. I will miss the honest simplicity of Stillwater and most of all I will miss the people. So many good friends and my family. I'm excited to find what Norman will hold for our little family. We have only been here 5 days and so far we have experienced more adventures than I have time to write about - maybe a later post.

Good-bye 2008 - Hello 2009. So many exciting things happened in 2008, I can only imagine what 2009 will hold.

On Friday it will be:

Good-bye Oklahoma - Hello Orlando, Florida. My first time to Disneyworld! I'm so excited.

We had a great Christmas filled with family and food. Now it is time to cuddle with my hubby as we bring in the New Year together.

Happy New Year.

Graduation

"Every you'll find us, loyal and true, to our alma-mater...

...O...S...U!

Happy Graduation to my wonderful husband. He worked so hard to get his degree and I am so proud of him. He is incredible, dedicated, and intelligent.

I Love you, Carlin!

Books v. Movies

I thought I would combine two hobbies of mine and do a comparison of books-to-movies.

Book/Movie: Princess Bride
Love this movie - it's witty, funny, and has a lot of my favorite one-liners. The book is a bit long-winded, but most of the dialogue from the movie comes directly from the book. If you love reading then I would recommend the book, otherwise just stick with the movie.
Winner: Movie

Book/Movie: Ella Enchanted
Loved the book so much I bought it for my little sister. It's a retelling of Cinderella. Sadly, the movie falls very short. After watching an interview with Anne Hathaway (who plays Ella), I knew the movie wasn't going to follow the book. I was still sorely disappointed. Disney took a perfectly good story and warped it into a shallow, pre-teen targeted movie. Skip the two hour movie and just spend a few hours reading a great story. Better yet - make it a family affair and read it to your kids, they'll love it.
Winner: Book

Book/Movie: Twilight
Loved the book, liked the movie. The movie isn't the book by any means and you might be a little lost if you haven't read the book before watching the movie, but it's still good. Stephenie Meyer has a style of writing that I absolutely love which is why I like the book so much. Remember that the book and movie are targeted to teenage girls who are romantics.
Winner: Book

Book/Movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Loved both the book and the movie - for different reasons. I feel they did a good job adapting this book to the screen. They managed to capture the essence of the book without completely ruining the story. It does have a bit of Hollywood ending while the book is a bit more realistic.
Winner: Both

Book/Movie: Nanny Diaries
Loved this book, but was a little disappointed in the movie. Overall I liked the movie but I didn't like the relationship between Nanny and her mother in the movie. In the book she has a great relationship with both of her parents. The other strike against the movie is the Hollywood ending that the Nanny's words had an effect on her employer, Mrs. X. If you are in the mood for a humorous character-study read the book. However, if you do not read at all, the movie will be a satisfactory substitute.
Winner: Book

Book/Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha
The book is an interesting look at the Japanese culture, the movie a beautiful portrait (even though the actors are Chinese). The book has better character development, but then again, how much character development can you do in a 2 hour movie?
Winner: Book

Book/Movie: About a Boy
All. Time. Favorite. Movie. Enough said. The book is a bit depressing (yes, even more so than the movie) and one of the rare occasions where I liked the movie more than the book. Don't get me wrong, the book was wonderful... I just really like the movie.
Winner: Movie

Overall I prefer the books to the movies. I love the character development, the style of writing an author uses, and the ability to imagine things the way I want instead of the way the director saw it.

My week in pictures

Thanksgiving with my Mom's family...

...Our Thanksgiving Dinner - just kidding.

Mom and her brothers Eddie and David with Samuel and David's granddaughter Cassie.
The whole clan (minus spouses) Cousin Sarah, Cassie, Grandma, Uncle David, Cousin Jake, Grandpa, Mom, Uncle Eddie, Me, and KeLeiGrandma and Grandpa with their great-grandchildren. (Samuel was content to hang out with Grandpa while a bunch of crazy people tried to get him to smile for a picture).
Me and Samuel at ESPN Gameday. This was so much fun even thought it was freezing! My favorite sign said "Our QB is hotter than yours" - which is so true. We lost but I am still proud of our Cowboys and the fight they put up against the Sooners. Maybe next season - Go Pokes!Samuel tries carrots for the first time. Hahahaha.And last but not least, our Christmas Tree! I absolutely LOVE this time of year. Since we are moving right after Christmas we aren't decorating as much as usual. We have what you see in the picture and a nativity. Enough to feel festive. We had a busy, fun week with Thanksgiving, family and lots of food.

The Things I am Thankful for...

1. My Family
..................Mom - who taught me to laugh at myself
..................Dad - who gave me the confidence to succeed
..................KeLei - who showed me it's okay to cry and to love the little things
..................Dallin - who showed me what sheer determination can accomplish
2. My Beliefs - the foundation on which I live my life
3. My Country - its diversity and breathtaking beauty
4. Smiles
5. Bubble Baths
6. Best Friends - who hear me out, never judge, and love me with all their heart7. A home
8. A job
9. Hot Chocolate and Cookies
10. My husband and my son - who are my everything

Veterans Day

It is Veteran's Day. A day that is often overlooked and many times forgotten. I would feel ungrateful if I didn't take a moment today to honor those who have served for our country. The men and women who fight and have fought in our armed services are some of the most selfless people I know. Literally giving their lives for the future of their families. I come from a long line of those who have served their country. Today I would like to honor my hero and mentor - my Grandpa Helton. My Grandpa served in the army from 1955 - 1976. He retired from the army to continue to serve his country through education, teaching 6th-8th graders. He is honest, hard-working, and patriotic. He has always encouraged and supported me in everything I've done. Through him I learned to love science, history, the army, my country, and chess. He has taught me to never be afraid to stand-up for what I believe in... To never be afraid to fight for those that I love... To always question and always respect those around me. It is because of men like my Grandpa that we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have today. Thank you.
If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace. ~Hamilton Fish