2020 On the Tenth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: TEN o'clock in the AM

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney
Eighth Day of New Year Post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature
Ninth day of the New Year Post: NINE Movies in the Skywalker Saga

It is no secret I am not a morning person. If you are familiar with the Night Owl vs Morning Lark chronotyping and you know me, you know I am 100% a Night Owl. I am not sure if I've always been this way (I believe so) but thought otherwise because I was forced to operate in a Morning Lark world.

For those unaware of these terms, what you need to know is this: Morning Larks like to rise early and turn in for the evening early. For example, a friend of mine is up by 4:30 AM and in bed by 8:30 PM. I, on the other hand, hit a burst of inspiration and energy around 10 PM and would prefer to crash around 2 AM sleeping till 9:30 or 10 AM.

New studies are starting to make connections with brain function and sleep patterns which make us
Night Owls look like we're in for trouble. However, the real problem is our internal clocks are not allowed to tick correctly in a world designed for Morning Larks. Seriously, if my day could look like the schedule below, it would change a lot of the work I get done and my overall well-being:

8:30/9:00 AM-wake up
9:30/10:00 AM-enjoy a cup of tea and reflect with the daily scripture readings
10:30 AM-either clean around the house or go to the gym
12:00 PM-shower and lunch
1:00 PM-read
2:00-6:00 PM-work
6:00-8:30 PM-dinner and family time
8:30 AMish-12:00/2:00 AMish-work some more
2:00 AM at the latest-go to sleep

I mean, look how productive my day would be! Unfortunately, most work schedules run 8:00-5:00. Notice how I'm pretty useless in terms of work until after lunch? The weird thing is when I am forced to operate like a Morning Lark, I have a burst of brain power somewhere between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Then I am absolutely unproductive. I cannot focus and am tired for the rest of the afternoon.

I can hear those Morning Larks thinking "why not just adjust those times to fit normal operating hours?" Here's the deal: I am hard wired to be a Night Owl. I tried to change. Many times I think I will do it. It lasts maybe three days, and I am miserable. I can get in bed at 8:30 and will lie awake until 10 PM or later. I will even force myself up at 5 AM in hopes of exhausting myself to get to sleep earlier. Unless I put in a lot of physical work during the day (like presentations), it doesn't matter.

I know my ideal schedule works because during breaks and long weekends, it is the schedule I follow. My absolute favorite time being the 9:30/10:00 AM cup o' tea and reflection on daily scripture. With our new kitchen remodel, there is a little nook by the breakfast table when I become invisible if I curl my legs up on the bench. I stare out of the window with the morning sun hitting our house at just the right angle to provide enough natural light allowing me to keep the lights in the kitchen off.

Days that start like this are always better. There is no rush to be somewhere without taking time to wake up and prepare mentally for any challenges the day brings.

2020 On the Ninth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: NINE Movies in the Skywalker Saga

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney
Eighth Day of New Year Post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature

SPOILER WARNING-I don't plan to spoil anything, and to be fair my two week curtesy window is quickly closing. However, I am putting this in just in case I do on accident.

A long time ago in a living room far, far down the road...

As a kid, only the living room television had cable. I loved finding the TV Guide in the Sunday paper to see what big movies would air that week. If Star Wars was going to be on, I was going to be watching. (Quick Note: there was a time one could just say Star Wars and it was understood she meant A New Hope. There are so many movies now it has to be specified, but for the purpose of this post just know that if I say Star Wars when referring to a movie I mean A New Hope.) I would ask my mom and dad if I could watch Star Wars since it usually occupied the TV for 2 + hours when you added commercials.

One day my mom peeked in the living room and saw me completely enthralled in the adventures of this motley crew of characters and their Space Western and said, "You know there are two more of these movies right?" NO I DID NOT! What?! What did she mean? I could spend more time in a galaxy far, far away? How do we make this happen? We headed to Blockbuster immediately. We returned home and I asked if I could watch them in the living room (the only VCR we had at the time). Two things happened that day: I realized how empty my life was before seeing Empire Strikes Back (which is far superior to either Star Wars or Return of the Jedi), and I quit the Luke camp and became a Han Solo girl for the rest of my life.

(Yes, I know this GIF is from Return and not Empire.)

Over the next few decades my relationship with Star Wars (all the films) was an interesting one. No one else I knew had really seen them or even seemed interested in them. It was almost like it wasn't cool to like Star Wars. Then the best thing happened! They were rereleased with new effects. I could not believe it! Now, EVERYONE I knew had the opportunity to see how amazing these movies were.

Whomp. Whomp. The rereleases took something from the originals that left them a little less magical. It was okay though because George Lucas was going to film prequels! Holy cow! That will show'em. Expanding the story was a great idea...

I think we all know how the prequels went (heads up-there are some bad words in this):

Fast forward a few more decades and Disney purchased the whole franchise. Wow! They did great things with the Marvel property. Surely, everything Star Wars based that comes from them will be superb.

As much as I love Star Wars, I will admit that not everything Star Wars related is golden. The fandom contains so many opinions it can make your head spin. Please understand that everything that follows are my feelings which means you are allowed to disagree. You are also allowed to think me foolish for what I think if your thoughts are different. As Kid President says, "It is okay to disagree. It is not okay to be mean," so if you don't like one of my opinions please be kind.

• I hate that it is common knowledge that Vader is Luke's father. Nothing compares to the shock and dropped jaw of discovering that nugget of truth while watching Empire Strikes Back. So intense. So awesome.
• If you are going to allow your children to watch the films, PLEASE show them in release order and not chronologically. Please. I beg you.
• My favorite piece of Yoda wisdom is actually, "Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter." and not "Do or do not. There is no try."
• I would love to own the original release versions of the original trilogy.
• Leia rules. Always has. Always will.
• The prequels should not exist. Period.
• After Empire Strikes Back, Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie. 
• The Last Jedi would be number three after the two above.
• Solo: A Star Wars Movie is meh. No one is Han except Harrison Ford, and no I didn't need the backstory of how Han and Chewie met. What I would have LOVED is a series of their smuggling adventures. Show me how the relationship between them grows based on the challenges they face. Donald Glover aside, that movie just does not do it for me.
• Love the pun that The Emperor used a "Snoke screen" to hide his true intentions.
• The Mandalorian? ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!

And finally, for those of you wondering how I feel about the final installment of the Skywalker Saga...

But seriously, it is fine. I do not think it is the most epic ending of all time. It is a very safe ending. I am disappointed that some of the more interesting directions The Last Jedi went were rerouted or fell flat in Rise of Skywalker. I like the continued exploration of the duality in the Dark and Light sides of the Force, but I think it could have been pushed further. I am content with this as the ending. The story is done. Honestly, nothing will ever compare to being back in my living room as a kid glued to the original trilogy. However, I completely understand why people who have invested so many years into the stories and characters may have shed tears when watching those two suns set for the last time.

Even though I may not run to watch every single film over and over again, it doesn't change how much I love the Skywalker Saga and the stories and worlds that exist because of it.

2020 On the Eighth Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: MAIDens of a Disney Nature

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

Seventh Day of New Year Post: SEVEN More Things About Disney

As promised, it is time to discuss Disney Princesses. Actually, they are not all princesses. The characters Esmeralda, Meg, and Mulan are sometimes thrown in with the princesses. They are not, but I get it so that is fine. (Don't get me started on how people thought Anastasia was a Disney Princess. She is an entirely different animation company. C'mon folks.) As for Pocahontas and Moana; they are daughters to chiefs which I supposes makes them princesses. All of this to say this is why I chose the term "maiden" since they are all at least that.

If you know me at all, you know that all I wanted to be when I grew up was a princess. Seriously. Even the strong, tough female characters I adored like Wonder Woman and Leia are princesses. Most of all, the moment I saw Beauty and the Beast I knew the only princess I could possibly be was Belle. She is brunette-check. She has brown eyes-check. SHE LOVES TO READ-check check check.

Unfortunately, there are other requirements of becoming a princess that I just don't meet. I've come to terms with that. The closest I will ever get is meeting all the princesses at Disney World. As I mentioned in my last post, the magic is strong and I love meeting the characters even though the logical part of my brain knows they are not real.

During the trip in November, I got it in my head that I wanted to meet all the princesses at Disney. It started at Epcot when I realized that many of the princesses are there throughout the day in their corresponding country. What started as a photo op and visit with Belle became a mission. In the end, I did pretty well.

The Belle of them all!

Vanellope is a princess.

Missing are Snow White, Aurora, and Ariel from the originals. I also saw Merida and could probably have figured out where Pocahontas and Moana were if I had given myself more time. Goals for next time.

Why the crazy princess obsession? I can hear some people irritated with the damsel in distress motif or that stupid thing people who think they are all alt cool do when they claim Belle had Stockholm Syndrome. Look, the princesses teach faith, loyalty, love, acceptance, honor, courage, kindness, empathy, and that beauty can look like many things. It is also really cool to watch the evolution of the Disney Princess. Comparing Snow White to Elsa makes for great discussion. The princesses are also fascinating reflections of their era. 

I don't believe being a Disney Princess means one cannot also be an intelligent, independent woman. Honestly, I am fine breaking glass ceilings during the day and then being treated like royalty when I come home. (Don't believe me? Ask the dishes...that my husband does after dinner because I love to cook but hate to clean. Just ask him.)

NOT my husband but I sure felt like a princess next to him. He liked my shirt by the way.

Idea for our next remodeling project?

Besides, people have done some pretty interesting things with the Disney Princess concept. One of my favorites is the Princess Rap Battles by Whitney Avalon. I also like all the variants of Disney Princess like this one where they are put in careers that reflect who they are.

Sure I'm a 39-year-old woman who giggled when she met Belle, but you know what? I'm okay with that.

2020 On the Seventh Day of the New Year...

...the theme I gave my post: SEVEN More Things About Disney

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World
Sixth Day of Christmas Post: SIX Players on the Ice

I know the Disney vacation post was lengthy. However, there are other things I remember from the trip while going through my pictures and decided to share them.

1. I absolutely love my husband. He is comfortable with who he is and has a way of making me laugh when the situation would normally make me anxious or embarrassed. He enjoys having conversations with the characters and cast members. The first time he and I went to Disney world, he insisted that Goofy explain to him why Pluto acts like a pet while Goofy acts more human when they are both dogs. Turns out, Goofy is technically a Dog-Man. Well, this trip was no different. The hubs struck up a conversation with lovable Kevin from Up. As my children looked on in horror, their father stopped the crowd and warned Kevin about the bad man and dogs hunting him. Ha ha ha. I explained that they would need to get over any embarrassment because Daddy would be doing this the whole trip.

2. The last time my husband and I visited Disney World, we participated in a sketch class where we drew Goofy. I had a blast. He did not. We still have the drawings. They are excellent examples of my Random Abstract brain versus his Linear Concrete one. We tried it again with the kids. This time it was Shere Khan from The Jungle Book as the subject. Everyone did great!

3. I've never seen Avatar. At all. Not even small scenes. At first, I just did not see it when it was in theaters. Then everyone kept talking about how amazing it was, so the alt rebel in me refused to see it. Stupid, I know. It happens. Pandora is pretty darn cool though. We rode one of the rides which was pretty cool. While waiting in line, my oldest read all the information about the flora and fauna of Pandora. Now, we have to see it. Maybe next time we visit Disney, we can ride the main Pandora attraction (the line for that clocked at 3+ hours when we were there).

4. Next time we'll need to build a day in for rest. We hit the parks hard, and it took its toll on my youngest. He fell asleep during two meals on day three: breakfast and lunch.

5. No matter how old I am, I cry at some point meeting the characters. It is silly but something about knowing there are people on this planet who want to spread joy simply by being the real life counterpart to an animated or fictional character. When you meet Mickey, every part of your soul believes that is Mickey Mouse. I looked so forward to meeting Princess Belle. Did I know the Belle I met at Epcot in France was not the same Belle my boys met in Magic Kingdom the day before? Logically, I did. It didn't matter. I could have stood there with her kindly complimenting my Figment Mouse ears and appreciation for my Beauty and the Beast inspired lipstick all day every day.

6. My heart broke a little watching my oldest experience everything. He is 10, almost 11, and there are days I see those hormones wreak havoc on him. He doesn't completely understand why he is embarrassed or why something seems so uncool. Other days he is just a regular kid ready to jump in and have fun no matter who is watching. Disney World is an interesting place when you are going through this because everyone feels like a kid. However, if your body is sending you annoying signals that you should act older what do you do? He had fun. I know it, but there was one moment in particular during the Indiana Jones stunt show. I looked over and the only thing on his face was pure wonderment and joy. He suspended all disbelief and bought into that show wholeheartedly. I got choked up.

7. Finally, the night show at Disney Hollywood Studios is great. Very few people were in the front three rows, so we ran down to get good seats. I couldn't believe our luck...until the show started. They really should pass out rain panchos. We were uncomfortably damp (near soaking wet) when the show ended. That water can mist ya something terrible. Even the flames couldn't dry us out completely.

2019 On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

...the theme I gave my post: SIX Players on the Ice

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts
Fifth Day of Christmas Post: FIVE Days at Disney World

Picture it: Dallas, Texas 1992 A 12-year-old girl sees two movies: The Mighty Ducks and The Cutting Edge. Both of these films involved an interesting sport called ice hockey. The girl is intrigued by the fast pace and puck handling. What is this? Her mother explains the sport and mentions Dallas has a minor league team called The Dallas Freeze. They go to a game. The moment the blades hit the ice the girl is hooked. The thud as bodies slam against the boards. The wobble of the glass. The click-clack of the sticks. The potential for fights. The excitement as the puck finds its way through the goalie. Then to discover that Dallas would have its own professional NHL team! The girl knows her life will never be the same. That girl was me. That NHL team was The Dallas Stars.

I absolutely love hockey. Love it. Love it. Love it. I love that my high school graduation had to be moved to a new location because the Stars were battling for the Stanley Cup. I love that we won. I love that I could go to practice and meet the players. I love that I received a Nieuwendyk jersey as a Christmas gift. I even love my team when they are in a slump and playing like crap. (I know that I love them when they are like this because I get so emotionally involved.)

I kicked off 2020 experiencing the coolest thing to happen to Dallas Stars Hockey since they won the Stanley Cup. My husband and I attended the NHL Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is an annual outdoor hockey game on the national stage. This year Dallas hosted the game in the Cotton Bowl against the Nashville Predators. Believe me, a lot of people had doubts about whether or not the game would happen so far in the south.Well, it did and it was amazing! The weather cooperated creating a crisp and chilly atmosphere. All the elements were there: bodies into boards, sticks hitting the ice, tension leading to fights! The rumbling of 85, 000+ fans with each shot at the net. Then the absolute best:

THE DALLAS STARS WON!

The last sound of the #WinterClassic? The SOUND of the CROWD.@DallasStars take this one in front of their home crowd at the Cotton Bowl. pic.twitter.com/3kQE5bnMl3

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 1, 2020

Unfortunately, I did not get my much anticipated Fletcher's Corny Dog. It turns out that 85, 000+ people are a lot more than cordoned off Fair Grounds can really accommodate. All food lines were absurdly long meaning all I ate the whole day as a handful of peanuts and cold nachos. However, I would gladly take a handful of peanuts and cold nachos any day of the week if it means a glorious Dallas Stars victory on a national stage!

2019 On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

...the theme I gave my post: FIVE Days at Disney World

First Day of Christmas Post: ONE Ambitious Idea
Second Day of Christmas Post: Sea TURTLE Vacation
Third Day of Christmas Post: THREE in one God
Fourth Day of Christmas Post: FOUR Instagram Accounts

There is a reason it is called the Most Magical Place on Earth. I get that some people find other locations magical to them. However, if you find yourself at Disney, you experience the magic of innocence and joy and fun and fellowship and goodness. I have been to Disney World three times: as a teen, newly married without kids, and recently with my children. Although parks update and attractions change, the feeling is the same.

My husband and I planned a surprise trip for our boys over the Thanksgiving Break. It was super easy to plan it all. First, we are blessed to know a couple of Disney vacay experts. They were immensely helpful in helping us choose time of year, finding the attractions that would give us the most bang for our buck, and checking in during out trip to celebrate the experience with us. We also used the Disney Experience to find a resort, reserve Fast Passes, purchase meal plans, and arrange luggage delivery to our resort room. Basically, we just had to make sure and get to the airport on time. Ha ha ha.

We chose to fly out the Friday before Thanksgiving Break and return the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. (You don't miss a family Thanksgiving.) Friday morning arrived, and we could barely contain our energy while we got the kids up and in the car. All the suitcases had been packed the night before and put in the car, so the boys didn't see them in the morning. Then I wrapped their Magicbands for them to guess where we were going. Once we were in the car, we explained that we were not going to school and work. Instead, we had somewhere special to go. We gave them the bands to unwrap:

Interesting reaction. The youngest was more concerned about no longer receiving his Perfect Attendance Award.

Disney Springs

We arrived Friday afternoon and loved our room at Port Orleans Riverside. It contained images of princesses and princes. The over all theme came from Princess and the Frog. This meant the headboards on our beds lit up looking like fireflies!

That night we headed to Disney Springs via boat. Disney Springs is a giant outdoor mall essentially. We walked around taking it all in. The shopper in me was excited to see so many Disney items for purchase! Eventually, we needed to eat. Why not have dinner at the dinosaur themed restaurant?

Day One: Animal Kingdom

• Benji was actually not a fan of the Dinosaur ride even though we picked that one for him
• Turns out, Benji LOVED Expedition Everest and cannot wait to return and ride it again
• Turns out, Will did NOT love Expedition Everest and swore off all rollercoasters then and there
• The Bug's Life show was a lot of fun
• Finding Nemo: The Musical was visually stunning and a great respite from the heat (it was quite warm that day)
• Rafiki's Outpost got us up close and personal with some animals and let us flex our drawing muscles
• Experienced a bit of Pandora
• The night show was gorgeous
• The buffet dinner at Boma-Flavors of Africa was a delicious as I remembered

Day Two: MAGIC KINGDOM!

What can I say? The Disney Princess in me was most excited about this park. All the iconic rides and attractions are there. However, believe it or not, most of the princess are not. That did not stop me from soaking in every aspect of Fantasyland. We started the day with Belle and ended with dinner with the Beast. I mean, that is how much my husband and children love me. They let me have a whole day being a kid who really just wants desperately to fall into the movie Beauty and the Beast.

• Ate a tasty breakfast right in front of the castle
• Chris, Will, and Ben were all selected to participate in the Belle attraction! Yeah, I teared up about it. Don't care what you think.
• Enjoyed the Seven Dwarves mine train
• Cheered on the parade in the afternoon
• Experienced It's a Small World because you kinda have to
• Lived a bit of a pirates life on Pirates of the Caribbean
• Spooked ourselves out at The Haunted Mansion
• Sat down to a "fancy" dinner at the Beast's castle

And before we could enjoy the evening show and fireworks at the castle, we were promptly kicked out because of the special Holiday celebration we did not purchase tickets for. Sigh

Day Three: Epcot

The best part of Epcot? FIGMENT the dragon of course! If you don't know who that is, he is the Figment of your Imagination. I love him. He is adorable and fun. I even purchased a set of Figment Mouse Ears. The other cool part of Epcot is the World Showcase. They have various festivals there throughout the year. It is a neat way to see a lot of the world in a short period of time. Turns out, most of your Disney Princess are found here throughout the day. However, the princesses are getting their own post in a few days, so I am not going to go into too much about them here.

There are big plans happening for Epcot. Soon there will be an area dedicated to Big Hero 6 and Cocoa (two movies I love). They are also constructing a ride based on Guardians of the Galaxy I believe (and one of our awesome shuttle drivers is very excited that Tron is coming to the parks as well). 

• Introduced Figment to my boys
• Met Vanellope Von Schweetz
• Got MY picture with Belle
• Met a TON of princesses
• Ate lunch in Morocco 
• Tasted the weirdest cotton candy ever
• Watched some Pixar shorts
• Met Joy, Baymax, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy
• Rode Spaceship Earth

We actually left Epcot early and headed back to the Magic Kingdom because we wanted the boys to see the night show at the castle. Unfortunately, this means we did not see the night show at Epcot. Putting it on my list for next time.

Day Four: Disney Hollywood Studios

Truth time: Visiting this park was all about Galaxy's Edge. If you know me, you know how I love Star Wars (a post about that eventually too). Seeing Galaxy's Edge was a main factor in our visit to Disney World this year. Not disappointed at all. 

The one thing I didn't quite expect was the full immersion. Galaxy's Edge is not another "land" like at Magic Kingdom where you can meet all your favorite Star Wars characters. You are in an experience. All the cast members are continuously acting out a show between Rey, Finn, and Chewie and Kylo Ren and the First Order. You cannot purchase traditional souvenirs here. You CAN FLY THE MILLENNIUM FALCON!!! AHHHHHHHH! Sure, we stood in line for an hour and a half, BUT I FLEW THE FREAKIN' MILLENNIUM FALCON.

My amazing husband also reserved seats at a character dinner for us. The perfect way to end our last night at Disney World.

• Had breakfast in Toy Story world
• 99.99% certain we sat a few tables away from Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October
• Rode Star Tours for the original Star Wars fans in us
• FLEW THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
• Brushed elbows with Rey, Finn, and Chewbaca
• Watched the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
• Met Mike and Sully
• Ate dinner with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy
• Got soaking wet at the night show (they should have a warning if you sit to close to the water)

Returning home was bittersweet. I completely understand why people go to the Disney parks so often. You are allowed to forget your age and cares of the world. You just have fun. Everyone in line (and some of those lines were super long) is amiable and open to chatting. It does have a magic all its own.