afraid no more?

i've always been a wee bit afraid of flying. ok, that's a lie. i've ALWAYS been afraid of flying. my dad even once offered a cast mold of his hand for me to hold. i figured the poor sap sitting next to me would think it too creepy so i passed. on the offer. hahaha. thanks anyways dad. =)

my flight home last night was not in my usual sitting area [window seat on the wing, just before the emergency exit row--as close as one can get to escape without all the responsability. =D]. THIS flight home, however, was right by the JET ENGINE. and oddly enough, i wasn't freaked! it proved to provide me with a pretty cool photo.

maybe, just maybe, i won't be so afraid anymore. naaaa... who am i kidding? of COURSE i'll squirm like a little kid the next time i have to fly. cast arm or no cast arm.

christmas time has come and gone

christmas time has come and gone--how quickly it has passed--and i'm back home uploading photos from the trip. it was bittersweet, going back home for christmas. bitter because it was hard to go back and face some memories that i wasn't quite prepared for and SWEET because it was so wonderful to be with my family and visit with my fabulous friends. =)

i walked around in my pjs (A LOT) and slept (A LOT), i ATE my heart out, went sledding with stacy, natalie, and franklin (who squealed like a little kid. hahaha.), watched SO many movies (my favorite--sherlock holmes), went SHOOTING with the family, shopped with my friends, and got some SUPER cool gifts (like my STARBUCKS MUGS from my dad!). i'd say overall, even with the shadows, it was a very good trip and i'm glad i got to go home.

here are a few photos:

family christmas

i've been elfed!

final stretch

i'm warming up--getting my vocals ready for christmas morning!

here's a taste of what you're gonna be missing:

home for christmas

tickets from PIE to SBN: $195
unexpected checked baggage: $60
book to read on the plane: $7
can of coke: $2
being home with family for christmas? priceless!

red liquid can't be good

my very first car, my baby neon, decided to quit on me. x_X

i was driving down us19, minding my own business, when i came up to the stop light at ridge road. i had slowed down to a crawl when the light turned green so, as most educated drives do, i pressed on the gas.  only i didn't go anywhere. i pressed a little harder but my engine rev'd way high. i started thinking "crap". i looked down and my car was still in drive. no problems there. but it still wouldn't accelerate. THANKFULLY i was right at an entrance drive so i pulled in and parked the car. i called my mechanic friend to come get me (thank you beeski!) and sat. patiently.

he finally arrived and it turns out my transmission is shot. well... it is for now until we find out what REALLY is wrong with it. =/ (fingers crossed)

my time

visit here to make your own.

sing to me

astrological picture of the day

"explanation: our sun may look all soft and fluffy, but it's not. our sun is an extremely large ball of bubbling hot gas, mostly hydrogen gas. the above picture of our sun was taken last month in a specific red color of light emitted by hydrogen gas and then color inverted to appear blue. in this light, details of the sun's chromosphere are particularly visible, highlighting numerous thin tubes of magnetically-confined hot gas known as spicules rising from the sun like bristles from a shag carpet."

cool!

"i have created a TREEE!"

i wasn't able to go this year with my family to get the christmas tree like tradition dictates. (pouting like a two year old) so instead, i get to relive the memories from last year. [which wasn't SO bad.] hahahaha.

not for the faint hearted

about two months back, my little brother jeffrey broke his arm during a go-kart accident [at an undisclosed location]. my poor little jeffy broke BOTH bones in his right arm. BOTH! i can't begin to imagine the pain he went through. i heard what happened--the resulting mental pictures are too gruesome to share. so instead, i'll show you the x-rays. =) keep in mind that it was his RIGHT arm that broke. and he doesn't have TWO elbows.

see for yourself:

he had to have a rod put THROUGH one bone because it shattered so severely and a metal brace put on the other--a brace that he'll most likely have to wear for the rest of his life. he will forever be setting off the metal detectors like the true deviant he is. (shaking head) they'll probably even have to strip search him. now he'll HAVE to wear clean socks and underwear when he leaves the house. you know, just in case... =)

he "claims" that pink was the only option, but i know better...

he has, i think, just one surgery left--to remove the rod from the bone that shattered. his arm will of course never be quite the same. it'll be weaker than his other for sure. and he'll have some cool scars to show people but honestly... i know he'd trade those scars and memories for another chance to whoop his older brothers in wrestling.

...stupid boys. =)

the glorious unseen

God, You hold when all is breaking

You restore the tired and aching

i guess it's just hard to believe

the Love You've poured out on me

i guess i'm just starting to see

how You're working in me

who has been busy?

five things: 21-25

21. i sleep with my arms over my head. i've been sleeping like that for the last couple of years and i'm not quite sure why. its the oddest thing.

22. i am horrible at remembering band names and song titles but give me any movie trivia question and i'd nail it. i don't know why.

23. i would rather swim with ravenous sharks than give a public speech.

24. i was not created to walk this world alone. no matter where i go, no matter what i do, i will always want someone with me to share my memeories with. what good are memories if there is no one to remember them with you?

25. i'm a hugger. not a side hugger. not a light squeezer. but a full on, two armed, you're-not-getting-away-from-me kind of hugger.

ink for me arm

i'm thinking about getting a tattoo. what do you think?
too much?

thinking...

     thinking...

hmmm... (shrugging)

perhaps. =)

hungry for pie?

wanna know how pumpkin pies are made?

(giggling)

happy birthday pouchie!

happy birthday little brother. this year, i DARE you to be DIFFERENT ...but not so DIFFERENT that you become a MENACE to society and they have to take you off to the HEAD HOSPITAL and conduct experiments on your BRAIN.

that would just be too DIFFERENT. ok?

hmm... looks like my warning has come too late. well! i guess there's always next year. =)

ps. I LOVE YOU!

there. i said it.

my baby sister

i miss my baby sister. a lot.

we would do everything together.

we'd... quote movies, take silly pictures, go to small group, sing at the top of our lungs in the car, brush our cats, buy chucks, link our pinkies when we prayed, paint our nails black, argue (she'd yell at me for picking my boogers, i'd yell at her for not doing it for me.). we'd take naps, use markers to make freida kalo uni-brows on each other, fall asleep to lotr, complain about the other siblings, share popsicles, eat taco bell, write silly notes to each other during church,  share chapstick, have punching wars. we'd even read the twilight books together (head down in shame). the list goes on!

we've done so many things together, and now that i don't have her here with me... it has been much harder than i ever thought. sure i knew i'd miss her, but not like this.

me and jubee

i love you jubee. "my precious." (muahahahaha...)

secret message?

secret message? i think so.

i wonder though, what exactly is he trying to say?

hmmm...

all i have to say...

have you ever had one of those days where you've heard a particular bit of information and as soon as you heard it, you felt like a cannon ball just slammed you right in the gut? well today was my unlucky day! >_<

and this is all i have to say:

thank you to my dear friends, calvin and hobbes, for their mature and tasteful rendition of "you suck!"

me and sarah? no way.

i'm told by the link that i look like sarah jessica parker. i would NEVER have thought that in a million years.

...i'm not quite sure how i feel about it either. see for yourself though:

eh?
(shaking head) not so much.

mom's florida vacation

my mom came down last week to visit her girls: natty, bethany and chello... ME. we all had SO much fun together. those four days passed way too quickly for me.

we...

giggled,
shopped,

ate chipotle,

drank coffee,

had a cook out,
went to church,

made a bon fire,

visited clearwater,
went for a bike ride,
gauked at the mansions,
dug our toes in the sand,

toured the sponge docks,
dined at a greek restaurant,

had breakfast at mcdonalds,
cooked lasagna and roast beast,

took a boat ride to anclote island,

and even made homemade biscotti!!

 

it was quite the vacation. =D

mom's florida vacation

george

george:  "hello. my name is george. and i'm a prima donna."

everyone: "hello george...."

a bird freaking CRAPPED in my CAR!

a bird freaking CRAPPED in my CAR!

i was at my sister's house and left my windows open because it was such a nice evening out...... >_< i came outside only to find that a bird from the pit of HELL decided that MY innocent car was the prim-o spot to drop a nasty juicy deuce on. not only did it poop on the roof, back window, AND side of the car, but it's flight pattern allowed the trajectory of it's CRAP to LAND on my BACK SEAT! my car smelled like (censored) the whole way home.

...a bottle of resolve, a roll of paper towl, and a spray can of febreeze later, i'm comfortably back inside the shelter of my home where NO MORE CRAP can touch me!

my teletubby sister

for halloween this year, i'm thinking of having my sister and i dress up as teletubbies. what do you think? =D

hahahahahahahaha...

happy birthday to my big sister!

i love when we do our obnoxious laugh together, when we shop together, when we pray together, when we go to the POOL together AND even when we think the very same RANDOM things together. =D

i love your style, your gace, and your character. what i'm trying to say is that i love you natty. if it wasn't for you and franklin, i wouldn't be where i am today--literally. hahahaha.

happy birthday. =D

is this for REAL?

my friend jen heard on the radio about this group of people who will take care of your pets when you're taken up in the rapture. you pay them a small fee and they will care for your animals while you're gone. and get this. the group? they're atheists. atheists are selling pet care to christians! stupid "christians" at that! i was laughing SO hard when i found this online:

"do you wonder what is going to happen to your pets when Jesus descends from heaven to re-unite the church with the father taking all christians - dead and alive - up to heaven? will your pets be left behind with no-one to care for them?

have no fear! we at 'post rapture pet care' are confirmed atheists and as such will be part of the left behind when the time comes. just because we are atheists doesn't mean we are not animal lovers. we adore all kind of pets and would love to look after your pets after you are gone.

for a small donation of $69.99, we will make sure your pets are well fed and taken care of long after you and your family have been taken up.

this is not a joke. we feel very strongly about pet care and want to offer the best possible services to pet owners."

...is this freaking for real?! i DIED laughing!

you are mine forever

"i was so foolish and ignorant - i must have seemed like a senseless animal to you; yet i still belong to you. You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. whom have i in heaven but You? i desire You more than anything on earth. my health my fail, and my spirit grow weak, but You, my God, remain the strength of my heart. You are mine forever!"

psalm 73:22-26

bake day!

a tradition was started by my sister natalie to bake and deliver goodies to people in the church community to brighten their day and to encourage them, letting them know that someone was thinking about them. the tradition has continued on and this year, i was so excited to be able to be a part of it!

my sisters, april, jen, and i spent last saturday baking all sorts of goodies to share with our (my new) friends and family. we started our morning bright and early at 9 am sharp and at 9:15, we had already had our first accident. we all laughed, relieved to have gotten thee inevitable "accident" out of the way so quickly. =) we each started on our dishes and worked feverishly to get everything baked so that we'd have the time and energy to deliver everything that night. i'm not much of a cook but i LOVE seeing people light up when they get surprised. as you guessed, my favorite part was deliverying the boxes. it made it ALL worth it. =D

bake day

five things: 16-20

16. i LOVE egg roll tops. the crunchy oily shell is the best! i almost don't care about the middle part. the only reason i eat through it is because there's another "top" waiting at the end. =)

17. i lose my keys at least twice a month. its annoying.

18.  my bff, stacy, and i used to dance to jock jams in her basement. and then we would practice our "cat walk" and make fun of mf.

19. i love friends. i have watched every single episode multiple times and can answer any question you throw at me. go on, i dare you to stump me.

20. i have commitment issues when i comes to making cards. i'll have a design all planned out and it takes all i've got in me to acutally glue it down! its nuts!

an anclote wedding

my sister bethany was offered a weekend job taking photos for her boss' wedding. she asked me to tag along for the price of a few bucks and i thought, eh, why not. we rode a boat out to anclote island where the ceremony  took place--it was all quite beautiful. the bride, jen, had only three weeks to prepare for it, (long complicated story), but it turned out great!

see for yourself:

jen & marty's wedding

18 mas dias

guess what?! 18 more days until candy is über CHEAP!!!!

muhahahahahahaha!

eddie and marshall

there's nothing quite like a smile on a baby's face to brighten your day. you can't help but to smile back! a family i babysit for from time to time, the kuslanskys, have two little twin boys, eddie and marshall, who are absolutely adorable. this last time that i babysat, we had an "impromptu photo shoot" during feeding time. ("feeding time" hahahaha. that sounds so barbaric.) eddie, the cheese, is in light blue and marshall, cranky pants, is in dark blue.

enjoy. =)

the kuslansky twins

these kids are just too cute for their own good!

4 days, 6 hours...

4 days, 6 hrs, and 33 minutes until my head will find itself resting against the seat at regal hollywood 18 to watch the highly anticipated movie where the wild things are. this will be the only time where i can wear my wild things christmas ornaments as earrings and NOT look stupid. ok... maybe i'll still look stupid. but at least i'll be having fun and laughing my face off. (be jealous that you can't go with me. =D)

...there is one in ALL of us!!!

holey moley

my friend morgan spent the whole weekend with me. we visited the sponge docks in tarpon springs and pier 60 in clearwater where we had our "chance" encounter with the clearwater alien. and after we returned from our day of travels, we got ready for bed and...

enter the tiny black sharpie marker.

we had entirely WAY too much fun playing with the sharpie. =D

my personal favorites were the hairy moles.

hahaha.