Unbroken

“December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Seventy years ago today started a course of events that certainly changed the world forever. I’ve always had an enormous amount of respect and gratitude for the armed forces—especially those who served during WWI and WWII—but I recently read a book that has made me appreciate those men and women more than I can say. The book is titled, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand.

I was incredibly moved and inspired by this true story of a World War II POW, Louie Zamperini, and the men he served and survived with. His journey and experiences are breathtaking, heartbreaking, and inspirational. I literally couldn’t stop thinking about and talking about this book for several weeks after I finished it. I've been thinking about it a lot today, on this anniversary, and it is a story that will always stick with me and inspire me. It is such a powerful book and I think everyone should read it. I am so grateful for this country, our freedom, and for those who have suffered and given everything so that we can enjoy those freedoms and opportunities we have today. God bless those who sacrificed their lives seventy years ago today, and God bless those who volunteered to serve our country in the days, months, and years that followed. Promise me you will read this book—it’s a must!

Spread Christmas Cheer

My second favorite Christmas movie is Elf. I watch it every year and every year it makes me feel joyful and triumphant. It’s hilarious. I still laugh out load even though I’ve seen it a million times. Well, imagine my Christmas cheer when I found the following printable on Pinterest. I immediately printed this out, framed it, and added it to my Christmas décor. Ta-da!!

Just glancing at it makes me so happy! Here is the link to the printout for all you other Elf fanatics. And don't forget to stick to Buddy's recommended four main food groups this holiday season: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. Cheers!

Christmas is Coming

If it takes me a while to answer my phone, it’s because I’m singing/dancing to the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ringtone I just put on my phone today. Too early? Perhaps, but I don't care because according to me the holiday season is officially here! Let the games, glitter, and jingle bells begin! Yahoo!!

Scream for Ice Cream

72 days

I was not so happy when I heard that people were calling Kim Kardashian’s wedding the “American Royal Wedding.” Really? I’m sorry, but reality T.V. trash should never be compared to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Now that Kim’s so called “fairytale” has come to a sudden end, a mere 72 days after it started, I feel slightly vindicated. I’ve seen these lists floating around, so I just had to share. Here’s a list of five things that lasted longer than Kim Kardashian’s marriage:

I know…I probably shouldn’t judge her, but maybe next time she should spend more time getting to know her fiancé and less time on the television production.

A Shore Thing

It’s Halloween! And that means another chance to dress up and make a fool of myself (see last year). As I mentioned last year, Halloween is a big deal at my work and pretty much everyone dresses up. This year me and a few friends decided to take a page from pop culture and dress up like America’s worst role models…that’s right…the cast of the Jersey Shore!

Being the midget of the group, I was lucky enough to be the one and only Snooki!

Here I am with my bestie JWOWW…

And here we are with DJ Pauly D, fist pumping at the club…I mean our cubicle. 

I had a blast playing dress up for the day. I don’t think I’ll wear that much leopard print anytime soon, but I must admit that the spray tan, heavy make-up, and fake eyelashes are quite addicting. I’ll see you at the Shore!

Birthday Surprise

Last weekend was my Dad’s 60th birthday! We decided to surprise him with a little family get together. We arranged with my Mom to pull off the surprise. We decided to meet at the Tonto Natural Bridge just north of Payson, AZ. We arrived a few minutes before the birthday guest and then SURPRISE! It was so fun to surprise my Dad and be able to spend the day with Dad and Mom.

I had never been to the Tonto Natural Bridge before, and it was beautiful. We went hiking and took in the gorgeous surroundings. Apparently, it the “largest natural travertine bridge in the world.” It is 183 feet high over a 400-foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point. It really is something else. I’ve driven past the turnoff to the park a thousand times and all this time I never even knew it was there. I was super fun! If you’ve never been and are in the area—I highly recommend it. After the hike we went to Payson for dinner and gave my Dad a memory book we’ve been working on for the past few months. (A special thanks to everyone who contributed!) Happy Birthday Dad! Here are a few pictures of the fun day!

A Bit of Glitter

I have a slight obsession with glitter. And when I say slight, I mean huge. I just can’t help it--I heart things with glitter on them. My motto is, “Everything is a little better with a bit of glitter.” I am especially obsessed with holiday decorations with glitter. If it’s for the holidays and it has glitter, I must have it—much to my husband’s chagrin. It’s become a bit of problem actually. I’m starting to notice that all my holiday decorations have glitter. My house is pretty much covered with glitter from October through December. But it makes me so happy! However, if glitter caused chronic migraine disease, I’d have a crazy amount of migraines. Oh wait. I do have chronic migraines. Hmmm…could too much glitter be the culprit? I don’t know—I’ll have to do some research on that. In the meantime, I’m going to pretend that glitter is the cure and I’m going self-medicate with glitter decorations.

Imagine my joy when our women’s group at church had a craft night that included making Halloween decorations with lots and lots of glitter. I have never been incredibly “crafty” individual, but I was able to muster up enough creative juices to make this lovely decoration. Glitter haters be damned--I am so proud of it and it makes me incredibly happy. May glitter never go out of style.