341/366

My last day in the US of A looked a little like this...


lots of Bella snuggles in-between the packing process




soaking up some Christmas spirit with a few holiday movies with these girls on the couch


frosting sugar cookies while Grandpa Clet and Bella Rose watched Forrest Gump together


It was a whirlwind of a trip.
It was a surprise I enjoyed each and every moment of,
which made it all the more difficult to leave.

The silver lining of the tears and goodbyes...
there's an incredibly thoughtful husband to return home to.

340/366

Today I...

...got my Christmas cards ordered.
Last year was a bit of a disaster. I had the company send them for me and no one received our card until after the holidays.
Not what I had in mind.
This year I've enlisted the help of my mother, so I am hoping you'll see our faces {and Bella's} in your mailbox before Christmas Day.


...went to lunch with my grandpa Clet and my sister.  Grandpa arrived in town when we returned from Orlando on Monday and we've been enjoying his company ever since.

This evening we shared some margaritas.

... cheered Bella on as she learned to eat out of a new bowl.
Yesterday my errands included a trip to PetSmart to find Miss B a slow feed bowl.
She eats incredibly fast and lately has decided since she is the first one finished, she will interrupt her friends, and eat their food as well.
She can be a bit of a bully sometimes.

This was the only slow feed bowl available.

When I originally placed it in front of Bella, she stared at me, then at her friends who were busy eating, then back at me with a bit of a stank eye.
She proceeded to attempt to eat her food, but her mouth kept hitting the bone in the middle.
Then she began to paw at the food trying to get out of the bowl.
Sad. Adorable. Hilarious.
After a few minutes of encouragement, I ended up giving her the original fast feed bowl.
However this morning and evening, she figured it out and I am happy to report she is no longer the first dog done.

339/366

Today I ran errands all over town in between dentist appointments and flu shots.
My ama de casa heart dropped when I entered the fabric department of Hobby Lobby.
I look forward to the day when I have a home to decorate again.
Until then I will enjoy Pinterest and all the inspiration it provides.

I also stopped to look at all the cute dog toys,
but didn't purchase any.

Currently the girls, Bailey, Lola, & Bella's, toy basket is overflowing.
I don't know if it can handle much more.

Bella loves her some toys.
She has a routine.
Each evening, about a half hour after dinner, she decides it is time to play.
She runs over to the toy basket and picks a toy.
It is never the top toy.
She digs and picks and throws toys everywhere until she has found the chosen one.
Then she demands attention and some quality play time.

The best part of this routine...
my parent's know it,
because they take part in it every night.

I think that's how the basket started overflowing.

She is loved.

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This trip has been a whirlwind and has flown by...
{you may notice this from my incredible horrendous blogging skills}.

Today when we returned from Orlando I couldn't wait to get my hands on this girl.
I missed her.

Traveling, visiting, and filling your days with action and adventure is fabulous,
but there is something wonderful about spending a peaceful evening on the couch with your dog.

337/366

After meeting Grandma Sara and the gang for breakfast we made our way to the happiest place on Earth.
Disney World.
This was my second trip in 2012.
That makes me a pretty lucky 30 year old, if you ask me.


Let the Memories Begin!

The charm of Magic Kingdom was made all the greater by the Christmas spirit.











One of the most exciting parts of the day was trying out the new attraction, Enchanted Tales with Belle.  Belle is my favorite Disney princess and I am fairly sure I turned into a six year old when I stepped in line.  While waiting in line you see the Beast's castle and get to wander through Belle and her father Maurice's cottage.


After examining some of Maurice's inventions {most of them have to do with lamps, a tribute to Belle's love of reading} you enter a room with the wardrobe who comes alive and begins explaining that we are planning to surprise Belle by retelling the story of how she and the Beast fell in love.

Parts and props were handed out to several of the children in the group; knights, horses, Chip & Mrs. Potts, the Beast, Maurice, dishes, and artwork all practiced their parts.
Then we were lead into the library of the Beast's castle where we surprised Belle. Except in reality, Belle surprised us {okay maybe me} because it was really Belle.


After we made our acquaintance with Belle, the story telling began. Each child got to interact with her and retell the story of Beauty and the Beast.
I adored every second of it.




Then I fell even deeper.
Belle began to dance with the Beast, an adorable little boy who was literally falling deeper in love with her by the second. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing I've ever seen and may have left my eyes a little misty.

After enjoying a day full of magic & memories our evening ended with the holiday lights on the castle and a little bit of snow.






{proof that it actually snows...}

It was another wonderfully magical memory filled day...
another one to cherish.

"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing-

it all started with a mouse"

-Walt Disney

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Saturday was another full day of meetings concluded by a presentation from Dr. Joseph Michelli, author of The Starbucks Experience.
I love a good Starbucks Experience and enjoyed Dr. Michelli and his stories about being a guest at the Ritz Carlton.
I really want to stay at a Ritz Carlton.

When the meetings concluded, we headed out to visit with some family.

When we were exiting the hotel I saw Maury Povich, carrying a set of golf clubs.  Eva Longoria and Larry the Cable Guy were also spotted.

We spent the evening with my great grandmother, Sara,
my great aunt and uncle, Maryann & Chuck,
and my father's cousin, Carla.








We had a wonderful evening catching up and sharing stories.
My most favorite part... sharing stories of traveling through Europe with Grandma Sara.
A pretty special memory.