Top Ten List...

1. When I'm really hungry, I will most definitely eat a little something...and crave something more!
2. The strangest thing about me is I love my job! I know how fortunate I am to have a job I love because so many people hate going to work every day.
3. The biggest thing I miss about elementary school is well...really nothing...I am still there every day!!!!
4. Married or not, I have a "secret" crush on Ben Affleck!
5. A genie came out of my bottle. My 3 wishes are
a. for my family to be safe and healthy-no sicknesses.
b. A large sum of money to pay off all bills, travel, buy an inground pool and send the girls to great, private colleges
c. to be skinny and never worry about my weight
6. I could go the rest of my life without hearing the song...Right now, I am pretty tired of the VBS CD and the songs "Make a difference in me" and the "Jump Jump" song. I don't think it would be so bad if I didn't have to listen to them over and over and over and over....!!
7. My pick for Bob Barker's replacement is Wayne Brady. He seems to be funny and do well at hosting shows.
8. The reality show I'd most like to be on is Amazing Race-especially when they have the family edition.
9. I am/am not smarter than a 5th grader...It depends on the question!
10. In 5 years, I will hopefully be a great mom to THREE kids, a wonderful teacher and a loving, caring wife.

Where Dreams Come True...

Alyssa enjoyed being at Daytona Beach!
Jenna loved digging in the sand and trying to make sand castles!

Princess Jasmine!

Jenna ate spaghetti at Tony's in Magic Kingdom!

Jenna and Princess Aurora

Alyssa wearing her first pair of Mouse Ears!

The girls meet Pluto!

John and the girls getting ready to ride the Mad Tea Party

Do you think Jenna was excited before meeting Ariel?

Jenna finally meets Ariel!

We had the most wonderful vacation in Disney World, and it is true-it really is the place where dreams come true. I can't say enough how happy it made me every time I saw Jenna and Alyssa smile. Jenna had the best time meeting all of the princesses, and Alyssa even tried grabbing at the characters' faces. She especially liked Chip and Dale!

It was so hot and tiring, though! We started sweating at 7:30 a.m. just waiting for our bus to come take us to the parks each day. We were able to go to Magic Kingdom several times, Epcot, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom. I loved the safari at the Animal Kingdom! Jenna loved eating breakfast at Cinderella's Castle with the princesses, and she loved watching the Little Mermaid show at MGM. The worst part was definitely driving there and back! I told John I would never drive on a long vacation again. He is just going to have to face his fears and fly on an airplane!!! The girls were close to perfect on the way there, but Alyssa did not want to be in her car seat on the way home. Overall, I was so proud of Jenna for riding so well in the car.

Well, of course I have a few pictures to share with you. I just couldn't post all 251 of the pictures I took! But, hopefully you enjoy these....

The Things That Bring a Smile to My Face...

I know you are all shocked right now that I have posted a new blog two days in a row! I guess I want to get a few in before we leave for vacation. I also love this top ten list idea so I couldn't wait!

Here are the things that always bring a smile to my face...
1. Jenna...When she sings, dances, talks, plays soccer, rides the rides...basically anything she does makes me smile! Well, that is, except when she is doing something that gets her a "time-out."
2. Alyssa...Her smile makes me smile! She has the most rotten little face at times! She definitely looks and acts like her daddy...and also has his temper :) It is so cute to hear her say "baby" and "stinky."
3. John...He can usually make me smile by doing stupid faces....and sounds!
4. Family...I love anytime we can get together with family.
5. Vacations and trips to places like Kings Island, of course! It is always nice to get away and have fun! Getting to go swimming puts an even bigger smile on my face!
6. Teaching Kids...especially when one finally gets something that they have been struggling with....Also, I smile when we get high test scores (Remember I am very competitive!)
7. Going to Pickaway and seeing our church family every Sunday morning!
8. Desserts, especially ice cream cones!
9. Coaching Soccer...It is so much fun for me! I love it!
10. Getting on the scale and losing another pound (This hasn't been happening much lately...I am still stuck at 54 pounds. Maybe I should stop giving in and eating so many of #8 lately!)

Jenna riding "Swiper's Sweeper" for the first time!
Alyssa loves the Merry-Go-Round!


Jenna had her face painted with a princess crown!

On top of the Eiffel Tower!

Jenna with Blue! It was a fun but tiring day! Do you think Alyssa is comfortable? :)


We finally went back to Kings Island on Saturday, and I took new pictures and managed to get them developed today without losing anything. We had such a good time, and it was worth going back!


I am getting so excited about Florida! I really think I am worse than a child because I just can't wait. John thinks I am crazy because I am already starting to get everything packed. (Thanks to Miranda for loaning us her luggage!) Jenna is excited because we saw on the Internet that there is a Little Mermaid show at Disney. I hope we can get by with just watching it once and not a million times during our trip. But, we are talking about a little girl who watches "A Little Mermaid" almost every night and knows most of the words...so watching it only once might be just wishful thinking on my part.

Happy 4th of July!

It has been forever since I have blogged...there is just so much to do and so little time!
We have been enjoying the Ashville 4th of July fair, but I agree with Miranda saying that it needs to be over soon! It is so much fun, but it is costing John and I a fortune. Jenna is definitely our little girl because she LOVES to ride rides...She will ride anything from the ferris wheel to the plunge ride to the little cars and super trucks! We bought her a $15 wristband on Saturday and Sunday, and we let her ride 3 rides yesterday. It is really adding up! Also, not to mention all of the money we are spending on the delicious, fattening junk food! It is also definitely not helping the diet! I do have to update and say that I have lost 53/54 pounds now. It varies from day to day. I have hit a major plateau because I have been stuck here for the last three or four weeks. Hopefully, I can get back on track and start losing again.

We are so excited (and a little nervous) about our Disney vacation coming up next week. It is our first family vacation, so I am sure it will be fun, but I also know it will be tiring and a little stressful too! I just hope we survive the drive there! I can't wait to see Jenna eating breakfast with Cinderella at her castle, and I am so excited about doing the safari at Animal Kingdom!

My Favorite Chips....
1. Nacho Cheese Doritos
2. Cool Ranch Doritos
3. Cheetos Cheese Puffs
4. Salt and Vinegar Lays
5. KC Masterpiece Baked Lays
6. Harvest Cheddar SunChips
7. Funyuns
8. Ruffles...with Yoders French Onion Dip!
Wow, I don't know if it is just because I haven't been eating potato chips for a while or not, but I can't finish my list. Maybe that is a good sign :)