Charlie Brown - in ICE!

I had never visited the ICE exhibit before, so I'm glad they had a great theme for my first time - Charlie Brown!

The ice sculptures were amazing and I loved every single one of them. Personally, I like Linus the best because I can relate to his obsession with blankets. :) (PS - Linus is made out of ice, but his blankie is not)

The colors and the ice carving was simply fantastic - just so neat to see!

I love the ice skates!

This is a close-up of the blue mailbox - I just couldn't believe they made all of this out of ICE in Texas!

Here's the mailbox in the scene. It's funny to me to see 'fake snow' made out of ice. LOL

Here's Cindy and I standing in line for our 5 cent psychiatric help - we need it!!

Even Christmas lights in ice!

It was SO cold in there (obviously) to keep the ice sculptures solid. They give you those blue parkas to wear when you walk through the exhibit. I also had a coat, sweater and shirt on under my parka!

They tended to so many details and it was so realistic!

I just loved this one - his spiky hair and musical instrument...

Here's me and my BFF Linus again. :) I wanted to steal his blankie!

These frozen ice artistic Christmas trees were so beautiful....

Here we are in our blue parka glory - Me, Laura & Cindy

I love his red shirt!

Tangled up lights in ice - sad face.....

Singing their hearts out.....

Everyone's happy at the end. :)

They even have popcorn on the ice tree!

And I love that they even got her freckles in ice!!

Texas On A Grand Scale!

Last week I went to the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord Texan Hotel/Resort in Grapevine. I have been meaning to go for the past 2 years, but finally made it over there. Laura, Cindy and I grabbed dinner after work and then headed up to Grapevine to see Charlie Brown (this year's theme)!

The resort is absolutely stunning, so today's post is just pictures of the hotel/resort!

Here's the lobby where we came in - very "Texan":

And then you walk into this middle area - breathtaking and HUGE!!

It was so big and pretty in there - I could've just marveled at it all night.

Here's an Alamo-esque structure in the middle rotunda.....

And the gingerbread room.....

The lighting displays were just fantastic, and there were water fountains all around too. There's just something about 'water features' that mesmerizes me.....

Their trees put my little one to shame!

I loved this mosaic on the floor....

And what's a Texan resort without some cowboy boots?!

Here's the lobby again - as you pass from that huge area out to the front entrance.

This is Laura and Cindy by the front entrance!

And a look back into the crazy big area from the lobby.....

Cindy, Laura and I by the double-sided fireplace. SO COOL.

Even the parking lot was beautiful!

100 Truths

1. Real name: Laura Renee

2. Nickname(s) LJ, Lauri Loo Hoo, Loo Hoo, Binks, Rett

3. Zodiac sign: Leo

4. Male or female: Female

5. Elementary School: Meadow Lake Elementary

6. Middle School: TLC (Technology Learning Campus)

7. College: University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

8. Hair color: Natural color - light brown, Dyed color - dark brown

9. Tall or Short: Tall

11. Sweats or Jeans: In a utopia world - pajama pants ALWAYS, but in public, jeans

12. Phone or Camera: BOTH - but since my phone has a pretty sweet camera, I'll say phone

13. Health freak: In some areas - I wish I was a health freak in the exercise area!

14. Orange or Apple: Apple (Honeycrisp!)

15. Do you have a crush on someone: Not right now.......

17. Piercings: Double ear piercings, ear cartilage

18. Pepsi or Coke: Neither - Diet Mountain Dew or Diet Dr. Pepper!

HAVE YOU EVER?

19. Been in an airplane: many times

20. Been in a relationship: Ummmm....YES!

21. Been in a car accident: yes - NOT cool.

22. Been in a fist fight: with my sister when we were little - we used to punch each other in the stomach and pull hair

23. First piercing: ears

24. First best friend(s): Carie Bosch, Becky Aaker

25. First award: no idea - probably a penny for going potty in the big girl potty! lol

26. First crush: first real one was Joel in junior high

27. First word: no idea

29. Last person you talked to in person: Joe at church

30. Last person you texted: April

31. Last person you watched a movie with: Doug

32. Last food you ate: a Christmas cookie (get them out of my house!!!!)

33. Last movie you watched: Rebel Without a Cause

34. Last song you listened to: All Summer Long - Kid Rock (I freaking LOVE that song)

35. Last thing you bought: filled up my gas tank at Racetrac

36. Last person you hugged: Cindy

FAVE:

37. Food: dill pickles!

38. Drinks:Diet Mountain Dew, water, frozen strawberry margaritas

39. Bottoms: ummm....stupid question. Pajama pants

40. Flower: red gerbera daisies

41. Animal: wiener dogs, of course!

42. Colors: red and silver

43. Movies: dramas, ones set in Europe, period films, independent films, ones that can make me think and/or make me cry

44. Subjects: history, math, Europe

HAVE YOU EVER:

(Put an X in the brackets if yes)

45. [x] fallen in love with someone.

46. [x] celebrated Halloween.

47. [x] had your heart broken...

48. [ x] went over the minutes/texts on your cell phone.

49. [x] had someone like me

51. [ ] got pregnant.

52. [ ] had an abortion.

53. [X] did something I regret.

54. [x] broke a promise.

55. [X] hid a secret.

56. [X] pretended to be happy.

57. [X] met someone who changed your life

58. [x] pretended to be sick.

59. [x] left the country.

60. [X] tried something you normally wouldn't try and liked it.

61. [x] cried over the silliest thing.

62. [X] ran a mile.

63. [X] went to the beach with your best friend.

64. [X] got into an argument with your friends.

65. [X] hated someone.

66. [ ] stayed single for 2 years.

CURRENTLY:

67. Eating: nothing

68. Drinking: Diet Root Beer

69. Listening: sleeping dog on my lap

70. Sitting/Laying: Sitting

71. Plans for today: (tonight) – blogging, then vacuuming

72. Waiting: for God to give me a mate

YOUR FUTURE:

73. Want kids: maybe - not sure

74. Want to get married: yes

75. Career: mine's good, but I don't think I have found my life's calling yet......

76. Lips or eyes: eye contact is key, but a great kiss is wonderful too...

77. Shorter or Taller: I wish I was just a couple inches shorter.

78. Romantic or spontaneous: Romantic, hands down

81. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship

82. Looks or personality: Personality

HAVE YOU EVER:

83. Lost glasses/contacts: never lost my glasses, but I've torn a few contacts.

84. Snuck out of a house: nope

85. Held a gun/knife for self defense: no, but I'm trying to earn my 'Texan card' by getting a gun in the near future. I'll be packin' soon! lol

86. Killed somebody: nope

87. Broken someone's heart: Yes - an awful feeling

88. Been in love: Yes - it's amazing

89. Cried when someone died: Of course

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

90. Yourself: Absolutely

91. Miracles: Yep - sure do

92. Love at first sight: It's lust at first sight...then when you get to know the person you fall in love

93. Heaven: Yes - can't wait to see Dad again

94. Santa Clause: Um, negatory

95. Aliens: Don't think so

96. Ghosts: Yes

TRUTHFULLY:

97. Is there one person you want to be with right now: Yes - but I don't know who it is yet. But I know there's someone specific for me.

98. Do you know who your real friends are: Yes

99. Do you believe in God: Yes

100. Post as 100 truths: sure, why not.

Owen Update

I thought I would dedicate today's post to an update on Owen (and his new amazing technicolor sweater). Here he is in a puppy bed, pimpin' out...

I am loving the sweater the more I look at him in it.....plus it helps me tell who's who when I'm looking at them from across a room or down the hall!

He definitely is turning out to be a lover. He LOVES to be held, cuddled, scratched, kissed, hugged, rubbed, etc. On the contrary, Maggie is becoming a little bit more distant - just watching the craziness.

I haven't been taking many pictures lately because whenever I get the camera out, they are going a mile a minute chasing each other or wrestling or fighting over toys that I can't get any that don't come out blurry! So when Owen fell asleep on my lap, I had to catch the opportunity!

My sweet little baby boy!

And here's Maggie, standing guard while Owen dozes....

And here comes Miss Instigator - ready to pounce!

And then once she riles up Owen, she looks at me like I'm supposed to make him stop being crazy. Sorry, Miss Maggie, that's not how it works!

Ah! A second where he's sitting still AND he's awake!

Here they are, wrestling over who gets to sit in the puppy bed in the office......

Maggie won.... :)

More fighting over toys - just like siblings do......

Can never get a non-blurry shot when they are hanging out - too much movement!

A profile shot of his sweet sweater!

They finally calmed down and are 'playing well with others'......

And in a futile attempt at dominance, Maggie just literally stands OVER Owen.....but he doesn't pay any attention, just keeps on playing with his toy.....

Struggling, But Still Thankful

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas and I have for several years now. I used to love Christmas like everyone else when I was a kid - presents under the tree, our homemade ornaments that we made in Girl Scouts on the tree, Dad hanging the lights on the outside of the house, Grandma coming over, Christmas Day at my aunt/uncle's house, Mom's awesome Christmas cookies, etc. etc. etc.

Then came some major deaths in the family (Dad & Grandma) and my divorce. Dad's death and my ex walking out happened right around Christmas and unfortunately, that makes for kind of a blue time at the holidays.

However, there are still aspects of the holidays that I very much enjoy, so I choose to embrace what I love and try to avoid the parts that hurt.

One of the things that I still enjoy and actually LOVE is decorating my house for Christmas! Here's a shot of my decorations and the first fire of the season at my house:

And here is my Christmas tree that I absolutely love. I put my decorations up during the first weekend in November - crazy! But I figure that there are enough parts of the holiday season that make me sad that I need to FULLY embrace the parts that bring me joy.

I do have faith that someday Christmas could be a very joyful time again......but I'm kind of in a holding pattern of sorts.....The traditions of my childhood are gone, and I don't have a family of my own to spend it with, so I sit in the middle wondering what happened to everything I loved? I get very lonely, and opposite of logic, I tend to isolate even more as I get sad. It always happens right around the 10-15th of December - just about 2 weeks out from Christmas. I don't know how to stop it, and I try to stay busy, participate in the things I DO enjoy and concentrate on what I have to be thankful for.

So far this year, I have put up all my decorations and went to a sing-a-long of Handel's Messiah with Laura. Before Christmas comes, I have plans to bake cookies with Cindy, go to the ICE event at the Gaylord Texan, be a greeter at church for one of the Christmas Eve services and spend Christmas Day with Laura & Cindy. That is quite a bit for someone who wants to crawl under a rock until the holidays are over and life is back to normal.

I'm trying to have a good attitude as much as possible and look at how much I have to be thankful for, but I still fall into a trap of loneliness this time of year and I really miss the traditions of my past........Ugh.

Home Improvement Through The Generations

When I got back from Canton about a week ago, I had several new decorations that I wanted to hang, so I went to my toolbox and got my hammer and nails out......but every time I look at the hammer I have, I think of where I come from.

Why, you ask? Because a while ago, my Mom gave both my sister and I an old hammer each. She said that both hammers belonged to our grandpas (she wasn't sure which hammer went with which grandpa) and we each could have one.

Here's mine:

As you can see, it is used, worn and 'broken in' for sure! That's what I love about it. Depending on which grandpa used it, it either was used on a dairy farm in then-rural Rosemount, MN (my Mom's Dad) or it was used in a house in Hopkins, MN near Lake Calhoun close to Minneapolis (my Dad's Dad).

It's old and beat-up, but it sure does the trick as good as any hammer out there. It's solidly built, nice and heavy and I can tell it's been put to good use. It just amazes me that someone I don't even know (both grandpas died before I was born), throughout the childhood of my parents used this very hammer to do projects just like I'm doing now.

I hope there's a an angel in Heaven that's looking down and is proud of me and is helping me complete my home improvement adventures!

I'm sad that I never knew my grandpas - I picture I would've sat like this with them, asking them a million questions had I known them......

And as a tribute to the MASTER at home improvement and fixing/building things - my Dad!! Miss you! (This is him posing in his new garage when they sold the Minneapolis house and bought the house up north on the lake - he was like a kid in a candy store!)

Singing The Chorus

A week ago I did something that I have never done before....Laura and I drove to a big old church in Fort Worth and attended a sing-a-long to Handel's Messiah.

The church was Broadway Baptist and the outside reminded me of Notre Dame in Paris - with the huge round stained glass window!

Now, I am not a singer (unless you count the singing I do in my car alone), but I wanted to go and experience it anyway. Laura sings in her church's choir, so she was ready to sing for sure!

The church was beautiful and we were two of the youngest people there, but I didn't care one bit. I was soaking in the culture around me - both the music and the architecture....

The organ was amazing and the interior was warm and inviting (except for the pew back, which was hard wood).

What a beautiful place to have the sing-a-long and I guess it was the 30th annual! Maybe I'll make it a tradition.....

Going to this event made me want to pick up piano again and start reading music. I was able to follow along in the score book that they gave each person as they went in (it was like 3/4 inch thick!). I'm so glad I went!

Men Have It Easy

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED

Men Are Just Happier People...What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress-$5000. Tux rental-$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.