Sounds of Asia

Wild Life Refuge

 Cooper and I spent a mother/son day exploring the Merritt Island National Wildlife refuge. We had a blast checking out all the natural plants, birds and animals indigenous to Brevard County. We were excited to see a baby bald eagle that lives at the wild life refuge, a slow moving but large gator and we found a family of manatees in the river. I can't imagine going any later in the year, we were lucky to have a beautiful cool day but it must be crazy with the heat and the bugs in the summer!  Glad we didn't try it out then!

Easter Sunday 2012

 The Easter Bunny came early this year.  And by early, I mean middle of the night early! You could see yesterday we went to Kiwanis Island's Easter Egg Hunt and Cooper got to meet the Easter Bunny there.  It was a nice day and there has been a cool breeze in the air.

For Easter Sunday,  I had decided I really wanted to attend Z88.3's Annual Easter sunrise service at Sea World and doors opened at 5:30am....service at 6:30am.  I set my alarm, but excitement over the Easter Bunny got Cooper up at 3:00am.  We tried to sleep for the next hour when I decided to give into his early early early enthusiasm and just go with it.

It was a perfect morning, we played his new game, ate some chocolate and then got ready to head to Orlando.  We got there 20 minutes before doors opened...and I got amazing seats for what was an AMAZING sunrise service.  

As a Catholic I have to tell you..."Bless me father"....I LOVE evangelical services.  LOVE them. Seriously I can't explain to you the difference but it's like yoga vs running. Both good, but both totally different paces.  I love them both, but after sitting in a seated position meditating and repeating AMEN in a congregation where the median age is 70 for most of my life, this knocked me out.  Maybe it was the technically set stage, maybe it was SELAH leading praise and worship, it could have been that I have read Angie Smith's blog "Bring the Rain" for the past 3 years and she was speaking...maybe it was her message "God is big enough, strong enough and has a plan for each of our lives" that I needed so badly to hear.  If not for Cooper and the over 6,000 people next to me...I would have sat and wept.  Big old "Oprah ugly cry tears", they were just under the surface and I almost lost it more than once. But then I opened my eyes, and the sun had risen and people were spontaneously lifting their hands in praise.

 And so did my boy.  It made a Catholic mama proud to know he experiences and participates in all types of services and can worship anywhere, anyway. I am a closeted evangelical...so I have outed myself of Easter 2012...ha!

We came home to then do the Egg hunt the Easter Bunny left and I am now fighting off a nap...if Cooper can go now to 1:30pm without even closing one eye...I can too.

We have a ham ready to put in and I am starving since my sugar high has burned off so I better sign off...Happy Easter :)

Easter 2012

Carnival Dream- Spring Break 2012

We had a wonderful 7 days on the "Grandpa Ship" as you can see from the video above.  We are home, relaxed and ready for our next adventure :)  

How did you spend your Spring Break?

AT SEA :)

Having a blast!!!

39 years

Friday I turned 39.  And can I ask.....

where did the last 10 years of my life go?  

29 I had it all, a job I loved, money, was building a townhouse, great friends, fun nights out...but thought I had nothing, nothing but the promise of an amazing future, 

and a very simple life.

  So...I married, had a baby, a husband, a new house with a pool, the appearance of stability and thought...I have it all.

For a while. 

 But if you know me you know, I didn't really have it all. I have an amazing kid but to be honest (this is going to sound mean so brace yourselves)...that's IT. Loved ones died, promises were broken and honesty and simplicity were nowhere to be found.

"Just make it through the day in one piece" got me here....to 39.

The last 10 years my life got messy.  Tangled up, I felt trapped, confused and lost my sense of reality.  What IS it I want? What IS it I should do?  

So at 39 I realize I can't just "get through the day".  I need to keep the balance of harmony in my life.  If I don't, I know I'll wake up saying I am 49 and lost another 10 years.  I am tired of being angry, I am tired of being complacent, I am tired of doing "what I should".

I spent my 39th birthday emptying out my house and selling off most of my belongings. I am letting go. I am letting go so I can move forward.  These things I have collected, they built a life I never wanted.  So I building a new one.  One that only includes people who bring me joy, work that makes me happy everyday and one that makes me remember that 10 years is a long time to fill with amazing adventures!

What am I going to do with all these photos? Wednesday