I don't like spiders and snakes....

This was taken on my cell phone, but I still thought it was cool.

Happy Sunday!

Roadside Stop...

I'm no where near finished with vacation photos, but I guess I'm not going in order.

On the way home from Gulf Shores, Vincent spilled Gatorade all over himself. Ugh. :s How frustrating! Except, that when we stopped we saw a cute little train and decided to pull over. Right there, in Foley, Alabama was a little train museum. What a great time to spill your drink all over yourself! We decided to check it out.

Then, the little conductor guy said, "If you want to see the model train museum you should go there first. It closes at 2." With his coaxing, we headed that direction. We really had no idea what a little gem we had found! Inside was a huge, giant train setup!

Complete with little towns...

A little amusement park...

A little drive-in, bridges, mountains...

There was even a little fire station with working elements.

It really was a fun little detour.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Remembering September 11, 2001... 10 Years Later

On September 11, 2001 I was barely 15. I was a freshman in high school and what you are about to read is one of the very first "news" (if you would call it that) articles I ever wrote. So yeah, it sucks. But I typed it exactly as it was written, mistakes and all.

I'm sure my journalista friends will get a chuckle from this. It is riddled with opinions and random statistics and every quote is wrong, but I like how it shows what we were thinking as high school students shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

The other day, I'm pretty sure while looking for my sister's medical records, my mom came across a story myself and another girl, Kayla Hoeft, had written. There is no date on the good 'ol Wildcat Review. It just says Volume 6 Issue 2. I'm assuming since we started school in August and published monthly this was probably our second issue and was likely published sometime in October, 2001.

Here goes:

Students React to Terrorists' Attack
By Kayla Hoeft and Karen Myers

We are all deeply saddened by the events that occurred on September 11. Students at Union High School show a variety of emotions when discussing the attack. For most, fear is a big factor. "Many Americans felt safe in the United States until this tragedy occurred; it is a shame that we can't live in our own country in peach, without being afraid of what might happen in the future," says freshman, Alyson Krenning.

Some aren't afraid but instead show anger, especially toward Afghanistan. Some students here at the high school are even angry with Muslim and Arab Americans. "Since the attack on the U.S. happened, America may never look at the Arabic people the same way again," said senior, Angela Sarber.

Another reaction is large numbers of students showing patriotism. Eighty percent of students said they displayed a flag either at home or in their car, but only thirty percent would be willing to fight if they were needed for war. There is a large demand for flags at department stores and on the Internet.

Will the attack on the U.S. be a significant mark on this generation like the assassination of John F. Kennedy was on the post World War II generation? When asked this question, senior, Kelly Guittar said, "I feel that the attack on the U.S. isn't only going to be a significant mark on my generation, but on every generation to come. it's that we all realize that we aren't guaranteed life. I just hope that we could ask for God's blessing at all times instead of just during tragedy."

Senior, David Pickett sees a positive outcome to the attack, saying, "The citizens of the United States in the years past thought that they were protected and that the U.S. is a big nation that nobody would attack. The September 11 attack work up the nation and made us see that our ethics were bad. the politicians were so worried about fighting with each other... that they never achieved anything. They aren't arguing anymore; instead, they are trying to help citizens of the United States, citizens who were hurt. The politicians are also trying to find out who attacked us."

In October, President Bush warned the Taliban that time was running out for Afghanistan to hand over Osama Bin Laden and top leaders of his Al-Qadia terrorist network. Soon after, the United States attacked Afghanistan and dropped relief food packets for the civilians. In his address given after the attack, president Bush said that America was not at war with the religion of Islam or the people of Afghanistan. he also urged Americans not to pick on fellow Americans who look different than we do.

President Bush asked that each child in America earn one dollar to donate to Afghan children. The high school's club Dreamers is collecting for this fund, which will be distributed by the Red Cross.

Many students agree with freshman Krisandra Tabor who commented, "The twin towers might have fallen; a side of the pentagon might have crumbled, but the walls of this nation will never divide. God bless all the families that have gone through this tragedy, and we hope that the United States will soon be put back together."

Non-Traditional...

Planning a wedding gets me thinking about all the traditions involved with weddings. There are a lot, many with roots that gushing brides don't even think about. I don't have anything against tradition, it's just... I wouldn't say I'm the most traditional gal around.

And while I'll be following some of the age-old traditions, there are others I will forgo. I'm not saying these are bad traditions or trying to offend anyone who really loves tradition, just saying why this girl won't follow this particular part of it.

It is "giving away the bride."

Again, I want to reiterate that I DO NOT hate this idea. In fact, I thought this very part was the most amazing part of the last wedding I was in and I even teared up at the amazing bond my friend and her father shared.

A quick google search will tell you the origin of this practice.

The tradition of the father giving away his daughter has its roots in the days of arranged marriages. Daughters in those times were considered their father's property. It was the father's right to give his child to the groom, usually for a price. Today a father giving away his daughter is a symbol of his blessing of the marriage.

Another site I found provided a modern twist: Today, the act of "giving away the bride" is used to show support the union. Many brides today chose to have both parents escort her down the aisle, or they choose to walk unassisted to symbolize their independence.

My not embracing this tradition has nothing to do with its roots. Nor am I saying that by not celebrating this aspect I don't care what my family thinks, because of course I do. Here is my reasoning.

Who would give me away?

You see, my dad passed away two and a half years ago. Not only that, but it's not like he could have walked me down the aisle anyway. I'm pretty sure they don't let guys leave prison for that sort of stuff. So yeah, he's out.

My mom is remarried, but she didn't marry my step-dad until I was already out of high school. So as much as I like him, I don't really feel right having him give me away.

At one time, I thought it would be my brother, but as much as I love him I really doubt he'll even attend my wedding. For one, I'm planning a destination wedding, and for two... well, if you know me you know why I might say this. I really do love him, but I can't really count on him for anything. Plus I'm pretty sure he hates Gary for one reason or another.

And finally, my grandpa passed away about one year ago. There is no doubt that if he were still here I would have asked him to give me away (See, I don't hate the tradition). In fact, I might be planning a wedding closer to home just so he could attend and be a part of my special day. But Grandpa gets a seat in Heaven, which if you ask me will be the best place to watch.

The reason this all came up? Someone told Vincent he would get to "give me away." I'm not mad about any of this, it just got me thinking. I don't want Vincent to give me away. He's 4, and Gary is his dad. We are a family, all of us, together. None of us should be giving any of the other of us away. I did read about some brides who had older children give them away, and that is special. But I am Vincent's. I'm his forever. I will also be Gary's, forever.

And quite honestly, It's not like I'm going anywhere. It's not like if I had my mom "give me away" I would be gone forever like that raggedy old blouse she threw in the garbage. I'm going to stick around, and as much as she might aggravate me sometimes, I'll be hers forever too.

I know I could have my Mom give me away or Gary's dad or someone else special, but as another bride put it... this tradition just doesn't speak to me.

So in the next few months, I'm sure I'll be looking at other traditions and following some, but even more importantly, making some of my own.

Lions, Tigers and Alligators?

Ok, so there weren't lions and tigers, but we did find a fun alligator farm on vacation in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Do you see him?

Oh, there he is!

I learned that alligators grow one foot every year for the first six years of their life.

The big guys were bribed to the shore for us with giant pieces of chicken.

We got to hold a baby gator! This one is about one year old and his name it "Little Bit" because if he bit you, it would hurt a little bit. I'm not falling for that. An alligator is an alligator!

He looks pretty little in G's hands!

Even Vincent liked Little Bit.

For an alligator, he was pretty friendly.

The funny part about this? It was something junky, like a tea light candle in a beer can... In fact, I really think that's what it was, but I didn't look too closely.

A few of the younger gators were housed together away from the big guys. Note the handless one on the right... :(

His smile look mischievous... don't you think?

One more fun fact: The guy said that before hurricane Katrina (in August, 2005) they had about 250 gators. Now, they have about 50. Any guesses as to what happened to the other 200? Anyone?

Summer isn't gone just yet...

Look at this pretty Canna Leaf.

The Year of Rings...

I know, I know... I just got back from vacation. I should be posting vacation photos. But my vacation photos are still uploading to Flickr and I don't really feel like messing with them. So instead, I thought I would share this beautiful ring my momma got me for my birthday. I know my birthday was more than a month ago, but I forgot to take a picture of the ring before I dropped it off to get sized and it seems like it took forever to finally be finished.



Isn't it pretty? I wasn't sure what I wanted for my quarter-century birthday because I don't really want or need anything. I settled on some jewlery, but once I got looking, I didn't really fall in love with anything... until I saw this beautiful pink cameo. I knew I had to have it and that I would have it for many years...something my mom is big on.

I love how it looks like a little curly-haired girl praying.