Relay For Life

Dear Friends and Family,

On Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 , I will be helping save lives from cancer by taking part in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, and I’m hoping you will support me.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives people in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

In addition to helping people celebrate, remember, and fight back, Relay For Life also helps raise much-needed funds and awareness to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer and create more birthdays.

Please support me in my efforts by visiting my personal web page to make a secure, tax-deductible online donation.

Every donation really does make a difference. I know that times are tighter than normal for many of us, but any amount you can give truly can help save lives.

You see, thanks to your support, the American Cancer Society can:

• Help people stay well by helping them take steps to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable
• Help people get well by being in their corner around the clock to guide them through every step of their cancer experience
• Find cures by funding groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer’s causes, determine how best to prevent it, and discover new ways to cure it
• Fight back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight

Each of us has our own reasons for caring about the fight against cancer … whatever your reasons, I hope you’ll choose to make a difference by making a donation online to support my efforts. I’m so grateful to have great people like you in my life who want to see an end to cancer in our lifetime. Together we can save lives.

Thank you, and I will keep you updated on my progress.

To learn more about Relay For Life, please visit our Relay For Life information page.

Here it is!!!

IT'S HERE! MY OFFICALL LETTER FROM DISNEY! I woke up Saturday morning to my mom bringing my letter to my room so:

1. 
   
   I would see it as soon as I woke up and
2. 
   
   It wouldn't get ruined somehow downstairs

I can't wait for August to get here! This all feels like a dream to me even though I know it's not! I can't stop jumping up and down, screaming and bubbling over with pure excitement!

Today while at church, I spent an hour talking to my friend Katie in the hall about the Disney College Program. She was giving me what I call the "Disney Download" about everything I could possibly experience! She was a cast member in January 2006, so she was able to answer a lot of the questions I had. She even brought some pictures to show me! Playing off her energy from remembering her time there and my energy of waiting to go, made it an awesome chat! It's great that I can talk to someone who has already gone through this so I know some of what to expect when I get down there. I feel like I am going into this less blind than others. Thank goodness for that! ;)

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

Less than 24 hours ago I found out that I was accepted to the Disney College Program as an intern at Walt Disney World in Florida. I was accepted to the Fall 2010 program which means that I will leave in August and come home in January 2011. I will be working in the Quick Food and Beverage Service areas and could be in any of the different resorts. I will find out exactly where and what I will be doing when I get there. I am so excited because I have been dreaming about this opportunity since I was a sophomore in high school!

The process of becoming an intern was a long one. Like I already mentioned, I have been planning this since high school 5 years ago!! I have always loved Disney and felt that it was somewhere that I wanted to be. My process really took off last semester when I wondered into a Disney College Presentation on campus. I was in awe sitting there and I had this overwhelming since that I was going to be one of the interns someday that were in the video they showed us. I learned a lot about what to expect from the program, what they offer in terms of pay, networking opportunities with Disney CEOs and ways in which the program will help me to grow and someday reach my career goals. I soaked up information like a sponge last semester and I left that program knowing this was something I NEEDED to do for me and no one else. And I decided right then that I wasn't going to let anything stand between me and that goal.

My actual Disney Journey began on March 2, 2010 when I attended my second Disney College program Presentation on campus. Once again, I knew this was where I needed to be. After the presentation I "raced" home to fill out my application knowing that positions were limited. There were three parts to the application that took me over an hour to complete. First, I had to decide which roles (or jobs) I would be interested in doing. Second, fill out the application form itself which had all your basic questions on it. And third, I had to complete an online interview. This was the part that had me the most worried. After attending the presentation, I knew that the questions would time-out after 20 - 50 seconds depending on the type of question being asked. I also knew that upon completing the online interview I would know right away if my application was terminated or if I moved on to the next phase, which was the phone interview. Needless to say, I moved on in the process!!

My phone interview was scheduled for March 5, 2010, at 9:30pm. I was so nervous, I had no idea what to expect! This may sound funny, but in order to get in the right mindset I decided it was best to dress professionally, as if we were meeting face-to-face. I even decided to wear a Mickey Mouse sticker I got at the presentation for luck! (Couldn't hurt, right? See picture!) This seemed to calm my nerves a little bit. I knew that I needed to be somewhere quiet so I decided to move my computer chair into my parents’ bathroom, I then closed that door and their bedroom door so the dogs could not get in and cause a distraction. Ten minutes before the interview I was sitting all dressed up in the bathroom, using the counter as my table. I had papers everywhere that included the printed out version of my application, questions to ask the interviewer and a notebook to write down notes or key points of interest as we were talking. I even had a bottle of water just in case I needed it! However the most important thing in front of me at that time was the sign I taped to the mirror saying "I am the one for the job!" When I started to get worried or lacking confidence it was to that sign I looked to reassure me that this was what I wanted to do and knew I was able to make happen. A typical interview is only suppose to last 20 - 25 minutes, mine however went for 45 minutes! The interviewer kept complimenting me on my communication skills, preparedness and well thought of questions. I hung up feeling as if I were on top of the world. I knew I would hear either way from Disney within 3 - 6 weeks.


However, after a few days the reality sunk in and I had to face the fact that I might not be accepted. And believe it or not, that was the mindset I was in yesterday afternoon when I saw the email in my inbox. To be honest, I panicked, it has only been a week and a half! I knew I shouldn't be hearing from them yet! I felt my world come crashing down around me as I started reading. BUT, that feeling soon sky-rocketed as I learned that I was chosen as a participant! I called my parents, my grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends to share the news. I put it on Facebook within minutes of finding out! The support I have gotten from everyone has been wonderful! I want to share this journey with you, too. So join me as I prepare to make my dreams and the dreams of many others come true. Come along as I embark on my own Disney Adventure!

Signs of Being Sick...

February has not been a good month for me... I have been sick for about 2 1/2 weeks now. Thank goodness I am FINALLY on the mend. I have been battling an ear infection, sinus infection and strep throat. So needless to say, I have been miserable.

So while I have been sick, lounging around the house due to lack of energy or motivation, I have been documenting my boredom with pictures (nothing gross, I promise!). Here is what I consider to be "The signs of Being Very Sick":

1. Lots of hot herbal tea and thousands of tissues.

2. A sink full of dishes just waiting to be washed.

3. Enough Chicken Noodle soup and other varieties eaten in a two and a half week time period to fill a child's wading swimming pool!

4. A sign by my "sick" cup so it was not mistaken as someone else's. Also, Gatorade has become my very best friend in the liquid department.

5. After two different doctor visits I have to take 3 different medications (two of which are horse pills that are very difficult to swallow at the moment, and  a countdown pack starting with 6 pills on day one), 1 pain-killer for my intense migraines and finally a yucky mouth wash to really take care of business.

6. An awesome momma who makes a breakfast-dessert feel good dinner that includes the world's softest waffle and freezing cold ice cream (felt good on my throat) with homemade chocolate sauce!

After all that.... I am starting to feel like me again, not back to 100%, but getting closer everyday! I'm just praying that I am over the worst and with spring arriving in a few weeks I'll be as good as new!!

What's Happening in 2010?

              As I sat in class today I realized that January 2010 is basically over and I haven't blogged once in the New Year. I couldn't believe that I let a good chunk of the month slip away without saying hello... I'm still working on my hosting skills. But with the New Year still freshly upon us, I felt that I should share with you the goals I have for myself this year. I read or heard a quote once (and for the life of me I can't remember who said it), that a goal is not a goal until it is written down. So, here it goes:

• Develop or discover a new talent (in a craft, sport, class, etc.)
• Become more comfortable in the kitchen - planning meals and preparing them
• Make a serious effort at becoming healthier - eating better food and exercising more

I don't know how I'm going to tackle all these goals yet, but I promise to make a full effort at reaching them.

          So, what is happening in my life these days? All kinds of crazy and exciting things. The spring semester started this week and it started with a BANG...literally! I broke my right pinky toe 10 minutes after I got up the first day of the semester! The sad or funny part (depending on how you look at it) is that I have no idea how it happened! I was walking past my sisters' bedroom door the exact same time my youngest sister, Macayla, and one of our dogs, Bernie, were both trying to come out. And one way or another, they either kicked my foot, stepped on it, or pushed it into the doorframe. All I know is that it happened so fast and then there was nothing but pain!! By the end of the day (Tuesday) my toe (which I had taped to the next toe) was swollen and had turned purple. Ice, Tylenol, and medical tape have become my saving grace this week as I have franticly run from one end of campus to the other in order to make it to class on time!!

            If I haven’t mentioned this already, I am an Advertising major, but not on the creative side that most people think of. I would love to go into the research behind an ad, finding out what the consumer likes, thinks, feels, needs. And my dream place of employment would be within the Disney Company, which is why I am so excited to inform you that I am applying for a fall internship through the Disney College Program. FINGERS CROSSED! I finally feel like my life is starting to take shape, like I am headed in the right direction for the first time. This feeling is empowering and frightening all at the same time, but I have decided that 2010 is the year that I will face my fears with my head held high and my game face on! This is my time and I’m ready to shine!

MIA - But now I'm Back!

For the last two months or so I have been MIA from my blog due to the end of the semester projects and final exams, but all of that is behind me now, so I have made my return! I am BACK! Much has happened during that time, so where to start?!

This year our family had not one, but TWO Thanksgiving Dinners, the first was November 8, when Alan was home. It was fun, but kind of strange mixing two families and their holiday traditions together. (Aunt Khris' side of the family came to Grandma and Papa's for the first time to enjoy a sit-down dinner at one long table with us.) It was held so early in the month because Alan wont be with us for the actual Thanksgiving dinner, and the family agreed that we would celebrate early with him, as it's his favorite holiday!

Then a few short weeks later, it was time for Thanksgiving....AGAIN! This has always been my favorite holiday because of our family traditions. There are certain things I have come to count on at Thanksgiving. First, there will always be a long table that the whole family, along with any friends sit at together to enjoy the meal. Second, grandma's Thanksgiving table decorations had better find their way down the center of that table, or all is lost! And third, the year that BLACK OLIVES are forgotten will be a tragedy as my sisters, cousin and I will forever need them to take our yearly "Olive Finger" pictures! This year things were a little different. Usually, the whole family (meaning anywhere between 35 -50 people) go to my grandparents home, we set up one very long table that stretches diagonally across the room. When everything is all set up, there is hardly room to walk around. But this year, because my grandmother has had a few health issues, we decided to move Thanksgiving dinner to the church instead. And you better believe we had one long table, grandma's decorations and black olives! In the end, this worked out better as there was a place for the kids to play, people weren't sitting on top of one another and there was enough room in the kitchen to clean up (plus, there were two sinks, so clean up took half the time!) After dinner, my sisters and I had a little too much fun with my camera, but the pictures we got we AMAZING! We also good a good one of our family.

Now it is December and Christmas is in full swing here. There are Christmas lights on the house, but for one reason or another, they have decided they WILL NOT light for anything this year. They worked when we put them up in November (taking advantage of warm weather!), but when we plugged them in in November, much to our dismay, NOTHING! :( Oh well, at least there are also lights in the windows! Not to mention the three, yes THREE Christmas trees in our house. The one in the family room has all the ornaments my sisters and I get every year from our parents that represent something we did that year. So for example, I got my 21st ornament this year, she is a little angel called "The Angel of Talents" representing that I have decided on my major and as I continue in the program, my "talent" will be shaped and developed. In the front room there is the "White Christmas Tree", also lovingly known as the "Winter Tree." This special tree is done all in white, white lights, white snowflake and icicle ornaments with snow people surrounding it. I think it might be my favorite tree, it's just so beautiful when it's all lit up at night! The last tree has only been a part of our family for a year, so it is making its second debut in our formal dining room this Christmas! Thus, it is formally known as "The Cookie Cutter Tree!" To outsiders, our house may seem like Christmas exploded, but to me, it's perfect!

Has it really been a MONTH!?

This past month has been amazing! I don't know how to express in words how happy I've been! So pictures will have to work for now:



What started out as friendship....

...Has grown Stronger!

I'm so happy that I have Michael in my life! He is so sweet! Every day he finds a new way to make me smile and laugh! We've come a long way since high school and I couldn't be more thrilled! Not many people would wait for someone to realize that the two of you belong together, but he did. :) I feel like the most special person these days. I hate knowing that I could have let this slip through my fingers because I was so blind! I'm sorry I made you wait so long...

Happy One Month Anniversary!