Epcot Center - Disney World (Final Chapter)

OK. These are the final pictures of Epcot on Tuesday, January 11, 2011:

Upon leaving China, we then crossed over into Norway. I would love to see Norway someday, too. Ok, face it, I would pretty much love to just be able to travel and see ALL of the world that I haven't already seen! (And even go back to some places that I have already been to.) :) Anyway, these next few pictures are of Norway, Viking country:

We then ventured into Mexico. By this point, the sun was setting and I snapped these next 2 shots of the setting sun over France.

Mexico.
So far, I have been to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta when we went on our cruise in February of 2010 (which, by the way, I'm still not done posting for). I REALLY want to go spend a week someday in the near future in Cancun, Mexico at Matt's Family's Condo on the beach. Matt's been dying to take me for years and we just haven't gotten around to it yet. It's on our list of things to do soon, though! :)

Donald Duck in Mexico, wearing a sombrero.

I believe this is a replica of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Matt and his family have been to see the real thing several times when they've been in Cancun. It's one of the many things that Matt wants to take me to see when we go one day.

A picture of some of the pretty flowers. I think they are really cool looking. Granted, it wasn't really the season yet to see them in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous, but they were still pretty. :)

As we were leaving Mexico.....

Another picture of the Christmas Tree.

The famous Epcot Ball all lit up as we were leaving the park that night.

At this point, shortly after we left Mexico we then went back through The Land section of the park towards the entrance and we stopped and road the Soarin' ride on our way out of the park. It was AWESOME!!

You enter a building and they take you into a room. You sit in a row of like 5 or 6 seats and they strap you in like you're on a roller coaster, or something to that effect. There are 2 rows, one in front of the other......and 2 sections of seats just like this, one next to the other. At first, you're looking at a giant, blank movie screen. Then, suddenly, you are lifted into the air and it feels like the floor comes out from under you as you are looking at the movie screen and you begin to 'fly'. You literally feel like you are 'soaring' over the United States. As you 'fly' over the mountains it feels like your feet are going to touch the mountain peaks.......as you fly over the ocean and the water is crashing against the rocks below you, you actually feel the spray on your face......and as you 'fly' over orange fields you can actually smell the oranges. You feel the wind on your face as you're 'flying'.......it's truly one of the most exhilaratingly AWESOME feelings.....almost as though you're really hang gliding!! I've actually always kind of wanted to try hang gliding someday so it was REALLY COOL!!

By this time, we were all pretty tired from having spent the whole day in Epcot. Matt and I actually would have really liked to have stayed until closing, though, for the fireworks and festivities......but Carolyn and Julie were pretty wiped out by that point so we went back to the condo, made some dinner, and relaxed for a bit until we all crashed in bed. It was a very enjoyable day!

Downsizing and Moving

Well....the secret is now starting to get out and spread around town. LOL It looks like there will be a

sign in front of our house in the very near future. It's been a really tough decision to make and one we don't take lightly, but so far we are feeling good about this decision after much prayer and thought about what changes we need to make right now.

What triggered the thoughts to sell and get out of the house was word a couple weeks ago that Matt would be getting a paycut at work for a while.....not sure how long at this point.....in order to help the company get back on top of some things. It was a hard decision for the owners of the company to make (Matt has witnessed the difficulty first hand in talking with the owners himself), but one that has already begun to

help the company in the last couple months. We feel very lucky and very blessed that we haven't been more negatively affected by it, since it could have been a lot worse. We are just truly grateful to have the job at this point. Matt is not the only one that this has affected.....it's been company wide.....we've just been lucky enough to be one of the last to be affected by it. The owners have since come to Matt personally and spoken to him about the changes and have assured him that he is a very valuable member of the company, they don't want to lose him, and that this will not be permanent. They've asked Matt to hang in there with them for a bit longer and that if we do, we will not regret it in the end.

Matt has been very honest and up front with the owners and they are aware that there has been some interest in him from other competitor companies and that he has submitted his resume. However, Matt has truly, truly LOVED working for the current company for the last 8 years and he really would prefer to stay with them, if at all possible. There has been a lot of anger, hurt, and frustration from other employees within the company for the last little while and there has actually been quite a bit of turnover as a result of these changes that have come about. The owners of the company really are truly good men who are trying to do what's right for them and their families, their company, and their employees and their families as well. Matt has witnessed first hand the struggle that these men have been going through themselves to make this work as well as possible for everyone. Others within the company have not necessarily had the opportunity or taken the time to get to know the owners as well as Matt has. It's a tough time for everyone right now, but we are continuing to pray about our situation, trying to stay positive about the changes, and are actually looking forward to the future. We have much to be grateful for, in spite of the trials!

In the meantime, this experience has really made Matt and I take a step back and reevaluate the most important things in our lives at this point. While we love our house and the area that we live in......we know that we can be happy no matter where we live, as long as we have each other and we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. With that knowledge, we have decided that it's time for us to make some big changes in 2011.

After much prayer and much thought, we've decided that it's time for us to downsize and reprioritize a bit and get back to the basics. In doing so, we need to move out of our house and into something that is less expensive right now so that we can focus on getting completely, 100% out of debt. By comparison to so many others in society today, Matt and I actually have pretty minimal debt....but we do have some student loans and a few things that we can't seem to get rid of right now. As a result, we have felt a great urgency that this year we need to downsize and really focus on getting rid of whatever debt we have and on gaining a substantial savings account as well.

The General Authorities of the church have been telling us as members of the church for years now that we need to do everything we can, make whatever sacrifices we have to, to get out of debt. Everytime I hear them say it, I cringe just a little because I know that there are some things that we could do differently in our lives to help do that. So this year is the year that we are going to focus on those things and work hard to get to that point.

Another huge factor in this decision is adoption. We've been waiting for a while now, which has been a bit frustrating for us at times. So instead of just sitting and waiting anymore.....and worrying about how we're going

to afford to pay for an adoption when that time comes......we've decided to take action and do what we can to help this process go as smoothly as possible when the times comes. By selling our house and making these changes right now, it will also allow us to put some substantial money in the bank so that we can hopefully pay cash for an adoption......or be able to only have to minimally finance it.......when the time comes.

As I said previously, the decision to sell our house and move has been a tough decision to make.....but it's one that we are feeling good about and we are actually looking forward to the future and whatever may be in store for us. We are determined to make 2011 a great year for us! :)

Come What May, and Love It

I've been reading in the November 2008 Ensign again this morning.....really enjoying remembering and re-reading the talks and addresses from the October 2008 General Conference. So many of them seem to be what I really need to hear again right now.

In my reading this morning, I read the talk "Come What May, and Love It" by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. Here is a link to that talk so that you can enjoy it yourself:

http://lds.org/liahona/2008/11/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

Again, more really great 'advice' for me to take into consideration and apply to my daily life. One of my favorite quotes in that talk was something that Elder Wirthlin typed up on a small card and gave to one of his daughters who was suffering from an illness at the time:

"The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him."

Such simple and true words for me and each of us to apply to our lives on a daily basis. So simple and true....yet so hard to do at times. I'm working to get better at it every day.....

Blessings & Amazing Friends

To be completely honest, the last 1.5 weeks haven't been our greatest......especially for my sweet hubby. I hate to see Matt struggling so much and worrying....and allowing things to make him question his own worth at times. It's not very often that Matt gets down....he's generally a very happy, upbeat guy, which is one of the things that I love most about him. So when he does have a day or 2 when things get him down.....it's really tough for me to sit by and watch him struggle.




Monday night was one of those nights. Matt seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and suddenly something snapped. He sometimes has a habit of carrying the things that are bothering him around for a while and bottling them up until he's ready to talk about them. I'm someone who likes to talk things out pretty quickly, so I've had to learn over the years how to sometimes take a step back and allow Matt to process things and deal with them in his own way. When he's ready to talk, he'll usually come to me with it and we'll then talk it out and figure it out together. However, it's still hard for me to take that step back sometimes.



Anyway, something finally snapped on Monday night and the dam finally broke.....everything that he's been carrying around and worrying about for the last week (or longer) finally came pouring out and he finally was able to release a lot of the bottled up anger, frustration, and, to a certain extent, hurt, over some things that he's been dealing with lately in other aspects of our lives......things that I still can't go into detail over, but not necessarily having anything to do with me or the relationship that we have together. Just other things in life that he is dealing with on a daily basis. I spent a good portion of the night just sitting with him and allowing him to vent and release a myriad of emotions......for the most part saying nothing except trying to help him feel better. Finally, we rested for a few hours and he went to work like normal yesterday.



Matt works harder than anyone I know (except my Dad) and he's an amazing person. He has formed many friendships with contractors and others that he deals with at work on a daily basis....and he greatly values those friendships and relationships. He tries very hard to deal with customers and contractors in a fair and honest manner and make them feel comfortable to be around him.



One of those contractors with whom he has formed a great friendship came into the store yesterday and saw Matt. Apparently, he could tell that something was still bothering Matt so he took him aside and talked with him for a few minutes. Ryan is also a member of our church and is a worthy Priesthood holder. He felt that it was appropriate and asked Matt if he would like him to come over after work and give Matt a blessing. Matt, not being one to normally ask for one himself, told Ryan he would think about it and let him know. Ryan then sent him a text after they both were home and asked him again if he would like him to come over later and give Matt a blessing. Matt and I talked about it and agreed that it certainly wouldn't hurt anything to allow Ryan to do so.....and probably would even be a good idea.



Ryan came over about 7:30 last night and ended up spending a good 1.5 hours just sitting with us and talking with us about a lot of things.....as a true friend would do. As previously mentioned, Matt and Ryan have become really great friends over the years in working together and Ryan has become someone that Matt trusts and feels comfortable enough to talk to about personal matters at times......especially since it seems that Ryan and his wife have quite a bit in common with Matt and I....including having had their own issues with infertility, etc., over the years as well.



The 3 of us prayed together and invited the Spirit to be with us and Ryan then proceeded to give Matt a really great blessing of comfort. Afterwards, Matt and Ryan both gave me a blessing of comfort as well. Tears were shed and the Spirit was definitely in the room. Last night ended up being one of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in a while.....thanks to Ryan listening to the promptings of the Spirit and heading those promptings.



I am so grateful for the power of the Gospel in my life.....and for the Priesthood. I'm constantly reminded of so many great blessings that I have in my life, in spite of the challenges and trials that we also face on a daily basis. I have such a testimony of the Gospel, even though I sometimes forget and I can be stubborn and I don't always do all of the things that I know I should be doing. As Ryan left our house last night, I had a new resolve to try harder to do those things that I've been slacking off on and to try harder to do those things that will invite the Spirit to be a more prominent part of my daily life. I truly do need guidance and inspiration from the Spirit and from my Savior, probably greater at this point in my life than ever before, with so many life changing decisions to be made and so many personal struggles that Matt and I both continue to deal with. There were particular words spoken in both of our blessings last night that really stood out to me and gave me a reassurance that I need to hang in there and be strong.....that the Lord is mindful of the things that Matt and I are trying to do and the righteous desires of our hearts. If we will be strong and stay close to the Spirit those desires will begin to unfold in their own due time.



I'm so grateful for the power of true friends in our lives who are always there when we most need them. Whether it be with a kind word, a smile, a hug.....or coming to pick Matt up to take him golfing for the day because he needs something to cheer him up and take his mind off things for a while......or listening to a prompting and offering a listening ear and a blessing of comfort to Matt when it's obvious that he's struggling a bit. Thank you. It truly warms our hearts to have so many close and wonderful friends and family to share the ups and downs of our lives with. Again, thank you! We love you all! :)




I took some time to read a little in the Ensign this morning when I woke up......an older Ensign from November of 2008. This particular one is filled with the Conference addresses and talks from the previous month's Conference sessions. I ended up reading the talk that was given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf......an absolutely amazing man and one of my very favorite General Authorities.......entitled: "The Infinite Power of Hope".

"Hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges."

I felt that it was appropriate and quite fitting for the moment and thought I would share the talk. If you're interested in reading it, click on the link below:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/the-infinite-power-of-hope?lang=eng

It really hit home for me right now. :)

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. The Savior has sacrificed so much for me and now it's my turn to be strong and do whatever it takes to live my life the best way possible and return to live with Him someday. I know that my Redeemer lives and loves me and that I am truly a Child of God. If I can only continue to remember that in the most challenging of times and remember to stay close to the Spirit, I can get through these challenging times and can be an even better and stronger person in the end.

Epcot Center - Disney World (Part 3)

As we crossed over from Germany into China, we went through the Outpost. This picture is of the Outpost. It wasn't very big, just a few huts with shops in them, etc.

My Mother-in-Law actually stopped at one of the little outside huts/shops and bought both her and I each a cute bracelet, since we both like that kind of thing. The bracelets are made out of recycled paper from the Disney World Parks. The paper gets sent over to Africa, where women who need work use the paper to make jewelry. Then that jewelry is sent back to the Disney World Parks and is sold. The money that they get for the jewelry is then sent back to Africa to help those women and their families to have a better life. Carolyn & I both felt good about supporting the cause....not to mention that we both got cute bracelets out of it! I thought it was a great idea.....a great use of the paper instead of wasting it, and helping out people who are in need in the process. :)

There were too many people crowded around waiting to cross to get a picture of it, but the drawbridge was up just before we went over into China. They were bringing this huge, metal globe down the river in preparation for the light show and fireworks that were to take place on the lake in a few hours....later that evening after it got dark. (Unfortunately, we didn't stay to see it....although I would have liked to have seen it.) The globe is covered in hundreds of lights so that it lights up in the dark.

Here we are crossing over into China. As you can imagine....I have a huge list still of places and countries that I would love to travel to in the future. Asia is also on that list. I would LOVE to see China and Japan both! These next few pictures are of China.

One more post should finish up Epcot.......:)

Epcot Center - Disney World (Part 2)

From the American Adventure, we then headed into Italy. These next few pictures were taken as we wandered through Italy, which is another country on my list to go see for real someday in the future. :)

Germany was the country that I was probably MOST excited to see....having pretty much grown up in the 'real' country for almost 7 years of my life. I LOVE Germany.....it will always have a piece of my heart! Someday I plan/hope to be able to go back and see it again and show Matt where I spent the most memorable of my growing up years.

I thought this was a pretty good replica of the real German countryside.

I've spent many of my days as a kid exploring and seeing real castles all over Germany.

I also thought they did a pretty good of capturing the real look of the buildings, etc., as well. I've always loved the look and style of the German buildings. I used to love spending a lot of my time hanging out in downtown Frankfurt with my friends in high school. So many great memories!

These next 2 pictures were taken in one of the shops......also authentic to Germany as well.

Snow White happened to be hanging out in Germany....so I had to get a picture of her as well. :)

Did I mention that I LOVE Germany? I even found myself getting a bit choked up as we wandered through the country. I found myself reflecting back on so many happy, happy memories and missing it a great deal!