I went with my parents to Animal Kingdom on Christmas Eve and was amazed by how close we could get to some of the animals. I was able to get some fabulous pictures of the tigers. The bats there are very creepy. The way they walk on the ropes and their wings are thin, like stretchable latex. The only bad part of my visit to the theme park was the Safari ride. I could have taken tons of cool pictures if the driver was able to slow down and/or stop at different spots along the tour. Seriously, the animals weren't going to get us if we stopped for, oh say a minute. Plus, the ride was really bumpy! Try taking pictures when your hand is constantly moving up and down from the vibrations of the jeep. Aside from the Safari, an excellent choice for a family outting. A pleasant drama free day!
Click below to see some of the photos from the trip:
Animal Kingdom Photo's
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2009: A Year in Review
I’ve decided it’s time for me to begin the Christmas card tradition of mailing Christmas cards along with a recap of my year…what fun!!!
So here is the one I wrote for those of you who didn't get a card from me (most likely due to not having your mailing address):
My year started off with going to Iowa in January for my Great Aunt Emma’s 90th birthday party. I always love going to Iowa because there’s always tons of home cooked meals and great story telling. The temperature got to below zero while I was there and there was plenty of snow on the ground. My mom and I had a snowball fight in my Aunt Emma’s backyard every day we were there.
From January to April, I was consumed with work and coaching soccer. I coached three teams, two as a head coach and one as an assistant coach. One of the team’s was a U-13 traveling team which consumed most of my energy, both physically and emotionally. The players were great but there were a handful of unbearable parents. By the end of the season, I was ready for a much needed break from coaching.
In mid-April, I went with my parents, Grams, and my cousin Mike plus the boys (Alfalfa & Spanky) to Fiesta Key down in the Keys. We camped out for the weekend in one tent, yup just one tent for five people & two dogs! We tried to go fishing in the boat but it was too rough the whole weekend, so we settled for casting off the bridges.
In late June to early July, I went on an adventure to do some family history research. I met several new relatives, some I knew I had and others I didn’t. I drove from Naples to Iowa all by myself with everything but the kitchen sink in my SUV. I stayed at my Great Aunt Emma’s while I researched my family tree. I learnt a lot while I was there and came back with a massive amount of family pictures & information I am still sorting through. Every day was a hoot with my Aunt Emma and my cousins; I had a great time & still laugh when I think about the trip. I think I can sum it up in one joke my Aunt told…Why did the man die in the round barn? (See scroll down for the answer)
When I got back from Iowa, I was busy with work until my next big trip. My Grandma always wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro, so in October it became reality. I went with my Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Sue down there for a week. We visited Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, H’Stern museum, Copacabana Beach and much more… I spent my last day exploring the Jardim Botanical garden which was breath-taking while my fellow travelers went shopping.
Since October, I have been busy playing soccer in three adult leagues, hanging out with friends, getting the flu/cold for a month (not swine), being a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding, and the list goes on…
The biggest news this year is I decided to go back & work for RSM McGladrey, Inc. on the audit side. My couple of years of working three quarters of the year and coming & going when I wanted to is over…back to the public accounting world of 60 hour weeks and only two weeks vacation.
So here is the one I wrote for those of you who didn't get a card from me (most likely due to not having your mailing address):
My year started off with going to Iowa in January for my Great Aunt Emma’s 90th birthday party. I always love going to Iowa because there’s always tons of home cooked meals and great story telling. The temperature got to below zero while I was there and there was plenty of snow on the ground. My mom and I had a snowball fight in my Aunt Emma’s backyard every day we were there.
From January to April, I was consumed with work and coaching soccer. I coached three teams, two as a head coach and one as an assistant coach. One of the team’s was a U-13 traveling team which consumed most of my energy, both physically and emotionally. The players were great but there were a handful of unbearable parents. By the end of the season, I was ready for a much needed break from coaching.
In mid-April, I went with my parents, Grams, and my cousin Mike plus the boys (Alfalfa & Spanky) to Fiesta Key down in the Keys. We camped out for the weekend in one tent, yup just one tent for five people & two dogs! We tried to go fishing in the boat but it was too rough the whole weekend, so we settled for casting off the bridges.
In late June to early July, I went on an adventure to do some family history research. I met several new relatives, some I knew I had and others I didn’t. I drove from Naples to Iowa all by myself with everything but the kitchen sink in my SUV. I stayed at my Great Aunt Emma’s while I researched my family tree. I learnt a lot while I was there and came back with a massive amount of family pictures & information I am still sorting through. Every day was a hoot with my Aunt Emma and my cousins; I had a great time & still laugh when I think about the trip. I think I can sum it up in one joke my Aunt told…Why did the man die in the round barn? (See scroll down for the answer)
When I got back from Iowa, I was busy with work until my next big trip. My Grandma always wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro, so in October it became reality. I went with my Grandma, Mom, and Aunt Sue down there for a week. We visited Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, H’Stern museum, Copacabana Beach and much more… I spent my last day exploring the Jardim Botanical garden which was breath-taking while my fellow travelers went shopping.
Since October, I have been busy playing soccer in three adult leagues, hanging out with friends, getting the flu/cold for a month (not swine), being a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding, and the list goes on…
The biggest news this year is I decided to go back & work for RSM McGladrey, Inc. on the audit side. My couple of years of working three quarters of the year and coming & going when I wanted to is over…back to the public accounting world of 60 hour weeks and only two weeks vacation.
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