Random News and Pictures

Yay! I am once again sitting in an airport, this time headed to North Carolina! I love vacation...then again, I just love travel. I really think I could do a job with travel. Maybe when these girls outgrow me, I could get a job as a vacation nanny? Then again, you don't get to pick and choose the children...hmmm. I may have to do some thinking on this over the next couple years.
So back to the Phantom of the Opera story, I got my dvd in the mail and while watching the special features, I discovered it underwent many years of revisions and even rejection before becoming what it is today. The book was written over a century ago, and was not well understood. (From what I've heard, it's not well-written, but I haven't read it.) It was still made into several movies, only one of which is remotely remembered today (besides the most recent). Then when they decided to make a musical, it took a lot of struggling and re-imagining to get it together. A trial version of sorts was debuted at the composer's home in the country, and it was well received. But almost none of the lyrics are what we know today! And listening to them, I think "wow that's awful." But it's really not that they are bad, just that he thought of something better. (Well, there was more than one lyricist, so I should say they.) Finally after a couple years of trying, the show debuted and became a hit. But even when the movie was made over sixteen years after it debuted in London, he made more changes because he felt it could use improvement. This answered my question as to why some lyrics were different.

Circling back around to my writing, it encouraged me a lot. Good things really do take time. Sometimes a LOT of time. But you get there if you keep working at it. So I will. I got my evaluation back from my teacher and she had a lot of good things to say and really no negative. She also advised to just keep plugging away at it. We'll see what happens!

In other news, I have finally uploaded pictures of me in the van and have a couple new pictures of the girls. I can't believe I'm leaving them again already, but when I come back I have no plans to be gone more than a day or two for a long, long time.

Inspiration

It's taken me a long time to get back to this because, as usual, life has been busy. But it has been good! I managed to schedule myself 55 hours last week, but haven't worked as many this week. (The problem was getting to the internet.)
I am excited that time is the issue, and not that I have nothing to write about. Because for some reason, the writing has flowed much easier the last week or two. I don't know if it's because I finished my CWG course this week, so there are no deadlines or forced subjects right now; or maybe because I just came off vacation and have been in a clearer mindset. Or maybe it's because I was recently inspired by a great story.
In New York, I saw "Phantom of the Opera." The storyline has never interested me before (I saw the Wishbone episode), but it was one of the cleaner musicals on Broadway right now and my aunts insisted I would love it. Either way, it was a Broadway play, right? It would be cool to just BE there.
I absolutely loved it. There were parts where too many people were singing different parts so we couldn't understand the lyrics, and some parts were a little cheesy. But the story was amazing...simple at a casual glance, but when you study it, the characters and their motivations are so complex and it's such a greatly told story. I thought about it for days and days afterwards and found myself catching on to things I hadn't realized the first time around. While I'm not a supporter of the composer at all (my aunt paid for it, so I can rationalize that my money didn't go to him), I was highly impressed. I want to write like that, write characters that heartbreaking and real. Today we would consider the Phantom a stalker, a psycho, bordering on abusive. And yes, he is all those things, but you found yourself rooting for him! She didn't understand, he did it for her, he was trying to show his love. But living underground, and in a cruel carnival before that, he didn't know the proper ways to go about things. And once again, his love was rejected. (It breaks my heart when Christine and Raoul sing on the rooftop, and she basically asks Raoul to show total love and devotion to the point of obsession. The Phantom doesn't understand, HE loves her like that, if that's all she wants, he will provide it. But then he does...it's because of his face. If he looked like Raoul, she would accept him. He doesn't understand that the murder was a bit of a turn-off.) It's also a classic case of the attraction to a bad boy, because Christine does harbor some feelings toward him throughout the play.
There are so many layers to the story, and I think that's what makes it strong. I think my writing needs that, more complexity, and more layers, and I'm trying to work on finding that. But I don't feel forced. Slowly, I'm writing more. I sat down the other night and wrote 3 pages within 30 minutes. It just came to me. Finally.
I have another vacation next week (no award-winning plays in this one though). Maybe that will preserve the mindset and I will be able to continue.

Back to Reality

Vacation was GREAT. I absolutely LOVED New York City, and to my parents' dismay (or rather, utter horror), I would love to live there. All the people, noise, hustle, and bustle doesn't bother me. I actually really like it, and there is so much to do! Museums, theater, or even just walk through the city and there is stuff to see! And I love walking everywhere. In my two days there I managed to see the Plaza hotel, Grand Central Station, Central Park, the Empire State building (at night), Rockefeller Plaza, the Statue of Liberty (climbed to the top!), Ellis Island, Times Square aglow, Toys-R-Us (actually totally worth seeing), and a Broadway play.
I came back exhausted from my vacation but would jump up to do it again in a heartbeat.
But alas, it's back to the real world, and I rushed headlong into it. I have worked extremely full days every day except Wednesday, when I had church in the evening. But it's been a good week overall. I was saddened to learn some friends had a death in the family while I was gone, and would appreciate prayers for them.
Camila is growing up so fast. She called me on the phone a few times while I was gone and you would be surprised at the conversation I was able to carry on with a 19-month-old. She was able to tell me about things that had happened days before.
I came back to find Emi much bigger as well. She wants to laugh so bad; she smiles then strains to smile harder. She is holding her head up well, and yesterday she decided to roll over from her stomach to her back. I thought it was an accident the first time but she did it five times throughout the day!
Today was a good day for me and Camila. We had our last day of art class then went to Kohls to buy clothes for her. (I didn't even know they were having a sale! I just have great timing like that.) Then we went to Chickfila, where we met up with my friend and her little girl that's 3 (today is her birthday). The girls were so cute playing together that we really got home later than we were supposed to, but I hated to break them up. Camila was asleep almost instantly. Her parents are gone and took Emi with them (to pick up her grandma from the airport and maybe make a couple stops). The house is clean, my stomach is full...I may join her in that nap! :)

10 weeks old!

We debuted a new hairstyle yesterday. She looks soooo big!

Roots

So far my vacation is progressing very nicely. My grandma and I hung out all day yesterday, eating and shopping. Today, we drove through Massachusetts and visited my great-grandparents then went on to my aunt's house where I am staying the night so we can leave early for New York City tomorrow!

I feel more peaceful on so many levels. Just being away from my hometown is helping. I won't go into detail, but sometimes things get stirred up in different places and it helps to just get away for a little while.

There is no work, which is good and bad. I need a break from the responsibility, but I miss my girls. I spoke to Camila on the phone last night. She had such a tiny, cute voice.

Something else that is helping calm my nerves is hearing the family stories. There has been a lot of ups and downs in this family, but right now, most people are in a really good place. It helps me to see that really, everything will most likely be all right. There were times in their lives when their whole world had fallen apart....spouses died, siblings died, divorces happened, they moved to places they hated, children disappointed...and they're all fine now. They survived, and things DID get better. And honestly, a lot of these people are not Christians, so they didn't even have a relationship with God to get them through. So if they can make it alone, surely I will be able to make it too, and maybe even better, with Jesus by my side. Right?

So while things aren't perfect even within the family, I am getting some encouragement, which is every bit as useful on a vacation as fun! (Although I intend to have TONS of fun tomorrow! Yay me!) ;)

In the Clouds

So I am on my first full day of vacation today. I don't count yesterday because I was traveling alllll day. As in, I left my house at 4 am and didn't reach Connecticut till almost 5 pm. I am here for a week now, visiting my grandmother and other members of my dad's family. We are having quite a fun time!
I have to say, yesterday was not that bad. I used to be deathly afraid of heights but am doing better with them. Flying doesn't bother me in the least. As a matter of fact, I find takeoff gives me a bit of a rush. I wish I could stick my head out the window, but they don't let you do that. :(
Then when we're up in the sky, I just love it. I dozed off yesterday but for the most part, I look out the window. I love when we head for a ceiling of clouds, get lost, then emerge in almost another land completely, with snowy white floors and endless blue skies. It looks like you could run and laugh and play and jump in the clouds and never get hurt. It's just amazing.
It makes me feel peaceful. I found that while I was up there, in spite of the couple next to me groping each other in a most distasteful manner, I felt calm. There were no stressful thoughts of work, church, being terminally single, or having to anywhere at a specific time. I was just THERE, in that moment, in the sky, and strangely, I almost wanted to stay there. I wondered what it would feel like to climb out of the plane, have a seat on a cloud, and for God to just come talk to me. Right then, it felt possible.
Of course I eventually landed and came to the reality that if you climb out of a plane, you die. If you try to sit on a cloud, you die. But God can still talk to us at least. I haven't been talking to Him like I should but maybe...maybe this is the start of a healing process of sorts. Maybe I need to walk around with my head in the clouds more often. :)

Yay for the Nannymobile!

So as I mentioned last time, I wrecked my car and had to get a new one, not because the damage was bad, just that it was expensive. To the dismay of some and amusement of others, I fell in love with a minivan. And not just any minivan; this one is RED! Like the Big Red Car on the Wiggles! Camila will love it! (It was probably kind of weird to tell the cute salesman that, but what's done is done...)

It took FOREVER to get everything done and I was sweating yesterday worrying it wouldn't be ready before I leave town on Monday to go on vacation for a week. But everything eventually went through and while I can't pick up the van until the day I come back, papers have been signed and it is mine! I am so excited.
Now I'm going to post a few pictures that got left out last time:

Emi in her birthday party finery.

I pretty much love this picture, though it was very papparazzi-ish to take it when I wasn't looking.

Haha true Alabama girl.

Easter pics

Sorry it's been so long! We have been very busy with Easter festivities, birthday parties, and visits to see Daddy at work. And on top of all that, I wrecked my car. It was little more than a fender bender but the airbags deployed (although the mechanic said they shouldn't have, the sensor may have been messed up) which broke the windshield, and now I'm looking at so much to fix it that I'm just going to get another car. On top of that, the cop lost my license so I have to get THAT replaced PLUS my brand new phone was broken so I had to get it replaced so...yeah, it's been busy! But things are slowly coming together.

Here are a few pictures from our last week or so:

Me and Camila at the party. I am not a fan of egg hunts for Easter, but since it was a game at the birthday party and somebody needed to help her I did lift her up to reach it.

Me and Emi at the birthday party.

Camila in her dress with her basket.

Emi in her little Easter dress..which is mostly covered by the blanket.

The bunny cake my mom made for Camila.