Disneyland

Earlier this evening, I went for a walk by myself up to the temple.  The weather was perfect, the sun was setting, and everyone seemed to be outside.  It smelled and felt like SPRING.  I've never experienced this before in my life because I always seem to be in Florida at this time (where spring doesn't exist), and it is by far one of my most favorite feelings.  It seems like everything, including myself, is waking up from the deep sleep of winter.

It's 9:00pm, and it's 70 degrees outside.  A perfect evening.

As for an update on what's been going on...

I spent the week break between semesters in California with friends, and it was just what I needed to reset myself for the new semester.

The group!  Doug, Courtney, and I all work for Disney and had lots of free tickets to share with our friends to play at Disneyland and California Adventure for two days. 

 Stefka's first "turkey" leg, which she swears was ham.  

 World of COLOR!  Definitely needed ponchos, because we were SOAKED by the end of the show with our front row seats.  Best.  Show.  Ever. 

 I have ALWAYS wanted to get M&M's from a giant M&M store, so I did in Vegas. You should have seen how paranoid my friends and I were: "OK, just a little.  JUST  A LITTLE!  STOP!"

 Stekfa got KISSED by Bumble Bee in Vegas!

 Probably one of my favorite pictures from the trip.  Stefka caught a soft shell crab, and in my attempt to get a "cool" picture with it, I freaked out because one of its claws went for my finger.  We never got the picture of me when I looked composed.  This all we got. :)

 As we headed west for the beach, we just barely passed an exit that led to a cemetery.  This cemetery was where my sister, Angela, and brother, Daniel, were buried before I was born.  I don't ever remember going there before we moved to Florida when I was very young, and so there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to go see them.  

I don't think I was really prepared for the experience I had.  A lady looked up their locations in a section called Slumberland where only children are buried.  She took me there and nonchalantly pointed out where they were located as the tears started coming to me.  

I knelt down in front of Daniel's gravestone, and just stared at it for a while.  It was real.  He was (and still is) my brother.  I ran my fingers across his name, overwhelmed by many thoughts and emotions.  

Angela's gravestone wasn't too far from Daniel's.  Not quite sure what to say as I stared, I whispered out a "Hi..." and had never felt so close to heaven before in my life.   

 And we found fresh strawberries on the road side.  :)

The damage after 2 minutes.