NJY TDAY

So I don't usually post 2 days in a row but I thought I would share a little random good thought. Can you figure out the title? I saw it today on a license plate. It says "Enjoy Today". I thought it was a good little piece of advice. It made me think. Especially this time of the year when everyone is so busy. I am always thinking of tomorrow or what I have to accomplish next and find myself so busy all the time. This made me stop and appreciate today and realize that tomorrow is another day to do more stuff but today is where I should be and just go with it! So on that note, instead of doing the daily tasks, chores, etc. I am going to go do something creative that I enjoy and that is scrapbooking! So my challenge to you is to "enjoy" and do something today that makes you happy!

December Already!

December always comes so quickly for us. We have many celebrations this month so we are always so busy! We started the month with a holiday party for Sammie at the Craniofacial unit at CHOC. I forget that she had a cleft lip but when I see all the other families in various stages of the surgery process I vividly remember what it was like to go through it all. I am so grateful that Sammie's lip was so minor and that we are most likely done with surgery. I am glad to be able to talk to other families and give them support as they go through it themselves. It is always a great party. They serve food/refreshments and have entertainment. They have therapy dogs dressed up to visit the kids and then Santa comes and brings a nice present for each child.

We go to Knott's Berry Farm every year. Brad gets in free as part of Law Enforcement. When Sammie heard me say "We are going to Knott's Berry Farm" she immediately said "Farm?" Are there horseys there?? There is a horse drawn stagecoach but when we got to it, it was already closed for the day. She did see the horses running by a few times and was very excited. She had a great time on the rides at Camp Snoopy but loved the "big people" log ride the most. We picked a great day to go and it wasn't crowded at all. We were able to stay on some rides again and again without getting back in line. (the log ride was one of them) Some rides Sammie went on completely by herself. I can't think of a time at an amusement park when NO ONE ELSE was on a ride! That was cool!

Tonight was the 6th night of Hanukkah. Sammie enjoys lighting the candles with me and saying the prayers. Or as she calls them, "the pears". The prayers are in Hebrew (I have a phonetic cheat sheet) and she tries to repeat some of the words. It is cute! She especially likes opening presents. The first night she got a Snow White Dress. Some of her other gifts were, PJ's, a Dora (cowgirl) movie, and a My Little Pony playset.

My parents are coming in town this weekend. Their anniversary is Dec. 17th and my birthday is the 18th so we usually celebrate together when we can. I think we are going to go back to Knott's for the day and eat at the Chicken Dinner restaurant.

We will celebrate Christmas with Brad's family on Christmas Eve. I am taking Sammie to see the Disney Princess on Ice show on Dec. 25th. She will love it! She likes the Disney princesses right now. (Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and especially "Belt". ( Belle)

I guess that's all the updates for now. Just trying to keep up with shopping, wrapping, cards, etc. Happy Holidays to you!

Gobble Gobble

Just wanted to share a picture Sammie made at school. I have it
hanging up in my kitchen. I just love it! How was your Thanksgiving?
We had a good one. We went out to eat with Brad's family which
was nice so no one had to cook or clean up!! My Nana came with us.
My parents were on a cruise.

I was going to go out shopping at 3am on "Black Friday" but i whimped out
and my sister in law Ruth, got the item I was hoping to get, for me!
How nice is was that?? I got to sleep in until my "Sammie clock"
woke me up and then we went out shopping around noon. It is so crazy
to go so early but sort of fun too. I went last year at 6:00 am and was home
by like 7:30am and felt sort of weird, like now what do I do, I was already
out and back and it was so early!! Anyway.. got some good deals.

I had an extra few days off this week since it was only a 3 day work week.
My teaching partner worked the 3 days, so I was off for the whole week
and then a few days this week. Am I caught up on everything?? NO!!

I feel like I can never catch up with all that I want to do! I guess that's
just life these days. So what did I do?? I went on a Scrapbook bus tour,
went to the movies, shopped, went to Disneyland, organized a little bit
of my scrappy stuff, went scrapbooking to celebrate my friend
Donna Larson's birthday, and miscellaneous other things that
keep me busy!
Well, just wanted to say hi since it has been a while but now I
have to go write a few bills and get to bed! I am tired!

I've Been Tagged!

Okay.. so I"ve been tagged by Donna Salazar on the Red Bee Design Team!
I have to post 7 random things about ME! There are lots and lots of random things about me but I can only choose 7!
I am supposed to do some linky thing back to her blog but I don't know how to do that exactly so look on my sidebar and find her name under "blogs I read" and you can see her blog with the tag and other posts.

Anyway.. here are the top 7 random things about Illyse:

1. I can hang a spoon on my nose. Yes, any spoon and my dad does it to and so does Sammie.
2. I was born in Detroit.
3. I was a cheerleader in high school.
4. I love to play blackjack and slot machines.
5. I love 80's music still!
6. I have been on TV 3 times. ( In the audience of the Price is Right, also in the audience when my mom was on "The Joker's Wild" gameshow, and on the channel 9 news when they interviewed people in my neighborhood about a nearby lake that smells like fish when they drain it)
7. I always print when writing things. I like my handwriting but I always prefer to print.

Okay.. that's it! Those of you who know me well, know many more random things. Hey, if you are reading this, surprise me and post a comment sharing something random about me that you know! Here are the 7 people I tag that have to post 7 random things on their blog.... Christine, Donna Larson, Echo, Heather, Stacey D, Erika, Nan. Have fun girlies!

I know this is a shock but I posted 2 days in a row so read below to find another post.
Bye!

Halloween Pics!

Here are some pics I promised from Mickey's Halloween Treat and Halloween night. We trick or treating at Disneyland on Tuesday night. We had a fun time! Sammie loves the Matterhorn.
She dressed up as Cinderella this year for Halloween. The pumpkins she picked from pumpkin patches. The little one she got from her preschool fieldtrip to CSUF arboretum and the bigger one we picked at Tanaka Farms. We carved them together the night before Halloween. Well actually I carved them because she didn't want to touch the pumpkin goo!
The little pumpkin was tricky to do but came out cute! This was the first year that she really "got" the concept of going door to door saying "trick or treat". She had lots of fun getting candy. We wandered around our neighborhood and then walked a few blocks to a haunted house that a family made in their front yard. They did a really nice job on it and they didn't scare her too much. How was your spooky night??

Happy Halloween!

Well, today is the last day of October and I have only blogged once! Bad blogger, bad blogger.. I apologize. I actually enjoy keeping a blog. It is a fun way to keep track of life these days.. I just have been pretty busy lately and haven't had an extra block of time to update. I have over 1000 pics on my photo disc so I need some time to upload pics. I am waiting for them to get printed at Sam's club which is really exciting because that means new pics to scrapbook!!
Anyway.. this is just a quick hello so you don't give up on reading my blog and I will post some more pics that show what we have been up to! I hope you had a fun Halloween! We sure did!
Boo!

Breakfast at Disney's

I feel like I have been LIVING at Disneyland lately. We went last week to Ariel's Grotto to have breakfast with the princesses. Sammie absolutely loved it! It was a very nice meal and she got special time with all the princesses. We met Cinderella, Belle ( she calls her "Belt"), Snow White, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty ( aka Princess Aurora). We spent the day at Disneyland and had a great time. Then, I attened a Professional Conference for school at the Disneyland hotel for 3 days. Brad had the day off today so we went again so that makes 5 trips to Disneyland in 1 week. ( OH yeah, and we went the day before the breakfast to get Brad's annual pass so that really makes 6 trips to Disneyland in 8 days.)

Today was a little more crowded than last Monday. I think many people had the day off for Columbus Day. We just went for a few hours and rode Pirates, Small World, Monster's INC. and the Matterhorn. Sammie rode it for the first time last week. She loved it! She calls it "the horn". We rode "the horn" several times and she rode the giant "fursis wheel" at California Adventure. Brad and I switched off and each got to ride Soarin' over California. It is an amazing ride. It is as if you are flying over all the scenery of CA. You are actually suspended in mid air with your feet dangling.. WEIRD! I was a little scared acutally but then I relaxed and enjoyed it. In my "old age" I am a little more afraid of rides than I used to be. I still really enjoy fast rides like roller coasters, etc. I just got a little more "chicken" over the years..
Sad news though.. I lost my cell phone there at the park today. I sure hope someone turns it in. I don't know exactly where I lost it. Possibly on Pirates since that was the last ride we rode but who knows?? boo hoo

I got to scrapbook yesterday at the Bee and was happy to have some quiet "mommy mental break" time. I got all my design team projects done.

I have been addicted to all the new TV shows. I have been recording them ( thanks to Echo who taught me how) and watching them without commercials. I am not much of a TV person except for these shows: Grey's anatomy, Desparate Housewives, Private Practice and The Bachelor.. which is starting soon so I am going to go watch it!!
Bye!