Living the Castle Life

I started our Fantasyland journey off with our voyage under the sea.  Again, it was amazing!!!  When I was at the movies this weekend there were previews for the New Fantasyland.  It was fun to say "saw that" or "been there" before anyone else could!  Yeah, I'm mean like that ;)

The next part of the Fantasyland expansion is the Beauty and the Beast portion.  This includes Gaston's Tavern, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Beast's Castle.  Now I've been waiting for the Beast's Castle from the moment I saw it and I'd been following the progress on Disney Food Blog for a while.  I kept reading reviews and seeing pics and it made me more and more excited.  Once we finished with Ariel, we headed towards Gaston's Tavern.  We stopped in the little shop there too.  It was awesome.  You could buy wine glasses, dishes, tons of Beauty and the Beast items that I've never seen before.  I was pining after a wine glass but didn't want to fork over the $15 price tag so I left empty handed.  Em was able to stop Gaston and snag a pic with him.

This cast member truly captured Gaston's arrogance!  He was awesome!

This is a new concept (I think) for Disney.  Gaston is a roaming character.  He doesn't have a particular location where people can line up to meet him.  The idea is that he roams the area, talking to (or poking fun at) guests and taking a few pics along the way.  When we went, they hadn't quite worked out that whole situation because there was always a line and the cast member working with Gaston kept getting frustrated with everyone.  But again, we were there during a preview and they were still working out the kinks.  We stopped by the tavern later in our day for a couple glasses of LeFou's Brew: a frozen apple juice drink with a hint of toasted marshmallow.  It was quite good in my opinion however it comes with a passion fruit-mango foam on top which was a little questionable.  I had to drink it off each glass and it wasn't too pleasant.  Next time we'll ask for it without the foam.  And of course, in true "we're suckers for all things Disney" fashion, we spent the $10/drink to get it in the fancy souvenir cups (which I love BTW)

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I didn't take too many pics inside for some reason.  The tavern is quite small but it's decorated to the max with antlers, animal heads mounted on the wall, and a huge fireplace with a portrait of Gaston hanging above.  It's definitely similar to the tavern he frequents in the actual movie.  The fountain in front is by far the focal piece of the area.

Now keep in mind that these pics are all taken on my cell phone so they're not the best.  Actually I'm really disappointed with them.  I still don't know what happened to my camera that day. I think the memory card was faulty because I swapped out cards and it's working like a charm.  Epic fail on my part.

We left Fantasyland after eating lunch at the Be Our Guest Restaurant (more on that later) and went on a few rides in other parts of Disney.  But the kids wanted to go back to Fantasyland so we went back in.  I wasn't sure if they'd let us because we had already left but we walked right back in, no problem. I'm pretty sure they were letting anyone with a wristband come in and out as much as they liked.  I will say there was no true organization for this event, which was surprising.

When we reentered, the only thing we hadn't experienced was Enchanted Tales with Belle so we headed there.  I highly recommend this for anyone with kids.  You enter through Maurice's house and eventually end up in his workshop.  There a cast member points out all of the things he's been working on.  There's also a large mirror in front, one that the Beast gave him so he could check in on Belle whenever Maurice wanted.  We all said a magic phrase and the mirror opened and we entered the castle.  We walked through and were greeted by another cast member and the Wardrobe.  She was talking up a storm.  Definitely brilliant work  by the Disney Imagineers.  We were told we were going to be telling a story to Belle about the night that she and the Beast fell in love.  They gave parts to all the kids and adults that wanted to participate and then we were led into the library.  Lumiere was there and led the story.  Belle came in and the story began. It was really cute and all the kids/adults got to have their picture taken with her.  It was definitely worth the wait!

Lumiere starting to tell the story

Belle joined us

Belle and Emmy (who has her tongue out for some reason)

I'm sorry if all my Disney talk bores some people but hey, we're Disney fans!  It's what our kids love and it's what we love.  There's only 1 more post left and it's all about food!  Then there will be a Disney break....I promise!!!

Black Friday Madness

Did you shop Black Friday?  I live for this day.  I have memories of when Black Friday actually happened on Friday.  My mom and I would be standing outside the stores, in the cold (FL cold) hitting up all the deals at like 4 am.  I distinctly remember one day that we were at WalMart and they had all the "deals" in the middle of the aisles wrapped in brown butcher paper.  Then they made an announcement and the sales associates tore open the paper and ran.  It was a free for all and you hoped you were close to where you wanted to be.  Mom picked the right place because we were right in front of the DVD players we were searching for.  However she got pushed to the front and ended up throwing boxes over her head to everyone that was reaching.  It was probably one of my most fondest Black Friday memories.  Then when I started working retail, I'd go Black Friday shopping in Leesburg (2 hours away) then hop in the car and drive to work where I'd close the store.  It really is a great day for me.

Well the Hubs has a different opinion.  He thought it was crazy that I went to Bealls at midnight last year and then to the mall at 3am to get the most amazing pair of boots.  He'd rather forget about the savings and go shopping when it's not crazy or just buy online.  And this year, I kinda felt the same way.  I wasn't in the mood to shop, or deal with crazy people, or start Black Friday on Thanksgiving (which is a crime people).  But I did log on to Toys R Us to take advantage of their BF deals.  I ended up getting about 90% of Em's Santa shopping done. Pretty proud of that I must say.  Then I went to Target's website since it had the bike we're getting Em on sale with the best price I'd seen.  Well once I figured out that there was over $20 in shipping and the bike was in stock at every Target around my house, I couldn't pull the trigger. That shipping cost would pay for her helmet.  So I took the plunge.  Got dressed and headed to Target to get my Black Friday on...at 11pm!

The parking lot wasn't too bad since the store had been open for over 2 hours.  I was shocked when I saw tons of TVs still waiting to be loaded into carts.  I even contemplated buying one.  We're sorta in the market for one since we only have 2 TVs....the one in the living room and one in Noah's room.  I've caved and agreed to put one in the bedroom.  Well I didn't leave with a TV but I did leave with the last princess bike the store had.  I can't wait for Emmy to open it!  She's going to flip!

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Then, of course, I just wandered and bought more stuff.  PJs for the kids, Legos for Noah, a bike pump so we can actually pump up Noah's bike tires, the stroller tires, and the tires of Em's soon to be bike.  Yes, we did not have a bike pump until now.  Losers.  We know.  Scored a $4 copy of Princess Bride for the Hubs.  Oh and coffee.  I bought more coffee.  Just what everyone needs to be buying at 1130 at night.

Does it look like I need more coffee?!?

Then I did convince the Hubs that I "needed" to go to Bath and Body Works to buy more candles (which I did need).  I sweetened the deal with lunch at Lee Roy Selmon's so he was happy. Until he had to wait, with the kids, for over 20 minutes because I was stuck in the checkout line.  It was worth it because you could stack coupons, which doesn't happen on a regular basis.  I spent $70.05 and saved $179.58.  I'd say that was worth it!!!

Hope everyone had a great day filled with deals and memories!  Now it's off to finish up my decorating before the Florida/Florida State game comes on and the Hubs gets body snatched and I get the angry, loud, obnoxious version.

Thankful

For the past few years I would write one thing I'm thankful for as my Facebook status for each day in November.  It was something I always looked forward to and something a lot of people thought was somewhat annoying (although why this was annoying I've never understood). I've been such a slacker lately with a lot of things (aka why I haven't blogged in FOREVER before this week) and I didn't start up my thankful statuses.  I felt weird starting it in the middle so I figured I'd forgo this year and pick back up next year.  And after seeing all of the thankful post on facebook (my news feed is filled with them) I'm kinda bummed I didn't do it.  It was a nice exercise for me to start my day off in the right frame of mind for the day.

But this doesn't mean that I've given up on being thankful this year and what better day than Thanksgiving to talk about thanks.  I have been so blessed this year.  It's unreal.  Sure, I've had some rough patches but overall, I'd say this year was a good one.  A blessed one.

First and foremost, I'm thankful for the blessings of each day.  For the ability to wake up, see all the miracles right in front of me, and to be able to share this with my family.

I'm thankful that God blessed me with the Hubs.  Yes, most of the days I'm left wondering why I married him or why haven't I killed him yet, and frankly, there are times when I wonder why I'm hanging around.  But at the end of the day, I cannot imagine my life without him.  We have highs that are extremely high and lows that are VERY low.  But every day we make the important choice of one another.  I love him with all my heart and soul. And every day I choose him.

I'm thankful for my most precious blessings, my children.  My sweet boy Noah and my angel Emily.  My life was completed when I saw their sweet faces.  Any reason for living I had was erased the minute I knew I was pregnant.  They are the loves of my life.  My purpose in life.  I strive to be the best mother in the world and while I know I fall short of this goal on a daily basis, I know I'm doing the best I can for them and I'm being the best mother I can be for them.  They are the reasons I get up in the morning. They are my world.

I'm thankful for my family.  I have had the best role models as I've grown up.  My parents are amazing and continue to be.  My brothers are turning into outstanding men.  My family has rallied together as we said goodbye to my grandfather.  I've witnessed my grandmother finally put one foot in front of the other, in order to begin figuring out how to live without the love of her life.  I'm thankful that I have such amazing memories with my family.  And I'm so grateful that I have been fortunate enough to have my grandparents be with me until this time in my life.  Not many people my age could say that they lived 29 years of their lives with all of their grandparents.  

I'm thankful for my health and my children's health. Every day I go to work and see how horribly cruel our bodies can be to one's self.  I have seen how quickly lives can change and how much we are not in control of anything.  While I've been dealing with health issues of my own, I am not facing a horrible disease or fighting for my life.  I cannot begin to imagine what my life would be like if either of my children were sick or if the Hubs were sick.  I thank God every day that we are healthy.  It's truly a blessing we take for granted.

I'm thankful for a job that I am so passionate about and love so dearly.  I am blessed to be one of the very few who can say they have found what they are meant to do with their life.  Being a nurse is who I am.  I have been told by many parents that they are thankful that I do what I do but it is the complete opposite.  I'm so thankful that every day I get to go to work and be a part of so many different families's lives.  I am truly blessed to know each and every one of them.  I'm grateful that they are willing to let me join them in their journey through treatment.  Grateful to witness the bravery, strength, and the faith that exudes from my patients.  They are more of a blessing for me than I am for them.  There's no doubt in my mind about that.

I'm thankful that I have amazing friends.  I've been blessed throughout my entire life with beautiful friendships.  Some of those friendships have stood the test of time.  Some of them have faded and some have been rekindled.  There are some I'd like to mend.  But no matter what, I can confidently say that I have the best friends a girl could ask for.

I'm thankful for my faith.  I'm thankful for the awesome presence of the Lord in my life.  I might not be as active in the Church as I'd like right now but I'm slowly becoming renewed in my beliefs.  I'm starting to feel the Lord's presence again.  Starting to hear His voice again.  I'm starting to see the path He's chosen for me.  All of this brings me to the most peaceful place I've been in a long time.

While we're all sitting around the table, probably on our second helping of turkey, remember all the blessings in your life and say a little Thank You for all the amazing things in your life.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!
     

Momma's Girl

My poor little girl is having such a rough time right now.  I can't remember if I've mentioned this before but she's a total Momma's girl. I don't know when it happened but it has.  While being a very independent child (a little too independent if that can happen), she has this very fragile side that seems to fall apart and just need her Momma.  I don't know if it's a phase (I hope it is) because she can be like a kid on steroids.  I'm not sure if everyone gets that reference but when a kid gets diagnosed with cancer or has a bone marrow transplant, we put them on steroids for about a month or longer.  This causes the cute, innocent child to turn into (1) a complete monster or (2) an emotional wreck.  Most of the time it's a combination of the two.  Well Em has turned into an emotional girl.  She can cry at the drop of a hat.  And I mean cry. Like boo hoo wailing.  And all she wants is her Momma.  And as special as that makes me feel, sometimes it's a bit too much.

While I was away at my conference, I talked to her Thursday night (mind you I saw her Thursday morning) and she prompted to yell at me and tell me that I "had to come home right now."  I informed her that I'd be home on Saturday and off she went with her night.  Then Friday morning I get the dreaded phone call from the Hubs. All I can hear is Em cry talking.  You know what I mean...when you're crying and trying to talk at the same time and it makes absolutely no sense?  That's what I heard.  And all she wanted was me.  I told her I'd be home the next day and I asked if she wanted me to text her a picture of me.  She said yes, saw the picture, and all was right in the world.

So when I got home Saturday afternoon, you'd think she hadn't seen me in years.  I was so excited to see her and so glad that she could finally stop stressing over me not being around.  And to make it better, the Hubs took Noah to his first UF football game with his dad (it was some rite of passage thing) so I had the whole afternoon to just hang out with my girl. And I don't know who needed it more, Em or me.  We got home, snuggled up on the couch (in our matching boots and tights) and watched Alice in Wonderland.  Then it off to dinner for our very own date night.  All dressed up, looking cute, and where does she want to go?  Oh just the restaurant with the TVs, aka Buffalo Wild Wings.  Yep.  That's my daughter.  The one who wants to get all dolled up and go to a sports bar.  I just love it! My parents joined us for dinner and we had a great time.  Then it was off to Target to buy nail polish.  We got home, put on our jammies, and painted our toenails while watching TV.  Probably the most girliest thing I've done in a very long time but it was so much fun.  Em's now sporting green fingernails with confetti sparkles and ballerina pink toenails and I have hot pink/royal blue crackled toenails.

It must be hard being a 3 year old, and I'm not trying to sound sarcastic.  To not be in control of almost anything around you, to have your parents working full time, and to just want your Momma, plain and simple, has to be stressful.  My heart aches so much when she gets so upset and can't really express what's going on in that sweet head of hers.  But it's afternoons like this one that remind me that I was destined to be her Momma.  No matter how many times I wonder who thought I was mature enough to be a mother.  I wouldn't trade these moments for anything

Conference Style

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after my nice vacay from life to focus on my nursing career.  I'll post more about what I learned later (which with my current track record could be next year).  But first, I figured I'd show a little FAPTP fashion.

Disclaimer: I have not been able to master the art of the cell phone outfit picture.

I actually had to go shopping in order to have clothes for the conference.  I went from always having a professional outfit to only having dresses, jeans, and scrubs in my closet.  It was fun, don't get me wrong.  But it was almost exhausting.  I had the amazing assistance of my former manager (I was an assistant manager at New York & Company) so it was nice to be working with her again.  But I felt a little rushed (the Hubs and kiddos were with me) and when I got home, I realized that I didn't like half of what I bought and that I actually needed to get a smaller size in something.  So I headed back to the mall the next day, by myself, and exchanged everything I needed to.  I was much happier with the second shopping trip than the first.  But I still don't know how to take a stinkin outfit picture without looking like a moron. So I apologize for the following:

Day 1: Hot pink, black, and gray....winning color combo in my book

Not too bad for being in a car for 2 hours prior to this pic

I feel like this was a good hair day

Day 2: Classic Jessica
Black sweater, black and white top, black pants....typical me outfit

So bummed about the GIGANTIC flash because this had the potential to be a stellar picture

Black and White....my "go to" styling.  Just ask the Hubs

Day 3: This was my more risky day.  I was super tired and not looking forward to driving home after the conference so I tried to be a little cute and sassier than the rest of the days.  So it was an orange dress, brown argyle tights, with my boots

Can anyone give me lessons on how to take pictures?!?!?!  I look RIDICULOUS

Obligatory bathroom shot

I feel like I was pretty cute for the conference and really felt comfortable in my own skin (and clothes), which I guess is a huge win for me.  What was more exciting was coming home to find Em in a dress, tights, and boots.  She's my mini me, through and through.

Two peas in a pod

I missed my lil girl and she missed her Momma

So really....help a sister out.  How can I take those cute mirror pictures that I see everyone else do?  I want to be cute too!!!

Getting my knowledge on

This post is brought to you courtesy of the Florida Association of Pediatric Tumor Programs.  Currently I'm sitting in my amazing hotel room, just taking it all in.  Not only is my room truly beautiful (I can't wait to test out the shower), I'm really enjoying this conference.  Granted it's only the first day, but I am learning a lot.  I can't wait for tomorrow because it's more oncology than hematology.  I've also ran into a girl I used to work with at Florida Hospital so that was exciting!  But more importantly, I'm going through some big time personal growth. 

I have never been one to really do things by myself.  I hate going shopping alone.  You'll never see me going to a movie solo.  It's just not in my nature.  The therapist the Hubs and I were seeing a while ago shed some light on why I'm like this (that's another discussion) but it's the way I am.  So staying in a hotel room, by myself, for 2 nights is HUGE.  I was starting to get a little anxious about it a few days ago.  I was really wanting the Hubs to abandon his weekend plans and bring the kids up to be with me.  But you know what. While I'm laying in bed alone, I've realized that I really needed this.  I really needed a few days where I could focus on me.  Emmy has been very emotional lately and has been wearing on me.  I don't really know what's going on with her.  I'm sure it's a phase but it's really starting to affect me.  Most of the time she's asking for Momma and I'm the only one who can console her.  As much as this warms my heart that my baby girl still wants her Momma, it's hard because I can't even go to the bathroom without her practically sitting on my lap.  While I feel completely guilty for leaving her for 3 days when she's going through such an emotional phase, I know now how important it is for me to get some time to myself so I can be the best for her. And I can say that the past hour has been so peaceful.  I'm not stressed about being alone.  I'm relishing in the fact that there is no chaos.  No one constantly calling my name.  No fighting.  No yelling.  It's perfect.  Now I can't say that I won't be saying how much I miss the chaos, the sound of my name being said over and over.  I am looking forward to seeing my kids again and seeing the Hubs.  But for now, I'm going to sit in my bed, all by myself, and watch Glee with no one bothering me!

A Fantasyland for sure

I teased a little yesterday when I said I was going to preview the new Fantasyland expansion at Disney.  It definitely was nothing short of amazing.  Maybe because I think everything Disney does is amazing.  Who knows.  But the bottom line is, I loved the time we spent there.

We got to Magic Kingdom right before the park opened but by the time we got off the monorail, we had already missed the big opening number. If you haven't been there when the park opens, you definitely should. The train pulls up to the station, right at Main St, and Mickey, Minnie, and tons of other characters get off to welcome everyone to the Magic Kingdom.  It's a big hit with our kids and something we accidentally stumbled upon.  We try to see it every time we go.  We headed into the park and went straight to the Fantasyland entrance to confirm whether or not we could get our wristbands once we were all in the park.  They said yes so we weren't worried about trying to keep track of time to meet the rest of my family at the entrance of Magic Kingdom.  We hopped on Buzz Lightyear, the People Mover, Tea Cups (cue Mommy getting nauseous), Winnie the Pooh, and Small World, before heading to Adventureland.  Em didn't want to go on Jungle Cruise so I took her to ride the Magic Carpets while the Hubs took Noah on the cruise.  Well we saw Jasmine and Aladdin so Em wanted to meet them. They have been 2 characters that we haven't met yet.  Well this is where I started to get frustrated.  My camera would take pictures, show me that it was saving, yet not be seen when I went to review them.  I don't know what's up with it and when I went to dump the pictures onto the computer tonight, I still can't find them.  So the rest of the day was documented with my cell phone.

We caught up with the rest of my family and we headed to get our wristbands.  We had a scheduled preview time of 1230-4 but they let us in early (as in like 1130).  Instantly I felt like I was transported into fairy tales.  Right now the expansion is limited to the Beast's Castle (Be Our Guest Restaurant), Enchanted Tales with Belle, Ariel's Grotto, and Under the Sea with The Little Mermaid.  The first part of the expansion already opened with a new and improved Dumbo ride, Barnstormer roller coaster, and water play area, and a new character meet and greet area.  That's been open for a few months now.  This was phase 2 with the last phase to open later in 2013 (I think).  It's going to be a Snow White roller coaster through the diamond mines and a new royal area to meet the Princesses.  It will be totally awesome once it's all open.  But for the most part, this phase of the expansion was geared towards the princess loving people.

What a grand entrance!!!  Construction is the Snow White roller coaster

We went in and headed towards The Little Mermaid.  The kiddos were really excited to ride this one. Em's a big Ariel fan.  She's one of my favorites too.  The exterior of the ride looks like Prince Eric's castle.  It's pretty cool.  The nice thing about the line is that most of it is in the shade.  It might get hot with a million people there but at least you won't be in the blazing sun.  There's also interactive elements so waiting in line with young kiddos (or impatient adults) will be a little easier.  With this being the preview and only a handful of people in the area at a time, we didn't really get a chance to play with the interactive portions.  Oh well though because we rode it 4 times. It's along the lines of the Finding Nemo ride at Epcot.  You ride in a seashell and journey under the sea into the story of the Little Mermaid.  It was a really great ride.  The "Under the Sea" party was awesome and the way they made it feel like you were going under water was nothing I'd seen before.  All in all, I give this a perfect 10.  The kids loved it as much as I did.

Horrible cell phone pics of the ride

Once we got off the ride the first time, we headed to Ariel's Grotto to meet her.  We have met Ariel before but she was dressed in her human outfit.  In Ariel's Grotto, you go under the sea and meet her as a mermaid! Em was so excited!  I had a great video of her interacting with Ariel (who was by far the best Ariel we have ever seen) but again, my camera is on the fritz and it's lost.  The Disney PhotoPass photographer grabbed a bunch of pics so I'm sure I'll be ordering them and posting them.  We ended up meeting her again later in the day and it was a different Ariel.  The kids didn't notice, which is awesome and the Hubs snagged some pics on my phone.

She was cute but no the best Ariel we've seen

I think it's about time that Disney brought back a ride honoring the Little Mermaid.  I know there used to be a ride years ago and it closed for some reason.  The Disney Imagineers have really captured the fantasy that surrounds the Little Mermaid with this ride.

Next up.....Entering the Beast's Castle!!!

   

I'm so excited!!!

I'm spending a few hours of my day exploring the new Fantasyland expansion!!!

via the amazing folks at Disney

I can't wait to get a sneak peek at the amazing new area at Magic Kingdom!  It officially opens in a few weeks but lucky Passholders get to preview it!!!  I have been looking forward to this day for weeks now.  I can't wait to see into the Beast's castle, go under the sea with Ariel, and check out Gaston's Tavern.  Plus I get to see it with my family (parents and brothers included!!!)  It's going to be a great day!!!

I didn't plan on this one

I had every intention of linking up with Renee and Ana today for their monthly nursing link up but I feel compelled to write about today.  Don't worry....I'll link up with them tomorrow!  But today is a monumental one that cannot come and go like any other day.

Today is Election Day.  The day where we can exercise our most fundamental right, the right to vote.

Now I have to preface this first.  I am, by no means, political at all.  To be honest with you, I really could care less about it (that sounds horrible, doesn't it?) I'm not one to get involved in political discussion.  I can't even tell you who my congressmen are.  You're lucky I know who is blue and who is red.  But I strongly believe in the importance of voting.

I'm proud to say that I got in and out of my precinct in less than 15 minutes.  I am one of the few (million) people who get a thrill out of voting on Election Day.  I contemplated early voting but honestly, I'm too lazy to do that.  Absentee ballot???  I procrastinate too much for that.  I was going to be an over achiever and get there when the polls opened at 7am but I didn't want to be late for work.  So I prayed all day that I wouldn't be stuck in a 3 hr line this afternoon.  Well let me tell you....I was pleasantly surprise how smooth it went.  The cute little old ladies of the church that houses my precinct were out in full force with cookies, pastries, coffee, and water for all the voters.  I walked right in, got checked in, and found my voting booth for this election.  I will say that it took me longer to actually vote than it did to get checked in because we had 11 stinkin Amendments to vote on.  11!!!!  That's a heck of a lot of crazy worded things to vote on, and I even read up on them.

Here's where I get on my soapbox:  Why are items on ballots so difficult to understand?  We are all encouraged to vote on things that truly affect our lives but most of us cannot understand the wording.  I pride myself on being a college educated professional who is fairly smart (I'm a nerd) and I have a very hard time deciphering what the item is actually proposing.  How should we expect people who aren't as educated to understand? Most healthcare documents have to be written at a 5th grade reading level.  How do we expect people to truly understand what they're saying yes or no to when a college educated person is confused?  I mean, come on people!  Can't we make this an easy process for all?!?!?

OK off my soapbox.......

But what I love most about Election Night is the political coverage.  First off, the technology that CNN has is unbelievable.  I just love their virtual Senate room!  Second, I love me some Anderson Cooper!  I don't care if he doesn't like me.  I just love him!!!  OK those might be silly reasons I love the coverage (not false though).  I just love sitting on the couch, watching with the Hubs.  He's a closet political guy.  He's not one to strike up a political debate but he is very passionate about his beliefs and even has some political aspirations. (Wouldn't I make a fabulous First Lady?!?)  It's just a fun night listening to his commentary on what the analysts are saying and what the polls are showing.  He truly makes this night more tolerable for me and it kinda makes me feel a little more American (is that weird?)  Plus I honestly learn a little.  I'm still a little confused by the whole political process.  It's just a fun time for me!

I do feel like it's going to be a very late night and a trip to Starbucks in the morning will be in order!

My Election Night company ;)

Enjoy the night!!!  I pray for whoever will be named President tonight.  That they have the strength and courage to lead this nation!