Reflections on 2013

Another year sped by while I was busy living.  How does that happen? 
The older I get the more I realize how necessary it is to take a moment to reflect.
I was being pretty ugly to myself this morning.  It's way too easy for me to beat myself up with the momentary discontentment rather than keeping my eye on the real accomplishments.  In order to help myself out the next time I come at myself with that particular board and to get myself over the current episode of mud wallowing I offer this list of  reflections and accomplishments for 2013:

Personally, I read more than 50 books, many of them classics.  I spent time with lots of people I love including each of my family members, the Keegans, the Barnes family, cousins, and friends.  Through various activities I became acquainted with new people.  I hope that many will become friends.  I celebrated life in big ways with parties and pig roasts and joyful reunions.  I skiied, traveled (Richmond, Snow Shoe, St. Augustine, Louisville, St. Augustine, Washington, D.C., Tybee Island, Grand Caymen, Mexico), snorkled, climbed ruins, road trains, served God, my family and others.  It's been a wonderful year!
Professionally, I taught 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th grades. I raised and harvested over 100 chickens.  Hatched, with the help of an incubator, five turkeys for harvest.  Raised and harvested two steers.  Helped raise two sheep. Sold dozens and dozens of eggs.  (Yes, I had some help with all this but it's a valid accomplishment.) I continued my volunteer role with Operation Christmas Child attending a connect conference that gave me an amazing picture of God's work in this ministry.  I joined the leadership team of Cornerstone Co-op as their junior high coordinator.

Spiritually, Rob and I started sharing a daily Bible study and prayer time.  We are learning more about God and each other with each lesson.  We also are learning to support and hold each other accountable. 

Emotionally, I continued to nurture relationships with my husband, children, sisters and parents. I consistently took part in several groups outside my family including a book club, homeschool co-op, and church groups.  I desire to find a few close friends and am trying to identify those women.  I have met several new, interesting, challenging, fun women this year.

Physically, I lost 20 pounds over the course of this year.  I am making better smaller food choices.  For my family, I am being very conscious of the choices I make for them. We are eating more "real" food.  I'm buying non-gmo grain products.  I'm being very intentional in what I serve and eat.  A glass of water before each meal has worked wonders.

Reading List 2013

The Iliad by Homer translated by Robert Fagles


The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

The Truth About Style by Stacy London

Someone by Alice McDermott

Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight by M.E. Thomas

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Safe House by Chris Ewan

The Hero's Lot by Patrick Carr

A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse by David Ferry

He Who Saw Everything by Robert Temple

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Gilgamesh: A Verse Play by Usef Komonyakaa & Chad Gracia

Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gbowee

The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee

Telling the Bees by Peggy Hesketh

The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde

Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott

The Complaints by Ian Rankin

Die Trying by Lee Child

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Killing Floor by Lee Child

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde

Disobedience by Jane Hamilton

The Good Mother by Sue Miller

TransAtlantic by Colum McCann

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Frank

Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou

First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Lost in a Good Book (A Thursday Next Novel) by Jasper Fforde

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

The Light Between Oceans: A Novel by M.L. Stedman

The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde

Legend by Marie Lu

Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

Tear Down the Walls! A History of the American Civil Rights Movement by Dorothy Sterling

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Falling Home by Karen White

Showdown Trail by Louis L'Amour

The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Thirteen Days/Ninety Miles: The Cuban Missile Crisis by Norman Finkelstein

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman

The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

One Shot by Lee Child

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

Marmee & Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante

Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Brilliance by Marcus Sakey

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl by David Barnett

Prairie Tales by Melissa Gilbert

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2013: Costa Maya

Our activity on October 29 was a trip to the Chacchoben Maya ruins.  We were a little concerned when we received our event tickets because our tour start and stop times were outside the times that the cruise ship was scheduled to be in port.  Since we booked the excursion through the Disney cruise lines we chose to let them do the worrying and we'd just do the enjoying.

Upon arrival in Costa Maya, we boarded our tour bus and spent an hour bus ride to the ruins.  The bus was comfortable and seeing parts of Mexico outside the tourist area was interesting.  Our guide was fairly knowledgeable, especially about the plants in the area.

We were impressed with the Chacchoben Ruins.  It was pretty amazing to take a step back in time and see, up close, structures that were built thousands of years ago.  A tropical rain storm in the rain forest seemed like the perfect addition to our adventure.  It dampened our clothes, not our spirits.  We dried quickly and enjoyed the rest of our day.  We even found great souvenirs at the Chacchoben market.  I was especially thrilled with the hand made hammock chairs we bought; one for us and one for Mom and Dad.

The time of human sacrifice is long gone despite what Rob and the kids seem to think.

S11 took along some teeth to bury at the ruins.  He hopes that years from now archeologists will be confused when they find them.

This is a building site that has yet to be restored.

Our return bus trip got us to the pier with very little time to spare.  All the shops were closed and we were one of the last groups to go aboard before the ship sailed again. 

W

We ordered room service and enjoyed a snack as we dressed for the evening show of Wishes. 

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2013: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

We began our day on Monday, October 28, with an elegant breakfast buffet in The Enchanted Garden restaurant.  The food was very similar to that in Cabanas but we liked the setting better.  Because there were only four of us, we got to sit in a beautiful garden booth.  M9 particularly enjoyed the napkins (hats?).

After breakfast we were taken ashore in shuttle boats.  Our activity today was a trip to Dolphin Discovery, where we paid visit to the turtle farm and had a wonderful dolphin adventure.

A speedy bus ride took us to our Grand Cayman destination.  Our driver was full of information about the Cayman Islands.  His knowledge helped distract us from the traffic around us.  We arrived safely at Dolphin Discovery. We all got the opportunity to hold green sea turtles.  It was quite an experience!

After the turtle farm we crossed the street for our dolphin adventure.  Because we all participated there was no one to take pictures.  The paid photographs would have cost over $300.  We hope our memories of the dolphins will be enough. 

We were all outfitted in life jackets and sent into the dolphin pool where we met our trainer and dolphin.  Taking turns with the others in our group, we were each given the opportunity to interact with the dolphin.  In addition to touching the dolphin and offering him kisses, we got to do a push and ride.  For the push, we held a boogie board and swam out into the pool. The trainer then sent the dolphin to push us through the water by putting it's nose on the bottom of our foot.  The key was to lock your knees and hang on.  It was kind of shocking to feel a dolphin nose on your foot.  The surprise made M9 call for me until the push began and she was so pleased by the feeling of moving swiftly through the water and forgot to be afraid.  After the push we got to ride the dolphin.  We held onto it's flippers while it swam backwards towing us along.  We were mixed about which part of the dolphin experience we liked the best but we all agreed that it was a pretty amazing actitivy to participate in. 

This is how they always serve ketchup on the Disney Fantasy.

We returned to the ship, tired but happy.

Buttermilk Scones with Chocolate Milk Drizzle

Today was a snow day so we spent the morning learning "How to Train Your Dragon" and enjoying a warm breakfast treat.  These scones were the perfect addition to a snuggly morning while the world outside the windows turned into a winter wonderland. 

Buttermilk Scones
Serves:  16 scones.

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into 2 parts. Roll each to 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, split in half with butter and marmalade.

Chocolate Milk Drizzle

1/2 to 1 cup of confectioners sugar
2 T baking cocoa
2-4 T chocolate milk

Mix sugar and cocoa together until lumps are gone and color is uniform. Add chocolate milk one tablespoon at a time until drizzle is thick enough to spoon and drizzle over the warm scones.  You want it thinker than glue but not as thick as frosting. 

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2013: Day at Sea

Sunday brought a day at sea.  Rob and I woke early and went to the morning worship service onboard.  While it was advertised as an interdenominational religious service it had a clearly an evangelical Christian flavor.  The service was held in The Overlook which is probably the highest public place on the ship which means it has an amazing view.

After the service we had breakfast and returned to the staterooms to wake our lazy children.  As they kept reminding us, it was their vacation too and they really like to sleep in.  Once they were awake they were all eager to get topside to the pool and lunch. 

 Rob and I attended a mixology class in the afternoon.  We learned to make six mixed drinks from Jerry the Irish bartender in the Skyline Lounge. 

 The afternoon continued with spa sessions for Halley and Kady and a nap for me.  The show for the evening was Aladdin.  Dinner was formal.  We all enjoyed getting dressed up and stepping out to the Enchanted Garden.

When we returned to the cabins a new friend was waiting for us courtesy of Marissa, our stateroom attendant.

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2013: Setting Sail

We decided to make our drive it Florida in one shot.  Having an extra driver meant that we could all take turns and sleep in between. Our plan worked perfectly.  We arrived in Winter Park on Friday before lunch and had the rest of the day to rest, visit and celebrate.  As you can see, from the moment of our arrival, the party was on!

The morning of our cruise dawned with sunshine and high expectations.  We enjoyed a celebratory breakfast with Mom and Dad before they drove us to Port Canaveral.  You can see we were already in the Disney spirit.

With a little creative stuffing and by holding some things on our laps we managed to squeeze eight people and twelve bags into the van for the drive to the ship.

Within minutes of our arrival at Port Canaveral our bags were whisked away and we were moved quickly through the first security check.  Everyone around us was as happy and eager as we were.  Upon entering the terminal, we got our first glimpse of Mickey Mouse.

Disney organization didn't disappoint us at all during the check in process.  The terminal was clean and beautiful.  Lines moved quickly.  There was lots to look at while we waited.  Before our boarding time we all had our Key to the World cards, our pictures were taken and we were able to use the rest rooms take a good look around. Our boarding group was called and we were on our way to the ship.

Upon our entry to the Fantasy a Disney cast member announced our arrival..."Welcome to the Johnson family!"  while others applauded.  We felt truly welcomed.

We made our way immediately to the deck 12 to enjoy the pools, buffet, and most importantly to ride the Aquaduck.  Thanks to good advice and advance research, we knew where to sit for a good view of the ride and those that were excited about riding the water coaster were dressed appropriately.  The sun continued to shine as we slipped further into the wonderful world of Disney and took our first Aquaduck ride.

The Aquaduck didn't disappoint and neither did our first meal on the Fantasy.  Everyone found something to love.  That first few hours flew by as we visited the kid clubs, got everyone registered, settled into our staterooms and then made our way to the meeting point for the required safety drill.

Even the safety drill had a measure of Disney fun.  Immediately afterward we all made our way to deck 11 to bid Orlando farewell and enjoy some more sun.

We returned to our staterooms to dress for the evening show and dinner.  Our luggage had arrived so we took a moment to decorate our stateroom doors.  Our fish extenders were a perfect fit and we were excited to see what gifts they received over the course of the cruise.

After decorating our stateroom doors and unpacking we dressed and made our way to the Walt Disney Theatre for the opening show.  We followed the show with dinner in the Animator's Palate.  We met our servers for the week, Christian from Romania and Daniel from Portugal, and enjoyed a delicious meal.  Crush and Squirt joined us for dinner along with some of their friends.  It was a fun way to spend the evening.  

After dinner, M9 and S11 headed to their kid clubs while the rest of us went to the Buena Vista Theater to see The Lone Ranger.  We met back at the cabins shortly after midnight to enjoy a snack of cookies and milk.