Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney. Show all posts

Thursday, January 12, 2012

the magic of.

The word, magic, may very well refer to acts of illusion or even deceptive tricks, but the magic of something, a moment, a feeling, or a realization, is as real as it gets.

Our little family went to Magic Kingdom last week and it was really nice to have a mini-family-vaca. It's fun going to Disney World as a parent, especially when you realize the excitement, adventure, and stride you once had as a child, eagerly destined to find Mickey Mouse, is still very much alive. Except in it's full-fledged existence, that childhood spunk which lived for so long in the solo quarters of your own happiness, is now craving company in the form of this new little person. My own experience of the magic of Disney is no longer enough because, as a parent, it's all about bottling it up, wrapping it in the biggest box, and anxiously sitting and watching as the magic unfolds, while your little one unsuspectingly unwraps the sparkle.

Granted, as much as baby girl was captivated by all the smells, sounds, and spectacles of the world of Disney, the magic of Cinderella's castle may have barely primed her dream land walls. {Can you tell we're in the middle of re-doing our home?} Anywho, even though Marabelle was unable to run to catch the princesses, or beg us to ride Dumbo one more time, she sure enjoyed strolling around as she took in all the magic of a land of giant stuffed animals, who walk, and talk, and sing celebratory songs.

This week I've been reminded of the magic of certain situations, like the magic of sunglasses on a sunny day, the magic of your head hitting the pillow after a long days work {working with a baby is rewarding, but it can also be oh, so tiring}, the magic of a yummy dessert after dinner, the magic of a clearance sale, the magic of being productive, the magic of a good conversation, the magic of getting organized, the magic of a baby sleeping through the night, the magic of hard work paying off, and the magic of dreams coming true.

The words, dreams come true, always used to ring the perfection gong, shaking all of me, from head to toe. If my dreams come true, then everything will be perfect, right? Insert the obnoxious, hot pink buzzer sound from the game, Taboo...buzzzzzz! Wrong! Wrong! Totally wrong! It's easy to look at other people's lives and make judgments, or come to your own conclusions about what it's like to be them, and how perfect their lives seem to be. But with any dream come true, or happily ever after, there's a whole chunk of story in the middle that plays out, little by little, and that's the beauty of it all. So, even if someone's dreams may look like your own, and it seems they've arrived at their perfect facade, remember...your dreams are yours, and yours alone, and no one's horse-drawn carriage ride is free from bumpy hindrances. The real magic of a dream is fighting to get there, choosing to believe, and regardless of what may come, or what obstacles await, affording your dream with a fighting chance. Because happily ever after's are not perfect, they're not flawless, and they're not ideal, but they are real. And the magic of a dream is like walking into Disney World with a goofy grin on your face and leaving with that same bright smile, even if the lines to all your favorite rides were way too long, or your favorite ice cream was annoyingly missing in action, or your legs felt like they were about to fall off, because that which is imperfect, can still be a dream come true.




lovin her waves.


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Sunday, January 1, 2012

a series of smiles.











One of our many stops while traveling these past two weeks was perfectly enough, Disney World, and there were tons of photo worthy moments. While exploring the Magic Kingdom, {which is even more magical at Christmastime}, there was a certain baby girl who decided to delight all passersby with a series of smiles and with a smile like hers, all faces within a five mile radius were suddenly inspired to return the gesture. She's pretty convincing when she smiles, you just can't help but light up the same.

Well, today starts a new year and as incredibly blessed as 2011 was, I'm simply praying for more smiles in 2012. So, is smiling more one of my new years resolutions? Not exactly. Me and new years resolutions seem to clash a little, they're not exactly easy for me to keep, especially when they're based on these crazy ideal and somewhat unrealistic standards I like to set for myself. Instead of making a long list {which is slightly tempting for this list-making gal} of all the things I want to do, change, or complete in 2012, I have a simple hope that I pray is noticed by this heart of mine...I'd love if the year 2012 is pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, filled with a series of smiles, smiles not only from our little family, but from all those we know, and even those we haven't had the pleasure of meeting. For when smiles are paired together, a strikingly meaningful picture is created, a world and a life worth more than any words, I could ever pair or string together, could say. For when we smile, others are encouraged to do the same, choose the same, dream the same, and impact the same. And whenever we give a smile, we receive one, too.

Happy 2012 everyone, I pray it's all you hope it to be and much, much more.   
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*Click here for the post I wrote in honor of Jenna's wedding - she's a girl whose friendship always makes me smile. 
*& special thanks to one of baby girl's amazing Auntie's for giggling with her in these pics.