Disney World {Part 1}

This past Christmas, my parents took our family to Walt Disney World! 

Due to work, Josh and I arrived a day later than everyone else (have I mentioned lately that adulthood is the worst?)
My family so graciously offered to go to our least favorite park on the day we weren't there.
So we they chose Animal Kingdom, of course.

Not only did I take entirely too many photos on my phone, but we also had the photo pass plan where you can have your photo taken by any photographer you see in the park and you get all the candid pictures from the rides as well.

So that means this trip will be splint into three parts on the blog (and I probably wont finish blogging about it until 2015).

For our lodging, we stayed at The Boardwalk Resort, which was absolutely wonderful.

It was walking distance to Epcot and MGM Studios and was also home to two of our favorite restaurants: Flying Fish and Cat Cora's Kouzzina.

When Josh and I arrived, we met the family at Flying Fish for dinner.

Look at this cheese plate!

My favorite part was the top right, honeycomb

This dessert was probably my favorite from the trip:

Caramel corn creme brûlée, cherry limeade popsicle, and a s'mores lollipop.

The view from our room was so precious, particularly at night.

The hospitality at the resort was great as well.

They placed saltwater taffy on our beds with the turndown service each night.

. . . can't forget about the Mickey towel creations either.

Mikey. Is. Every. Where.

Seriously though, how cute was this resort?

We spent our first day at Hollywood Studios.

(Which called for an obligatory group selfie)

Btw, Disney at Christmas is magical, but seeing a Christmas tree while wearing shorts and sweating in 90 degree weather is just slightly weird.

Props to mom for planning out our fast passes each day.

It was truly a life saver. 

It allowed us to be super effecient and waste very little time waiting in lines.

From our pre-Disney research, we read that currently the top two rides with the longest wait times were Toy Story and Soarin' so we made it a priority to have fast passes for these.

The games were SO fun (and your arm kinda gets super tired from pulling the trigger/cord thing repetitively).

Next up: Tower of Terror and Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster

Action shots are the greatest.

Somehow Michael is SO good at catching the cameras.

We had lunch reservations at the Sci-Fi Diner, which was probably my main food-related childhood memory of Disney.

The onion rings. 

It was the onion rings.

While we were waiting on our reservations, we found a beer cart that was serving an Icelandic beer that we loved from our time in Iceland.

According to the bartender, Disney is one of the only places in America that serves that beer.

Mikey was a fan.

The Sci-Fi Diner was everything we remembered and more.

More food, that is.

We ate until we were sick.

This Disney Dining Plan was a beast, I tell ya.

You can't say no to anything.

Three entire three course meals a day (with unlimited Evian) is quite the challenge.

#FirstWorldProblems

#IveNeverHadEvian

The view from our car was spectacular (as was the cute hipster family in front of us).

Due to the slightly heavy lunch, we had a difficult time making it through the afternoon.

I'm pretty sure all seven of us dozed during the stilly Muppets 3D whatever it was called.

We went back to the resort, took naps, regrouped, and with our Magic Band powers combined . . . 

. . . we drank and ate our away around Epcot.

We did a wine flight in Germany.

Followed by some waffles and school bread in Norway.

. . . and then some quality puppet action in China before dinner and fireworks.

Mom was channeling her inner Sound of Music Maria.

"High on a hill was lonely goat, yodelayee yodelayee yodaleyee-who"

The Christmas decorations and traditions featured at each country in at Epcot were one of the highlights of this trip.

They were each so unique and offered an authentic glimpse into their cultures.

Epcot definitely offered more than enough photo-op locations with the professional photographers (which Josh was extremely thrilled about).

I'm just glad I didn't have to scan the crowds judging all middle aged women trying to decipher who looked like they could possibly work a DSLR. 

We tried hard for a Christmas card picture.

This one came in a close second . . . 

P.S. I'm exceptionally terrible at kissy faces.

Note to self: Less fish, more smooch.

Although Josh and I never got to ride it, this photo is from Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. 

It gets my vote for greatest photo of the trip.

Michael and Ellie tricked mom into riding her one and only roller coaster of the vacation.

Parts 2 and 3 coming soon . . . 

Steak, snow, swans, and something very bad in Josh's eyeball

This week was one for the books.

Josh has been talking about grilling steaks for a few weeks now.

He finally had some free time this week to go grocery shopping for the perfect cuts of meat, and he spent a good 24 hours doing magical things to the previously mentioned meats.

What magical things?

I don't know.

Man things.

He talked these steaks up for a good month and prepared them for what seemed like a month.

Naturally, I expected them to taste like the queens swans.

Did you know the Queen of England owns all swans in England and she is the only one allowed to eat them?

. . . at least that's the word on the street.

Anyways, he had them seasoned to perfection (the steaks, not the swans) last night and was about to sear them on each side in a cast iron skillet of hot grease.

One thing led to another and we ended up at the ER because we were 99% sure Josh just lost an eyeball to some stupid cows.
Hot grease and eyeballs don't mix.

Gangster, right?

They took great care of him, doped him up on pain meds, and sent him to an ophthalmologist to get checked out.

He's all clear with a corneal burn/blister/abrasion and plenty of second degree skin burns around his eye.

I'm just kinda bummed he didn't get an eye patch.

The steaks were fantastic though (even 4 hours later).

Oh and then it snowed and I took a bazillion photos.

Happy Weekend, y'all.

1 Year Workiversary

Yesterday marked my one year anniversary being an orthopedic physician assistant.

Hard to believe that I've had a big-girl job for an entire year.

I've learned a lot over the past year.

I've been able to work with some incredible people, and I've had my fair share of some not so incredible people.

Although rough days have tempted me to look elsewhere for jobs, the good days outnumber them and force me to realize that I'm right where I need to be.

(Which is in the operating room in my rubber boots)

I truly love what I do and the people I work with.

Sometimes I still feel like a little inexperienced, uneducated PA student, but I'm learning something new everyday from some really great physicians (and the sales reps aren't too bad themselves).

Josh is a sales rep for Arthrex, and he along with some of his co-workers helped teach me how to prepare an ACL graft with a shoestring.

. . . then I built the real thing all by myself! 

Josh was pretty proud.

Now that we are both in the orthopedic surgery field, it's kinda fun being able to come home and discuss different cases with each other. 

I especially like it when he asks me questions and I can explain it all to him (those are the moments where I feel like a real-life ortho PA).

Even though big-kid jobs come with big-kid problems (insurance, I'm talking to you) it still kinda feels good to be a big-kid and to be doing what you are meant to do.

Here's to many more years of job happiness.

Our Wedding {The Music}

Hands down, the most stressful thing about planning our wedding was choosing the music.

Picking our first dance song as well as the father/daughter dance song was a task we avoided until the end.
Josh and I are both huge music lovers, but we tend to have a slightly different taste of music than most people.
We wanted to choose music that would appeal to everyone, so we decided to have a DJ for the ceremony and reception.
At first I wasn't too thrilled about this decision, but it was SO much cheaper and it really works out best if you have a handful of specific versions of songs you want played.
I've always been a huge fan of Vitamin String Quartet, and we primarily used their instrumental cover songs for most of our ceremony music.
I was pretty worried how that would go over with the guests, because we didn't use a single traditional wedding song (and my DJ wasn't too encouraging of my choices either) but after the ceremony we got so many compliments on the music.
My dad couldn't stop talking about it either, he really loved all of our choices.
The instrumental versions kept it classic and formal, but the non-traditional song choices allowed it to still be relaxed and fun.

For our first look, my sister Ellie, the Maid of Honor, chose the playlist for us.
I honestly didn't even consider needing music for that, until the photographer mentioned it about 15 minutes before.

Learn from my mistakes if you are planning on a first look, have a playlist ready.
The only song I remember from the first look playlist was The Lumineers "Darlene"
At the time, the song was unreleased.

I had never heard it before until Ellie showed it to us and the lyrics are kinda perfect:

I see you
Standing there
In your favorite dress
I like what you wear

Oh Darlene, oh Darlene

I give you my ring
In your shaking hands
You give me a sting
With your crazy plans

Appropriate for a wedding, right?
It still gives me chills.

Our photographer had some music on her iphone too which helped when it came to loosening the guys up for their group photos.
(Except at the time no one knew any lyrics to "Call Me Maybe" except for "so call me maybe.)

Songs we used for the guest seating were:
"Something" Vitamin String Quartet
“Everyday” Vitamin String Quartet
“Let It Be” Vitamin String Quartet
"Wake Up" Vitamin String Quartet
“Ho Hey” Vitamin String Quartet
“Here Comes the Sun” Crimson String Quartet

Mothers and grandmother seating:
 "Can't Help Falling in Love" Vitamin String Quartet

Wedding party entrance:
“Hey Jude” by Vitamin String Quartet

Bride processional:
“All You Need is Love” by Vitamin String Quartet

Recessional:
“Om Nashi Me” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
(Starting at 101 seconds)
When we got engaged and started the wedding planning process, for some reason, this was the only song that Josh insisted we use in the wedding, so it really sticks out to me.
. . . another one of those that makes me tear up to hear after the fact, especially live.

Wedding party introduction at the reception: “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

First dance: “Living of Love” by The Avett Brothers
There really is no rhyme or reason why we chose this one.
It was between this or Andrew Bird "Tables and Chairs" and we concluded that The Avett Brothers were more "danceable".

Father/daughter and mother/son dance: 

“Carrying Your Love With Me” by George Strait 

We really struggled with this.

We are both really emotional and we knew we couldn't handle anything overly sappy.

I was dead set on doing Achey Breaky Heart, but he convinced me otherwise.

Because George Strait was the first concert my dad took me to, this ended up being the perfect choice.

Cake cutting:
Dave Matthews Band “You and Me”

Bouquet toss:
Spice Girls “Wannabe”

Garter toss:  “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money
This song was chosen because Josh "stripped" to it at his fraternity pledge auction his Freshman year.

Along with our online RSVP, I included a blank for guests to request songs and include messages for the DJ to announce as he played the song at the reception.
I had my mom screen these (so that the messages could be a surprise to us during the reception)
I gave those song requests to the DJ along with a list of songs to play and also a list of songs to not play under any circumstances at all.

My only other requirement was that we end the night with "Hey Jude"

Other songs on the "to play" list:
“Hallelujah” Jeff Buckley
“Sweet disposition” Ellie Goulding
“40 Day Dream” Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
“Live and Die”  The Avett Brothers
“I Will Wait” Mumford and Sons
"Sweet Home Alabama" (sorority throwback song)
"Come Together" The Beatles
"Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
Shout!
"Calling Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks
"Your Song" by Elton John
"Benny and the Jets" Elton John
"Separate Ways" Journey
"Any Way You Want It" Journey
"Twist and Shout" The Beatles
"Hurt So Good" John Mellencamp
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" Def Leppard
"Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show
"Proud Mary" Tina Turner
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" Whitney Houston
"Come on Eileen"
"Purple Rain" Prince
"Ho Hey" The Lumineers
"Living on a Prayer" Bon Jovi
"Don’t Stop Believing" Journey
"Under Pressure" Queen
"Can’t Help Falling in Love" Elvis
"Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond
"I Want You Back" Jackson 5
"You Shook Me All Night Long" AC/DC
"Play That Funky Music" Wild Cherry
"Freefalling" Tom Petty
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" Tom Petty
"Old Rime Rock and Roll" Bob Seger
"Baba O’Riley" The Who
"Ain't to Proud to Beg" The Temptations
"Valerie" Amy Whinehouse
"Bad Romance" Lady Gaga
"Lady Gaga "You and I"
"All I Want for Christmas is You" Mariah Carey
"Like a Prayer" Madonna
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" Stevie Wonder
"Boogie Shoes" KC and the Sunshine Band
 "Jack and Diane" John Mellencamp
"Friends in Low Places" Garth Brooks
"You Never Even Call Me By My Name" David Allan Coe
"New Orleans Ladies" Laroux

Songs that were on the "do not play or I will hurt someone" list:
YMCA
The Bunny Hop
Chicken Dance
Macarena
Cha Cha slide
Single Ladies
Baby Got Back
Ice Ice Baby
Cotton Eyed Joe
Getting Jiggy With It
Free Bird
Any Black Eyed Peas or LMFAO songs

. . . in case you missed it, you can see more posts in Our Wedding series here!