December in Pictures

 On the beach in Miami.

 The happy couple.

 Macy with the Freedom of the Seas in St. Maarten.

 Magan's Bay, St. Thomas.

 From Left: Sheri, Macy, Ashley, Mike, Katy, Curtis, Frank, Betsy, and Sarah at the Schooner Bar in matching PJs on Christmas Eve.

Our last night on the cruise, wouldn't be complete without a bunny :) 

Merry Christmas, and Happy Early Easter.

For additional pictures and information about the Smith/Engelbrecht family cruise, please visit joyridersforjesus.blogspot.com

Love, SES

December in Words

December has been a month to remember.  It began with a few days in San Antonio to learn about title and to visit my favorite San Antonians, Maggie, Rusty, and the little Bug, Carter Grace.  Immediately following, I made an 18 hour run to Oklahoma for a baby shower for the soon to grace our presence Lottie White, which was cut short by a tire blow out in my rented Chevy Malibu.  Lucky for me, cute Officer Kennedy from the OKCPD was there to save the day and a Sooner fan at Firestone rushed my repair right on through so that I could make it back in time for the game.  After tea, cake, hugs, and kisses with some of my favorite people at the shower, I was back on the road to Dallas to make it to Jerry World by 5:30 pm just in time for a beer and some Sooner Magic against Nebraska, one last time.  Fast forward to the following Friday...off to Miami for the wedding of two of the most wonderful people I know, Lauren Gibson and Matias Bilbao.  A lovely rehearsal dinner was capped off with a late night in South Beach and the best cocktail I have ever had - some thyme and lemon concoction that I just could not get enough of.  The next day brought room service for breakfast with Ninny and Pina Colodas in the sun with the girls and the boys, followed by what has to be one of the most memorable weddings, and receptions, I have ever been to.  Can anyone top a full blown dance circle before the main course was served?  I don't think so.  The next morning, back to the airport with Kendall, Ninny, and Lindsey.  Chaos almost killed me, but Paul was waiting for me back in Dallas so I made it through.  Fast forward again to the following Friday...SFCP madness ensued.  The next day, off to Orlando to meet my favorite people in the world - Curtis, Ashley, Mike, Sheri, Frank, Betsy, Katy, and Macy, for what amounted to the best Christmas on record...

7 nights on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas

I danced on the promenade, in the piano bar, in my room, on the dance floor, at the casino, and on a catamaran.  Played put put, played in the kiddie pool, decorated gingerbread houses, played blackjack, craps, roulette, and trivia, went to the library, dove into the book return, ate steak, ate more steak, ate lobster, ate fish, ate johnny rockets, ate pizza, ate more pizza, and ate a crepe.  Drank wine/pina colodas/beer/vodka in our room, in the dining room, at the top of the ship, at the front of the ship, at the casino, at the piano bar, in st. maarten, in st. thomas, and in the library. Went to Midnight Mass, saw an ice skating show, did the bunny hop, sang Oklahoma AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, met a very nice blackjack dealer from South Africa, accepted a marriage proposal from said dealer, arranged my dowry with my dad, and took a yoga class.  Got a tan, got a sunburn, got a hangover.  Slept like a baby.  Slept like a kid on Christmas Eve (oh wait, that was on Christmas Eve).  Played, and fell, in the waves at St. Thomas and St. Maarten, and rocked, and fell, with the waves on the ship.  Bought presents, received presents, gave presents, decorated stockings, Christmas trees, our state room, and braided Santa's beard.  Sang carols, sang the Beatles, sang Frank Sinatra, sang Elton John, and sang Oklahoma (see above).  Lost money, won money, lost more money, didn't care because I was flirting with aforementioned blackjack dealer.  Gambled with my dad, partied with Uncle Mike, speculated about the fuel consumption of the ship with Curtis, made the rounds with Ashley, shopped with my mom (and for her), laughed with Aunt Sheri (and at her), played with Macy, danced with Katy, took pictures, made memories, and really and truly Joyrode for Jesus...and had the very best time of my life just spending time with my family, enjoying the Christmas spirit, and celebrating the true reason for the season :)

I returned home on Sunday to sea legs and the flu.  But, I'm back in business, and I still have one day left to make merry in December.  Off to Austin tomorrow for NYE 2010.  As evidenced by the last thirty days, it should be, no doubt, quite an eventful affair.

Hope your holidays were as happy as mine, and happy new year to you all!

SES

It's Christmas Time in the City...

Here is a glimpse at the real life "hustle/bustle." I can't get this image to move down, but here is the small crowd in Macy's. I get hot just thinking about it. You can't see the line Russ!

Here's my Review:

Trip Advisor! Last weekend, I went to NYC. There is something to be said about that city during Christmas time- it's almost magical. Here is a short recap of my weekend:

Thursday:

I never thought I had a "morning problem," but catching a 6am flight was torture. Yes, it got us to New York earlier, but it took lots of caffeine to keep me going all day. Our day started out at Serendipity. I know, it's a cliche tourist spot, but it's our tradition. We don't even get the Frozen Hot Chocolate! It was well outfitted with Christmas decor and very charming. From here, we hit the streets to shop and sight see. Our adventures lasted throughout the night. Literally. It was about 8pm and we had been walking all day and decided it was time for dinner. With shopping bags in hand, we headed to the Lincoln Center area. I have always wanted to see the Lincoln Center lit up, because this picture is used in so many movies. Well, I finally got my chance. I built it up in my head.

We went to a Mexican restaurant nearby called Rosa Mexicano. It was delicious but reminded me a lot of Dos Caminos. One of them had to rip the other off. Did I mention my mother and I had to change shoes? Yes. She was wearing cute little loafers and I had on uggs. Note to self, leave your cute shoes at home. After dinner, we got a Taste-D-Lite and headed back to the hotel.

Friday:

Oops I did it again. Friday morning I headed to the Today show to see my friends. They were all there except Al, and the crowd was so large I had no chance of making a TV debut. I stood in the freezing cold for about 30 minutes thinking to myself... WTF am I doing. Tons of Tweens and ME. But I saw my friends Matt & Meredith, so it was well worth it.

Friday day, we shopped all day long. I think I was stuck in a Macy's for 3 hours. Their Macy's has much more to often- everything from Gucci to Chanel! It's crazy how much more high-end their store is. Friday afternoon we took a pit break to eat at DBGB Kitchen. (Lower East Side) It was definitely one of those places that when you leave, you think, I would highly recommend.

We stopped by Eataly, which I had really been looking forward to- but I have 2 words...no 4 words: Amazing, but TOTAL CHAOS. It was like Eatzi's on massive steroids.

Our night took us to Broadway to see Buddy the Elf. One of my favorite movies brought to life. It did not disappoint AND they had sippy cups for your wine. After Broadway, we picked up a slice of pizza and called it a night.

Saturday:

Saturday started out just like Friday- on to more shopping. For lunch, we somehow ended up at Rockefellar Center. Well, I know how- we went for me to look to see if they had this J Crew belt and I got all "Hangry" (My new word for when I get hungry and angry) and I needed nourishment fast. We went to a cafe in the building. It fit the bill, and I got to watch the tourist hot spot - the ice skating rink.

I cannot tell a lie- I did make a special stop by "Dash," the Kardashians store. There was a line out the door. I stopped to snap a picture and lost a glove. After I turned the corner, I realized I was Michael Jackson'ing it with my glove attire. Luckily when I went back to Dash- there laid my isotoner on the ground. Whew. It was too cold to go gloveless.

Saturday evening brought us to the Rockettes. I have seen them several times, but they never get old. They are NYC Christmas time. Thankfully, they let you have drinks in the auditorium, so it was a great time. From here, we went to Dos Caminos, because it's just my absolute favorite. Something about their white Sangria.

Sunday:

We had a 1pm flight, so we did not have much time in the city. Our morning was spent trying to snap my Christmas Card pic. Stay tuned!

Did I mention I am still thawing out from the cold? You'll have to forgive my non-exciting writing skills today, but hey, I tried. I wish I were still in NY. I love love love that city.... It's Christmastime in the City.....

Twas Thanksgiving Eve.

It's Thanksgiving Eve, do you have your pie made? If not, I have a last minute treat for you. It's as easy as 1,2,3. Literally. Everyone has their celebrities that they like. I seem to like some of the oddest ones: Elton John, Cher, Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera (I consider them celebs) and Kristen Chenoweth.

Did you know her real name is Kristi Chenoweth?! I think she is just so talented, but I must admit, sometimes her squeaky voice does get on my nerves. She is an Oklahoma native and carries a deep love for her home state. This makes me like her even more!

I was reading her book not to long ago, "A Little Bit Wicked," and came across this recipe. Strange that this biography had 2 recipes in it, but they got my attention. So here you go: Butter Finger Pie

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust Pie (I bought the pre-made)

6 King Size Butterfingers

12-ounce container of Cool Whip

Steps:

Crush all of your butterfingers up. (I put mine in a plastic bag and rolled over with a rolling pin)

Once Butterfingers are crushed, mix them with the Cool Whip (all of the cool whip)

Once all mixed up, place all in pie pan

FREEZE the pie

SERVE with a smile

If Bart Simpson is at your Thanksgiving table, he'll be very thankful! "Don't lay a hand on my Butterfinger."

POTTER FRIDAY

In high school, I used to love to watch Rosie O'Donnell's afternoon talk show.  She was so funny, and liberal, and my dad hated her, so I thought it was kind of rebellious to watch her and laugh.  Plus, I loved A League of their Own back in those days, and as a result, I loved "Ro."  One afternoon, in the fall of my junior year, she had a British children's author on the show to promote the release of the third title in her series.  Rosie introduced JK Rowling to the crowd, and everyone erupted in applause.  I had never heard of her so I decided to pay attention to something else (probably my dog Abbey Road, may she rest in peace).  Jo and Rosie began to chat about the novels, and I couldn't figure out if this was a book about a real boy who pretended to be a wizard or a boy who really was a wizard.  Rosie was going on and on about how much she loved this "Harry Potter" and asked Jo if she would read a passage from the newest novel.  This was when I really started to pay attention.  I love hearing authors read their own work, so I dropped what I was doing and tuned in.  JK Rowling then opened the Prisoner of Azkaban and began to read from the scene where the dementors pay a visit to the Hogwarts Express and, in turn, meet Harry Potter (to this day, this remains one of my favorite scenes).  By the time she had finished I was fully mezmerized.  Two hours later, I had purchased my first copy of the Sorcerer's Stone.  (It was a paperback, and, in case you are wondering, I have since purchased two others: a hardback edition and a French translation).  Three hours after that, I started to read Harry Potter.  At first I still had my doubts.  I am going to be perfectly honest, I was still confused about where the story was going.  Back in this day and age, I had never even heard of Dumbledore before.  Just imagine picking up Harry Potter for the first time before the movies, the theme parks...before all of the hype...it was all completely new to me.  And, it was, for lack of a better word, magical.  By the time Harry made it to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor, I was fully and completely obsessed.

Eleven years have passed since I saw JK Rowling on Rosie.  A lot has changed (including Rosie).  Today, the novelty of Harry Potter is gone.  I know every character, every place, most of the spells, and how the story ends.  Nonetheless, last night at the Midnight premiere of the Deathly Hallows Part One, my heart was pounding as the movie opened with the meeting of the Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor.  I cried when certain sad things happened that I don't want to give away for those of you who I am still holding out will one day pick up the books.  I laughed at Fred, George, and Ron.  I clenched my fists and held my breath and even screamed a bit...on the inside.  Harry gets me every time, and the Deathly Hallows Part One was NO EXCEPTION.

With all of the books published, and only one movie premiere left, there isn't much left to discover in the amazing world of Harry Potter.  But, for me, there is still nothing better in the world than a day spent just enjoying the greatness that is Harry.  I may be hallucinating (I'm so tired today because I am an old woman who can't stay up past 11:00 pm on a weeknight), but I still feel the same magic I felt when I opened that first book at the recommendation of Rosie O'Donnell in 1999.  And, I am having yet another amazing day because of it.  Everyone, do yourself a favor and go see Deathly Hallows, or rent any HP movie, or better yet, start reading the books.  Rosie O'Donnell and I both promise, you will not regret it.

I love the boy who lived,

SES

Insurance

As a little Sarah, I didn't know much about the topic of insurance. I knew that when people asked what my dad did for a living, I was told to say "insurance." And that when my mom took me to the doctor they always asked for our "insurance." Well, over these past few weeks I have grown to love my insurance more than I ever thought I would. I have three types right now: home, health, and auto. My health is just fine, thankfully, because those problems are real problems, not "it's funny to blog about them" problems. The home and the auto, however, are not fine, and are very happy to be insured right now.

The home is suffering from a damaged bathroom sub floor. The source of this damage was a leaking AC that was fixed in early October, but left a lovely little reminder known as: water damage. The story goes like this: I decided to get new tile. I went to Home Depot, and picked out new tile. Then I scheduled it to be installed. A plumber came out and unhooked my toilet. He put the toilet in my bath tub and planned to come back the next day to take it out. The tile guys arrived. They tore out my old tile. They found a very large section of rotted sub floor. They couldn't put in the tile. The toilet remained in the tub. Two contractors, one plumber, and one insurance adjuster later...I am now scheduling to have my tub removed, my sub floor replaced, my entire tub surround replaced, new baseboard put in, and, you guessed it, new tile. Hopefully, this will all be done by Turkey Day. Most likely, it will not be done till Christmas. Just kidding, but not really, I'm a pessimist. What have I learned from this? The showers at lifetime fitness aren't that bad. And, I really love my home insurance.

The auto has only been suffering since this morning when it was side-swiped by a lady who decided to turn left from the center lane, across the left lane that I was driving in. She didn't care to look to see if there was oncoming traffic that would interfere with her illegal turn, and I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of her carelessness. Poor Glenn (my 05 Jetta), is now black on the passenger side (he is white everywhere else), and very embarrassed to go out in public. What have I learned from this mishap? That when my dad says, and I quote, "SUCK IT UP, it could be a lot worse," he means it (and he knows insurance). And, I really love that the woman who hit me has auto insurance.

So, everyone, be thankful for your health, your happiness, AND your insurance this week. You bet your ass I'll list that as one of my "I'm thankful for's" at one of my three Thanksgiving dinners next week.

I'm protected,

SES

Pretty Paws

Do painted nails make you happy? ME TOO... BUT are you sick and tired of your nail polish chipping 3 days after your manicure? ME TOO. It wasn't hard to talk me into paying 15 more dollars for my manicure to have the "Shellac" process. What is this process you ask? I am going to tell you.

"Shellac" is a soak-off hybrid between a gel and polish. Soak off gels look just like polish but last longer, in part by being cured onto the nail with an ultraviolet lamp. The gel must be applied and removed by a professional. The nail tech paints on a base coat, 2 color coats and top coat- after each coat, your nails are set under a UV light. Not only do you leave with impeccably dry nails, you leave feeling secure knowing you'll have great looking nails for days to come.

A noted downfall- Removal takes longer. Acetone should do the trick, but a nail tech may need to scrape the crumbs of gel off. (I actually haven't gone through the removal process, but I hear it's easier than they say.)

It only took 5 years to make the product, but now women everywhere can go to the nail salon and leave knowing they will not have to pay to have their nails repainted for the following weekend. I have had my "Shellac" on for almost 2 weeks and it still has not chipped. (see above image) However, I do have some complaints:

1. You can clearly see the nail growth at the top of my nail bed... but hey, 2 weeks of red nails with no touch up? I'll take that any day!

2. As much as I love having red nails, I am really getting sick of it- but I refuse to remove it, because I want to se how long it will last... I almost feel like I am testing the McDonald's french fry.

3. My particular nail salon only offers 10 colors. All generic colors.

Give your paws a treat next time you get a manicure