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

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hey there Stranger!


Yes, it has been a long long time since I have checked in.

I know it has been a long time,
because I have been getting some very sweet
emails from concerned bloggy friends,
as well as some phone calls 
and even packages of coffee coming to my door.

So......what I have I been up to?

Well, quite a bit actually.

I will be putting up some posts 
with some of my creations from the
last several months very soon.

But first some newsy stuff.......

The top photo was taken 
by my Hot Rockin' Hubby at Disneyland
last month. 

Yes, we moved India back to the Disney College Program
and managed to get a few days in the parks.
Ahnalin was really sleepy in that picture,
but it was one of the few that shows me.


It was FREEZING in Anaheim when we were there!
 I mean, actually in the 30s! 
We were not prepared for cold weather to be sure.


We got to ride "Radiator Springs Racers" in Cars Land
and it is awesome!


We moved India in to her apartment with
her new Disney College Program roommates.
And we are so happy for them all.
They are a great group of girls!


Here is a rather charming bit of irony......

India's boyfriend Nate, 
who played "Gaston" in Santa Rosa's production
of "Beauty And The Beast"
is now in Florida at the Disney College Program
in Disney World. 

They met while being in the show together.
India played a "Silly Girl" 
And they both applied to the DCP before
they started dating. 


And even though thousands
and thousands of students applied for the program,
they were both chosen..........
to OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE COUNTRY!

Oh don't be silly!


Everyone was very sad the day we loaded the van....
AND I DO MEAN LOADED(!!)
to drive India to Anaheim. 

But we did move her in and 
she is now working at Disneyland again,
taking her college classes
both through her college and 
also the Disney classes. 

We miss her. 

But life is changing for us too.

Don has accepted a job to a new company
in the San Francisco Bay Area,
and we will be moving next month!

And I have been sewing and writing
and drafting patterns, 
as well as looking for places to move
and schools for Ahnalin
 and starting to pack, 
and lots of other things.

But I promise I am back to blogging.
Thank you for all the kind emails
and messages and prayers. 
I appreciated them all!

Happy Sewing!

Sivje
 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Oh My! My Baby India Is 20!


Happy 20th Birthday India!!

Yes! 

She is 20 years old! 

And this is the bike she bought with her 
Birthday money.

Pretty sweet ride, eh?



So in honor of her birthday,
I thought I would show some fun photos of my
first baby.

I took this photo on her last day at work
as a "bookie" on the 
Storybook Land Canal Boats
at Disneyland. 

Ahnalin and I were riding Casey Jr. and 
as the track runs all around Storybook land,
our train happened to be directly overhead
as India's boat was going under the bridge.


 And here she is right 
before midnight on her final night of work
as she was graduating from the Disney College Program.

Ahnalin and I, 
along with some of her DCP buddies,
were honored to ride her final boat.

This was, without a doubt,
her very favorite job ever!


A week after we brought her home from the
Disney College Program,
my parents came for the weekend
and we drove over to Bodega Bay for a visit.

As usual, India chose to make goofy faces
in nearly every shot!



I love this picture. 

I actually took it in May when
I got to visit her all by myself
in Anaheim. 


This picture is a few years old but I love it.

India is holding my darling niece Cherish
and I think they both look beautiful.


This was taken a few years ago when
India, Ahnalin and I went to a friend's wedding.


This was taken when she was not yet 4
and we were moving away from her favorite
cousin, and best friend Tyler. 

This is one of my favorite pictures of these two.


India loved eating at the American Girl Cafe
in Chicago when we lived there.

This visit was when she was 7 years old.


This was taken at India's third birthday.

She LOVED this dress!

Blue gingham and the apron
was white with pink birthday cakes.

I even made a matching outfit for her Ginny doll!


And here she is just a few years ago in 
her Alice costume.


I stole this picture off of her Facebook page.

A friend took it when she was a freshman
standing outside the drama room at school.

Her shirt and her expression are pure India.


Here she was singing at a local restaurant
while her Daddy (aka Hot Rockin' Hubby)
accompanied her.


This is my all time favorite picture of my India.

She was 3 and
attending Healdsburg Preschool Co-op. 

She is just so yummy in this photo!!


I love my India so much.

She was my first baby.

She is the one who had to 
bear the brunt of all my first-time-mama parenting,
yet, somehow, she has managed 
to grow into a brilliant,
talented, 
beautiful,
funny,
amazing,
loving,
generous,
spontaneous,
gifted,
happy,
faithful,
imaginative,
committed,
and miraculous 
WOMAN!

I can't even begin to say how very proud I am of her.

As she enters this stage of her life,
her "20s",
I pray that the Lord will
bless her with wisdom,
joy,
courage,
faith,
health,
peace,
love,
relationships,
success,
miracles,
imagination,
and 
yes, I pray that she be blessed
with her heart's desires.


Jeremiah 29:11 is India's favorite verse.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 
plans to give you a hope and a future."


She is a lovely woman
but she will always be my baby.

India, mama loves you forever.







Sunday, July 10, 2011

India Doing Her Thing


One of India's friends from back home,
John Stevens II,
shot this video the other day
while on India's boat at the 
Storybook Land Canal Boats.

India will be finished with her 
Disney College Program 
next month and will be
back at college this school year.

She LOVES her job
at Disneyland and can hardly 
wait to go back next year!

Thanks for filming this John!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

54 Hours With India..........


.......and we made every hour count!

India flew in from Anaheim very late
Tuesday night.

This trip was a combination Father's Day
present for Don, and a
"Get'er done" trip for India.


And silly Mama(!!) was having 
so much fun, that she didn't take 
many photos with the camera.
So, you will have to see a few
"trombone arm" photos from my cell phone instead.


Wednesday morning, both girls
climbed into my bed to snuggle 
and watch "Phineas And Ferb".
They have missed each other so much!


So after a morning of serious snuggling,
and Banana Crumb Muffins for breakfast,
(Click that link, you won't be sorry!)
we hopped into the van to head for 
Discovery Kingdom.

We had gotten season passes and 
still needed to get India's picture taken to 
activate hers. 
She can use it at Magic Mountain down South,
and Ahnalin wanted to show her the sharks,
butterflies, walrus, dolphins, sting rays, 
penguins, and...and...and...


Ahnalin had to show her 
the "Walrus window".


They got rock candy together
(no corn syrup or red dye, lucky Ahnalin!)


Ahnalin was hoping that butterflies 
would land on them.


After a few hours at Discovery Kingdom,
we drove back home
and had to get to the church
for rehearsal. 
India worked on her resume in Daddy's office
while Ahnalin hoola-hooped.

After rehearsal, we came home
and ate enchiladas (India's request)
and then India finally got to snuggle with Daddy!


Thursday morning, we went over
to Santa Rosa Junior College
to get India registered, assessed,
financial-aided, and counseled.

India was impressed at how gorgeous
the campus was and how professional 
everyone was.

She is excited to start school again!


Then we ran to the mall,
so she could speak to the manager
of the Disney Store about
working there in the Fall.

The girls bought Tinkerbell Light Up Jelly shoes
to match!
(India's cast member discount works 
at the Disney Store too!)


 Because we did not get to celebrate
India's anniversary in February,
we had our special dinner Thursday night.


We always celebrate India's 
diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes,
because we are grateful for her and 
for each year of health.

India always requests steak and artichokes!

After dinner, we all went to
see "Pirates Of The Caribbean- On Stranger Tides"
at the cheap theater.
The girl's shoes were lighting up the whole time.
It was so funny!
After the movie,
we went home for a few 
short hours of sleep because India's flight
was to leave bright and early Friday morning.


Friday morning, we left the house at 5:00AM 
for the Charles Schulz airport
here in Santa Rosa.
Fortunately it is only a 15 minute drive.


This airport is so tiny, 
that you are actually allowed to park 
right in front, 
as in 15 feet away from the door!


I got the one and only family picture
of this short little visit there at the airport.


It was short, but very nice
Father's Day present for Daddy
to have both of his girls together for a few days.

So, India is back at the 
Disney College Program now.
She graduates from the program
next month.
We are so very proud of her!!!
We miss her so much!!
But we know she has learned so much
and grown up so much while 
working in "Fantasyland".

Thank you for your continued prayers
for my India. 

If you happen to visit Disneyland
between now and 
August 10,
you can visit her at the 
Storybook Land Canal Boats
in Fantasyland. 

Did I mention that I am a proud mama?




Friday, May 27, 2011

My Very Own Special Disneyland Trip


Last Friday, 
after dropping a weepy Ahnalin off at school,
 Don, aka my Hot Rockin' Hubby, 
drove me to Oakland airport.

He kissed me, unloaded my 
pink suitcase, 
told me I would survive the flight, 
and that it was highly unlikely
that my plane would be hijacked
by terrorists,
and drove back home.

I should mention here that
on Wednesday, just 2 days prior,
he started having fevers
and on Thursday he came home sick 
from work.
He was still really sick when he sent 
me on my way.

I felt awful leaving him, 
and the weepy Ahnalin,
who felt it was entirely unfair
that I was going to visit her sister
in Disneyland, 
without her.

But the tickets were bought,
and I could hardly wait to see my India!


After checking myself in,
(Boy! Things have changed in air travel!)
I treated myself to two 
completely frivolous magazines
and a salad to take on the plane. 

I did not take any sewing 
or smocking on this trip.
It felt REALLY weird to not be
carrying scissors or needles in my bags,
but I was trying to go carry-on-only.
I failed, however, because I 
forgot that I had full sized lotions
and sunscreen bottles 
that I would have had to throw out.
So, I checked the pink suitcase.

And Don was right.
No terrorists were on my plane.
Phew!


After landing in LAX and taking 
the shuttle to my hotel,
I just laid on the bed and read my book,
alone, for awhile.
Boy did that feel weird!
Nothing that I had to accomplish
and those wonderful Hilton beds!
 Oh yeah, believe it or not,
the Hilton was the cheapest hotel 
deal last weekend!!!!
Not sure why, but it was cheaper
than Motel 6 when I booked! 
Wahoooo!!!



My sweet girl!!

When she got off work, we stuffed all her bags
in a locker and went into the park!


India had been dying to show me 
the Mary Blair exhibit at the Disney Gallery.



Mary Blair was the artist behind so much of the 
art used in Disneyland,
especially "It's A Small World".


Not a great picture of this,
but we got to "Join Jack's Crew"
for the 3-D promo of the
new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
We ate Fried Green Tomato sandwiches at 
the Hungry Bear Restaurant.
They serve them with sweet potato fries
and pineapple cole slaw. 
So yummy!!


We just bummed around the park a while
and then walked back to our hotel
to pass out for the night.
It was SO GOOD to be with my girl!


Saturday morning, she had to  be at work
at 7:45, and the park didn't open until 8.
So, I accompanied her to her drop off point,
and then embarrassed her by taking this picture.
She said it was a "First day of first grade" moment.
Heehee!


I walked back to the hotel
and showered and read my book some more.
Then I decided to go to an early showing of
"Something Borrowed" by myself.
I LOVED the book by Emily Griffin.
So I practically ran from my hotel
to the theater in Downtown Disney,
to make the 10:30 showing.
By the time I got there, my feet 
were covered in blisters.
I was wearing the CUTEST new
orange Teva sandals for the first time,
and had not broken them in yet. 
Not smart!

Outside the theater was this wax figure
of Jack Sparrow, 
advertising the new movie. 
I actually had to touch it to make sure it 
was not real. 
So lifelike it was freaky!!


After my movie, I walked around a while and 
then went back to my hotel to rest my feet
before meeting up with India after work.
We went right over Disney California Adventure
to go on our Cast Preview of 
the Little Mermaid Ride!!

You can't see it, but that sign reminded 
us that because this was a preview,
and the ride was not yet open to 
the public, we had to refrain 
from talking about it on "social media."
So, all I can tell you is that it
was 
AH-MAZ- ZING!!!!!!!
We went on it twice and it was
so worth the wait!!!! 
It opens next week and 
I highly recommend it.


I took this while we waited in line at the Little 
Mermaid ride.


Ribs, fries and coleslaw! 

After dinner, I saw on my Mouse Wait
was open. They had been
opening it for a few hours off and on
to test it. So, we ran over to Tomorrowland
and got in line! They closed the line right after us!
It was fabulous!!!!
It should be officially open to the public
next week.

Inside the House of Tomorrow in
Innoventions 
in Tomorrowland.


More House of Tomorrow


This is "ElecTronic" at DCA.
It is a huge dance party with the 
futuristic "Tron" theme.

After Electronica, we 
caught a shuttle back to the hotel
and stewed in the jacuzzi until the 
security guard kicked us out to close it.


Sunday morning, I suggested
that we go to an early showing of the new
Pirates movie, but India wanted to sleep in
on those super cozy beds.
So, we hung out until check out time
and then took the shuttle back to 
the resort area. 


We ate brunch at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
in Downtown Disney
and it was SO GOOD.
Thankfully, India's cast member discount
really helped our meal budget!
I DID take makeup to wear on this trip.
I did. 
I just never put it on. 
I wish I had for the sake of cute
pictures, but I would have cried
or laughed it all off anyway!


We shopped around a while
and I bought a few last souvenirs
for Don and Ahnalin. 
When I told Ahnalin that I would
buy her whatever she wanted,
she told me she wanted Kettle Corn!
So, that is what she got!


I asked India to say a little hello
to Daddy and Ahnalin.


I grabbed her and hugged her 
several more times......
and cried.


And then it was time for India to go 
backstage to dress for work.
I walked back to the hotel and
waited for my shuttle to the airport

My flight was late,
and I got several frantic phone calls from home, 
both from Don and other family members.
Don's fever had shot up to 103.5
and everyone was very concerned.
So my inlaws decided to drive down
from Grass Valley, to the airport
in Oakland to pick me up so that Don
would not be on the road.
They stayed over night with us
and Dad drove Don to work the next
day and stayed around so Don 
would not have to drive.
Don was sick the rest of the week,
but finally went back to work yesterday.
He is FINALLY getting better.

I had a wonderful, wonderful time with 
India. I felt terrible leaving my sick hubby
but was so glad to be with India.

Now that Don is finally getting well,
I can get my house back together, 
and get back to sewing!