I choose joy!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Vacation 2012 at Disney World

This is Kate Weldon, my new friend and sister in Christ! We made great friends with her and her brother's family at Saratoga Springs Resort where we were all staying. They were on a 3 week vacation to WDW from Bristol, UK! Bill even got her husband Terry on to play golf with him one day! Terry loves golf and plays regularly in the UK so they had a fun time!

This is Kate and Terry Weldon, back left, and their 3 darling girls, Hanna, Nave, and Rebecca and David and Liz Elder (Kate's brother and sister in law) and their precious son David James! We loved getting to know them and loved listening to their british accents! The children were all impressively well mannered and very well spoken. They were all a blessing to get to know! We are now Facebook friends!

We loved running into the amazing Doverspike family, from our church, while we were there! This was their first visit to WDW and it was so fun to see and hear all about their magical adventures!

We so enjoyed Disney Hollywood Studios and even tried a restaurant, The Brown Derby, here that we had never eaten at before! It was wonderful!

We savored every minute at Animal Kingdom and on the Kilimanjaro Safari we even got a rare viewing of the new 3 month old Rhino baby and mother!

Our favorite park is Epcot, hands down! We got to ride Soarin, my personal favorite ride ever, 3 times! We ate at one of our favorite places, The Coral Reef!

We had a marvelous time at Magic Kingdom and visited this park more than once this trip. We get a park hopper season pass, of course, so we can park hop anytime. We can't wait to come back here in February to run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon to celebrate my upcoming retirement from the school district!

Monday, August 13, 2012

This pretty little key (pin) was given to us Friday but we actually purchased it as part of our "Keys to the Kingdom Tour" price. We had to pay to get this little gold key and our time in this WDW Kingdom is temporary. What a wonderful thing it is to know that Jesus paid the price for our entry into His eternal kingdom and His kingdom is forever!

I Cor. 9:25 "All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."
Matthew 16:19 When Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus says to Peter, " I will GIVE you the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

— with Bill Skaar at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Father's Day!

Bill is such a great father to our kids and son-in-law! We have lots of fun with Bill and we all know how much he loves us! He is a wonderful man who puts God first, family second, and others next. I am so thankful for Bill, the loving father of my two children!

This was taken at the 50's Prime Time Diner at Disney World's Hollywood Studios park! We had SO much fun at dinner this night! We laughed so much my cheeks hurt! It has great food and the wait staff treat you like you are family and you are all in your mom's kitchen for a family dinner! They'll yell at you to, "get your elbows off the table!!" if you make that manners mistake while dining here!

My wonderful father, James Doyle Wimpee. He was a golden gloves boxer and a pilot in the U. S. Navy! He attended A&M and finished at Baylor. He then graduated from Baylor Medical School and became a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon. He was an outstanding father! I miss him and his hugs!

My older brother, Dr. Marc Wimpee, with our dad, Jim Wimpee! Marc is also a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon! They did get to do some surgeries together before Daddy passed away from Cardio Myopathy in, I think 1996.

My older brother, Blake Alan, with our daddy! Blake and his wife Sue bought and have restored the old Wimpee home that we all grew up in! It makes me so happy what a beautiful job they have done and how well they take care of the old home place! I still get to go "home" to visit when I can find time!

Me and my Daddy! I was a "daddy's girl" in the truest sense of the words! He was such a good example of my heavenly Father by showing me such tender love, protection, provision, encouragement, and praise! I am so blessed to have had him as my earthly biological father!

Bill and his father, Irving William Skaar!

Irv was a Brooklyn Poly technical University graduate and he was a chemical engineer for Shell Oil. Bill was their first born while they were in Holland for Shell Oil.

Patsy, Irv, Keith, and Bill Skaar.

Irv & Patsy's perfect kids! Keith, baby Becky, big sis Karen, and Bill! They are ALL four smart, successful, fun, kind, committed Christians, and giving people! I am so proud of them all!

Irving William Skaar, a man with a huge heart for God, family, and others! One of the kindest men I've known! He is missed!

Melissa's day to be sworn in as a CPA!

She was officially a CPA last December, but this was the official swearing in of all recent CPAs in Austin, Texas! This event started back in 1981 and the board makes if very special for the new CPAs after all their many many hours of hard work and study.

With her right hand raised, the official swearing in to uphold the ethics and laws of a CPA!

Her beautiful profile, I love that sweet precious face!

Jonathan parent's, Randy and Dianne Theilig came to help celebrate this occasion!

Melissa and her proud handsome husband, Jonathan Theilig!

Hail Storm in Grand Prairie, June 13th

Here are some of the stunning hail stones we collected in Grand Prairie last week!

Our trip to Houston, Waco, and Austin, June 8th - 11th

We were in Humble, just North of Houston, for Bill's 35th class reunion. We stopped by Rosewood cemetery before heading to the reunion dinner to see Bill's father's headstone. When we were there two years ago, it was not yet in place so this was our first time to see Irv's marker.

Irv is laid to rest beside Bill's mother Patsy. They were both wonderful Christian saints! We miss them both.

Side by side, it was nice to finally get to see Irv's marker completed and in place beside Patsy's.

The Humble Wildcats Alumni Association is the longest running High School Alumni Assoc. in Texas! This was their 80th reunion and there was a table or tables at the dinner for EVERY class from the beginning of HHS to now! There were about 350 in Bill's class of 1977 and about 40 came to this dinner and dance.

Bill's old high school, Humble High!

We got to stay with our daughter Melissa and her wonderful husband Jonathan, in Houston. The next morning, after the reunion, we all four headed to Waco to watch our Baylor Men's Baseball team play Arkansas in a Super Regional! We had such a fun time! It was HOT but we made the best of it!

Bill and I got there really early to get our "Will Call" tickets and because we were SO early we ran into the head coach, Steve Smith, who is a good friend of ours from our Baylor Days! We got to visit and pray with him! He was in Bill's brother Keith's wedding as a groomsman! His wife Melinda was a KKG with me at Baylor!