GO EAST YOUNG LADY, GO EAST

As Aria heads West, Alexandra heads East - - to FLORIDA. DISNEYWORLD to be exact! I asked her about the upcoming trip, her missionary and her last day of work.  Here's what Sashy wrote.

Can you believe it? I have nine, practically eight days until my Mama and I jump ship and make our way to Florida. It doesn't seem real yet and to be honest, it probably won't until I actually check-in to Walt Disney World. My Mom and I will be taking a roadtrip starting early Saturday morning (the 1st) and we will arrive Tuesday night (the 4th). It's 2,330 miles and my goodness, we are going to be prepared for the car ride! Our plan is to rent the Harry Potter books on tape from the library and start listening from the very beginning. I doubt we'll even come close to finishing them but I'm excited to re-read (listen to) one of my favorite series. My Mom is the greatest for driving all the way down to Florida with me. How many moms out there would be willing to drop everything and do that for their daughter? Golly, what a woman.

I am so, so crazy excited for my adventure down there! Although I'm sad to be leaving home. I'm going to miss my family so much! But I'll be returning home soon and this isn't like a mission where I can't skype or call! So I will be doing lots of that, I can assure you.

I think I'm most excited to live out a dream of mine. Ever since I was a little girl, Disney Land has been my happy place. Each year my parents would take me would be the best day of my life. (Literally, I remember saying those exact words to my Dad one morning while waiting in line to enter Disney Land.) Though I never stood in line to meet the characters (due to rides that I desperately needed to ride), I did watch the parades, and see characters such as Cinderella and Snow White walking around the park and like most little girls, I wanted to be them. As of this moment right now, I still don't know how I got so lucky and am half expecting it to be a fluke but I am praying it is not a fluke and am rather choosing to think positive and hopefully I will have the opportunity to be "friends with" Belle or Ariel, etc. ("Friends with" is part of the Disney code. The hope is the magic will stay alive and people won't associate Disney characters with their friends and family but rather believe in the magic. So I'll be keeping my position on the hush hush from now on, I dont' want to get fired. Eek!)

I'm jealous that my Dad is down there with you! I wish I was there. Ya know, tonight Aria and I went to dinner together and we spent the majority of the time talking about our wonderful extended family. We both feel so blessed to have such wonderful parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and GRANDPARENTS. Thank you for all that you and Grandpa do and have done to create such a wonderful group!

I do miss Elder Killpack for obvious reasons but I know he's doing the right thing and good news, he loves it in the MTC and can't wait for the mission field! For example, in his most recent letter he said, "I want you to know I know I am doing the right thing right now. Serving a mission will be the best two years FOR my life. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to share the Gospel with the people in New York. I know I am going there because I promised somebody in the premortal existance that I would help them find the joy I have been blessed to have since I was born

The last day she saw Curtis.

We write often and I've been able to send a couple care packages over this past month. The first one I sent was a "Greenie" Package. It included all things green such as green kool-aid, Junior Mints, green gum, scope, a green toothbrush, green sticky notes, green antibacterial, green deoderant, green stickers and oh man, I can't remember what else! But it was sure fun to collect green things for him!

Hip, hip hooray I finished at Cracker Barrel a little less than a week ago. They were kind to offer me a job when I return but I don't know if I'll take them up on that offer. Serving was a very interesting experience. I've always wanted to do it and I'm glad I tried it out. I wonder though, if the emotional abuse is worth it. (Don't get me wrong it's not serious emotional abuse-- I just don't have the thickest skin so it was a huge adjustment and some people are just really mean!) But as I reported in an earlier update on my life, the tips are generally nice and I was so grateful to actually have a job in this economic crisis.

Right before I went into my last shift at Cracker Barrel.  

I think we'll all look forward to hearing about the upcoming adventure!  Thanks, Sashy.