Location, Location, Location

When the boy snail and I started thinking about getting married, I became quite particular about the location. 

My first choice was the amazing theater we performed at in high school. 

It's mostly ruins now, but so many memories camp out in that section of my heart. And, the parking lot of this theater is where the boy snail first told me he liked me all the way back in high school. 

But alas, when I called about reserving the location, the manager said they would probably demolish this beauty by the following year. 

(they've been saying that for years though, so maybe a engagement photo opportunity hmm?)

So we started back at square one. What to do. Many websites I looked at suggested a place that had emotional significance for the couple, but that idea had been shot down. 

So I went with the second best thing to emotional significance. I went with something that I adore (and that the boy snail loves, maybe not adores like I do, but there are sparks). 

Pumpkins. 

Mom and I started the hunt. And guess what. I think this location might have emotional significance in the years to come, just like the theater. 

Faulkner's Ranch and Pumpkin Farm. 

Yes. Pumpkin Farm. You know it's perfect. 

Week 20

Autumn Addition! It's like a special addition but better!

1) Carving pumpkins...especially pumpkins with a certain resemblance to other things I love

2) Missouri State Campus with red, yellow, and orange everywhere

3) Happy Hobbit Music 

(Celtic music always reminds me of fall cause my family and I go to Irish festivals during the fall)

4) Pumpkin patches with friends

5) Long walks in the park with other friends 

(and of course playing on random giant wheelchairs)

Enjoy Autumn!

Giveaway!

This has been long overdue loves.

It shall be inspired by four of my favorite things:

1) Peter Pan

An unabridged version of the J.M. Barrie classic and my favorite book of all time. 

2) Bubbles

These are some of the best bubbles I've found...and believe me, I look around quite a bit. They will last a crazy long time as well. 

3) Pumpkins

This adorable little clay pumpkin was handmade for me by my friend Annie. It's cuteness and perfection. I almost don't want to part with it. 

4) One of my favorite quotes: "Discover beauty in everyone." 

A painting by yours truly with a piece of my favorite quote. 

P.S. - If you win but don't care for this painting, I would be more than happy to do another one for you. 

In total...

To enter you must:

- be a follower of Wonderment in Neverland

- comment on this giveaway and tell me one of your favorite things

For extra entries:

-blog about this giveaway and post a comment with the link

-twitter about this giveaway and post a comment with the link

-facebook about this giveaway and post a comment with the link

Winner will be picked June 1st!

And hey, if this is your first time stopping by Neverland, look around, make yourself at home. My heart is your heart. 

Bye loves!

In the land of Pumpkins

photo props Megan Cook

Many people have asked me why I love pumpkins like I do...and there is no one reason. But here is my best attempt to answer this question.

They are:

an odd color...orange. Not many things are orange. They just beg you to look at them.

funny looking.

delicious tasting!

reminders of home and my mommy.

all different

They remind me of people. Some look pretty on the inside, but the outside is bumpy and bruised. Some look real pretty on the outside, but the inside stinks. Some are small but that makes them cuter and some are big and that gives me more to love. Some are awkward looking and some are pristine. They are all loveable. Every last one. If you just find the ways to love them.

photo props me

Mystery Pumpkin Song

(Maci put this on a mix for me ages ago and I can't find it anywhere else, but I wanted to share the song with you anyway, so go pause my player and listen)

So let the waters rise if You want them to. I will follow You.

I've been having nightmares about leaving stuff behind in Kansas City when I fly to London then Uganda next week.

Last night it was that I forgot my Malaria pills and my money.

I've also been feeling very small and not enough. I feel like I'm not a "good enough christian" to be going on a mission's trip.

How funny that I'm believing all these lies. How convenient for the devil that they are all coming directly before I leave for my trip. Probably because he's the one behind them all huh?

Guess what? I'm gunna stop listening to what I think of myself. That would probably be a good idea considering myself usually doesn't know ditally squat.

I think I'll start listening to Jesus for awhile. Yeah. Let's do that.

Cause pretty sure this is a little more accurate. ^

In other news. I leave in 8 days.

In more other news. I went to a wicked awesome blacklight party last night. Haven't gotten to dance like that for awhile. Super fun.

In the last other news, I'm excited for pumpkins again.














I think that's all of importance for now.

Let the Waters Rise - MikesChair

Photo Props: weheartit

Awkward Love Song

I had a really crazy revelation today. I shall try to relay it. I was reading captivating and it asked you to picture a romantic scene from a movie. It started listing off Titanic and Lord of the Rings as examples. I love those movies. I think they are incredibly romantic, but I stopped and thought about the first scene that popped to my head.

You're gunna laugh at me!

I thought of the scene from "The Little Mermaid" where Eric takes Ariel around town and she gets excited and he just laughs at her.

Yes, that is romance to me. Goofy, awkward, let's just laugh together and be weird romance.

So here is my revelation.

In my head, Jesus was too sappy. I haven't let him completely romance me cause it felt too fake. It felt too clingy...

I want to have FUN with Jesus! To be goofy with him. A REAL relationship Jesus. And that's a part of him that I don't know. For a second I doubted it even existed. How could Jesus be playful? Could he? If he is, I've never been playful with him. I've never rolled over in tears cause we were laughing so hard together.

It was like I realized this huge part of our relationship was missing!

And so I asked him, "Hey, you! How do I get that part of you? I want the dangerous, playful Jesus. That's what I've been searching for! Does it exist?"

There was a part of me that I've been holding back from him. The part of me that didn't want to admit this to Jesus: That I'm disappointed in our relationship. That I want more. Whew.

There was a huge part of me that he didn't have. A HUGE part of me. It the piece of me that should be the core of us. I wasn't letting him be the man I need in my life. The strong man, but not abusive, but not "soft".

He can't hurt me, but I asked him, "Can you tease me? Is that allowed? Cause I like getting teased. Weird, but I do."

The answer I recieved: "I made Duck Billed Platypuses, Rhinos, and Hippos. I think I have a sense of humor! And I'm adventurous too! I'm not safe!"

And my reply?

"Woah...Jesus...uh...YOU'RE HOT!"

My mind was blown.

And that's why I've been writing down how he loves me in my journal. To see those unusual, wacky, goofy ways he loves me. I just haven't realized it yet.

Examples: Jesus loved me today by...giving me sunshine, helping me through my homework quickly, laughing with friends, a fun Walmart run, Maci dying my hair, awesome shoes for cheep!

"And heaven meets earth with a sloppy wet kiss" <----that's why I love that line. It's an awkward, funky love.

Pumpkins! That's why I love pumpkins! I would love awkward things! He would send me love notes in awkward packages!

He gets that Indie wanna-be-hippie part of me!

What the heck!

How did I not get this!?

There was a pretty big wall up.

I was embarrassed. He created me like this! HA! It sounds crazy, but I thought I was going to have to change him. I thought if we got too close he would be the "needy boyfriend." How weird! Why would he be like that!? He's the only person on this freakin' earth that can romance me perfectly!

"He want your deep heart, that center place within that is the truest you." - Captivating

First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

Castles, Coffee, and Banana Pancakes....And maybe a few Snails (Things that bring me joy)

Joy...It seems like something so simple to have. When I google searched joy, the first hit was a site for textiles....hm....not exactly my idea of joy. It's funny, I feel like in church they are always telling you about joy. When I searched bible verses for joy....holy cow, my search engine couldn't take it. It's one of the fruits of the spirit. It seems like there is something huge to be found in joy. And it seems like how much it's talked about in the bible, it is something that people struggle with a lot.

I myself don't so much. It's weird...I have all these things I have that I want to change about myself....all these things I see wrong with myself...I'm judgemental of people and complain just to complain, to mention a few. But in general I can find joy in most every situation. Now I'm not saying I don't have my off days. Trust me, there are days when I just want to knaw a cookie into a knife and stab someone (thank you JB for that quote.) But for the most part there are very small things in life that make me happy. It's the thing I had/have going for me. I remind myself of the song "Snails" by The Format that KT blogged about last. "Snails see the benafit, the beauty in every inch." Yeah...I like that. I think this is the first time I will be ok with comparing myself to a snail.

But this week, the devil, being the bastard that he is, tried to take that away from me. I found myself not caring about anything much really, especially the stuff that I used to really get joy out of. Yeah, I was not very happy with him. And I tried to combat it myself. Ha...yeah...not pretty. And to make it worse I had to get rid of my pumpkins this week. Yeah....talk about literally throwing joy away. Sad.

But then I realized I was looking for joy in the wrong places. Because yes, I get joy out of tons of crazy things (see list at the end of this post to see HOW crazy), but that joy is a gift directly from Jesus. After all, all good things come from Jesus and joy is deffinetly a good thing. And when I stopped turning to him for the ultimate joy, of course the other things weren't gunna bring me joy. Stupid stupid Hannah. Ha. And so I asked, and did he deliver. Because I named him my ultimate joy....and let the rest follow.

There is nothing better to me than listening to good music with my earphones in, sitting in a coffee shop with a huge cup of coffee not doing the homework I came to do.

Yes....It's true. Like Molasses I'm a procrastinator. Pretty sure she writes about that portion of her personality every time she writes a blog. It makes me giggle.

Speaking of things that make me happy, we come to the point of this post, to both combat the devil and to celebrate my new found joy I made a list of all the things that bring me joy...and I'd like to share part of it with you. So here you go, a little gift from me to you. Merry freakin' Christmas. Ha.

Joy: Jesus, C.H.E.M. (Cadie, Hannah, Emily and Maci), friends, family, pumpkins, Christmas, music (there are just far too many artists to mention), guitar, piano, singing, making music (writting), writing poetry, Lee Ellen singing (cause I'm listening to her right now), bike ridding, dressing up (in costume or just fancy), coffee, typing (yes I get joy just from typing on a keyboard), POHO, C3, Woods House, buttons, cartoons, Disney (and Disney Princesses), old book smell, the back shelves in a library, driving, stargazing, presents (giving and recieving), Africa, bumperstickers (facebook or otherwise), my dog, making eye contact with someone you don't know and just smiling, the feeling of a new relationship, animatronic christmas decorations (there is a moving bear in the Coffee Shop....hence it makes me happy), blue eyes, Johnny Depp, fall, people crawling through vents like the movies, skydiving, making things out of magazines, laying in grass, picnics, kites, musicians that haven't made it big yet, weddings, photo shoots, art, reading, knitting, N64, reconecting with an old friend, seeing someone in a movie and not remembering what else they were in then finally remembering, my residents, fishing, corn fields, mud squished between your toes, swimming in lakes, the ocean, sunsets, theatre, cheesey music (don't judge), board games, old school Nick, and much much more....this list is getting too long for this post.

And so, I hope I have brought a smile to your face. Jesus always comes through. It's pretty cool. I kinda like him for that.

Songs that Bring me so much joy I have had each one of these songs on repeat for at least a day in my lifetime:
The Call: Regina Spektor
The First Single: The Format
Be Be Your Love: Rachel Yamagata (love to dance to this)
Let Go: Frou Frou
Tortilla Chips Song: T Bizzy

Silly Things

I lost Disney Scene-It tonight. HA. Even just typing that out makes me laugh a little bit at myself. I was playing against 6 people, just by myself. I rolled 2's the whole time. And I moped. I don't know why I felt the need to write about this, but I think God's showing me how easy it is to come down from my little "Hope You Dance" high.

And yet the stars are so pretty. The wind smells like Spring. St. Patty's Day is tomorrow. Freddy is in tune and playing better than ever. I'm a princess of the high king and he loves me more than air. Pumpkins are all over my room. Ariel is pretty.

*Sigh* Yes, that's better. Focusing on the good is always better.

People usually call me a good lover of people, but am I a good lover of people or just of the people I want to love. I find myself becoming a somewhat selfish person, only loving when it's convenient. That's not ok. Jesus didn't love when it was convenient, he loved when it was messy, and he loved without condemnation, something that I can't quite seem to grasp no matter how hard I try.


But Jesus will endure. He's so good. Sometimes I just don't get it. You know what's funny too? He cares that I was bummed that I lost Disney Scene-It, cause I cared. He cares cause I care. That's love right there. To get bummed with me. Teehee. I love Jesus.


Marie Digby is good. I'm loving her just a little bit. This song seems to fit my life right now. I would love to have a sound like her for Honey&Molasses. Take note friend. Stupid for You