Aubrey Scout Carter

This has been a great week. You know what makes it great? Is it the problems that I have run into on the job? No. Is it the sadness that I have felt over hearing about friend's struggles? No. Is it everyday reminders that life is fleeting? No. Is it the fact that Scout got to spend the night with me on Monday night? ABSOLUTELY!!!! That kid can brighten any kind of week! Scout is my four year old niece and I happen to think that she is the greatest kid on earth! She can make me laugh harder than anyone else. She can make me do things that I would never do for anyone else. She can make me feel special and loved and appreciated like no one else. If you don't know her, you are really missing out! Here's the little mantra that I recite to her over and over when she's with me, "Do you know that I think you are the smartest girl in the world? Do you know that I think you are the sweetest girl in the whole world? Do you know that I think that you are the prettiest girl in the whole world?" And then I always say, "Do you know what's better than being pretty? Being kind...and the great thing is that you are both!" I really and truely mean all of that! I hope that when she is 35 she will look back and remember that that is what I think of her. I am sure that Matt and Carla get frustrated with the way that I spoil her, but I just want her to know how incredibly grateful I am to have her in my life. Man, God has just been too good to us!!!!

Creative Outlets

Do you have one? They are so important...at least to me. There are days when I sit in front of a computer all day. Other days, I am leading trips or counseling students, and while that is extremely rewarding, there is always a little restlessness in not being able to create something. I think that we were made to create, because we are made in God's image, and He is the Great Creator. I can remember in college having projects to do and praying that God would give me an idea because nothing has been created that He didn't create in the first place; no thing or concept exists outside of Him. So, for me anyway, I get a

little restless when I don't get to express myself outside of the norm. I have never felt this more than in the last year. Some of you know that I have taken up the hobby of cake decorating. I'm certainly no cake boss, but I love being able to imagine what something should look like and then begin to create it. Sometimes you can tell what it is supposed to be and sometimes you can't. Haha. Cakes are pretty expensive, so I usually have to be asked to make one, but when I am, I get so excited. It really is fun to me. And it makes me proud to show off what God enabled me to create.

During 40 Days of Community, I have had the opportunity to help create the videos for the Sunday services. It has been a blast to sit and brainstorm about what would illustrate a point or idea and make people laugh. I have pushed my abilities and found that I could do a little more than I originally thought possible. We have also been creating Better Together video clips. So a lot of my free time has been spent trying to think of different things that are better together. So here is what I have found...most everything is better together. Decorating cakes is better together. Ideas are always strengthened when more than one person develops them. It is always more fun to share stories, laughter, and even frustration with someone else.

This past weekend I was working on my latest cake, a camping cake for my friend Amy's 30th birthday. My friend David offered

(or was begged) to help. At one point, the pop tarts that I was using to make the tent collapsed. Had I been alone, I may have crumbled with it, but because I had a comrade by my side, I laughed and together we brainstormed about how to make the next one stronger. Things really are better together. And if you don't have a creative outlet...find one. You just may find out that you have a talent that you never knew existed!

Two Best "As Seen On TV" Discoveries of 2009

Okay, if you have not had the pleasure of using these two inventions, you are getting ready to get so excited. Well, that may be a little too much build up. Haha. But here we go....

The first is the Neti Pot.

This is a strange little pot that you fill with warm salt water and pour into your nose. You pour the water in one nostril and watch it flow out of the other nostril. Nasty right?! Well, its not the most fun activity, but after a little while you feel so much better! It really clears your sinuses! And here's a little hint, CVS has their own version that they are selling at buy one get one half off right now. You can get the refills at half off instead, if you want to. So you end up getting the pot and lots and lots of solution packets for less than $20. Woo hoo!

I saved the best for last. This little gem is called the turbo snake.

You can get this for $10 in the check out line at Wal Mart. If you have long or loose hair (I have both), you need this item!!!!! I have gone through countless bottles of draino. Well, no more! Again, this is a little gross, but it works so well. You run this little mascara wand looking tube down the sink drain and then twist. When you pull it out, you have a wig on the end of it and water will begin to flow down the drain again. There is also one for the tub. This one allows you to pull out two wigs. Haha

Well, I hope that this post will enhance your 2010! Happy New Year! :)

Just call me Martha

I know that this is really silly, but I am in a slight time of mourning over my Halloween/Fall decorations. This year I made a wreath and decorated a table on my front porch. I also tried my hand at chiseling a pumpkin instead of carving. I was so proud of myself and the total Martha Stewart look of my house. Well, now the wreath is rotting and the chiseled pumpkin is black instead of orange in the chiseled areas. Thursday was trash day, but I just couldn't put them in that big green bin. I may need help letting go. Anyone want to come and load my decorations in the trash can on Wed? Pathetic

Bananagrams....and creation

If you have hung out with any of the Carters in the last few months, you have no doubt been told about the greatest game to come out since Monopoly...okay its actually a LOT better than that!  Bananagrams!  Carla discovered this great game and we have been playing non stop ever since.  Mom is really addicted and can be found playing alone.  Dad tries to use up all of the pieces late at night when he can't sleep.  I have had dreams about words that could help you win.  You really need to check out this game if you haven't played yet.  You can even play it on Facebook, if that is more your speed.

For the last few weeks, Scout has been asking more questions about God.  It is exciting to hear her talk about God and ask questions.  Her latest thing is to talk about how God made different things.  The other day she was asking Matt about how God made the trees.  She said, "Did God make the trees?"  "Yes, He did."  "Well, how'd He do that?"  "Well, He just said, 'Tree'...and it appeared.  He is just that powerful.  It's kind of hard to understand."  Long pause.  "That is hard to understand.  Bananagrams is hard to understand too."  Bwahahahaha.  How fun to watch her learn and grow!  And poor kid, with a family like ours this is just one of many confusing things that she will have to understand.

The Marks of a True Friend

Thursday was such a beautiful day. We made it through the whole day with no rain and beautiful sunshine. So, I pulled out the spring wear! I put on some white capris and a baby blue sweater and then I pulled out the sequin covered, pastel, ballet slippers. Let me just say, these shoes are TOO CUTE! But, they hurt my feet! They have always been about one size too small and so I always wear them once and then put them back into the closet until next year, when I pull them out having forgotten how much they hurt my feet. Well, the day before, Colette had been telling me about how her mom used to wear tight shoes around with big socks for a day and how they would stretch. So that morning when I put them on and thought they were probably a little too tight, I put big socks on with them while I was getting ready. Let me tell you....that was a sight. But definitely not the funniest thing I would see all day! Well, I took the socks off and they seemed to help a little. By lunchtime, the shoes were starting to hurt pretty good. I ran into David Kay out in the parking lot on my way to lunch. Half joking, I asked David if he would be willing to walk around in my shoes for a minute to stretch them out. Before I knew it, he had his shoes off and was waiting for me to hand them over. So I did. Haha! He put them on and walked around a bit. His only comment being, "Your toes are prettier than mine." Well, it worked. My shoes felt WAY better after that. And I now know that I can go to MY FRIEND, David Kay, with anything! What a guy!!!

The Wonder of it All!

Have you heard the Easter story lately? I mean I know its Easter and you have thought about it, but have you REALLY listened to or read it lately? Have you pondered it? It is a story full of wonder and mystery. Why would God come and live among us and then die in our place? Why would perfection take on imperfection? Why would people rather have a murderer loose in their town as opposed to a guy they didn't like because they thought He was a heretic? How did Jesus resurrect from the dead? Why didn't Jesus use pyrotechnics to draw attention to the power He had...why use women? Why did Jesus let Thomas touch Him instead of getting angry at his unbelief? Why did Jesus forgive Peter and allow him to lead His church? Do questions make you nervous? Have you already started asking why in the world I would post this? Does it make you a little uncomfortable that you don't have answers to all of them? I mean we know basic answers, but do you really, completely understand how Jesus resurrected? Yeah, I don't either. Isn't that great!

I am reading a book right now by Ed Gungor called religiously transmitted diseases. So far, I am loving it. One of the chapters is called unreligion: recapturing the romance. In it Gungor, after relaying a story about killing a frog as a kid to see what made it tick, says, "It is as though I am uncomfortable with wonder. I find something full of life and , instead of enjoying the mystery of it, I want to dissect it, to figure out the how and why. But dissecting life results in death. And once death comes, the mystery disappears." He goes on to talk about Romans 11:33 which says, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" See, its good to study God's word and to learn more and more about Him. We should all be doing that daily. But don't think for one minute that you are ever going to completely get it. When we "get it", we have missed God! "How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" That's the wonder of God! And I love it! That is why we are called people of faith. It takes faith to believe what we don't completely understand.

I fly a lot for mission trips. I don't understand how huge airplanes can float through the sky. I don't even understand what goes on in the cockpit. I couldn't even tell you how the engine works. But, I do know that I have been in lots of airplanes and they have all flown. So, with a little fear, I board my plane, and know that odds are pretty good that my airplane will fly. I don't understand all of the things of God. I don't know why He chose me. I don't know why He loves me, other than the fact that He is love. But even that, I can't fully get my head around. But I know that EVERY time I have ever trusted Him in the past, He has been true and faithful. EVERY TIME! And so with no fear, I can put my faith and trust in Him, because He has NEVER failed! Oh the Wonder of it All!

My favorite sport (besides Clemson football)...go figure!

Do you ever really enjoy something and you have no idea why?  Well, I am coming out with a passion that has been hidden up until now.  Some of you have heard bits and pieces, but never before have I released all of the information.  I don't understand it myself and really it is something that has been coming to me in weird fragments of information for years.  So....here goes (in chronological order!)  When I was in college I started collecting Santas.  My grandfather was the Santa in Seneca for years, so I thought it would be neat to collect them to keep the memory alive. So one day, sometime between 2002 and 2003, I heard about a place where they set up a real live Santa workshop in Sweden.  I thought it sounded interesting, but didn't really look into it until 2004, when I celebrated my 30th birthday.  See my birthday is in December and so i started thinking that it would be a lot of fun to celebrate my 40th birthday at Santa's workshop (I am a bit of a planner).  So I looked this place up and it was way more than I had imagined.  It is in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.  There is a hotel there called the ICEHOTEL.  Oh my word, I get excited just typing it.  This is a hotel that is completely built of ice.  The beds are ice, the walls are ice, the restaurant and chapel are ice.  Anywhere you might want to sit or lay down is covered with reindeer skins.  You can also take camping trips out to places where you can see the Northern Lights.  There are sleigh rides in the snow pulled by reindeer and snow mobile trips.  And here is the part that I have always been the most excited about.... a dog sled team will come and pick you up from the airport.  How cool is that?????  So for the last 5 years, I have tried to find companions willing to trek to Sweden with me (so far I am 0 for about 5,429) and I have spent countless hours figuring out when I could go, how much it would cost, and how I can fit all of the activities into the few days I could afford to be there.  Ok, so I know you are wondering where the sport title of this blog comes in...well, here it is.  Since I have gotten so excited about the possibility of a dog sled team picking me up from the airport in Sweden, I have come to love mushers and sled dogs.  Well, in case you didn't know, the 2009 Iditarod is currently underway.  It has already been won by three time champ Lance Mackey, but there are still teams out in the tough terrain making their way to Nome, Alaska.  If you haven't watched any of the coverage on VS, you should check it out.  It is amazing to think about these athletes and what they go through on the race from Anchorage to Nome.  It is really cool to see all of the different mushers.  There are men and women, young and old.  The youngest musher this year is 18 and the oldest is 63.  How many sports have such a diverse population of participants?  I love it!  So...now you all know...I have a weird love for sled dog racing.  Go figure!

Life at the Lake

Today, after church, the Carter family tromped down to Lake Hartwell for a picnic and to see if the snow and rain had helped the sad water situation. Scout and I got out our favorite family quilt, which I was informed Matt had already claimed in the will...haha, and we set out for the sunny part of the yard for our picnic. As we were laying on the quilt, basking in the sun, and telling funny stories about grasshoppers with red toenail polish the two neighbor kids came driving across the yard on a four wheeler. They were having the time of their life and I was a little envious of the fun ride. Their names are Zoey and Bobby and they have got to be two of the coolest kids on the planet. They are getting some life experience that most kids only dream of. They spend a lot of time at their grandma's place at the lake and the rest of the time in the country with 12 goats. Zoey is the oldest, 8, and in the 2nd grade. She was the one navigating the four wheeler. They both know how to fish, clean fish, ride seadoos, and all kinds of other things kids in the country get to do. So today, after the four wheeler ride, Bobby decided that he was going to go turkey hunting. We spent the rest of the afternoon shooting bb guns and watching Bobby turkey hunt. Oh, did I mention that he was turkey hunting with a rake. It was awesome! He had a whole bag of tricks and when he would see a bird, he would sneak toward it with his bag and rake. He had a whistle to attract them and a toy helicopter so that they would think there was another bird in the air. His plan was to attract the turkeys (which later turned to ducks) and then swat them down with the rake. Don't you wish you had that kind of imagination? I do! I miss the days when I could tell the story of a grasshopper with red toenail polish or hunt turkeys with a rake all while thinking it was perfectly logical to do so. When did I get so logical? It's not nearly as much fun!

50 Degrees!

There is only one thing to say when you are sitting in front of the fire in your flannel pjs and the thermostat is registering 50.

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  

What a sense of humor!

Well the last thing that I wrote yesterday was "looking forward to some good sleep this week ." Last night, when I got home, my upstairs was a little on the toasty side...about 80 degrees. So I turned the thermostat way down thinking that maybe it the heater had just gone on a mad run and was getting ready to go back off. I went downstairs and watched a movie and worked on the computer for a bit and then headed off to bed. Well now the upstairs was about 82 degrees. So I turned off the thermostat and went to bed. It was so hot!!!! I tossed and turned from about 10 pm to about 12:30 am and finally drifted off (or passed out from heat exhaustion...not sure :) ). At 3 am, my dog leaped from the bed acting like he was dying of thirst and headed downstairs. When I followed him into the hall, the thermostat was registering 90 degrees. Oh baby! Talk about a sauna! I headed downstairs and gave Cop some water and let him out in the cold to cool off and I got online to figure out how to fix the thermostat (as if...haha). When I got on the company's website, one of the only directions that I actually understood was "turn off the breaker." Wow! Why didn't I think of that? So that's what I did. By 9:30 am, we were still registering 65 degrees and Copper and I both looked like we had been through it! So here's the good part. After writing that blog yesterday, I laid in bed at 3:30 am this morning thinking. God, you got this! You can fix it! You can make it affordable! You can provide the funds! You can help me think of ways to cut back in other places! Whatever the solution, I'm just going to wait and not worry, because you are in control. You've got this! And pretty soon, I was fast to sleep. Granted the alarm went off 2 and a half hours later, but it was 2 and a half more hours than I would have gotten worrying. I would love to tell you the end of the story, but I don't know it yet. A heating guy came for a little over an hour today and said that he couldn't fix it because it was a mechanical problem and he is sending someone else tomorrow. So we'll see, but I know that no matter what 1. God is in control and 2. I am not going to make this wait about the wait. I am going to hear from God about what He is teaching me about trusting Him. And since the breaker is still shut off, it may be a little easier, because I won't have to listen over the sound of heat roaring through the house. :) Haha

Perfect Peace of Mind

Wow! Doesn't that sound incredible! A day with no worries, a night full of restful, sound sleep.... mmmmm! Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You for it is trusting in You." Between Greenhouse and the Truth Project I am being bombarded with this thought, "If I really believe that God is who He says He is, then why don't I trust Him with it all?" Maybe I don't believe as much as I say I do. Maybe if I really believed then I wouldn't worry so much. Maybe if I really believed I would not only accept the waits in life, but I would cherish them. And on top of all that, worrying doesn't help at all. In fact, it hinders the process, because it keeps our minds so cluttered that we can't hear clearly from God. So, what's the next step? Well, last week I started using my cellphone less. This week, I am going to stop and give God control every time that I begin to worry. That will probably be something that I have to do over and over and over, but this week, that is my goal. I am going to earnestly try living like God really is who He says that He is, because I know that that is truth! And I am not going to let the wait be about the wait. This week, anyway, I am going to listen harder than ever before and hear what God is saying during the wait. And boy oh boy am I looking forward to some good sleep this week!

Journaling

Everyone (don't you love that clear as mud indefinite pronoun) says that journaling is one of the greatest things that you can do for your spiritual walk. They (hee hee) are probably right. Journaling, however, is one of the hardest things for me to do! I always start well and then three or four days later fall short of my original goal. I either put it off, quit, or completely quit being honest and start writing as if my journal is going to be the next Diary of Anne Frank. Well, this session in Greenhouse I am teaching a class called What To Do With Your Wait. It is the best class that I have ever taught. I am really loving the material!!!! Except....the author of the study wants us to journal. So here we are a week into it and I, as the teacher, am still trying to figure out how to journal. And then it hit me. I should kill two birds with one stone. So for the next six weeks, my blog is going to become my journal...and I have all of you to keep me accountable. I am going to blog about what God is teaching me through this Greenhouse class. So here goes.....

This week I have really been thinking a lot about how God wants to use the "waiting room" of life to teach us things. There are things in life that I have been waiting for for a little while and things that I have been waiting for a lifetime and I am struggling to learn much in the process. I think I used to be better at it than I am now and I think I may know why.... TECHNOLOGY. I know that sounds really strange, but I think it is true. My cell phone allows me to check my email, text and call my friends, surf the internet (including my facebook page), play games, etc.... My DVR allows me to record all kinds of tv shows that I would normally miss due to work or sleep or life. My IPOD and XM radio allow me to hear the music or comedian or talk show or ball game that I want when I want it. So anytime that I have a spare minute to think or listen or hear, I can quickly find something in life to make noise and fill that space up. And unfortunately, that is what I find myself doing more often than not. When I get lonely, instead of asking God what He is trying to teach me in this "Single" stage in life, I catch myself checking my facebook and email a thousand times a day to see if anyone is planning anything fun. When I begin to think about my finances or my health or a habitual sin that God is convicting me of, I turn on the radio or the tv and drown out the hard lessons that God is trying to teach me. So I am working on not being a technology junkie and on taking time to just listen and hear. I was talking to Marshall about this this week and he reminded me of Psalm 46:10 where it says "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

You know, now that I am doing it, I realize even journaling can be a way to think and hear what God is saying. I guess they really are right.

My new hobby

This year I got one of the best Christmas presents ever.... a KitchenAid Mixer!  Yay!  I love it!!!!  I have taken up a new hobby in the past month.  I really enjoy decorating cakes.  I'm not that good at it, but it is fun to try and be a little creative.  Matt seems to have gotten all of the creative juices in our family, so I like being able to do something a little artistic.  Haha.  I guess as long as they are as good as what you get by stopping by Bloom on the way to the party, my family will keep letting me make them.  Haha!  Maybe one day I will get good enough to sell them...but probably not...haha.  Anyway, I want to thank Mom and Dad and Ma and Papa for one of the greatest gifts ever!

Did you know that Willy Wonka lived in Detroit?

In September, several of us on staff went to Granger, IN for the Innovate Conference. On the way, we had a layover in Detroit. Of course, the gate where we landed and the gate where we needed to be for our next flight were on opposite sides of the airport. But this time....that was a great thing! Because had it not been for our trek across Michigan...I mean the Detroit airport...we would have never gotten to take the magical ride through the Willy Wonka factory. Did you ever see that movie? The original? That wondrous magical boat ride was pretty creepy stuff when you were a kid wasn't it? Well, if you are walking through a normal airport in the US and happen upon a tunnel, much like that in Wonka's factory, it can be kind of creepy as an adult. And then you just stand on the moving sidewalk and take it all in and it becomes kind of fun! Kudos to Marshall for going back and trying to capture it on tape...but really...you just have to be there. I'm pretty sure someone tried to lick the wallpaper on the way out!

PS-The video gets really good at 51 seconds!

Willy Wonka's Wonderous Boat Ride

In case you never saw the original

For the lastest information on the Tigers....

Ange's Top Ten List

Oprah does it.... Dave does it..... So why not.....

Angela's Top Ten Lists:

My top ten books of all time.....



10. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (7 books)
9. The Newpointe 911 Series by Terri Blackstock (5 books)
8. Uncommon Heroes Series by Dee Henderson (3 books)
7. The List by Robert Whitlow
6. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
5. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
4. The O'Malley Family Series by Dee Henderson (7 books)
3. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
2. Deadline by Randy Alcorn
1. The Bible (how can you possibly find anything better....it was written by God)

My top ten songs of all time.....



10. For Every Mountain by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
9. Out of the Woods by Nickel Creek
8. Taking My Time by Susan Ashton
7. There is a Line by Susan Ashton
6. Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard by Alabama
5. Sunshine by Billy Miles
4. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
3. Won't That Be Fine by Ginny Owens
2. Stay (I Missed You) by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
1. Gotta Get Back by Shelby Lynne

My top ten coffee shops in Greenville.... see if you can find the pattern


10. Starbucks at Greenville Memorial
9. Starbucks in Targetl
8. Coffee Underground
7. Starbucks on East North Street
6. Starbucks on Woodruff
5. Starbucks Downtown
4. Starbucks on Fairview Road
3. Starbucks on Wade Hampton
2. Starbucks on Pelham
1. Starbucks on Haywood

My top ten favorite clothing stores in town....


10. Gap
9. Dress Barn
8. Mr. Knickerbocker
7. Banana Republic (only during a BIG sale)
6. Macy's
5. Kohl's
4. Steve & Barry's
3. Old Navy
2. Target
1. Belk

My top ten favorite restaurants in town....


10. Little Pigs
9. Red Lobster
8. Red Robin
7. Zaxby's
6. Arizona Steak House
5. Coffee Underground....mmm...the Turkey/Granny Smith Apple Sandwich
4. Thaicoon
3. P.F. Chang's
2. Carrabba's Italian Rastaurant
1. Molina's Mexican Restaurant

My top ten favorite shops in town....
10. This N' That
9. Ten Thousand Villages
8. TWIGS
7. Tuesday Morning
6. Hallmark
5. Pink Azalea
4. Handpicked
3. The Shops at Provence etc.
2. Kendall's
1. Swoozie's

It's A Tough Life!

I came to work this morning a little nervous about the comments that I would get about the newest addition to my closet. Before I got out of the car, I knew that Robbie would make some kind of joke about my choices hurting his eyes and that dad would probably just shake his head and say nothing, but I never expected such disdain for one simple outfit. It started with Cindy. She was nice enough, but I think the word she used was "interesting" and then she threw in something about fitting in with college students to make me feel better. Next was Ben, followed by Robbie, and even David Nabors got in on the action. I believe it was Taylor Swift that he compared me to (and it wasn't a compliment...haha.) But the final blow came from the depths of the Sr. pastor's office, when he said, "That is THE ugliest outfit you have EVER worn." Now you may think that at this point in the day I am depressed, but there is one thing that you are forgeting.... I'm not working with the most fashion forward group of men to ever live. I work with Ralph Carter, not Ralph Lauren. So I am holding my head high and assuming (regardless of how erroneously it may be) that I am at the top of my fashion game.
By the way, here is what the editor of Style~Heart or Hate had to say about this pic of Jordan Sparks...
"I will admit that I HATED this trend back around 2001 when it first popped up. But now I can't get enough of it. Babydoll dresses, tight dresses, mini-dresses all look GREAT over jeans. The key is in the length of the dress. The dress shouldn't be longer then your knees and the jeans can be cropped or full length, it depends on the look you're going for."

All I have to say is... "2001!!!!"

Oh, and for those of you who don't know the staff well, we all really love each other and have fun giving each other a hard time. If my clothes are all they make fun of...I'm getting off pretty easy!

The Mount Rushmore of China

When I went to China in 2002 I was so bummed that I flew that far and didn't get to see the Great Wall of China. Isn't it supposed to be one of the 7 wonders of the world? So I was really excited when I heard that my next trip to China would include a visit to the Great Wall. Two weeks ago I began a bus ride from my hotel just outside of Tiananmen Square up to the Great Wall. It was a longer bus ride than I expected. We finally got there and I was so sad to see all of the t-shirt vendors and people yelling "Hey Lady, do you want some chopsticks?" Like everything else in the world, they have turned this into a money making deal. It is hard to enjoy the beauty when there is a monorail going up the side of the thing. Oh well, we bought our tickets and jumped on the monorail. When we got up there it was pretty. We walked up to the top of the wall and took a few steps and a few pictures and then it hit me....yep that's what I thought it would look like. The anticipation was so much greater than the actual experience. I immediately thought of the summer after my junior year of college when my family drove for hours across South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. We finally got there and stood at the observation deck for about 30 seconds and then looked at each other and got back in the car. It looked like the postcards we had all seen. It was quite the disappointment. I don't know what we were expecting then. I don't know what I was expecting at the Great Wall. Wouldn't it be so much cooler if you had never seen pictures of these places and then stumbled upon them. Even if you had always heard about them, but had never seen them. That would be so cool. Well one thing that I had never heard about did happen that day. You can take the monorail back down or you can luge down. I was a little terrified, but I determined that something about this experience was going to be exciting and memorable. So I got on the little sled and down the Great Wall I luged. How awesome is that!