It's all good . . .

A Magical Week at Disney World

 Those of you who have ever mentioned Disney World to me know that I love it.  I have been five times in my life and would go more if I could.  I love the magic and fun of it all, and now I love sharing that with my family, and so when Disney offered an amazing deal for soldiers and their families, we decided to take advantage of it :).  (If you are military, you should really check it out, since the offer expires on December 23.)

So we headed out last Sunday for a wonderful, albeit wet, week at Walt Disney World.  It was such a great way to spend time together as a family, especially after having Kevin gone for so long.  It all started on . . .

DAY 1

Sunday morning we loaded up the van and headed to Orlando.  We stayed at Shades of Green again, the military resort at Disney, and as soon as we got checked in, we took the kids swimming.  (It turned out that it was a good thing we did, because the rain the rest o the week made it so it was the only time they got to go.)

Our room was great, a little bit of a walk, but had a beautiful view of the golf course.  Derek also enjoyed racing Lily back to our room everyday after we got back from the parks.  I don't know where they got the energy from.

 After settling in, it was time for Lily's birthday dinner with Cinderella (See the post below).  After a fantastic dinner, we went to bed early so we could be rested for . . .

DAY 2

Magic Kingdom Day - the kids were so excited, that they got in trouble a few times before we left, which explains their "not as happy as they should be" faces.  I love the cute little packs I found for them on-line!  They had a little snack, a glow-stick, and a few dollars they had saved to buy something.  (Also indispensable for the week, was Derek's harness and the cool Kinderkord for Lily - so awesome and saved my kids from disappearing in the crowds.)

Once we were out the door of our room, the kids were glowing with excitement.  We spent the morning visiting:

• Dumbo
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Big Thunder Mountain - Derek's first roller coaster, since he was barely 40 inches tall with his shoes on - both kids loved it.
• The Country Bears Jamboree
• Splash Mountain
• The Haunted Mansion

While we were on Thunder Mountain, the rain started.  By Splash Mountain it was POURING rain.  Lily and I were trying to stay dry in ponchos, but Derek was soaked, since he wouldn't wear one, and so we went back to the hotel.  We gave them a warm bath, put them in dry clothes and tried to get them to take a nap, which they refused to do - that was, until we got in the car. 

We were in the car in search of raincoats for Derek and I (Lily and Kevin already had them).  We found a massive Bass Pro Shop, found some great raincoats, had a yummy dinner at Chevy's, and headed back to the park all prepared for the weather.

I am so glad we did, because we had a great time!  We went to:

• Mickey's Philharmagic (My favorite, and what made it all feel magical for me.)
• Cinderella's Golden Carousel
• It's a Small World
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Monsters, Inc. Comedy Club

And on our way out , we toured Main Street and bought ice-cream and treats from the candy store.  It was the perfect end to a great and adventurous day.

DAY 3

Today was our day at Disney Hollywood Studios, something that Derek had been especially looking forward to, because not only did they have Playhouse Disney characters, they also had Star Wars!  Derek loved riding Star Tours, but I think he liked seeing the walker the best :).

We had a great time there, despite the fact that it rained on us the entire day.  We didn't mind the rain - it kept the crowds small and with our raincoats, we were just fine.  Our time was spent with:

• Toy Story Mania (So fun!)
• Playhouse Disney Live on Stage (the kids' favorite)
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Star Tours (What Derek had been talking about for weeks, but almost didn't get to ride because the guy wasn't measuring him right.)
• Muppet Vision 3D
• Lunch at Toy Story Pizza Planet (Where Derek and Kevin took full advantage of the arcade.)
• Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
• The Magic of Disney Animation

The boys also had a hey-day in Tatooine Traders, the Star Wars store.  We came away with two blasters and a bag of Star Wars bath toys.  And then, we just couldn't top the kids getting to meet 3 of the 4 Little Einsteins!  (Derek is still wondering where June is though.)

We were back to the hotel by 3:00, and after a brief rest, we went in search of a McDonald's for dinner.  It was right by Downtown Disney, and so after dinner, we went there and had a great time finding some more special souvenirs, including a Tinkerbell musical jewelry box for Lily.  (She and Derek spent a lot of time dancing to the music from it - silly kids.)  It did start POURING rain again on us as we went out to the car, but it was still a great day :).

DAY 4

Wednesday was our day at Epcot, and the first day we actually saw the sun since Sunday.  There was a flower and garden festival going on, and so there were gorgeous topiaries everywhere, I especially loved this one of the princesses.

We had a really fantastic time, and were so blessed, once again, to walk onto every ride, and walk into every show right before it started.  (That came with good planning, small crowds, and someone watching over us.)  We had a blast with:

• Mission Space (Lily went with Kevin and got to fulfill her dreams of being an astronaut.)
• Test Track
• Spaceship Earth
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Soarin' (My favorite!)
• Honey I Shrunk the Audience
• Touring World showcase - Canada, The United Kingdom, France (where I got the most delicious pastries), Morocco, Japan, USA, Italy, Germany (where  we got a yummy pretzel), China (where Lily finally got the Chinese fan she has been talking about for months), Norway, and Mexico.

We were having so much fun, and really enjoying the sun.  We eventually even put sunscreen on the kids, but about 20 minutes later, the clouds quickly rolled in, and as we were making our way past Japan, it began to rain.  Not too hard, but enough.  We quickly finished our tour of the countries, and considered ourselves lucky, since we had done everything we wanted to, and it was only about 2pm. 

On our way out, we stopped at a big store so I could find a cute Disney shirt, and when we came out, it wasn't just raining, it was a torrential downpour!!!  All you could see was white, it was raining so hard.  So, Kevin and I made our plan to get out to the car.  We put Lily in the stroller with a poncho over the top, which I pushed, while Kevin took the umbrella and Derek. 

We trudged our way through the storm, walking in puddles up past our ankles.  My shoes were so full of water, I felt like my feet were floating.  We did make it to the car, and happily spent the rest of the night at our hotel, even eating at one of the restaurants there so we didn't have to go back into the storm.

DAY 5

Our Animal Kingdom day was cloudy, but only sprinkled for about 15 minutes at the end of the day, and it was the park we stayed at the longest, not going home until about 4:30 in the afternoon.  I love this park, as I am a huge zoo fan, and it is just fantastic for seeing animals, as well as having the awesome shows and fun rides thrown in.  We did a ton, spending our time on:

• Expedition Everest (I was on the first ride of the day, and as soon as I got off, Kevin AND Lily got on.  It was her first intense roller coaster, and she loved it.  She was so proud of herself for not screaming - so fun!  Kevin bought her an adventure kit because he was so proud of her.)
• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Pangini Forest Trail
• Kali River Rapids
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Flights of Wonder
• Finding Nemo the Musical
• The Boneyard (Where the kids ran off energy I didn't even know they had.  You should have seen Kevin chasing Derek - so funny!)
• Festival of the Lion King
• The Tree of Life Discovery Trails

The animals were amazing, the shows were great, and the weather was awesome!  The only day we went home dry - wow!  When we got back, we ordered room service.  What a great day.

DAY 6

For our final day at Disney, we went back to The Magic Kingdom to do all the other stuff we had wanted to do.  We started off the day with sunscreen and sun, but knew that it was not going to last, so we were prepared.  (I got to know the Orlando weathermen really well as I watched them on the local news every morning - fun times.)

We got to the park early, as usual, and the kids had a great time watching the opening of the park show.  And the kids also loved riding the monorail, which is the only way to get there, unless you want to ride in a boat across the lake.

As soon as the park opened, we got straight down to business; the business of fun :).  We went on:

• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway (In which both Derek and Lily got to drive a car - let's just say that they need a little more practice steering.)
• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (For a second time - it is that fun.  And Kevin topped his record with a score over 500,000 points)

 

• The Mad Tea Party
• Goofy's Barnstormer
• Mickey's Country House
• Judges Tent
• Donald's Boat
• Minnie's Country House
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Enchanted Tiki Room
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Because you all know how much our family loves pirates - he he!  Although Kevin does thinks they desecrated it by adding in Capt Jack Sparrow to the ride.)

One of the most exciting things for the kids, was meeting Mickey and Minnie.  It was the only time we stood in a long line to meet any of the characters, but it was worth it.  They were just glowing with excitement.  So worth it!

Everything went great, but our sun started to dwindle as we got to Adventure Land, and as we were riding the magic carpets, it began to rain.  Just lightly, but I had watched the weather that morning, I knew what was in store. 

We finished up with Pirates, had a treat, and then it started raining harder, and then harder.  Soon we were in a massive downpour, and so we did what we had done at Epcot, with Lily in the stroller and Derek getting carried.  By the time we got to our hotel, we were exhausted.  We ate some lunch and "forced" everyone to take naps :).

After watching torrential rain outside our window for four hours, playing games, taking naps, and getting a little bit of cabin fever, we hopped in the van and went to dinner at Qdoba (A yummy burrito place we discovered by accident back in 2007 when we were searching for Chipotle).  After dinner, we went back to the hotel for ice cream and to get ready for the last part of our adventure.

By then, the massive storm had finally blown over, and the rain was gone.  We headed back to the Magic Kingdom, and this time we got to ride with the driver of the monorail.  It was really fun, and all you have to do is ask, and they will let you :).  Lily especially loved it.

Before we knew it, we were back and having fun. 

We each picked a favorite something to do again.  I picked Mickey's Philharmagic (one of my top 3 in all the parks), Derek chose the Winnie the Pooh ride, and Lily chose Small World.  (And yes, she sang the song to us the whole night . . . fun times.)  Kevin didn't pick anything, and so we took the kids to the Winnie the Pooh park  in Fantasy Land.  They loved running around, although I have no idea how they still had that much energy at 8:30pm when they had been going all day.

After they blew off some steam, we went and staked out a place on Main Street to watch the Spectromagic Parade.  While we waited, Kevin and I took turns with the kids getting treats - yum!  The parade was great and the kids loved it!  Snow White even shook their hands :).

After the parade, we rode the monorail back to the Polynesian Resort, which is was the closest stop to our hotel.  They have a beautiful dock there, overlooking the lake and Cinderella's castle.  We sat on the dock and were just in time to watch the fireworks - which were amazing, by the way.  Better than any 4th of July show I have ever been to.  The kids sat in complete amazement, especially when the ones shaped like Mickey or a star exploded.  It was the perfect way to end our vacation.

PS. We - or I should say, Kevin - drove home on Saturday through a torrential downpour the whole way.  The rain just seemed to like us, I guess :).  It is nice to be home.

NOTE:  I love helping people plan their trips to Disney World, so if you want to see my tips and recommendations, go to my Disney World Fun page.

Birthday Girl: Part 3 - Dinner with Cinderella

So, as if Lily hadn't already been spoiled enough for her birthday, it just so happened that the first day of our family vacation to Disney World fell on her actual birthday.  Knowing we would be spending most of her birthday in the car, we decided to do something extra special, and what could be more perfect on your 6th birthday than dinner with Cinderella?

So, after we got settled into our hotel, Lily got dressed up like a princess and we headed to The Grand Floridian Resort and to 1900 Park Fare, the restaurant for our dinner.

Since our reservations were for right when the restaurant opened, we waited for a little before it opened.   As we were sitting there, the hostess came over and started talking to Lily, and before we knew it, she was chosen to "say the magic words" to open the doors.  She stood up in front up everyone and led them in saying "Bibidi-bobidi-boo," and when the doors opened, there was Cinderella and Prince Charming!!  The two of them took Lily by the hands and led her to our table.

The food was great, and the fun with the characters was even better.  Each one of them was great, but the stepsisters and stepmother were the best - so funny!

And dinner wasn't only about Lily.  Derek had a great time too, especially with Cinderella.  While she was talking to him, he moved in for not only one, but two kisses!!  Poor Cinderella ended up with Derek slobber all over her cheek, but she didn't seem to mind :).

And later in the meal, they brought out Lily a huge birthday cupcake.  (It was so yummy, but we were all so full, that even between the 4 of us, we couldn't eat it all.)  All in all, it was such a wonderful night and a perfect way to celebrate Lily's birthday and the start of our vacation :).

PS.  On our walk from our hotel to the monorail, we kept running into all sorts of wildlife - baby bunnies, baby ducks, lizards, frogs, etc.  The kids loved it!

 

Birthday Lily

Happy Birthday to my sweetheart girl!  I can't believe she is really 6 years old today?!  Where did the time go?  I don't know what I ever did without her shining personality in my life. 

Now we are headed off to Disney World for Part 3 of Lily's birthday adventures . . . dinner with Cinderella :).

(Don't forget to check out Birthday Girl Part 1 and Part 2.)

Birthday Girl: Part 2 - Pretend Slumber Party

On Friday evening, Lily had her birthday party.  It was a "pretend slumber party, and so everyone came in their pj's and we had a great time.  I had the house all decorated before I picked her up from school (thanks to Marilyn), and she loved it!!  Derek even got his sleeping bag out early.

Then we heard a knock at the door, and although I knew who it was, the kids had no idea that it was their daddy!!  He came home a day early and surprised them.  It was the first time I have ever seen Lily speechless.

Derek was so funny - he kept feeling Kevin, as if he was making sure he was really there.

About ten minutes after Kevin arrived, the rest of the guests began coming.  We got started with a popcorn game - so simple, but they loved it.  The kids sat on their sleeping bags, and took turns beating a pot with a spoon.  Whenever they heard the beat, they had to "pop" like popcorn.

Then it was time for pizza!!  (Thank you Little Caesars, and to Dawn, for picking it up for me.)

After that, it was on to Lily's game that she created.  They laughed so hard as everyone tried to get the animal in the girl's arms.

Next came "Musical Sleeping bags" - they didn't care if they got out, because it meant they got to take out the next sleeping bag, which they thought was super cool.

After that, it was PRESENTS!  Lily was so excited about every little thing :).

Then we gathered back to the table for cake and ice-cream.  This cake is the reason I was excited for Lily to pick this party idea in the first place.  It was so cute and so easy to make.  (Thank you Family Fun magazine - for that and all the ideas I had for this party.)

Last, but not least, while we waited for parents, the kids gathered on their sleeping bags for a bedtime story.  Kevin read "Horton Hears a Who," because Lily said that it had to be the one, since it was the 15th of May :).  It was the quietest they were during the whole party.

Then we sent them home with their storybook and tooth brush party favors.  It was a lot of fun and so worth the effort.  The kids were great, and Lily had such a fun time.

Birthday Girl: Part 1

Lily's birthday is getting quite spread around this year.  The first installment was yesterday at school.  Since her birthday is on a Sunday, and another child's birthday is today, she got to have her birthday day Thursday, and she was so excited!!!

She got to be the line leader for the day, as well as were a special crown.  That afternoon, I brought in her treat - cupcake cones - which seemed like a great idea, until I realized I had to transport them to her school.  Luckily they didn't get too damaged, and the kids loved them.  (They are my favorite type of cupcake - so yummy!!)

After cupcakes, Lily got to get her Birthday "spankings" from her teacher.  She had been looking forward to this part for weeks, and she practically threw herself on Miss Joiner's lap.  The whole class warmed up their hands, and then she got the lightest spankings I have ever seen done :).  So funny!  Then the class got to ask her questions.

My favorite part of the day, was when we arrived early, while she was at recess.  Derek got to play with Lily on the playground, and he was surrounded by a mob of at least 10 kids trying to hug him and say hi.  And you should have seen the chaos when Derek ran off to the part of the playground that was "off-limits" - Lily burst into tears that he had broken the rules, little boys were trying to tackle him before he could make it that far, and some kids used it as an excuse to break the rule themselves :).  It was quite hard to keep a straight face as I tried to calm them all down.

Tonight is her friend's party (Something I have managed to avoid since the one when she turned 3), and so I had better get decorating :).

PS.  Today was "Jump Rope for Heart" at school, and Lily was so excited.  I had her all sun-screened and bug sprayed up, and then we walked outside and saw it was pouring rain.  Oh well.  They will probably have it inside.  But at least she didn't have to wear her uniform.  Here she is all ready to exercise . . .

I Dare You . . .

A few years ago I did a review of the book, The Daring Book for Girls, by Andrea Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz, which I loved!  So when I was offered the opportunity to review their second installment, I jumped at the chance.

The Double Daring Book for Girls, begins right where the first book left off.  It is a non-fiction book for girls, packed full of anything and everything you might want to know, from constellations to Calamity Jane.  Once again I found myself reliving my childhood as I read about slumber party games or how to use a hula-hoop.

One of my favorite sections was "How to Run Away and Join the Circus" (p. 121-123).  It gave tips on everything from walking the high wire to plate spinning.  My personal favorite was that it gives step-by-step instructions on how to juggle, something I have always wanted to learn.  (I can't tell you how many times my kids have actually asked me to juggle for them, and it sure would be nice to say yes.) 

I immediately pulled out some balls and started trying.  And though I must admit that I still haven't been able to add the second ball yet without dropping both of them, I will keep working on it.  And so, in the spirit of this book, I DARE each one of you to try to learn how to juggle too.    If you take my challenge, leave me a comment and let me know, and we'll see who gets it down first, me or you :).

I really loved this book, and I know you will too!

Mother's Day and Other Adventures with the Kids

Life is good, but crazy as always . . .

Sunday - Mother's Day

• Had the kids help me make breakfast.  We had the blueberry muffins where you only have to add water to the mix :).  Very kid friendly.

• Tried to get a picture with me and the kids, using a timer and tripod.  What was I thinking?

• Went to church - Derek was a nightmare in Sacrament mtg, but the kids were adorable when they sang to the mothers.  It almost made up for his behavior.

• Taught the lesson in YW, and it went well.  It might have been the last one I teach here.  Wish I really knew when we are moving :).

• They gave us a potted plant, which Lily and I put in a nice pot outside our door, along with the plant she grew for me at school.

• Had John and Victoria over for dinner.   Victoria made the yummiest tarts!!

Monday

• Did a million things at home, so that I will have time for Lily's party and our vacation.

• Called and fixed my Pottery Barn order.  I can't wait for my new duvet to arrive!!

• Watched the show, Olivia, with the kids.  Lily had seen it at school, and has been singing the theme song for a week.  It is very cute.

• For Family Home Evening, we made a welcome home poster for Kevin.  (Notice how few candies are left on the countdown - yea!)

 

• Finished the poster for the game Lily made up for her b-day party: Pin the stuffed animal on the sleeping girl.  She even made all the animals for it, and she made them all Webkinz :).

Today

• Took my friend Victoria to the airport.

• Went to Sam's Club, right next to the airport, just for their muffins.  (It is the only thing I like better from Sam's than Costco.)

• Typed recipes for our family cook book.

• Wrapped Lily's birthday gifts

• Got the party favors ready for her party.  They are a picture book and a toothbrush - to go with the theme of her party.  (Plus, I HATE all the junk Lily keeps bringing home from parties.  Do I really need one more mini bubble blower that I have to sneak into the garbage can?)

• Worked with Lily on the packet of work she will be missing while we are at Disney World next week.

• Forced the kids to watch Annie with me, which they ended up loving.

• Took a break from the movie to talk to Kevin on the web-cam.  Technology is awesome!

• The kids got so hyper from talking to dad, they drove me crazy, so I turned off Annie and put them to bed.

Tomorrow

• Visiting teaching appointments, going to the mall, baking cupcakes, and our last book club meeting.  And hopefully, a nap :).

Another Week Down

With seven weeks down and only one to go until Kevin comes home, we are trying to push through to the end.  I am hanging on to what little patience and sanity I have left, and fighting the guilt that I shouldn't be struggling so bad, when so many of my friends have their husbands gone for so much longer.

Lily is doing the best, mostly because she understands where her daddy is and that he will be back.  She also has hilarious phone conversations with Kevin almost every day, which always cheer her up.  (I really need to video her while she is on the phone, just so he can see what is going on on the other end.)  And every day, Lily counts how many pieces of candy are left on our countdown.

Derek is struggling a little more, since he is too young to really understand.  This comes out in the fact that he has been super emotional the past few weeks.  One moment he is happy, and the next he is crying over nothing.  I have tried to be extra attentive, but it doesn't seem to help.  He will be fine though, especially when he gets his daddy back in a week.

This week has been pretty good  - pretty low key, which is my favorite.  We have had fun though.  Sunday evening, we enjoyed the beautiful weather and went to Forsythe Park, where I took Lily's six year old portraits.  She was adorable and I am having the hardest time picking my favorite.  (You'll have to wait to see them until her birthday next week.)

On Monday night, for Family Home evening, we got together with the Jones and the Reiley's.  After a delicious brisket dinner, we all headed to the pool for a swim.  The kids had a blast, and Derek was swimming all over the place.  (It helped me forget that it was my anniversary.)

Wednesday morning, Marilyn came over and got Lily ready for school, while I went to the beach to take portraits of Lily's piano teacher, Maria, and her family.  It was gorgeous that early in the morning!!  And I was back in plenty of time to finish things up with Lily and take her to school.

This morning I was out taking pictures again, but this time they were Senior portraits for Lori, one of the sweetest girls and the daughter of my friend Annette.  We had a blast playing around downtown, and we got some fantastic shots. 

I have definitely got my photography fix this week :).  I had been just aching to take somebody's pictures, and I got my wish.  Oh, I also took some quick portraits the other night for some awesome kids from church who wanted to surprise their mom for Mother's Day.  I love photography!!  (If you want to see more from my latest adventures, go to my site, That Brown Girl Photography.)

We are taking the the rest of the day nice and slow - after lunch we had a nice trip to the pool, since it is 90 degrees here.  And now we are watching movies and relaxing together.  I just can't wait for next Saturday when Kevin will be back to join us :).

The Battle of Hoth

I have mentioned many times how much my son is enthralled with Star Wars.  He really does love it.  His latest mini-obsession about it is "the walkers" (AT-AT's).  He thinks they are the coolest thing ever.  The other day he asked me if he could watch Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back, because "it is the one with the walkers."  

I left him building with blocks and watching his movie while I went to work on something in another room.  When I came back about 20 minutes later, this is what I found . . .

As adorable as he was sleeping there, what really made me smile was when I looked next to him on the couch and could see what he had made . . .

He had recreated the battle scene on Hoth, just like in the movie.  It was pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.  I especially like how he tried to build the walkers out of blocks :).  That's my silly boy!

 

For Kevin - Has it really been 8 years?

Eight years ago today was the happiest day of my life - the day I was sealed to you for Time and all Eternity - our wedding day.  I knew we were beginning a crazy adventure, but that no matter what life threw at us, I would have you by my side.

It is still amazing to me that our story began Sophomore year of high school in a Consumer Economics class.  Little did I know that the quiet boy behind me in the cape (It was Madrigal initiation day.), would become my husband eight years later.  (Which means I have known you for 16 years now - wow!)  How was I to know that the boy who tormented me would become my best friend in the entire world?  That the boy who convinced to to start 3 unsuccessful waves during graduation would be the person I would choose to spend forever with?

Thank goodness I was clueless back then and that I stayed in touch with that old friend from high school, because where would my life be without you?  I love you more than anything and through all our ups and downs, I always will.  Thank you for 8 wonderful years, and even though we are spending this anniversary apart, know that I will be thinking of you and am forever grateful that you are mine.