Football & a New Year

                          

There aren't even words for how much I love this handsome boy! It was great getting to watch him play today and even more fun was watching the all boys become fast friends. I'm so proud of Ethan. I'm so grateful that he is getting to have this awesome experience. He works so hard at everything he does and is such a great example to the people round him, including me!  

As another year comes to an end I can't help but to reflect on 2013. Although I haven't had time to formally sit down and evaluate the year and set new goals, I can honestly say I have never been happier or more content then I am right now. I have been blessed beyond measure with this sweet family who I love more than anything. Life is good! 

Looking forward to a great 2014. 

Happy New Year!

Moving Day

After we booked the condo for Ethan's football week we decided to add a few days to the vacation. Since it was a little bit of a last minute decision we couldn't extend at the condo so we had to get a hotel for the first few days. Today we left the hotel and head over to the condo.

After we packed everything up we went to get Ethan all registered for O-D.  Ethan will be #20 for the bowl games. At registration we ran into my cousin Glenda and her sweet family! It was so fun getting to see them!

We arrived at the condo and it was still being cleaned so we went for a little walk around the lake behind the condo.

It was so nice to out in the warm sun just enjoying each others company!

While we were getting all settled in Elle jumped right into her favorite game,

Where's Elle....There she is!

Looking forward to getting some rest tonight and then off to the first day of practice tomorrow!

The Kingdom with the Magic

Well after all the bumming around we needed to get a park in today, and of course it was supposed to be rainy. Thank goodness we had great weather until we were ready to leave! I wish we would have gotten a better picture of us all in front of the castle but I didn't notice until it was too late.

                 

Elle was seriously a champ! I thought she was going to be a nightmare, but she was content to ride in the stroller and enjoy the sights. She wouldn't keep her shoes on though. She kept taking them off and throwing them out of the stroller. After almost loosing a shoe forever I just took them off her! Thank goodness it was warm! Ha

The first ride everyone wanted to go on was Space Mountain. So while the big kids rode I took Elle over to The Incredibles Dance Party. I let her out of the stroller and she was dancing a little, but was really unsure of the characters. Then Frozon came over to her and she ran to me, he left right away. After a little while Mrs. Incredible came over to her and she FREAKED OUT! She tried to show her she was nice and hung around for a minute but Elle was having no part of it, so she just danced off! I so wish I had it on video!

                       

We actually rode Space Mountain a few times and a few other rides before heading over to Frontierland. We got some fast passes and rider swap passes then grabbed some lunch. After lunch there was a parade and Luke LOVED it!

Looking for a place with a better view.

After the parade crowd cleared we headed to the one Olivia was DYING to get on! Splash Mountain!

I sat this one out because well, I'm lame and didn't want to get soaked. Lame mom alert!

Then we zipped over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It was mine and Olivia's first ride together! Somehow we didn't ride together at all while we were at Animal Kingdom.

We only went on 2 rides that Elle could ride; Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World. Ethan and Kai were so excited to ride with Elle. She LOVED It's a Small World and was pointing and laughing the whole time.

                  

        I think Luke's highlight was meeting Woody and Jessie! He was so excited when he saw them after riding Splash Mountain. Ethan was not too excited about standing in that line. I quickly reminded him that the last time we were here the longest line we stood in was for Micky because HE insisted it wasn't a real trip without seeing him! Needless to say, he waited with a smile!             

Elle  was worn out by the end of it all, and so was I!

Monkeys & Teeth

Because I am enjoying the lazy life far too much, I have declared today yet another pool day! Honestly, the fact that the we are here for 2 weeks completely eliminates the stress of feeling like you have to go, go, go to fit everything in. Total bliss I tell you!

After a slow morning we headed to Black Angus for their breakfast buffet. I am really enjoying walking everywhere we go. I could totally be a New Yorker, we I could if I wasn't married to Brian! Ha

Breakfast was delish! Olivia usually eats the rest of us under the table, but today Kai was going strong well after we were all stuffed and declaring the last plateful a mistake.

And while the rest of us rotated going up for more Elle swung around our booth like a wild monkey!

                 

Even more shocking than Elle being crazy while we were eating was Kai losing a tooth! I told him about a week ago that it wasn't even loose, but I guess he proved me wrong.

                       

I just hope the tooth fairy can find him at the hotel.

Pool Day

Yesterday wore me plum out! I forgot to mention in my post about Animal Kingdom, but the clocks in the hotel were wrong and Brian woke us up at 4:15, thinking it was 7:15. So, we were really exhausted! After much deliberation we decided to make today a "pool day" and the children were all for it. I figure since we are here for 14 days we should really pace ourselves!

While Elle was taking a nap Brian and my dad took the children down to play. They found some boys and started up a football on the volleyball sand. They played for a few hours, until the score was 84-77. They had a great time. I love that they can make friends everywhere they go. The bummer is they are leaving tomorrow.

Then they headed over to the gator show and each got a chance to hold the gator.

I was shocked Olivia held it! Ha But she can't be out done by her brothers!

I wasn't at the show, I was napping with Elle! Ha But I heard that Ethan not only held the gator, but gave her a little smooch as well!

After the gator show, Elle woke up and we headed down to swim and play in the sand. Shortly after we got down there everyone was hungry so we got cleaned up for dinner.

Then it was bed time! Ethan and I watched an episode of Bones before falling asleep. Because of a little change of plans it looks like tomorrow is going to be another pool day. I'm certainly not complaining!

Animal Kingdom

This morning we got up, hit the shuttle, and headed to the children's first park pick, Animal Kingdom. I've been dreading going to the parks. Everything I've read about Disney at Christmas time sounds just miserable. I was hoping to ride 3-5 rides the whole day and had done my best to prepare the children for extremely long lines.

We didn't wait in line at all to enter the park which I chalked up to us being early, but was still dreading the lines at the rides. After we picked our three fast passes, we ran right over to Expedition Everest. The wait said 15 minutes, but was more like 10. Between the short lines and the stroller passes we got we each rode about 5 times.

Elle was a trooper in the stroller.

Kai, Luke, and I waiting for Expedition Everest. They had just gone for the first time and were going again with me on the stroller pass. The whole walk up Luke kept saying, "It took away my joy, it took my joy!" HA He's crazy!

I even got to ride with my dad! It was awesome!

The children would have kept getting in line for Expedition Everest all day, but we needed to head to DinoLand for our Dinosaur fast passes. We got there after a quick stop at the Primeval Whirl. Luke wasn't tall enough so I took Luke and Elle over to the TriceraTops.

Dinosaur had super short lines so we rode it a ton as well. We stopped to get lunch and head over to the safari. Elle had just woken up from her nap. She was a little dazed at first but by the end was pointing and finding the animals! She is so much fun!

Papaw showing Luke what he's should be looking for.

Kai and the Hippos.

Fun Fact: This is the work of a termite and are as hard as cement. Also, termites live for upto 52 years.

Elle loving it!

After the safari we stopped for the boys to make a little music before running back to Expedition Everest to use our Fast Passes. This time the line was 30 minutes. Between the fast passes and the stroller passes, we each rode 3 or 4 more times. It was awesome! We decided to call it a day so we could have time to swim.

We called it quits not a minute too soon. Elle was crazy on the shuttle,

Luke passed out,

and then the screaming began!