A Disney Recap

And, the adventure began on Sunday, June 4th........... the kids drove to Orlando and Poppa and I flew.  Both kids made stops at the beach either going or coming back.  They made the long journey as enjoyable as possible.  And,  our flights were without incident, it was smooth sailing for all of us.

None of the kiddos had ever been to the beach and they all loved it.  

If you didn't know better you would think you were at Disney World when you arrive at the Orlando airport.  I'm quite sure the airport and Disney are in "kahoots" as one benefits the other.

After we had all "made our nest" in our hotel rooms Poppa took the kiddos for a stroll around the grounds of the hotel. We stayed at Port Orleans- Riverside.  After about a day we  wished we had "sprung" for one of the deluxe hotels with access to the monorail system. Of course, the total for 10 folks to go to Disney isn't peanuts and I  felt going first class was a little over the top. But, I thought of the monorail system each and every time I boarded one of those crowded buses for sure. ~ I don't like people in my space~  In case you are wondering, there are 4 different groups of hotels at Disney, they are economy, moderate, deluxe and luxury. Our hotel was plenty nice and we all had king sized beds which was a luxury as far as any of us are concerned.  We are all "big bed" people!

It doesn't matter your age, Disney World requires a WHOLE lot of energy and patience.  Poppa and I were definitely some of the oldest there but we stayed the course pretty good. AND, we celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary while we were there.  Talk about a celebration!!

And, truth be known, it was good for our kids that they had 4 extra hands to assist with the wee ones.  The wee ones are really too young for Disney but their brother and sister were at the absolute perfect age to enjoy it.  Between the 6 adults we were able to take the babies back to the room for naps or go in early at night and still allow the bigger kids to do whatever they desired. Our wee ones really did well and neither of them were scared of the characters.  I'm thinking they may even have a vague memory of this trip when they are older.

The grounds are all keep to perfection. I'm thinking that literally hundreds of employees make up their landscape staff.  Well, truth be told, hundreds make up all of their staff, if not thousands!!!

Every day we all wore Disney attire.  Generally, each family matched as did every other family there.  Must have been close to a bazillion families there. ~no joke~

Tommy could be found pushing a stroller, holding a baby or carrying one of them on his shoulders.  We pretty much did whatever was necessary to keep them happy. 

We tried to take a lot of pictures when we started the day.  As the day wore on we began to lose some of our luster for sure!  When you are shoulder to shoulder with folks, it's hot and  rainy (a lot), you can sure look a bit weary and some of us felt a bit weary. ~chuckle~

One of my favorite parts of our time at Disney was watching the kiddos meet the Disney characters.  I was amazed that the wee ones were not afraid of them but they both reached right out to them.  We had 3 meals with the characters and they really enjoyed that. Speaking of meals, we bought the Dining Plan for our crew and feel like we came out way ahead $$$$ wise.  So, if a Disney trip is in your future, I would recommend it.  It includes sit down meals, quick service meals and snacks. 

Yes, it rained every day and not just sprinkles, some were literal downpours.  We did go prepared but being out in rain, with a cover up  or not, is NOT  fun! And, did I mention the crowds?  And, the security is pretty much just like airport security.  They go through EVERYTHING!  And, when you have 2 little ones in tow, guess what?  You have lots of bags for them to go through but they did have it very streamlined.

It was a jam packed 5 days for sure!  This was our immediate family's 5th trip to DW.  I'm pretty sure that this will be my last one.  I've seen our Grans enjoy it and I have no need for any more Disney experiences.(unless Hubby and I decide to go to the Flower and Garden Show at Epcot at some point).  I'm not sure how Walt Disney was able to create such a place but perhaps that is why it is called "the land of magic." ~smile~   Our first trip was in 1981 and there is no comparison to the Disney of 2017.  It was a much calmer, less chaotic place and of course, a much smaller place.

Our hearts are full of memories and we are thankful that we had the opportunity to share this special time together.  I think we would all agree though, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME! It's our magical place!

Have a "magical" week!!!!

Monday's Musings

It's May 1st, how on earth did that happen?  It seems it should be Feb. 1st but time just keeps marching right on by.  I do think it's true that the older one gets the faster time goes. ~hummm~

Speaking of time flying by............. these two precious little girls are getting so big.  Hanna Beth has almost finished the 1st grade and has had a great year.  Andi Kate talks as good as a 5 year old and she's 2 years and 3 months old.  Her vocabulary constantly amazes me and she is so animated.  They hold a piece of my heart for sure!

Our daughter had a very bad fall last Wednesday evening that has left her and her family in a pretty big MESS.  She was walking across her bedroom with some clothes in her arms and got tangled up with a sandal (that Coleman had dropped in the floor after he got it out of her closet).  She said she started falling and she fell and fell and fell and finally hit a table in their bedroom.  She hit it with her left shoulder and she said the pain was excruciating.  She and Coleman were home by themselves and the fall, plus her crying nearly scared little Coleman too death.  She tried to comfort him with her good arm while wanting to scream in pain.  She called Clint and he and Clancy headed towards home and took her to an Urgent Care Clinic.  After x-rays and exam it was determined that she has an AC separation.  That is where the shoulder separates from the clavical.  She has been in a immobilizer sling and will see a shoulder specialist tomorrow morning.  It will likely take 6-8 weeks for it to heal and then she will have to have physical therapy to regain the use of her arm and shoulder.  Not exactly what any working Momma needs.  But, she has had a good attitude and they are managing. Please join me in praying for her speedy and complete recovery.

The first of Feb. our family began plans for all of us to go to Disney World in June.  Hubby has wanted us to do this for some time and while Andi Kate (2 1/2)  and Coleman (22 mos) are still very young, Hanna Beth (7) and Clancy (8) are at the absolute perfect age to go. We've all had such fun gathering our tee shirts and Disney apparel for our time there.  We will arrive on a Sunday and stay until the following Friday.  I have had a Disney planner plan our entire trip and it's been the easiest thing in the world.  She has taken care of absolutely every detail.  Our family has been to Disney plenty of times but our SIL and DIL have only been once and the Grans have never been so it will be an especially special time for them.  We are in countdown mode now to join the other bazillion folks in the land of magic. ~we'll all take a double dose of happy pills~ big chuckle~

Have a happy new week!!!!