Hollywood Studios

Monday we went to Hollywood Studios. We planned another long day, with stroller, snacks and autograph books in hand, we set out...

Today was the day for autographs!

We set our sites on the Big Sorcerer's Hat in the middle hub of the park, and headed there, where we were able to meet all the gang by tag teaming.

We met Minnie, Donald & Daisy, Goofy & Pluto, all in quick succession. The most hilarious was Lucas who did NOT wanna meet Minnie Mouse... he pouted and really pitched a fit, and i got some great photos of his embarassment in action. he was just very angry and upset to have to have his picture taken with a GIRL! He told me later that he would not do any more pictures with girls. PERIOD NO way NO how... haha

Then we met Stitch, who true to character was a MESS!! He kept trying to take the kids sharpies and write on their hands while they were holding the book for him to sign, he managed to get chelsea a time or two with the green sharpie. He licked his finger and stuck it in chelsea's ear during photos... he picked his nose and wiped it on mia's shirt... Mia could not stop laughing at him the entire time. That belly laugh that makes everyone around you laugh too... it was so cute

My Dad loves Goofy... i know, explains a lot right?! haha so he had to get his autograph and photo too!! When Pluto came up to the site, he went over to a bush and hiked his leg... which i thought was kinda funny, but not sure who all saw that...

We headed over to Pixar place and met Mickey and The Incredibles.

Then we got our fast passes and started enjoying all the rides..

Lucas was scared of EVERYTHING... every ride, every attraction, he was terrified, but after each one was like" well that was fun", so we just kept making him get on stuff, so he would not miss out on all the fun everyone was having. But there were many laughable moments standing in line with him reassuring him that it was all gonna be ok. Bless his heart, he is my over-cautious little guy which could be very beneficial during the teen years, but right now... his sisters drag mr scaredy pants along. They are not afraid of anything... they could use a good dose of fear, but... they are my daredevils and were more than willing and excited to ride everything.

We did force him onto Rockn Roller Coaster and i thought the kid would have a nervous breakdown before we ever even got on it... but after we rode he was high fivin everyone and jumpin up and down and was like "i did it!!!" and he thought it was really cool. HE is such a goofy kid... haha

We rode many fun things that day, the favorites were :

Chelsea: Tower of Terror... and Rockn Roller Coaster

Lucas: Buzz Lightyear & Star Tours

Mia: Loved Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, and her favorite ride was also Buzz Lightyear

Tom: Rockn Roller Coaster he actually screamed like a girl the entire time.. he says he was saying "WHOOO HOOOOO" but to me sitting behind him sounded more like "EWAWAHHHHHHHHHHHH" (actually that may have been me screaming like a girl)

Mel: Rockn Roller Coaster... i loved that it went 0-60 in 2 seconds and straight into an upside down loop... yep instant face lift.. i could see the benefits of riding this several times in a row!! hah are you hearing the sarcasm?! But it WAS fun... once.

We took in all the sights and sounds the park had to offer, many different shows... the highlights of the day were:

Lucas: Jedi Training Academy, he got chosen out of the audience to participate on stage, and learn the ways of the Force, and then in the end battled Darth Vader in a light saber duel... funny he was amazingly BRAVE during this... not afraid of DARTH VADER at all, swinging his light saber with uncanny accuracy (ahem poor darth) and was super excited about that whole process, but of course this kid eat, sleeps, dreams Star Wars, so this experience was right up his alley!!

This was one scary lookin dude. Right after i took this photo he came and stood like 2 inches from my face and stared me down... i just shrugged and laughed at him (yeah thats me brave haha) and then i hugged my mommy... haha

Mia: Loved Beauty and the Beast show, live on stage, we had near front row unobstructed view, and the kids loved it... (i admit i did too!!) Mia was just totally engaged and the look on her face was something i will never ever forget, even tho i did not get a photo...

Chelsea: Riding Rockn Roller Coaster two times in a row (with fastpasses) and then Hollywood Tower of Terror... and still wanting to eat lunch!!! haha she really enjoyed this park with the more activities and attractions to do. She was still excited to meet all the characters, and i am glad she played along with my inherent need to photograph every moment and not ruin the magic for the little kids. I was incredibly proud of her maturity all week, the way she was always looking out for the little kids safety, comforting them, and helping us keep up with them, buying them little treats and such. It was very sweet to see.

The kids got to enjoy trademark mickey ears ice creams.. .mia loved hers, lucas did not like the chocolate and traded with me for my plain vanilla...

The funniest thing, now that we are home was the stroller hunting... most times it was right where we left it, but at this park, the stroller mover parker guys were very ambitious and kept moving them WAY down out of the way from where we originally left them.. Frustrating somewhat during times when you are trying to get somewhere fast and hunt for the stroller for like 20 minutes cuz no one could tell you where they moved it to....

We ended the day by taking in the late show of Beauty and the Beast... followed by a detour exit down hollywood & vine. lost our stroller again... then headed back thru the park for Fantasmic... and we ended up at the end of the line, but it was actually beneficial because they opened up the last section of seating as we entered and we got great seats, and they were near the exit. The night ended with a bang, the kids all had a wonderful time and we were happy that the night ended early at 10pm (haha).

Epcot

Our first official day at Disney was Sunday, we went to Epcot. We started the day early... park opened at 8 am. So we loaded up lunches, stroller, people and headed in. Everyone was perky, slept well and very excited about the adventure ahead of us.

We got into the park and headed to Spaceship Earth... the big silver ball that is so recognizable... but it was broken, so with much hoping that this was not to be a theme for the day, went on around and headed the opposite way most people go... we headed to the right towards Great Brittain and that area. I cannot tell you how cool this park is and how authentic they try to make every building, gift shop and restaraunt to be like the actual countries they represent, complete with interns from every country working the shops and stuff, talking to the kids in their home languages and all that. THIS IS COOL!! We walked, and shopped and enjoyed the sights and a few ride thru attractions that day. Ate fish and chips in Brittain and then enjoyed feeding the seagulls on the bridge over into France. The kids were really liking the Kidcot stations at each country . These were little tables set up with a craft project. They gave us a mask at the first station, and at each country you got to add something to your mask representing that country. Most of them were little die cut shapes, some were plastic little charms, stamps and stickers and such and at each station were the interns, and they liked to write the kids name on their project in their native language. The kids loved hunting for the Kidcot stations in each country. Another thing they loved, was hunting for the penny presses. We gave each kid a roll of quarters and a roll of pennies and they had to find the penny presses around each park to get cheap 50cent souveniers... they LOVED this!!! and kept them occupied in a not so exciting park for kids. They did not complain and really with kids this is the park to begin with because they have no "disney expectations" so it was all new and exciting to see.

They loved all the fountains with the dancing water, and trying to catch it.

The best part at the end of the night they had an open area that squirted up water from the ground... the kids saw it and wanted to walk thru it, but it was just "trick"-ling a little bit, so they did not know it would soon shoot up high into the air... so they are skipping and running thru it getting their shoes wet and just laughing... then all of a sudden.... YEP... it came on FULL blast, and little Mia got caught in the middle. She just DIED laughing and just turned around and around giggling, and people were stopping and laughing with us, and we heard many people were like "that is sooo cute" and it realllly WAS!!

That night, we had dinner in America... Hamburgers and fries for everyone....( I know i know... so crazy considering the FOOD all the countries represented... but we were STARVING, and the lines to sit down and eat anywherelse were just tooo long.) So after eating we then headed across the street to the pavilion for the Candelight Processional. It was just beautiful. They had the HUGE choir come down the street carrying candles (they were electric) in a looooong line, up to the stage all decorated for Christmas. Then sang traditional american and other countries Christmas songs in between the reading of the Christmas Story... FROM THE BIBLE!! (which i loved)by Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance (who by the way did a phenomenal job of reading it with enthusiasm and just a bit of dramatic voice.) At the end of the traditional Christmas Story, Courtney Vance gave the crucifixion and ressurrection a very nice moment, and we cheered when he said the "tomb was empty, He IS RISEN". It was just beautiful, really.

OH!! I need to tell you how cool, while we were sitting down to dinner, the kids noticed an airplane flying over the park skywriting... something....

JESUS LOVES U :)

that was so cool and they did it over every park that week... some big church down there does that... and i think what a cool way to reach SOOO many people!!!

When that was finished, we headed over to Italy got some cappuccino, and got near the water to watch the evening fireworks show. Then we headed home... tired and happy from a great day.

The Christmas lights were wonderful, the music piping around the park was Christmasy and cheery, the cast members at the park were so incredibly sweet and we had a wonderful first day.

We met Donald Duck in Mexico... and Aladdin (not the genie, the boy) in Morrocco. We caught a glimpse of Snow white and a few dwarves somewhere around Germany, but the line was too long to wait cuz she was leaving. We met Mulan and Mushu in China, and i think that is all the characters we saw that day. But it was enough to get the kids really excited about their autograph books!

Disney days...

Our first day at Disney was actually Saturday night, we got to Orlando early and checked into our condo. (which by the way was SO amazing!) It was townhouse style but bigger, had 4 bedrooms, 3 up one down, 3 bathrooms, marble countertops, tile floors, nice NICE big beds and comfy bedlinens. It was just perfect, honestly! I wanted to move in permanently! It was located only about 10 minutes from the parks... but hidden in a little suburbia just inside city limits.

So the night we got there, we decided we better get our park tickets, so we headed to Downtown Disney, the shopping mecca of the parklands... all kinds of wonderful stores, restraunts and just a taste of what we would see when we got into the parks. As with most things Disney, this shopping mall (think promenade style) was very eclectic, and had a wide range of things to look at... from Ghiardelli chocolates (smelled divine) and coffee shops, little boutiques for clothes, kitchenwares, and lots of "kid" stores related to toys and Disney souveniers, but like most, were not cheapie type things, these were cool.

We walked around and oohed and ahed at all the christmas decor, all the "disney-ed" up stores the way only they can do it... and shopped just a bit

Legoland was a big hit with the kids and we thought that some of the creations were just amazing.. built with LEGOS!

We went into a toystore and they had a Mr Potatohead station where you could build your own... fill up a box of parts for 19.99... so guess what?! We HAD to do that for all 3 kids.. and spent probably an hour building and hunting parts, some you can only get at Disney, mouse ears, all kinds of princess parts and such, that was a blast!!! Then Lucas spotted a build your own lightsaber station, for again 19.99... so he did that! and we just had such a good time there!

We finally get our park tickets, and head back to the condo... to rest up for the next days journey to Epcot.

Disney is BAD for reality!!

Haha we are only back for 2 weeks and ready to go back again!!


well here's the story, or at least days 1-2...



Day 1: Christmas morning... aren't they cute in their matching TCP pj's? They screamed and jumped up and down and did not believe us that we were leaving NOW til we took them and showed them the van... we were on the road by 8am! can u believe that? crazy... i videoed it and if i figure out a way to include that somehow i will do that later...


then we hop in the minivan... Definition of LOADED: 7people, luggage, toys, movies, blankets, FOOD, surfboard on top, stroller in cart dragged behind car.. YEP LOADED.

So then we drive, and drive and drive... down thru south Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama... and end up in Pensacola, FL... only 13 or so hours, and 3-4 movies, games of uno, a couple of naps, pit stops and lots of "WHEN WE GONNA GET THERES"

We get checked into our flea bag motel for the night (seriously) and sleep it all off. Next morning we hop up, load up and head to Mobile to the USS Alabama warship tour. Very cool for the boys anyhow...

We get to spend the morning touring around this humongus warship and the boys have to touch and read everything, so the girls just kinda split off and toured the whole ship... then I was itching to leave, cuz we still had to drive back 50 miles and change clothes to do our beach trip.

SPELLED: Family photos!

so i was REALLY wanting to leave that ship..

We get back to the hotel, get changed and it clouds up and looks like rain... i am ready to cry at this point, but we trek to the beach anyhow.. and lemme tell you it was worth the trip!

My two littlest ones had never seen the ocean, and they were in the biggest God made sandbox ever!!! They had the best time playing in the sand, the surf and hunting for shells.

The worst thing was the jelly fish kept washing up on the beach... TONS of them, and i really did not think much about it, except to warn them sternly not to touch, step on or get anywhere near them... but Chelsea had other ideas. she was too upset that they were laying there dying, so she finds the bill of an old ball cap and starts scooping them up CAREFULLY and then slinging them back into the water (i did not have the heart to tell her the tide was coming IN) but hey it was the thought that counts right? I did some research after we got home and discovered that those cute lil jellyfish were none other than Portugese man of War jellyfish, some of the most poisionous... and painful stings around... so very thankful that my jellyfish saving spongebob cutie pants was carefully throwing them back to her version of saved (wink)

So the rain held off, the clouds made for just so so lighting, but the photos... OH the photos were just well, see for yourself!!

they are a little lighter than i wanted, but i am still tweaking a bit in photoshop.. so for now, this will do for a preview. I shot at a high ISO low light and they were sooo grainy, so i found this noise reduction software, and it softens everything like it was shot thru a filter, so i am tweaking that a bit too. these are not the finished product, just the first draft.

Yeah thats my super model jelly fish saving sponge bob cutie pants... oh my goodness the view was breathtaking!

oh... and the ocean was pretty too..;)

keep your eyes peeled i am hoping to post some more sunday...

Wishing YOU a Happy New Year!!

We are hoping you have had a blessed Christmas. We wish for you a very blessed 2009!!!

The Secret's Inside...

So... tomorrow's Christmas!!! Can't believe it is already here! We can almost tell the big secret we've been keeping for MONTHS!!! only 20 hours or so to go... depends really on when the kids get up... but knowing them it will be early! so, here's a lil hint, just for you, but if you know me, you are already in on the secret, but if you don't... see if you can guess?!

At any rate... MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Cuz we won't be around to tell you ourselves... (oooh that's ANOTHER HINT!! )

thankful for this life

so many things to be thankful for, just waking up daily is a gift... but this year something more special than all the others...
my son accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior... THANKSGIVING night!!!
it all started at lunch time when we all went around the table telling what we were each thankful for, and lucas after 1 round said he wanted to just keep going around and around... so we did. all thru dinner! it was really fun and special!
then the day went on like a typical thanksgiving, kids playing in the front yard, grownups in a turkey coma...
that night luc went into the room with tom, and asked when Jesus died... Halloween or Easter? and tom said well, neither, and then proceeded to tell him about Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday... then lucas started asking some pretty deep questions about salvation and sin and tom could tell these were not the kind of questions we normally hear... the curious kind. these were serious, and really came from his heart. He just broke down and cried and said he knew he sinned, knew he would not go to heaven if he did not accept Christ, and he wanted to pray then and there to be saved!! He came out later with tom to the living room where i was, and said he had something really important to tell me, so he climbed up in my lap (he is really getting too big for this.. but i am so happy he still does!) and he started to tell me his big news, with teary eyes and his little chin quivering but smiling all at the same time, he told me he just prayed and asked Jesus into his heart. OF course lots of celebrating happy tears and phone calls to follow!
he could not wait for Sunday to tell our youth pastor, and he wanted to be baptized SUNDAY NIGHT... no waiting. he wanted to DO IT NOW!! so he did! This from the child who wont go near a swimming pool without floaties, who wont dream of getting his face wet, who flips out when we wash his hair and water gets on his face... THIS is my son.... smiling as Brother Stu asked him who his Lord is, and then "for we are buried with Christ in Baptism, and raised to walk in newness of life..." and radiantly smiling as he is brought up from under the water! AMEN and AMEN!
so much to be thankful for, but this one.. this one here, is at the top of my list this year!

Creative Escape(S)

Well as usual it is long since i have updated... so here goes:

September 3-7 i joined April Leanne and Angie in Arizona for the Heidi Swapp Creative Escape. I had a GREAT time! all the classes save one were really good, i loved the projects! One thing was no crop nights... but honestly by the time we had done 4 classes all day, i was give out!! I don't think even Starbucks could have kept me up to crop... All in all it was a good trip. Great shopping, met some new friends.. who i hope we see again cuz they are FUN!
We shopped at this great store (or a few great stores) Mystic Paper, downtown...think van buren small antique store setting narrow but goes back a long way... vintagey decor, papers, ephemera... really COOL stuff. Then also Scrapbooks ETC which was great and had lots of new cool toys... i really liked this store and the way it was organized. Also the Bazzill factory sale.... stock up on cardstock!! i had to ship a box home because it would not fit in my suitcase... bad!!

So in between then and now, we have just been normal, getting the kids routine for school down, and mornings are so hard, especially now that they are dark and cold when we get up... makes getting out of your nice warm bed reallly hard! But they are all doing very well, Chelsea is doing Student Council and Celebration Team, and then she is cheering for a football team, her social calendar takes a lot of mom chauffering around town these days...
Lucas is doing really well, he is a fantastic student, and really enjoys the routine and has just flourished in the school setting. surprising, but very welcome. He is playing golf this year and is enjoying that too, i imagine we will be following him on the PGA tour someday with the way he has taken to it!
Little Mia mouse has gotten used to kindergarten, and is doing well, learning to write her letters and making friends. She is exhausted when she gets home each day, so bedtime has become very easy, as most nights she asks me to just come tuck her in (before8:30!). Her extra curricular activity is just being cute and she is quite good at it! She is such a funny girl!

Yesterday was Tom and my 9th wedding anniversary... 9 years!!! WOW babe! 9 years that have been so blessed by love and children and laughter and sprinkled with tears, and even a little heartache. we have grown together and learned from each other and i love him more today than i did 9 years ago... my heart.. my love... til we are old and wrinkled together!
We got to have a date night, and went to see Fireproof... O MY yeah you need to see it. it is food for the marriage... good, take kleenex, and share with your wife! haha
Then we treated ourselves to Red Lobster, yum! and went home and watched the debates... so romantic!! haha it actually was a great evening and i love having the blessing of family nearby so Tom and i can have date nights!!

Tonight i get to go with Julie and head to the mountain where we have our Memoryvilla retreat, and have a little girl time this weekend, cropping and laughing and eating too much junk food, should be a good time! Hopefully will get some gift projects done for Christmas this year!
So... Thats all with me and all of our bunch! busy crazy and loving every minute of it!

will post pics from CE and other after i get back this weekend!

letting go

seems to me this business of letting go begins the moment they are birthed. we watch with anticipation their growth, we are neurotic about their eating and pooping habits, we santitize everything they could possibly come into contact with, and are there to catch them when they take those faltering first steps, that inevitably end with a big bruise on the knee or forehead. we cheer as they learn to walk, run, skip, hit a baseball, ride a bike. always this business of letting go. today is a hard day. probably one of the hardest days i have ever experienced thus far in my motherhood career. My baby, my last little dumpling baby has gone to kindergarten. i knew it was coming, i knew i would be sad, i knew i would cry. and i have not been disappointed. can your heart be so heavy and yet fly at the same time? can i be so very sad at the loss of babyhood, but be so very proud and happy too? yes i think so, because i am a contradiction today, everyday really, but more today than ever.

She said all weekend "can you believe it?! i am going to kindergarten tomorrow!"(said friday, saturday and sunday haha).

and the day finally arrived. She smiled big for the camera, lunchbox in hand, backpack on and the whole world before her. Then we arrived at school and she was supposed to line up in her line and sit on the pavement, this took a little convincing, tearsstarted, and mom and dad gave thumbs up and brave smiles. i had to keep turning away so she would not see me cry. she sat criss cross applesauce, looking down and playing with the name tag on her princess lunchbox, silent tears rolling down. she looked up at me a time or two with real trepidation written all over her tear stained face. finally they said it was time for them to say bye and go into the school, she cried harder then, and called out my name, and it took my husbands arm around me to hold me up and back from scooping her up in my arms and going back home. he squeezed me reassuringly and whispered it will be ok, she is going to be ok. and then she was gone.

i cried all the way home.

and i am still crying as i type this, but this voice i hear in my heart is not my own, or my husbands, it is God, whispering its gonna be ok, she is gonna be ok. and somehow thru the tears i believe it, hard as it is to imagine, but we are. Letting go sucks. But we are gonna be ok.

catching up

Off to a hectic start, summer has finally arrived and it is HOT! we managed to finish out the school year without major noteworthy events. Silviya is home, doing well and is now officially a "driver". Kids both finished their ball seasons, it was fun lots of great times, and memories, but we are done!!! My job and Tom's job are both going well. Really it is life as normal, with one small niggling that something is just not quite right.....

One thing i think is that my baby is just one year away from TEEN, and that bothers me more than i like to admit. SHE is beautiful, smart, funny and just full of personality, has the whole world in front of her, and that scares me almost to death. But at the same time i am busting with pride and admiration at the young lady she is becoming. I guess it is growing pains for me, really realizing how quickly the time is passing, and how little time i have left to teach her so many things yet.
Another thing is my littlest baby is going to school this year. Normal i know, but both heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. She is no longer a baby, she is growing up quickly and wonderfully all too fast.
My son is such a little boy still, he is full of curiosity and playfulness, but sometime early this summer i have noticed an intenseness, a more serious side of him that has never been there before, he asks insightful and very thought provoking questions. He too, is growing up, beginning to shape into the young man i hope he will someday be.
I guess this summer for me has been a very bittersweet time, of loving and letting go. Every mother must go thru this, i know. I am not alone in these feelings, and while i would not wish the way my heart feels at times on anyone, i am comforted by the knowledge that the mothers of this world are facing the same hopes and fears.

I had another birthday, uneventful, but very enjoyable time spent with family, which i guess is what has gotten me to wax nostalgic lately about time passing so quickly. I realize more and more each day how very little time we have on earth, how each day should count for something, and how many days i spend frivolously and wastefully not doing my life's calling, and purpose. It is jolting to realize that at times.

So, not that this has been a very fun or newsworthy post after so long a silence, that is it, really, in the end all i have to say today....

busy weekend!

we had one of those crazy busy weekends that did not stop from friday to sunday night late!!

Friday we decided to go eat and go run some errands and shop with the kids... did not get home til late... then Saturday started with ball practice, had the all day airshow... SUNBURN, and then ended with an exchange student going away party at the church... again home late....

then Sunday was church, then we decided to drive up to Gentry to the drive thru Safari, and spent til like 8pm there, did not get home til late again!!

A GREAT FUN WEEKEND, family time, the really good quality family time, where you get to talk, and laugh and play, the kind where good memories are made... here's a few memories we made...