Disney World Vacation 2012

Can it be? Am I finally sitting down on the couch with a glass of sweet tea and two hours of silence ahead of me? Am I really going to blog about our Disney World vacation, FINALLY?

Yes, my friends. Believe it. It's true. :)

It's been a very busy month since our dream vacation. I wanted to get this all down sooner so I wouldn't forget any details, but I've just been too busy and/or too tired. By the time the kids go to bed, I've been completely wiped out, and when they are taking naps, I have so much to do around the house that I can't bring myself to sit in front of the computer.

Yet here I am. Better late than never.

Our trip was unbelievable. It was the kind of trip I never thought we'd get to take in our lifetime. To me, going to Disney World was something rich families did, and we didn't fall into that category. JP's mom & step-dad (Gail, aka: G and Larry, aka: Bompa) surprised us with this trip at Christmas as a way to honor Grandma Dellas after she passed away. One of her regrets in life was that they didn't do many family vacations or travel much, so G & Bompa decided to pick up that torch and run with it. We happen to be the very grateful beneficiaries of this decision. :)

The vacation started on a Friday night at a hotel in Bloomington. Our flight was early in the morning, and we had to catch a 5:30 am shuttle from the hotel to the airport. Sleep was a little hard to come by with such a big day ahead of us, but everyone was happy and excited in the morning, even with the early wake-up call.

Rae & Ruby on their first plane ride ever! Ruby slept most of the way. :) 

Rosie did great on the plane ride down. I was especially grateful for the vacant seat next to me so she didn't have to sit on my lap the whole time. We read lots of books, colored and ate snacks to pass the time.

We arrive in Orlando around lunch time, grabbed some food and headed to our amazing villas.  Each family got their own 2-story, 2-bed, 2-bath villa with a full kitchen, living room, & dining room. It was like having our own apartment during our stay. The resort had a huge water park with a pool, lazy river, splash pad, two hot tubs and two water slides. It was awesome.

That night we went to Downtown Disney for dinner. Downtown Disney is basically an area outside of the park grounds full of fun and unique restaurants and shops, plus a couple small rides (carousel, train ride, etc.) The kids loved all of the Disney character statues and sculptures and seemed to get a "taste" of what was to come the following day.

Rae & Ava by a Snow White Lego sculpture

Our princesses with Sleeping Beauty

The next morning was the big day -- Disney World! Before we left, I had made the girls all matching princess dresses to wear to the park. We got lots of smiles and pointing from people around the park -- they were pretty darn cute!

The Magic Kingdom was everything you would dream it to be. The adventure began right in the parking lot for the kids. When you park, you are still 2 miles away from the park, so you have to take a tram and then a trolley ride to actually get to the Magic Kingdom. The kids loved it, and it was fun to watch the excitement grow on their faces.

G & the girls on the trolley ride

The first thing you see when you enter the Magic Kingdom is the iconic Cinderella Castle. I got teary-eyed just walking around and watching the kids, because it really was something I never dreamed we'd get to experience. We got to go on the famous tea cup and Dumbo rides, as well as some newer attractions, including the Toy Story ride, after which the kids got to meet Buzz Lightyear.

We took a small break from the kid rides to experience Space Mountain, and to our surprise, Rae was *just* tall enough to go on the ride. She was up for it, so JP took her. I don't have a digital version of the picture they took during the ride, but Rae looked absolutely terrified. She said she had fun, but probably wouldn't do it again. :) What a brave girl!

Ava, Rae & Scott on the tea cup ride

Ruby & Florie on the tea cup ride

G, Rae & Ava on the Dumbo ride

The kids meet Buzz Lightyear, and proof that Vinnie actually was on this trip! After meeting Buzz, Vinnie said he dreams really did come true. :) 

The whole family in front of the Cinderella Castle

We went back to the villas for a quick nap later in the afternoon, then returned to the park in the evening for what turned out to be the most "magical" part of the Disney World experience. Besides going on a few more rides (including Rae & Ruby's favorite, Splash Mountain), we got to experience the famous electrical parade, light show and firework display. It was truly awesome, and a very special and memorable experience for all of us.

Ava & Rosie waiting for the parade to start. You know you're on vacation when the kids get giant suckers at 10:00 pm!

Watching the electrical parade

The girls were *so* excited to see Cinderella!

Rosie got really snuggly two hours past her bedtime.

After such a fun and exciting day, we all needed some time to rest. So on Monday, we decided to stick around the villas and hang out at the pool all day. The weather for the whole trip was amazing -- sunny and 80's with a light breeze. We spent the whole day swimming, splashing and being lazy in the lazy river. I think Ava & Rae could have stayed in the lazy river all day and all night. They liked to swim in it, though, not ride on tubes. G & Bompa also rented us all a cabana for the day, which was a great place to beat the heat, eat some snacks, and get re-sun screened for more fun in the sun.

Being lazy on the lazy river.

JP is a fan of the lazy river, as well. 

Ava & Rae in their element

Snack time in the cabana

After a good night's rest and copious amounts of aloe vera, we set off on Tuesday for a day at Universal Studios Orlando. Universal was awesome for a number of reasons, but what really made it amazing was that a friend of a friend hooked us up with VIP passes to the park. Not only did we get free valet parking, but we were escorted to the beginning of every line for any ride we wanted to go on. Some rides had wait times as long as 45 minutes, but we got to bypass all of that mess. It was amazing. At Disney World, we probably got to go on about 10 rides. At Universal, we went on more than 20 rides, and some of them multiple times!

The whole family in front of the Universal globe

The three stooges: Vinnie, Ruby & Florie

The Simpson's ride made us all sick to our stomachs!

There weren't quite as many rides that they kids could go on at Universal, but they did have a whole Dr. Seuss World area with some really fun, memorable rides for the kids, plus they got to meet a few favorite characters.

Dora!

Thing 1 and Thing 2!

The Grinch! (The 4 younger kids were too scared to get their picture taken with him.) 

That night after a short rest time, G & Bompa treated us to a delicious steak house dinner. We all crashed that night, our hearts and bellies full to the brim.

The next day we squeezed in one more splash at the pool before heading to the airport to catch our flight home. Rosie was so brave at the pool, venturing out into water as deep as her neck (with Mommy close by, of course), ready to try anything her big sisters and cousins would try.

It was really hard to come home to the cold weather and every day routine after such a fun and beautiful vacation. Nothing could have been better -- it truly was a dream come true. G & Bompa, thank you so much for making an experience like this a reality for us, but especially for our children. You gave us memories that will last a lifetime, and we are extremely grateful for all you are.

And thank the good Lord I FINALLY got this post done! Whew! It only took a month, LOL! It's probably full of typos I don't have time to look for, so please forgive any you find. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading! :)

I'm Alive

I'm so sorry...to all of you who check this blog, I promise I am alive.

Someday when I'm not extremely busy or utterly exhausted, I will get you all caught up on everything including...

• Our amazing trip to Disney World
• Rae's dental escapades
• The pregnancy
• Our super awesome garage sale
• My super not awesome Mother's Day

But for now, I'm going to bed. :)

Checking Out of Town

This is just a quick note to let you all know that WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD! Ahhhhh! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) You may recall that JP's parents gave us this trip as a Christmas gift. It's been a long four months of waiting, but it's finally here.

So if you don't hear from me for a little while, that's why. Even though it is a relatively short trip, I have a feeling that even after we get home it might take some time to recover from the large amounts of fun (and sun!) we will be having.

Peace out, Minnesota! It's 80's and sunny where we are headed!

But before I go, here is a peek at another baby shoot I had the pleasure of doing this week. Wesley is so stinking cute. <3

Recent Photography

I have a fairly new facebook page for the photography I've been working on. Please feel free to check it out and "like" it, then share it with friends! www.facebook.com/31photography

Here is some recent stuff!

Asher at 6 months:

Newborn Emma:

Early Ultrasound

I was very excited when my new OB doctor told me that at our new clinic here in Princeton, all pregnancies are greeted with an early ultrasound. They do it to determine the baby's age and check for multiple fetuses. I've never gotten to have a first trimester ultrasound before (only at 20 weeks). It was such a joy to get to see our new little wonder, wiggling around as if to wave it's first hello to me and his or her three sisters.

I apologize...the photo is a cell phone snapshot of an ultrasound printout. I know it's not easy to interpret these things to start out with! The baby's head is on the left, with its little feet sticking up on the right. The bright spot by his head is its little arm up next to its cheek. At this point (just about 10 weeks), the baby is still only about an inch long, but it has lost its "tail" and tadpole sort of look. All four chambers of the heart are fully formed as are his or her little eyes. Life is so amazing and so precious.

At one point the baby did a little "happy dance" for us, wiggling its arms and legs up and down and seeming to bounce on its little back in a little break dance move. The girls absolutely loved it, and so did I. My due date remains the same (10/31/12) and I continue to feel wonderful, although I'm pretty exhausted by about 8:30 pm.

My "big" ultrasound will probably happen sometime in June, and yes, at that point we WILL be hoping to find out the gender. We have our boy name picked out but are still undecided on a girls name. :)

Rosie & The Bush: A Story of Perseverance

Spring In Our Steps

We have been soaking in every bit of this beautiful weather that we can. Yesterday we spent the day outside splashing in puddles (and mud, of course), riding bikes, cleaning out the van, cleaning up the yard (3 dogs worth of thawed out poop = yuck), climbing trees, and feeding the birds. I have to keep a close eye on Rosie when I clean up the dog poop. She follows close behind me, picks up pine cones, and runs up to me saying, "I foun' one!" Then she throws it in the scooper. Oh boy, I hope she continues to find the pine cones and not the real thing.

Today we had a picnic at the park, went on a long walk, threw rocks in the river, and now the girls are taking a nice, long nap. The windows are open in every room of the house so that we can air out and listen to the birds sing. We already found one salamander in the yard and the bugs are making a comeback. So far I haven't found any ticks on anyone, and I'm thankful for that!

I am still feeling wonderfully with the pregnancy. I'm only 7 weeks along right now, but I haven't felt sick at all, nor have I lost my appetite for anything. I do feel myself running out of energy earlier in the day, but it's not nearly as bad as the all-day-long fatigue I remember having with my other pregnancies. My weekly babycenter.com email today said that the baby is the size of a blueberry now and will grow his or her little hands and feet this week. It's all so sweet...I love it.

I am waiting on one of my dear friends to have her long overdue baby sometime soon so I can take her pictures. I bought some new props in preparation for little Emma's arrival and showed them to the girls. Rae was excited about it, then she said, "I have an idea!" and ran upstairs. She grabbed a baby doll, a toy camera, some baskets and blankets and started having her own baby photo shoot. It was so cute, I couldn't help but grab my camera and play along.

Ruby and Rosie got in on the fun, too.

And some of the finished products...

Finally here are some funny quote from the kids. Ruby has been on a roll lately.

Me: "Hurry up, slow poke!"

Ruby: "I'm not a slow poke, I'm a fast poke!"

_______________________________

Me (smiling): "Ruby, quit being so cute and go eat your food."

Ruby (concerned): "But Mommy, I can't stop the cutes!"

You Do The Math

We are very excited to announce the upcoming arrival of Charlebaby #4! According to several online calculators, our new sweetie will be due 10/31/12. I usually go late, so I'm assuming he or she will make an appearance in early November. Joe and his wife are due in August, and Amber is due in September, so I guess we will have tic, tac, toe babies again!

I just have to laugh when I consider that the new baby will be born right at the start of deer hunting season...the one time of year we were (originally) "trying to avoid" for having a baby. God really does have better plans, doesn't He?

The girls are ecstatic. Ruby really hopes it's either a boy or a girl and wants to name the baby Horsey Rainbow. I told her we could call the baby Horsey Rainbow until we find out the gender. Rae wanted to name the baby Rachel if it's a girl. I told her I didn't think that would work because then we'd have a "Rae" and a "RA-chel." She told me not to worry, we could just call the baby, "Chel!" They are so funny, and I can't wait to see how they will interact with a newborn.

Please be praying for a smooth and healthy pregnancy. So far I feel great.

Three Little Valentines

Anybody who knows us well knows that JP is not a big Valentine's Day sort of guy. He despises any sort of pressure to perform artificially because the calendar says you should. He will go out of his way to do nothing just to prove a point.

This has been the case for the whole of our relationship, and I have never minded because he is so good at showing me love every other day of the year. I have the maturity to understand just because he didn't bring home roses or make reservations at some fancy restaurant doesn't mean I'm not his valentine every day of the year.

My three daughters, however, are not mature. Even though their daddy loves them to bits and pieces every day, they (mainly Rae, but Ruby as well) are reaching ages where they understand the holiday and want to be someone's valentine. I first noticed it last year, and mentioned it to JP.

When I was young, my Dad (and my mom, and even my brothers) made a big deal out of Valentine's Day for me & my sister. I was extremely secure in my family's love for me, and I always knew that on Valentine's Day, I would be showered with extra doses of the same love I felt from them every day. I never dreaded February 14th or joined any pity party groups in wearing all black to school. I was loved from home, and I didn't need to look for it anywhere else.

Apparently, JP took my thoughts to heart, and this year, Mr. Anti-Forced-Affection himself went all out for the women in his life.

Each of the girls came home to find red heart-shaped balloons tied to their beds, weighted with a chocolate heart and a sucker, and a red carnation. The girls were absolutely giddy, squealing just like you would imagine and jumping all over their big daddy valentine.

JP told me he fully accepts that he will never again be able to ignore Valentine's Day, and he's happy to do it just to let his girls know they are always someone's special love. My eyes welled up with tears just knowing our girls will have the same security I had growing up.

After all the hugs and kisses, I went downstairs to do laundry and found a big bouquet of flowers waiting for me on our bed. For some reason, the flowers took me over the top, and I burst into tears! I knew he was going to do something special for the girls, but I still never expected anything for me!

JP doesn't buy me flowers often, but when he does, he likes to make it meaningful. This time he went into the flower shop and told them he wanted to make his own arrangement. They told him they had a bunch of nice bouquets and pre-arranged items, but he said no; he wanted to do it himself. He picked out the flowers and bought them al a carte, then arranged them himself at home. :)

Rae really wanted to do something special for JP as well, so we worked hard to prepare everyone's favorite dinner: Crab legs for JP, chicken for me, and Shells & Cheese for the girls. We even made up a menu (Rae named our "restaurant" The Surprise Bakery...haha), made a heart-shaped fruit pizza for dessert, homemade cards, and a video of JP and the girls. He was very blessed, and the girls were giddy to have done something for him.

Here (if it works) is the video we made for JP. I am warning you, it is VERY rough. I threw it together in about two hours. Most of the photos and all of the videos are from my iPhone and therefore very poor quality. To top it off, I had recorded most of the video vertically, but had to rotate it to landscape mode, which required heavy cropping. He loved it (he even cried, but don't tell), and that's all that matters. :)