Denial

So, I'll admit it.  I'm in denial.  There is no way that tomorrow is our last full day at Disney.  I don't want it to be true.  If tomorrow comes and it is in fact our last day, then that means that tomorrow, Jena Grace will be 10.  If Jena Grace is 10, that means that only ONE of my children has a single digit age.  If I only have 1 single digit aged child, that means I'm old and their childhoods really are almost over. And if their childhoods' are really almost over, I really really really really need this vacation to last. I realized ya'll are a little behind our trip. Saturday, the 7th was a fabulously wonderful lazy day.  We slept in and then headed to the waterpark.  You can find my commentary on that adventure on facebook.  Rach and Ru got to spend the night at Magic Kingdom with Toby Mac, Francesca Battistelli, Plumb, Newsboys and Mandisa!  I was jealous but so glad they had a great time. The rest of us spent the evening at Epcot and the Illumination Fireworks show.  Again, this update is pointing out to me how big they are all getting.  I mean, Rach had a Cinderella party when she was 3 and now she is roaming the Cinderella Castle grounds by herself.  Ruth had a Lilo and Stitch party when she was 4 and now she is taller than the Stitch character!  How did this happen?  Sunday was a Jason and Jana day, that we let the kids tag along on.  We took them all to their first NFL game, if you can call it that, because the Jaguars didn't seem to know they had one.  The poor Jaguars had a horrible opening day, in a beautiful stadium, where we only saw them get 2 first downs.  2! First Downs!  It was dismal, but the stadium workers were super sweet and helpful, the mascot entrance was amazing as he bungy jumped from the the top of the stadium all the way to the center of the field, and the fans were hilarious chanting Tebow 30 minutes into the game. We then made a quick side trip to Jacksonville Beach which is clean, beautiful and the water is perfectly clear.  The kids stepped into the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.  Unanimously, they decided to talk us into Cracker Barrel for dinner, completing another wonderful day in Florida.   Which brings us to today.  Today, was a very early start and seems that it will be a very late finish.  We started the day at Ohana's for breakfast with Lilo and Stitch.  It was yummy, fun and we had a beautiful view of the water and Cinderella's Castle.  We headed straight to Animal Kingdom where we spent the whole day.  They have the coolest atmosphere with all natural surroundings and amazing ride experiences.  We had walked 4.5 miles by noon, as well as traveled back in time to rescue a dinosaur-twice, visited Mt. Everest to see the Yeti 3 times for the 3 bigs and twice for Jason and I, and miracle of miracles, we got Jena and Isaiah on it too!  Isaiah was kicking himself for not riding it all three times because it was AWESOME!  Funny, Isaiah aside.  He was working on a Wilderness Explorer Badge and a cast member who was teaching them about animal sounds asked him what he thought the frog was trying to tell them with their sound if they could speak English.  I promise you, I can not make this stuff up.  He told her the frog was saying, "I hate you"!  WHAT?????  Where does he come up with these things????  A major highlight to our day, speaking of Wilderness Explorers was when we got to meet Russell and Dug, from UP.  They are a huge favorite in our family and if any of you have heard the story of why Isaiah calls Rachael, "Master" you know why.  So we were visiting with Russell and I asked the cast member what time we could meet Dug.  He told me maybe later in the day but we weren't sure when he would be able to appear if at all.  No problem, we said we'd check back.  Literally about 2 minutes later, we walk back past Russell and Dug is there with him!  YEA!  So we hop back in line to meet Dug. We were last in line and they put the rope up to close off the line.  Then a new cast member asks if we will get out of line and come with her.  We follow her off to the side where she tells us that she heard we had already met Russell and were really interested in meeting Dug.  She told us if it was okay with us, she'd like to take us to a special meet and greet with him because he was going to be leaving and we wouldn't get to see him otherwise.  So 2 minutes later we had a special one on one session with Dug where he hugged us and signed autographs and took a special picture with just Rachael and Isaiah.  Definitely going to frame that one!  The star treatment didn't stop there for us as Ki was selected to be the Lion representative of our section in the Lion King show!  He did a great job and it is an AMAZING SHOW!  I love the Lion King as many of you know and it was a great time.I even got to have my picture taken with Rafiki.  Yes, I was totally acting like Buddy the Elf when he met Santa.  Don't judge.  It was even better when all the kids sans Ruth (sorry, Ruth) were selected to be in the big finale of the Lion King.  Now the 3 littles were selected for their adorable selves.  Rachael was begged, and I mean begged with pouty lips and pleading eyes to please please please join the Leopard in the parade for her "perfect smile".  When the little boy behind us asked his Dad why he didn't get picked to go up and be in the show, the Dad nailed it when he answered," Because that Leopard is flirting with that girl".  Needless to say, they all did a great job and Rachael added a wink from a guy in a warthog costume to her day, so hey, at least she has options.  Just in case that wasn't enough, don't let me fail to mention, I too was selected to be in the African street party. Dancing. Badly. Yea.  Okay, enough about that.  So, while I normally sign off that I'm heading to bed.  Not tonight.  Tonight we're going to ring in Jena Grace's 10th birthday at midnight.  At Hollywood Studios.  Yes, we're crazy.  We're heading out to another park.  Of course, Jason, Rachael, Ki and Isaiah have to get home from their Starbucks in Epcot excursion first. Like I said, it's almost our last day and I have to savor every second of it.

 Thanks for traveling along with us!

Things Just Work Out Here

I've come to realize today why so many people flock to the Disney Empire and spend thousands of dollars to visit.  Things just work out here.  No matter how you mess things up on your own, Disney is ready with your back up plan.  We started out this morning right on time.  Half way to the Magic Kingdom, Isaiah whispers in my ear, "I forgot my lanyard."  You're kidding right?  The 5 times I asked does everyone have your card apparently did not apply to him.  We had been right on schedule to meet Merida.  It's all Jena has been waiting for since we told them we were coming.  A morning with Merida.  So as to keep everyone happy, Jason and I came to the conclusion that we would split up and I would return to the resort to get his card.  That was until our happy smiling bus driving informed me, no worries, guest services will just give you a new one.  Three minutes later we were back on track.  Crisis adverted.  Fast forward past a wonderful time with Merida, who Jena was so excited to meet she had tears in her eyes and was almost speechless.  Fast forward past a hilarious encounter where Rachael found out she hasn't met her Prince Charming because her Fairy Godmother has been intoxicated but Cinderella's Fairy Godmother is going to have a talk with her.  Fast forward past a hilarious encounter with Gaston where we were all enthralled with his narcissism.  He informed the lady in front of us that it was a good thing that she had a fan because she was going to need it because of him.  Because he's hot.  He didn't want to sign the autograph books because they are in fact, books.  Without pictures. Oh the horror!  It was awesome.  Even Jason was so entertained, he had his picture taken with Gaston.  We had a fabulous lunch at Be Our Guest and despite finding out my children hate French food, it was a fabulous experience. Fast forward past a wonderful day of rides and shows.  Wonderful rides like Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, where Rachael tried to lose her cellphone when it fell out of her back pocket.  Worried, she raced back in where the wonderful cast member asked her if he had found it and were to open the screen saver, what would he find.  She informed him it was a picture of her and Aladdin.  It was in fact, her and Aladdin on the recovered phone and after being told what a nice picture it was returned to her.  Another crisis averted.  Fast forward past the Celebration Parade where the kids made fun of me because I was jumping up and down without realizing it calling out the characters, "Jafar, Jafar over here!  Hi, Jafar!  Belle, Belle, it's Belle!  Genie!  Hi Genie!  Oh my goodness, it's the Princesses!  Hi Princesses!!!!!" and on and on like I too was 8 years old.  The parade led to a torrential downpour that sent us sprinting into the Hall of Presidents for an amazing presentation where Jason and I were giddy with excitement.  The kids humored us.  We promised them homeschool credit.  Morgan Freeman narrated a wonderful exhibit of patriotism and passion for our country.  Any other day a thunderstorm would delay or disrupt the plans but not at Disney, the cast members in the shops turned into improv performers and comedians, the indoor rides became shelters and no one was any worse for the wear.  It just works out.  Fast forward and you'd see Isaiah winning Disney Character Bingo at our resort because the pool had to close for the storms.  You'd never know or care that wasn't your first choice for the evening. With a smile, they just turn the negative into a positive. Even when we made it to Chef Mickey's for our Character Dinner and I realized I forgot the autograph books and started to feel like a horrible mom, it worked out.  No problem for Disney.  I was given a hand written letter from Liz the manager, who gave me permission to come back another night to just run in and get the kids books signed!  It just works out here and after all the stress and heartache in the world, I'm thankful that there is a brief oasis from the outside humdrum. It's a good reminder that sometimes it's just the attitude that we face our difficult circumstances with that makes all the difference.  As I write this, I'm amazed at how many wonderful memories are running through my head that I didn't even touch on!  I appreciate you traveling along with us.  Tomorrow is a sleep in day, a visit to a waterpark and wherever else we head on a whim.  The kids are all sound asleep and I'm ready to join them. 

Ohana Means Family

Ohana means family and a really filling family style restaurant where we had another fabulous dinner on Day 3 of Disney.  It amazes me how much fun we can really have together.  Don't get me wrong.  We have our moments where we snap at each other, or the kids shove one another out of the way, or I get a little short tempered and have to apologize but overall we'll throw out the bad in forgiveness and just take home the memories of the good times.  Today, we had a LOT of good times.  We had a nice relaxed breakfast at our resort where Mickey waffles were the order of the day and then we meandered over to Hollywood Studios.  We started off our visit getting caught up in a street performance where Ki was selected to do a juggling trick and Jason was hit on by "Paige Turner" because of his "Don Johnson sunglasses" and "extra pockets".  It was hilarious and the kids were super excited to be a part of the show.  We checked into the Tower of Terror Hotel next where Jena froze up at the last minute and Jason and she sat out that ride.  The kids and I had a blast though and I think she regretted sitting it out because she was all in to try Aerosmith's Rock N Roller Coaster.  In all fairness, Jason and I had NO CLUE that there were 2 loops and a corkscrew in black light and neon when we told her we thought it just went fast and had the corkscrews.  Weren't we surprised to find out otherwise BUT Jena Grace was SUPER proud of herself and was so glad she did!  She ended up tackling the Tower of Tower and riding Aerosmith with me in the last car! We are so proud of her overcoming her fears and finding out that this is what we've been trying to tell her all these years.  I told her she is ready to turn 10 now.  She further surprised us tonight by engaging in our football conversation and she is even retaining some of the rules of the game.  It was a proud moment for Jason and I.  Ruth checked off an item of her bucket list when we ate her birthday lunch at Pizza Planet and it was really good!  I can't believe all the food they give you on the dining plan.  We really enjoyed several of the attractions at Hollywood but all agreed we enjoyed Epcot just a bit more.  We have interesting conversations when we're just hanging out and I think that is the part I really enjoy the most.  Jason, Isaiah, Ruth and I have especially enjoyed celebrating a New Year's Night tonight with the launch of NFL football and we even got some glimpses of the first half at dinner.  Good thing Jason and has good eyes and could see around the tiki heads to the tv in the bar.  We're snuggled up and ready for a short night sleep to head to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow.  Oh, and if you've ever wondered why we aren't Amish, Isaiah explained it tonight when he out of the blue told us, we couldn't be Amish because we like to sleep in.  Now you know what precludes us from that option.  Like I said, I love hanging out with my Ohana.  Because Ohana means Family.

Disney Day 2

Whew!  My little piggies are sore.  According to my phone we walked 16, 758 steps today from 9am-7:15pm.  We squeezed a lot of fun into those steps.  It has been such a huge blessing to explore and laugh and just make memories with my kids. We've met Princesses, Chipmunks and whatever Goofy is, explored countries, laughed and ate.  Jason and Rachael were 2 of the first customers at the brand new Starbucks of Epcot.  Jason went through a military training workout with Mulan.  Rachael made Jasmine jealous by asking to be in a picture with just Aladdin.  Jena found Mary Poppins in a topiary. We talked Tea Parties with Alice and even celebrated 5 unbirthdays and 2 birthdays. The entire family went Soarin' and loved it.  We went on a Mission to Mars and no one got sick. Rachael and Isaiah designed an award winning car.  Jason and I designed a car that came in first place in a test drive with 3 other cars.  We sent silly emails from the Future to the Grandmothers.  We ate in an aquarium where Mickey was on an underwater dive.  We rode rides, we learned things and we walked, and walked and walked.  There were no complaints.  I'm having to let go of some of my administrative tendencies.  But overall, Epcot was a huge hit.  Tomorrow we are heading to Hollywood Studios but now, now I am heading to bed.

Oh by the way, how do ya'll like my new car?  Just kidding, my kids are wearing this car on their teeth disguised as braces.

 

We Made It To Disney!

Hi everybody! We made it! We are in Disney World! I can't believe that we are actually here. After only one evening I never want to leave. This morning, we left our hotel in Pensacola (which was so fun by the way) and hit the road. Once we had left, we realized we had a miscalculation concerning our route to Disney. It was going to take longer to travel to the magical world than we had originally thought. But we kept on traveling. Today's backseat presentations included Mulan and Hercules, two of my favorites. I absolutely love the parts we get to ride to and from in the car with my sibs. We have so much fun laughing and joking, making memories. So once we entered the Disney park I was absolutely amazed. I can't believe how all of this awesomeness started from a mouse cartoon. We got checked into our resort, which is absolutely fabulous, and changed quickly into dinner clothes. We took a bus from our resort to Epcot, to try to dine with the Princesses. The second we stepped off the bus I was amazed! Everyone was so nice, and as the sun set the Epcot golf ball looked absolutely amazing. I think Jena Grace (who was wearing her Merida dress) loved how many people called her Princess, Birthday Girl and Merida. We found a map and marched our way to Akershus. They let us in and as soon as we got inside the castle themed restaurant we got to meet Belle, who is my absolute favorite Disney Princess of all time! She thought it was amazing that we were brothers and sisters, and told us all about Chip and his family. Then she asked if we played hide and seek on our castle, and told us how Beast liked to play, but his tail always gave him away. We were sat down right after getting our pictures taken. After our waitress took our order, we got to go to the appetizer bar which was really good! They had some seafood different kinds of breads, meats, cheeses and salads. When I came to sit back at our table, Princess Ariel was signing my autograph book and making conversation with my brothers (she even gave Ki a kiss and called him prince)! We asked where we were from, and if we had to swim the Gulf of Mexico to get here. She was way super sweet. Her visit was followed by Snow White's, who asked why we only had five dwarfs with us instead of seven, Princess Aurora, who told Jena Grace all about her failed birthday cake, and Rachael's favorite, Cinderella. Cinderella complimented our dresses and asked if we were going dancing after dinner, and said that after dinner with her friends, she wanted to dance with her prince. Rachael told her how she had Cinderella school supplies, and she thought that Rachael was too kind. Jena Grace and Isaiah participated in a Princess Parade, where they strolled around the restaurant with the princess, practicing their royal waves. I had such a good time and it was such an amazing experience! Can't wait to get out there tomorrow! This is seriously a dream come true!

-Ruthie-

Princess Jena Grace's Birthday Party Part 1

Wow!  What can I say?  This truly is the Magical Kingdom.  We were running behind schedule due to some travel issues so I was a little stressed when we showed up 2 hours late for our dinner reservation but Disney had it all taken care of.  We were ushered into a magical castle where we had a nice visit with Belle.  She informed us that Beast isn't as good as Chip and his brothers and sisters at hide and seek.  She also wished Princess Jena Grace a happy birthday.  We were then given a wonderful treat of fabulous food and visits with 4 more Princesses.  We chatted about Dinglehoppers with Ariel, who thought Ki had fabulous manners and was a true Prince.  He was rewarded with a kiss on his check and his blush matched her lipstick.  Snow White was surprised we only had 5 dwarfs instead of 7 but we informed her it worked for us this way.  Princess Aurora and Jena Grace had a lovely discussion about Aurora's mishap with her birthday cake and her fairy godmothers and she even enlisted the knights Ki and Isaiah to slay a dragon for her.  Cinderella and Rachael shared a special moment when Rachael informed her she had all Cinderella school supplies and shared her love of shoes.  After our personal visits, Jena and Isaiah were invited to join in a Royal Procession where Ariel again stopped by to visit "her prince".  The food was amazing and I'm so thankful for the free dining plan we have been blessed with.  It was a perfect meal and we were all smiles.  I couldn't believe it when our waitress then came out with a special gift from the princesses just for Princess Jena Grace!  A special sprinkles and gummy bear cupcake with a signed birthday card from all the Princesses!  She was instructed to make a very special wish before blowing out her candle because after all-here wishes are magical!  Can't wait to enjoy a full day tomorrow!  Thanks for following along!

Are we there yet????  This is a standard joke of traveling and one we've made many times with our kids.  For the first time ever though, we have a kid that used it in context.  For real.  We left Rosenberg yesterday after a fabulous morning at church, a filling lunch with my parents and hit the road.  Not 30 minutes into the trip, Isaiah began the dreaded mantra.  I couldn't believe it.  He was raised better than this!  We have been traveling with our kids for 16+ hour trips since Rachael was literally 6 weeks old.  They know the road trip is a way of life for us.  They know the joy is in the journey.  That all ended apparently yesterday when we began our trek to visit the Magical Kingdom and the Magnificent Mouse.  He was just too excited!  He even knew that we'd be spending 2 nights in Pensacola but he didn't care.  Every hour and a half we'd hear it come from the backset.  "Are we there yet?"  It was actually a very different drive for us.  It was the first time that our kids had experienced us traveling east.  They added 4 new states to their lists.  Louisiana, we saw an alligator on the side of the road in a swamp.  In Mississippi, we saw several billboards helping raise awareness for human trafficking.  In Alabama, we saw NASA and even found a great Oldies radio station to which we sang along much to the joy of the children.  Then we entered Florida and found we all had a strange craving for orange juice.  Our hotel is pristine and while we have never had a bad stay at a Spring Hill Suite this one is especially nice.  We found out why when I was talking to an employee and he told me they had only been open since Thursday.  Well, okay then.  At least we don't have to worry about too many germs in our room!  Yea!  After a great hot breakfast this morning, we went to explore the Sunshine State.  In a torrential downpour.  First stop was the Naval Aviation Museum.  Can I just say if you haven't been and you are planning a trip to Pensacola or anyplace close, add this stop to your itinerary!  It is a free museum with tons of planes and helicopter cockpits for the whole family to try out.  There is also a nice little battleship playland, if you have little ones.  We splurged and saw the IMAX Magic of Flight and it was amazing.  While the kids liked everything, I think it was especially amazing for me.  My dad knows this but I (Jana) have always been fascinated with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels.  Having seen them in action and loving every minute of it, it was neat to be "in the cockpit" with them through the IMAX experience. There are tons more planes and memorabilia to explore and learn about including an underwater experience where you learn about planes they have recovered from WWII training in Lake Michigan.  It was truly a great experience. 
Following the Naval Aviation Museum, we left to find that we were indeed in the Sunshine State with 200% humidity and 95 degrees.  On the base with the museum, is also the first lighthouse on the Gulf Coast.  Jason has always wanted to climb to the top of a lighthouse and as our vacation motto goes, "as long as we're here".  Jason, Ruth, Ki, Jena Grace and Isaiah changed out of their flip flops, put on their climbing shoes and headed to the top.  They got a great view of the fleet of Blue Angels, the ocean and Rachael and I at the bottom.  After a nice lunch, we headed to the beach.  We got some great pictures and then we got to see an incredible thunderstorm roll in over the emerald water and got drenched!  We played in the rain for a bit but then the lightning came and we had to make a break for the car.  We were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow over the bay and then a relaxing evening at the hotel.  Tomorrow is the day they have been waiting for-Disney!  And then I can finally answer Isaiah's question with a Yes, we're there!  M-I-C, see ya real soon, K-E-Y! M-O-U-S-E!!!!!!!!!