Animal Kindgom, Check!

We interupt the Magic Kingdom posts to bring you this...

I was really excited to take Henry to Animal Kingdom this trip. They have the BEST safari ride with so many awesome and up close animals right off the side of the road that you're driving on. You almost forget you are at at Disney theme park...almost...until the driver of your jeep starts up with her jokes again.

*

Here is a picture chronicle of some of our day:

On the tram to the front gates. Someone is sleepy...

Can anyone find the differences in this next picture? I'd like to call it, normal people vs. people who have no idea what cold means. It was about 65-70 degrees this day. You know I love you mom...even with your scarf on. :)

Our first stop was at Dinoland, which is pretty much perfect for Henry's age group.
Getting ready to fly with dinosaurs!


Henry lovin' his control over the up or down function:

I would like to thank my husband for this awesome angle of my face. It was important that Mr. Huge Yellow Brontosaurus-type dino was in the photo op. Henry's obvious joy at his surrounding wins, though. I shall say goodbye vanity...

Here we are at The Boneyard, a HUGE play area with super-tall tube slides that you climb up robes and stairs and ladders to. Also know as "heaven" to 3 year olds.

Wyatt just enjoyed the sunshine. And all the loud kids running from one slide to the next.

Do you think he liked it?

And off he goes! Didn't even wait for poor Grandma, who is awesome because she did these slides with Henry. Can you tell she loved it? Heee.

Because my mama's got connections, we got the best seats for the Nemo show. Which was freakin' awesome! Such talent! It's all huge puppets and live singing and acting. I didn't believe it would be so cool (I mean, there is no singing in Finding Nemo), but it really, really was.

And I'm not kidding, Henry was this captivated the entire time:

Here's another clip of the sweet show:

Then we had lunch. I have to say, Disney has stepped it up for kids meals. Henry had chicken nuggets with CARROTS and GRAPES. That made me feel so great! Especially because Jim, Mom and I each had our own GINORMOUS turkey leg. Which none of us finished. And there are no pictures because our faces were smeared with turkey grease. Delicious.

Next up was the safari ride and we were all excited, even this little one who just had fun smiling at everyone in line around us:

I will only show a few pictures of my favorite animals. First, some of the bazillion giraffes they had:

Cheese!

There were also many elephants, but this one was my favorite:

And here's the dude I just sat and stared at for a while. Poor thing. He just sat there and stared back at all the people who were staring at him. You gotta wonder what he's thinking. Such a powerful and amazing animal though!

There was more to our day, including talking Henry into going on the river rapids ride with me and my mom. HA! We just kept laughing hysterically when we would get soaked or travel down enormous water slides so he would think it was funny. It worked! Such a brave boy. It is truly something different to get to experience the magic of Disney through your children's eyes. This particular day was just so much fun.

Stay tuned for more sporadic and out of order posts!

My First Roller Coaster by Henry

Hello. I wanted to share what it was like to go on my first roller coaster. I was way over the height requirement, but also a couple years younger than most of the kids on the ride. I didn't care. I was SO excited. It was called The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm. I like Goofy. The ride was like an airplane and I liked the airplane ride we took to come to Orlando, so I was obviously going to love this ride.

*

Here's me, mommy and grandma in line:

Here we are at the beginning. My mom kept giggling in front of us and I was wondering why we kept going uphill...

And then...

this:

Mommy was still laughing and I am no longer visible in pictures because I was in Grandma's lap.

Here I am telling Grandma that this ride is TOO FAST! Can you see the concern on my face (for all the other children, of course)?

Daddy wanted me to smile but I just wanted to get the heck out of there! Why do I get the feeling my parents were enjoying this?!

Maybe I'll try it again in a couple years when I'm actually 5, and not just as tall as someone that age. But my mom and dad said I was so brave. Well, duh.

Cruisin'

Even though we've been back for one week, I have refrained from posting any of our pictures from Florida thus far because we have approximately one million photos and it overwhelms me to think about. So! I will do mini-posts for awhile, which will mean less work for me and lots of posts to come! They will be very out of order but will give you a glimpse into our trip and show you how much fun we had with my family in Orlando.

***

The first post is dedicated to my sweet boy Henry, who loved him some race cars at the Magic Kingdom!

Grandma and Wyatt, waiting for Henry's car to take off!

Wyatt is so sad...he doesn't meet the height requirement for the ride.

Dad and Henry waiting in the not-too-long line in SHORTS!

(can you sense his excitement?)

Watching...wondering what color car he will get...

Getting close! And more excited!

At last, behind the wheel. He is a very serious driver, as you can see.

Cheese!

And here is a look into our future (aaaaaah!):

Stay tuned...

January 8, 2000

'Twas the day these two children were married:



Happy Anniversary, Babe! Without you, I would not be who I am today. Thank you for being a loving and supportive husband, for being my confidante in all things (even though you sometimes wish you weren't :), and for giving me perspective when I'm too far gone in my emotions to see it myself. Thank you for being the most amazing daddy to our two beautiful sons, whom I am so blessed to get to spend every day with at home (or let's be honest...all over town). I am so proud of all you do and all you have accomplished, but most of all, I am so proud of the man that you are. We couldn't have more different personalities, but God knew the balancing act he was putting together on this day 10 years ago. He knew how I much I needed your strength, mind and composure. And you know God knew how much you needed my silliness, loudness and inability to think before speaking. :)

In some ways, I can't believe it has been 10 years already. In other ways, I remember how much has happened and how much we've done in those 10 years. We've made a home, a family and some of the best friendships with people we will ever know. We have solidified the foundations of who we are together and who we are in Christ. How blessed are we? I know! So much! I love you with everything I am and I can't wait to experience the next 10 years with you (and the next and the next...) and all the fun times they will bring. I am praising the Lord today for true commitments and the blessings they bring!