Making Magical Memories at Magic Kingdom!

I suppose it goes without saying but there are many pictures and stories to come, so skim or skip these posts, they're mostly for Travis and I to remember :) We woke up early (like 6:00am early) on Monday morning so we could make the hour drive and be there when the gates opened. We hadn't told the kids where we were going yet, but they knew we had a special surprise for them!  Only with a 2 and 3 year old can you lay out Mickey Mouse shirts for the whole family to wear and NOT have them immediately understand what we were doing!!  Ha!  We put them in the car and fed them some breakfast, Ava could not understand why it was "nighttime" and what we were doing, but I got the video camera out and we started asking her some leading questions until we got her asking us, "Daddy, can we go to Disney World today??"  To which we yelled, "YES!!!"  

And then she said two things that cracked us up: 

1. After she shrieked with delight, she said "OHHH!!! We have money!!!"  Remember in my last post we told her we needed to save money for Disney?  Of course she didn't forget that and it was like a light bulb went off!  Hilarious!  We got a good laugh out of that, and then with each other as we agreed we had enough money for Disney, but maybe wouldn't go so far as to exclaim that we had money :) :) :) Ha ha!

2. After 2 or 3 minutes of excitement, she paused and said (on video) "Oh, I can't wait to tell Miss Ashley.  She will love this!"  Her Cubbies teacher on Wednesday nights is so sweet to listen to all her stories about princesses, so of course she remembered her in that moment!  So funny.  

 Carter was also excited, although I don't think he really had an idea of what we were about to do.  He knew we'd see Mickey Mouse though and that was all it took for him to be thrilled!  We followed Trav's sister to the gates of Disney because she needed to be with us to get us her military discount and because she could practically work for Disney! They are annual pass holders and she and my brother in law, Troy, were our Disney experts.  She got us in and all set up with our plan of attack and then graciously headed home to let us experience Disney as a family.  Seriously, when we pulled up to the gates I thought I might burst into tears from all the excitement!  

This would be a theme for the next 4 days...  

All Ava wanted was a glimpse of Cinderella's castle and then she fell into a total trance.  She was completely overwhelmed for about the first 2 hours, almost unable to take it all in!  Because we drove to Florida and we knew Disney was a possibility, we brought our jogger along and we are SO glad we did!  Our kids could never have done all the walking without it.  Plus, it served as our mobile storage device for snacks, drinks, and our cooler with lunches.  It was so great.  Kind of pain sometimes too, but mostly great!

We did Disney on a budget, but God gave us major favor in so many details.  I really wanted us to have Disney shirts on our first day, totally for the pictures :) Did we need that?  No.  But I kept that little dream in the back of my mind and after we made the decision to go, I tried to see if I could do it inexpensively.  I went to Wal-Mart in Naples and picked up the one and only Minnie shirt for Ava, for $5; I brought a Mickey shirt that Carty got for Christmas from home, for free; I found a Disney Parks outlet store at on our way from Marco to Tampa and scored some cute shirts for Trav and I, both for under $20.  Maybe not a big deal to you, but I was so grateful it worked out and fell into place AND that I didn't have to break the bank!  Travis was not convinced he needed a Disney shirt or that he loved the grey one I found to match the rest of us, but he wore it to make me happy and I'm not kidding, we weren't in the gates more than 5 minutes and an employee stopped him and said, "I really love that shirt!  I haven't seen that one!"  Ha ha ha ha ha!!  I got a good laugh out of that :)  Silly? Yes.  But as soon as I saw this picture of us in front of the castle in our shirts, I smiled.  God knows I'm a details kind of girl and He loves to delight me when He works those kind of things out.  Also, I'm so grateful I have a sweet husband who does things like this to make me happy too :) 

My Mom has a love affair with this castle and Ava and I are right behind her!  

I could look it all day...I was raised by a romantic at heart and I'm raising one myself :) 

Per our game plan to conquer Disney and hit all the "big ticket attractions" efficiently, we made a bee-line for Belle's Cottage, a brand new spot in the princess fantasy land.  It is one of the only things that doesn't allow fast passes (more on that later) so we knew we needed to stand in line and wait.  It was the ONLY line we waited in for more than 10 minutes during our visit to all of the parks because of their fast pass system and our planning the night before.  

Here is my PSA to any of you making a Disney visit in the future:  If you attempt to explore a park and do NOT use the fast pass thing, you are CRAZY!!  It's free, it's easy and it changes your whole day.  Because of the fast passes and our plan to stay on top of them, we did all the major things we wanted to do by lunchtime, then had the whole afternoon free to do the extra things we wanted to do around the park, like shows and parades.  I wanted to help all the families wasting their time at the front gates with NO plan for the day, just casually looking at maps and figuring out where things are!  That's NUTS!!  You will only see a fraction of the park and will stand in long lines for every ride if you do it that way.  Just do a little research the night before and it is WELL worth it.  Also, we downloaded and used the free "Disney Mobile Magic" app, which became our on the go guide for all of our questions.  It had up to the minute wait times on all the rides, schedules for the day, maps, and information on everything.  Again, totally helpful! 

We were so thankful we didn't have to do many lines because this little guy??  He doesn't do waiting patiently very well!  If only we had a rope like this one for every wait :) 

Daddy and his princess, who was beside herself to get inside that cottage and see Belle!

 The new fantasy land is so adorable.  I loved this area from Beauty and the Beast.  My only complaint is that I wish it was 10 times bigger!  It was so cute to see those parts of the movies come to life.  We heard Gaston makes appearances here, but we missed him :) I'm not sure Ava would have been brave enough to get his autograph anyway.  

Inside Belle's cottage was a darling "Story time with Belle" that just thrilled all of us.  It is set up so well and you get to interact with Belle in a very small setting.  This was Ava's first glimpse at a live princess and it was priceless!!  She was completely nervous that the Beast was going to appear, but when I finally convinced her it was just Belle, she relaxed and loved it.

After the story time when she caught on that all the kids could get a hug and picture from Belle??  

She was dying!! And also, shy :) 

So sweet!

Not bad for "No Flash Photography" :) 

Her first experience with a princess and it was so cute.  

Again, the tears were brimming in Mommy's eyes!  Carter was also invited to pose with Belle, but he was too shy and just waved at her instead.  Also darling!

 Ava has gone through a progression of "favorite" princesses and right now, Ariel holds her heart.  This is the scene of "Ariel's Grotto" and I thought it was so cute!

We took a ride in a shell through the grotto and both kids loved it!

 Kiss de Girl!

Ava was like this through the whole thing, in a total trance of shock and awe!

After she began to wake up to all the fun in store for her, the good old Carousel brought the first grin of the day!

We did the Peter Pan ride, one of my favorites, and Winnie the Pooh...

 And out of total obligation and the need to sit down for awhile...

 We rode "It's a Small World", singing all the way!

Because what kind of parents would we be if we didn't expose them to that Disney classic??

Clearly Travis and I enjoyed it and the kids did not know what to think!  They were singing by the time it was over, however :) 

Ava got a beautiful autograph book from Aunt Shaye and we spotted our first opportunity to use it when we laid eyes on the Fairy Godmother.  Ava was completely taken with her and so excited to stand in line and meet her.  

My first real tears of the day came after this picture.  When I saw the joy in her little heart and her wonder at meeting the "real" Fairy Godmother, I shed some tears too.  I couldn't help myself.  It was totally cute and brought me right back to my first visit as a girl, when all those characters came to life in front of me and I took it all in.  I was told by lots of friends who knew we were going that watching Ava's excitement would make me cry and they were right!  Travis wasn't with us for this one, but she couldn't wait to tell Daddy and Carter all about it!  We also spotted the Wicked Stepmother and Stepsisters after this, but she was not so thrilled about meeting them.  We just took a picture from afar :) 

 We caught one of the Castle shows in the afternoon and the kids loved it!

 We made the mistake of hoisting them up at the beginning so they could see better, and then the world's longest stage show went on and on and on...We were DYING by the end!!  

But they thought it was great!  I told Travis I needed a break, so we decided to scope out our seats for the parade and take an ice-cream break.

 That was a good decision and we got front row seats that were perfect when the parade began!

 I video-ed the whole parade, thinking the kids might want to watch it later and they've already watched it several times since!

Nobody does a parade better than Disney!

The waving princesses were a GIANT hit with Ava!

Carter loved all the characters who walked around and came over for a high-5!

 We were grateful for overcast skies and a hot day!  So far it had been a magical day, but the best part was still to come!

 Considering how much we did and that he got no afternoon nap, Carter did remarkably well.  He had a few rough minutes here and there, but usually snacks or a diversion thwarted him from a major meltdown.  

After the parade, we took a train ride around the park because we knew Carter would love it most of all!  His favorite things about Disney World are the Monorail and the Disney Parking Lot Trams!  Ha ha!  SUCH a boy :) If it had wheels or provided some type of transportation, he loved it!

The BIG score of the day however, was getting fast passes to the Disney Hall of Princesses and meeting Rapunzel  Jasmine and Cinderella on the first day!!  I thought Ava might pass out from pure joy!!  Even Carter was swept up in the excitement of the room :) Right out of the gate, Ava adopted this "hands on her hips" pose while her book was being signed and she would go on to do that for the rest of the trip!  It was so funny to us!  

Rapunzel was so cute with her, I loved that she wrapped her up in her hair!

Look at that little face!

Jasmine was also a hilarious story, Ava was completely TAKEN with her...

She could NOT stop staring at her!  Or even reaching out to "touch" her outfit and stroke her leg.  Hilarious.  Also, a little nerve wracking for her parents as we tried to tell her, "Ava, keep your hands to yourself!"  Ha ha!  The poor girl couldn't help it, she was meeting Jasmine live and in the flesh!

So cute!

Her Disney dreams were slowly coming true, one princess at a time!

The big score was of course, Cinderella, who is like the heavy hitter of Disney.  I'm pretty sure she calls the shots when it comes to the other Princesses :) 

It was a great catch to get her on our first day!

Not one to waste the moment, my little detailed mini-me cracked us up when she asked Cinderella if she could "See your shoes?"  I think she was bummed when she realized there was no glass slipper on that foot, but Cinderella laughed and explained that her glass slippers were in a special place in the Palace :) Of course.  Those princesses never break character!  And as Travis and I agreed, we're thankful!  We paid a lot of money for them to stay in character and sell us some dreams :) :) :) 

She was smitten with Cinderella and happy to take a picture and collect another autograph.

What a memory for her...

 She looked at these princess pictures over and over on my phone that night!  They were real to her and such a treat!  Travis and I were also giddy watching her...It was such a special day!

 We also fast passed a meet and greet with the star of the whole show himself, Mickey Mouse!!

This time Carter shed his shy demeanor and got right in there to meet Mickey!  He loved him and I love this sweet picture.  It was the perfect way to wrap up our first day and as they say in Disney World...

"All of our dreams came true!"  

It was much different from the Beach, but one of those memories we'll hold onto in our hearts forever.  What a great day at Magic Kingdom!!  We were tired, sweaty and ready for dinner but brimming with joy too!!  We love Disney World!!

Sabbatical Diaries: Week Three

I've hesitated to write these updates from our trip because I don't want to seem like a spoiled brat, bragging about every last thing we did and how amazing it was.  However, I know I want these memories chronicled for later and more importantly, I just love reflecting on the goodness of God in our family over these weeks we've been off.  He just blessed us with such sweet times with our kids, memories we'll cherish for a lifetime.  In many ways this Sabbatical has been about Travis getting a break from ministry, a chance to rest and refresh. But, God also impressed on both of us what an opportunity He had ordained for us to spend sweet time with our kiddos who so often have to share their Daddy when we go on trips or simply when we're at Church every week.  We realized with no school schedules to dictate our time and no rush to be back home, this was such a unique season and we really wanted to be intentional with how we spent it.

The beach was so wonderful, so relaxing and just what we needed to really unplug and refresh.  It was not easy to see that part of our trip end, but when we drove off that island we left behind the lazy days in the sun and began to mentally change gears for a much different week...

When we bought the movie Cinderella for Ava last Fall, she watched an "extra" on the DVD that highlighted the new Fantasyland that was due to open in November at Disney World.  That was her first introduction to the concept of Disney World and also the start of her love affair with all things princess.  At Christmas she scored the Princess Dream Castle and in February my Dad showed her an old photo album from when we went to Disney as kids.  The wheels were turning in her little princess-loving head and when she found out we were going to Florida, she was smart enough to ask me, "Flor-dah Mama?? Isn't dat where da princesses live?? In Disney World??"  I'm telling you, we aren't going to be able to get much past that girl!

In January, after she saw a commercial on Spring Break deals to Disney World, just like Pavlov's dog she asked us if we could go.  Chalk one up for the Disney marketing department!  Our answer was, "Someday we'd love to take you, but we need to save a lot of money for that special trip."  Which was totally true and at that point, something we hoped for maybe next year.  The Sabbatical wasn't happening yet, so we were trying to give her some hope but realizing we'd be answering that question for at least a year!  She wanted to go so badly and for weeks, every time she found a dime or a penny she'd run to us and give it to us saying, "Look!  Here's some money for Disney World!  We can go now!"  Sweet girl :)  Carter usually joined in too and suddenly they were both scrounging around for loose change to finance our vacations!  Ha ha!  But when Trav came home in February and told me he was taking 5 weeks off in March, our own wheels began to turn.  Suddenly the idea of Disney wasn't so far fetched anymore and we began to seriously consider it. We debated, explained it away several times, and just prayed about how we should spend those weeks and the money we set aside.  We never imagined taking the kids when they were so young, but Carter was still free and Ava is actually at a really fun age for Disney.  We had the time, God blessed us with the funds, we had a place to stay and we had kids who were dying to go...

So, we did it!  We marveled at all the ways God gave us favor in the details and we decided to load up our double stroller with our double blessings and head to the "Happiest Place on Earth!"  We got an incredible deal on tickets through Trav's sister and her husband, and we were able to stay at their house, about an hour from Disney.  We packed lunches and snacks every day and we strategized our game plan for each park every night.  It was crazy and totally fun!!  We were able to get park hopper passes for all 4 parks and we had 4 days to explore them.  We went to Magic Kingdom on Monday, Hollywood Studios on Tuesday, took a break on Wednesday (hallelujah!!), Epcot on Thursday and Animal Kingdom, then Magic Kingdom on Friday.  Whew! For all the rest and refreshment we got in Marco, we spent it all at Disney!  It was an exhausting week, but one that was SOOOOOO great!!! I cannot possibly sum that week up in one post, so I'm going to break it down by day.  Yes I have a million pictures so believe me, that is a gift to you :)  Now that it's all over and we have been schooled in the ways of Walt Disney World, was it worth it??  Would we do it again??

YES.  It was SO worth it and we would do it again in a heartbeat.  It was one of the highlights of our trip and something both kids can't stop talking about.  They've poured over all of our pictures, watched all the videos we took, and waste no time telling anyone who will listen all about it.  Travis and I also had a ball, really enjoying and taking everything in through their eyes.  We were so "parental" on this trip and for the first time we took in a theme park for all it was worth, while never really riding most of the thrill rides!  I'm so thankful we were able to go and will cherish some of the sweet moments with Ava and Carter forever.  I'm a Disney girl at heart too and I was lucky enough to walk hand in hand with my own prince, experiencing the "magic" of Disney all over again!

At the risk of being obnoxious or over the top with these recaps, I apologize.  I know how fortunate we are to have done this trip and what a gift it has been from our Church.  We are beyond thankful!  I hope you enjoy a glimpse of our Disney memories in the posts to come, we made a lot of them...

The Sabbatical Diaries: Week Two

We started the second week of our break with a full week at the beach.  Yes, the previous four days were glorious, but what a treat to have seven more!  We had five days at the beach with our own little family and then we met up with Trav's sister and her family who were vacationing on the island too, and then his Mom came to stay with us for the last few days of our time in Marco.  

We jumped at our first chance to go back to our Church in Naples together for the Saturday night service we used to attend.  I mentioned it previously, but this is the Church our lives centered around when we met.  We were both single when we moved to Naples and we each found our way to FBCN, four years apart.  We met in the 20's group where Trav was a leader and I was new.  *Cue the dramatic music*

In the retirement capitol of Florida, God led us to one another, and considering the average age of people in Naples, that was a miracle in itself!  We still have dear friends here and a lifetime of memories from that season of falling in love and growing closer in our relationship and eventually beginning our marriage.  We love FBCN and always will!  It was a no-brainer for us to make the trek off the island so we could go to Church there again.  When we lived here, we attended the contemporary service on Saturday nights, went to our 20's class afterwards, and then we'd pick a restaurant where 20 or so of us would go for a late dinner or dessert.  We did that every single week and it was so much fun!  I really miss having a Saturday night service and would love to have that option now that we have kids!  It was SO nice to have all day on Sunday to relax and really enjoy the full weekend.  However, now that Travis is a Pastor I'm not sure how much I'd love it as he'd still have to work on Sundays, but we had fun taking our kids to Church "in da dark" as Ava put it!  

Is that a cute picture or what??  I wanted to get a quick pic on the beautiful campus there and struck gold with this one.  We also ran into our former Pastor's wife and her two daughters while we were standing there, so that was a fun surprise!  

Day 9

One of the highlights of the condo we stayed in, is the incredible view from the balcony every day. To watch the Lord awaken the dawn with brilliant shades of blue and the rising sun, and then to see Him paint that same sky with oranges, purples, and pinks, as the sun slips below the horizon...it was the perfect beginning and ending to every day.  Such majesty in the skies, it's no wonder that the Bible tells us all of creation speaks of its' creator day after day.  We witnessed it in a glorious way at the beach and although it was chilly in the mornings, my favorite place to be hands down was on that balcony with some coffee and my journal.  THAT is Heaven to me!  

Day 10

We established such a fun rhythm every day that involved slow mornings reading and playing, lunch on the balcony and then an afternoon at the beach, the pool or both!  We were blessed with mostly warm weather and sunny skies.  We only had a handful of times when it was overcast, but usually it was a nice relief from all the sun!  We had a hard time not rubbing it in with pictures, knowing we were escaping a HORRIBLE cold snap and one snowfall after another at home in Minnesota.  It was SUCH a gift to miss that weather and to enjoy paradise instead.  We were pinching ourselves every day!

One thing Travis loves to do is to go fishing and after the kids were in bed, he went down to the dock to do a little fishing with the locals and other people staying on the property.  He texted me this picture on his first night when he caught this nice sized fish.  It's always a good night when the fish are biting!

Day 11

Day 12

The cousins came to visit!  We enjoyed two days with our niece and nephew, as well as Trav's sister and brother in law, who were staying down the island at the Hilton.  We swam, we fished, we ate out and we had fun catching up!

One of the books I brought with me is this one.  I read it last summer pretty quickly and just loved it.  It is hands down, the best book on marriage, aside from the Bible!  Of course that's just my own opinion, but I appreciate it so much because it is a book that throws aside all of our cultural thoughts and views toward marriage and looks strictly at what scripture says, then interprets the way we ought to behave in marriage based on God's ways, not our's.  It's a deep read and one that I've been wanting to pour through again.  It hasn't disappointed the second time around and in just the first few chapters, I know the Lord used it to speak a word in my life and my own marriage.  It's amazing how deep and how far reaching the ways of the world can influence us, specifically in the area of entitlement and selfishness in marriage.  So many of us have bought the lie that our marriages exist simply to make our lives better and that we should choose our spouse based on who  fulfills us or brings something to the marriage for our benefit.  It's no wonder that marriages dissolve and people grow dissatisfied based on those criteria.  This book helps us see the intent of marriage as another way to display the Gospel to the world and reminds us that only God fulfills us and only in Him can we receive what we need to love our spouses and serve them, like He has done for us.  Our chief end is to love the Lord and bring Him glory, first as individuals and then together in a marriage.  When we pattern our marriages after the Gospel, then we are able to forgive even the deepest offenses, to love unselfishly, to consider others better than ourselves, to lay down our lives for the good of the other, and to find our joy in Christ, not base our happiness on the performance of a spouse.  I highly recommend this book!  I know several groups going through it right now and I think that's a fabulous way to really dissect it.  I'm so glad I brought it!

Day 13

Just another day in paradise, cruising around in our minivan next to Ferrari's and all kinds of exotic cars! Ha ha, one of us is not like the other!

This view. It just never gets old...

Once Trav's Mom got here, she let us enjoy a little date on the dock, after we put the kids to bed.  On this particular night the Hawkeyes were playing in the Big Ten Tournament, so I wore my gear in solidarity and had my sister update me via text while I missed the first half to fish with Trav.  And we won, so we decided I should be on the dock for the next game too!

I told Travis I would go with him one night to fish and before I knew it, that became our little date night together :) Once the sun set it was chilly out and even a little windy, so I told him I'd go with him but only under the following conditions; I needed a beach chair, a blanket, the iPad and some hot coffee to drink.  Oh, you thought I was fishing too??  Not so much!  I came along for moral support and to be a cheerleader, but that's about it!  I held a pole here and there, but I don't touch fish and I'm not a fan of them flipping all over the place and getting me wet :) I realize I sound very high maintenance but I won some big wife points as the ONLY wife to come to the dock every night and to get excited over every catch, no matter how small!  So, high maintenance or not, I'm taking the credit for making my man happy!  He never complained about my conditions but said he was just happy to have me with him and got a kick out of seeing me all bundled up every night, ha ha! One amazing memory we shared was getting totally freaked out by a couple of dolphins who jumped through the water just a few feet in front of the dock and in plain view of where we were.  We saw TONS of dolphins during the day and figured out that they also move at night near the boats.  Unless you are super close to them, you'd never know how loud they are when they jump out of the water.  When they break the surface it makes a pretty big noise and as we were getting settled on the dock, in the stillness of the late night, twice we jumped out of our skin when they chose to swim right by us!!  It was awesome!  But also maddening for my fisherman because the fish disappear with dolphins around.  Usually the fishing picked up after they swam away, but it was fun to see regardless.  I loved those nights together!  We stayed up way too late, but it was worth it  :) 

Day 13

When I knew we were coming to the beach for this trip, I told Travis my only request was to get a family picture at sunset one night.  By now you know my affinity for pictures, they are definitely my love language, and after 10 years Travis has graciously cooperated each and every time.  So after Texie joined us I knew we had to take advantage of extra hands to help and take photos for us.  We watched the time carefully and picked a warm night to catch the last of the sunlight...

...and got the most amazing shots, including this one!!  My favorite EVER!!!  I'm not kidding when I tell you that I know God did this for me.  I just know He gave us the perfect night, and somehow amidst the chaos and the whining and the complaining, He orchestrated a few perfect moments and gave us favor to get them on film!  Trav's Mom got this with my iphone and it is the shot I would have paid big money for.  What a gift to remember this precious trip together!  

I've already ordered it on canvas  :) 

It was so fun to have Texie with us and we got some darling shots of her with the kids too!  Marco was a much better visit than Minnesota in March!  I think she could get used to that!!

 Seriously blessed!!

 Day 14

Our last full day and it was glorious!  Perfect weather and tons of fun at the Beach...

One of the best parts of this trip so far has simply been watching Travis unwind and relax.  He works very hard for our family and gives a lot himself not only to us, but to the people he serves and loves.  I got so much joy seeing a smile on his face day after day and knowing that his only "requirement" was to rest and refresh.  I'm so thankful God blessed us with this time and worked out every detail for us to get away together in Florida.  I could cry thinking about it again, it's been an incredible two weeks!

Unfortunately as our time at the beach ended, Carter couldn't bear to say good-bye and I couldn't blame him!  It was the best and rather than mourn its' passing, I'm choosing to celebrate it instead and remember the fun we had and the memories we made in God's glorious creation.  

We praise Him for taking such good care of us and for giving us a taste of what Heaven might be like someday...Where there are surroundings we can't even comprehend, beauty we've never seen, endless days to praise Him and enjoy what He's prepared for us, and the gift of never having to see it end!  Amazing!!  We enjoyed our time at the beach for all it was worth and then some!