Disney Report - Day 4

MGM Studios!

Another hot, long day! Again, the highlights of the day included seeing the characters and the parade. I think Courtney's favorite was the Honey, I shrunk the kids playground. We also saw the Playhouse Disney show, the Little Mermaid show and the Beauty and the Beast show. They were all very entertaining and fun. The Mermaid show was a bit short but the effects were good. Mark and Jessica rode the Rockin' Roller Coster and the Tower Of Terror. They thought they were both pretty fun.

I think this day was the hottest and just about our breaking point! We should have taken a break back at the hotel in the middle of the day but we didn't!

The last show of the day was Fantasmic! And it was fantastic! The effects were very cool with a combination of water, lasers and fireworks. There were a couple of scary moments but it had a Disney, happy ending! We all enjoyed it very much!

Disney Report - Day 3

Animal Kingdom!

It was a bit easier getting to this park than Magic Kingdom so the day seemed to start on a less hectic pace. It didn't seem to be as hot either. Mark and Jessica headed to Mount Everest to get their fast passes while the girls and I headed to find some characters. We were at the front of the line for Donald and he was very funny! The girls got a kick out of seeing him perform. Then we watched the Pocahontas show. It was very good!

While Mark and Jessica went to ride Everest. The girls and I went on one of the animal walking trails. We saw various birds, some HUGE bats, a member of the ape family, some members of the deer family and tigers. I was surprised that we actually got to see any of them considering the heat and time of day. Then we went on the safari as a family. This was really neat. We rode in a jeep like vehicle and got really good views of various animals. Hippos, rinos, giraffas, a lion and some others I don't remember! After the safari, we saw the gorillas then came the one rain shower of the week. I really expected it to rain more and this shower lasted about an hour. It was not very pleasant after the rain stopped so I'm glad it didn't rain anymore!

Again, the highlight of the day was the parade. Disney really knows how to put on a show!

Disney Report - Day 2

Magic Kingdom.

We started the day with breakfast at Cinderella's castle. It was a wonderful way to start the day. It was a little hectic getting there, but that's another story! Anyway, we were announced as the Royal Webb Family and escorted into the dining room. We were served fresh fruit, assorted pastries, and fresh orange juice. Then we had eggs, french toast, bacon, sausage, potato casserole and some kind of pastry with cream cheese and blueberries. It was very good! I was nervous that the food wouldn't be that great but I was pleasently surprised! We met Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, Mary Poppins, Wendy and Belle.

After breakfast, it was a hectic pace from one thing to another. First, we headed to Toontown and saw more characters, Minnie's house and Mickey's house and rode the train around the park. Then we headed back to the room for some down time. Mark and Kirsten took a nap. Jessica, Courtney and I spent some time at the pool. Then we went back to Magic Kingdom for the evening. We missed the afternoon parade but got to see the nighttime Spectromagic parade and then the Wishes fireworks show. My night photos are not that great. But I got a few good shots. I have to say the parades and fireworks are the best part of these parks.

Magic Kingdom was my favorite park of the three we visited. It felt very much like Opryland with the landscaping and music playing in the background. I wish we had spent more time here.

Disney Report - Day 1

WOW!! That pretty much sums up our trip! It was fun, exhausting, exciting, HOT, etc! There is probably more to tell than I could here, but I'm going to give it a try!

We left home at about 11:30 pm on Sunday night. And drove, and drove and drove! There was a point where I actually thought, "We are never going to get there!". It was like we were stuck in some twilight zone. But approximately 13 hours after beginning, we finally got there! We found our hotel, unpacked the car and sat down for a few minutes. We headed to Downtown Disney to check it out and find something for dinner. DD is the shopping district for all things Disney. It has the world's largest Disney Store, a Lego store, a toy store, a Pooh store, a candy store, a pin store, a Christmas store and a scrapbook store (very disappointing, BTW!). The Lego creations were very impressive. This picture is of a Lego dragon that was in the water. After browsing for a while we headed back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day.

3 More Days

Only 3?!! Well, I have gotten a whole lot of nothing done today! I've done some laundry and some organizing. The only thing fun I accomplished was this cute little altered clipboard. It is the small size clipboard. I have cut 4 x 6 pieces of cardstock and this is what we are going to use for the character autographs. Just hand them this and a pen! When we get home, I'll cut the cardstock into a tag shape to go on the page with the picture of them with that character. I'm so excited! This is the funnest thing I've done to prepare for this trip so far.
Minnie is on the front and Mickey is on the back. I haven't decided if I'm going to put ribbon all along the clip or not.

The countdown

Only 5 more days! Excitement is mounting here. Actually the girls are staying pretty calm, considering. We are using our refrigerator magnets to countdown the days. They love changing the number every morning. I think this is actually keeping their anticipation at bay.

I've done laundry today. I have gone throught their books and toys and pulled out all the Disney related items to take with us. I'm thinking a Disney barbie might be a good choice for Courtney as her souvenir. Out of her 20 (yikes) Barbies, only one of them is a Disney Princess. How can that be?

I have a thing about souvenirs. I'm not a fan of a lot of little things. We'll probably get postcards and pressed pennies. But I think one special souvenir is better than a bunch of little ones. I'm thinking of looking for a new purse/bag for myself. Jessica needs a new watch so that would be a good thing to look for.

Anyway, time to cook supper!

One step closer

Thursday we drove to Chattanooga for Jessica's college orientation. We left late because for a couple of different reasons and arrived there at about 12:30 am (they are an hour ahead of us)! We spent the night in one of the dorms there which was an experience! They (Jessica and her roommate) had to get up early in order to take some placement tests. If I had to do it over again, I would probably have stayed home, gone to bed early in order to get up early to drive down there. But that wouldn't have worked with Courtney and Kirsten, so I guess this was the best route! Man, I was exhausted Friday morning! I slept maybe two hours!

So we get up Friday morning, get them to the area for their test and then part company for the rest of the day. The students attended different orientation sessions from the parents. We finished up at about 4:00. All I have to say is - TOO MUCH INFORMATION!! This was all so new to me and Mark and Cindy (Jessica's friends mom) because none of us were traditional college students. Our parents didn't attend orientation. I don't even think our colleges had orientation. I will say that it helped me feel more comfortable with the school and the staff. It is a beautiful campus and just the right size.

The dorm situation is unique there in that all of their dorms are apartment style. They range from two to four bedrooms with a full kitchen/living room area. The ones that Jessica and Jamie are staying in are the newest and VERY nice! The security seems to be top notch and well staffed. They have their own certified police force on campus.

We all felt very overwhelmed and numb from the day on the way home. The girls were really excited on the trip down but coming home they seemed more stunned and thoughtful. They were able to register for classes while we were there and get their student IDs. It seems so official now! We are definately one more step closer to them starting this new stage of their lives. Move in date - August 16!

11 days!

I have started going through drawers, closets and cabinets to see what we have and what we will need. Yesterday I went through the medicines and first aid items. Throw out a bunch of stuff that had expired and made a list of things we need to buy. Not too much, fortunatly!

I have inventoried my clothing situation. Not good! I have zero shorts that fit. I don't usually weart shorts. In fact I don't think I even tried any on last summer. I guess that's why I didn't know the ones I have don't fit! I feel like the heat is going to be so bad that I'm going to want shorts. I'm still thinking on this one! I'm also trying to decide about the best shoes for all of us to wear. Any suggestions?

I cleaned out a drawer in my dresser (from all those shorts and t-shirts that don't fit) and have started filling it with "surprises" for the trip. Courtney and Kirsten each have a new bag and I have been picking up little things here and there. Books, movies, activities, etc. Hopefully for the drive down, I won't need to entertain them much. We'll be driving over night. I'm hoping they will sleep most of the way. But the drive home will be during the day, so I need to be prepared. I have also picked up some Disney themed t-shirts to save us from buying any there. I need to find one for me and Mark.

I've been studying the park maps this morning, trying to come up with a good plan! At least a good plan for us! I need to take a shower and go out to run some errands. Not feeling like it though!

Let the countdown begin!

Only 13 more days until we leave for Walt Disney World. Sometimes when I think about it I can't believe we are actually going. At other times, I start panicking! I am a planner and I feel a bit out of control with planning this trip! We are going to be there for 5 days and I know there is no way we are going to be able to do/see everything. The girls are beyond excited. I kind of wish I had kept it a secret until we got there. Not because they are bugging me but just to see their face when we got there.

So we have our accomodations set. A character breakfast scheduled. I have my packing list started. I bought and read a guide book. I visit several websites almost daily. My brain is on overload! The bad part is that I have just touched the tip of all the info on this magical place. I'm counting on that magic to make this a great trip in spite of my lack of knowledge!

Here's hoping for a fun, fun trip!

Graduation

We made it! Or better yet, Jessica made it! It was a whirlwind weekend. Here it is Wednesday, and I'm just now posting this! I guess that gives you a better idea of my state of mind!

The ceremony was just like any other graduation. Those of you who are local have probably heard about the valadictorian controversy but other than that, it was pretty normal! I missed the shot of Jessica actually getting her diploma. It was crazy! I wasn't standing in the right place, the mom beside me was freaking out about her flash not working and they were reading the names WAY too fast! Anyway, I've been sick ever since over not getting that shot!

Then the family came over on Saturday. That was fun. My mother was here visiting so it was a little interesting having her family and my father's family together but everyone was civil!

Now I have to start thinking about Jessica going to college. No, I won't think about that today! The past few days we have spent cleaning out her room, packing away stuff and throwing out stuff (there are 4 large trash bags full so far) and sorting stuff to get rid of. She seems to be having a harder time than me!

Prom

Just another step toward the big graduation. Just another reminder of how fast time flies. When Jessica came out of her room, all ready, Mark said, "Could you go back in there and not look so grown up?" Then he gave her a hug and told her she was beautiful.

Jessica and Jamie both looked great! It was a stressful day of make-up, hair and getting it all together but the end result was worth it.

more shots

Photo Shoot

"Waiting Until the Last Minute" should be the story of my life. Here we are 2 weeks before Graduation and we are just doing a Senior photo shoot. Jessica didn't like any of the photos they took at school (no surprise) so we thought we would do our own to send with the announcements.

This shot is a la Tara Whitney. My family doesn't appreciate the artistic angle. Oh, well, this one's for me!

I took 91 photos! That doesn't count the ones I deleted along the way! Gotta love digital for that freedom!

Field Trip

Wednesday Courtney, Kirsten and I took a field trip to the Frist Center in Nashville. I wasn't sure how the girls were going to receive this little outing but it actually turned out well.

They have a wonderful exhibit of Impressionist art right now. I enjoyed that more than they did so needless to say we didn't stick around there too long.

They also have a wonderful exhibit for children called ArtQuest. It is a total interactive, hands on kind of exhibit. There are different stations that teach about different art mediums and different art concepts. They were able to draw with pencils, learn about line, texture and shape. They made a mask and another three dimensional project. They used watercolors and oil pastels. And they made a printed design on cloth.

It was a bit over Kirsten's head and Courtney probably would have gotten more out of it if Kirsten hadn't been there. But I thought it was worth it. All you homeschoolers (and others) out there, this is a great field trip!

A little scrappin' this weekend!

I got to do a little scrappin' this weekend, finally! The CK convention was in town but I decided I didn't want to go this year. Lack of funds for one reason and feeling a need to use what I have for another. But my favorite store, Scrap It! had some great activities planned.

Friday night, Mark and I ate at Bellacino's (lovin' their subs!) then flipped over to Scrap It! Mark sat in the car while I shopped and did Jenni Bowlin's make and take (the cute flower). She is a fun person and very creative. I would love to sign up for her monthly kit some time.

Saturday, we had a soccer game at 11:00. Then the girls and I went shopping for some jewelry for Jessica for prom. Last week it was the shoes. Why is this so hard? After walking around Opry Mills TWICE, she finally settled on something. She tried it all on when we got home and she is happy with the results. Then Saturday night I went back to Scrap It! for some more make and takes. The mini album was from Li'l Davis and they also gave great kits of their product in exchange for some unwanted items from our stash. They are going to give the donations to the Ronald McDonald House. The mini page was from Dulce, a new line at Scrap It! It was fun to play with some new product and be around scrappers! I wish I could do it more often!

Thanks Scrap It!

The Weird Smile Stage

Please understand that I am not complaining about this! Actually it just cracks me up to get these shots because this is so Kirsten's personality. So I guess we are officially in the sometimes-weird-sometimes-fake smile stage. Take exhibit A (here in this post) and exhibit B (in the Easter post below). I'll have to admit that I didn't really experience this much with the other two so I guess I should consider myself lucky (or not!). It is actually pretty cute!

Easter Sunday

I am so thankful Easter was a beautiful day. Holidays seem to always be so busy but the nice weather made it all bearable for me. Mark's family came over after church for lunch. I'm still not totally comfortable preparing the whole meal for a special occasion. Everyone said it was all good but what else are they going to say!

After overeating, as usual, the kids had their egg hunt in the back yard. No meltdowns so I think it was a great day!

Egg Hunt

This photo is from our church egg hunt last weekend. It was a beautiful day and perfect for this! The girls had fun. Here we go again on the over abundance of candy! They are both fairly picky on their choice of candy so I know I can weed out what they won't eat! I just have to refrain from eating it myself!

It's Spring!

We had a great Spring Break. I am so glad the weather is turning warmer! This is one of my favorite times of the year!

This picture was taken at the park in White House. It was a beautiful day and the girls had a great time. I think Kirsten went down this slide about 30 times! They slept good that night!

We have lots of things going on for the next two months. I can't believe Easter is in 2 weeks! I have Easter dresses for Kirsten and Courtney but nothing for Jessica. Our church egg hunt is this weekend, hopefully the weather will be good!

See ya!

Nutin' Honey!

I got nothing! So that's why I haven't posted in so long. Just the same ole day to day thing going on here. We are all healthy, so Praise God for that!

It is Spring Break so we've been lazy on top of doing nothing! The girls did get to spend a day and a half with their great aunt who they love! Came home exhausted! Hopefully we will spend today or tomorrow with Tracie and Caroline. Today seems like it is going to be a perfect day weather wise. Oh, I pray we don't have any more cold dips! Bring on the spring!

Just to emphasize how boring we are, yesterday Mark took the day off and the girls were with Aunt Judy. What did we do? I cleaned the carpets and scrubbed the bathroom floor (on my knees kind of scrubbing) and tub (the twins said Bounce dryer sheets take off soap scum so I had to try it - it works!). Mark worked in the yard, mowing and cutting down some stuff. How boring are we!? Most of you knew that already! (if anyone is actually reading this blog! I have no friends!)

Anyway, there's your update!