whobody danced?

It is finally here.

The year when Lola gets to do 

Stretch and Strut!

She has been looking forward to this since she was TWO!

The night she gets to perform in front of the WHOLE GYM at a basketball game...

with the drill team!

This kind of thing is the PERFECT chance for a future rockstar to strut her stuff.

So she did.

She had SO MUCH FUN....and really enjoyed learning the dance. 

She was a little nervous...but did great! 

Lola is already looking forward to next year! 

whobody loved their trip? {dw ten}

This is it. The last post about Disney World (finally).

I had a great trip...and have enjoyed sharing it with all of you...

but I am ready to have this OFF of my to-do list. 

We have had such a busy month since we have gotten home from our trip. I can't believe it has taken me this long! Oh well. 

I will be glad I have it when I look back.

SO....this is it. The day that we leave to come back home. 

Luckily (and this was awesome) our return flight didn't leave for home until almost 6:00 p.m. so we were able to

take it easy and enjoy the day before our flight.

In the morning I finished up some last minute packing...and Jason got the bags where they needed to go. (Cool thing...they actually had a place to check our bags for the airport AT our hotel....so we didn't have to mess with them at the airport at all!)  We stored our carryon suitcase at the front desk...and headed into Magic Kingdom for one last hurrah! (Yes, we spent a lot of time at Magic Kingdom....it is great....but we MOSTLY went there because it was the EASIEST and most convenient to get to....)

Before we left the room, the kids wanted a picture on the balcony. (They had one where they were in front of the castle too...but with the sunshine, that one didn't turn out so great.)  But, here they are in front of the lake!

So...we walked over to the Magic Kingdom....and one of the first things we see is PETER PAN. He was just arriving at this spot to meet and greet. So...he invited the kids to go over and talk to him. 

Of course, he was MUCH too scary for Nash, but Keaton and Lola went RIGHT over.  The funniest thing was...

he just kept on chatting. 

Very true to character, he didn't want to get down to business and take a picture, he wanted to just chat with the kids about the cool rides and neat treats to eat and everything else that kids would talk about.  It was awesome.  I am including a lot of pics of that just because it seemed he talked to them for-ev-er.

 Finally...posing for the picture.

Keaton & Lola were both on cloud nine after that....

he made them feel GREAT and very happy.

WE attempted a family picture a few different times, but really wasn't very easy to do...

here is another attempt.

 Nash cracks me up in his sunglasses!  The weather was seriously (and obviously) AWESOME on our last day.  It was hot! 

 We had a chance to hit all of our favorite rides one more time.

Nice pig nose, Lola!

Cruz even got to go on the magic carpet ride with me. (Poor kid...had another fever during this day too.) He was very happy with me carrying him around in the carrier though...love that thing!

Sadly, looking back through all of our Disney pictures....Cruz is barely smiling in ANY of them.  That is crazy, because he usually smiles ALL OF THE TIME.  He was not feeling well at all...poor kiddo. He was really a good sport....I just wish he could have felt better so he could enjoy it a little more. I DO think that he enjoyed me snuggling him in the carrier almost as much as I enjoyed it!

Of course, we HAD to drive the race cars again!

 And Goofy's Barnstormer Rollercoaster!

 AND Dumbo!

 Again....LOVE the sunglasses!

 One final family picture before we headed back to the hotel....

 Lucky for us...there was a parade on our way out....

Then...when we got to the exit of the park...we stopped and got the kids a classic Micky Mouse ice cream bar. They were so excited....and so messy!

Little Cruzie Woozie....fever and all...was very patient and content just hanging out in the stroller. 

We got back to our hotel about an hour before our shuttle was supposed to leave for the airport....(better early than late....) the kids instinctively walked over and plopped down in front of the cartoons.  They were exhausted!

We checked at the front desk, and they said we could hop on the earlier shuttle to the airport if we wanted to.  So...we said our goodbyes to my parents, loaded everyone up and the bus, and headed to the airport. 

 Lola enjoyed a little one on one time with her new pet, Marie.

 The kids first all tried sitting together on the bus....but then Nash kept on wanting to come and snuggle with me...but I was snuggling with Cruz (who wasn't feeling great) so Jason moved into a different seat with Lola AND Nash.  (Ahh...Cruz sleeping on me...)

Can you tell how tired he is???

It was perfect that we got to the airport earlier than we were supposed to. It made going through security much less stressful.  Seriously, by the time we got through security, to our gate, took a bathroom break and changed the kids from their shorts and tees to sweats and long sleeves....it was time to board!  

Flying out late afternoon was MUCH easier on me than flying out early morning.  The kids all slept pretty much the whole flight home (except for Cruz...who really didn't sleep at all on the flight).  

The plane was actually full....so Jason, Keaton & Nash all sat together in one row and then Lola, I & Cruz sat ahead of them (in 2 seats) along with a VERY nice and VERY tolerant college student.  She was so sweet, and didn't get mad about Cruz.  I did what I could, but there wasn't a lot of room to care for him and keep him entertained. She was very sweet to us (a total blessing! I could have been put by someone not so understanding...)

When we landed in Minneapolis, we had some VERY TIRED children.  We forced them to all walk off of the plane, and then regroup at the gate before the trek through the airport.  

This was especially the time I had wished we had flown out of a smaller airport. Just less messing to get OUT and to our car.  I would have loved a picture of us at that point.  I had Cruz in the carrier.  Lola and Nash were in the stroller. Keaton was a trooper and walked!  

We went and got our bags, took the shuttle to the hotel, and got in our car and headed to home sweet home.  (I think we finally pulled in sometime between midnight and one.)  I love going on vacation, but I also really love coming home.  :)  We had a great time in Disney World (could have been better with a few healthier kiddos) but all in all, a wonderful time.  We do hope to do it again sometime when Nash and Cruz are old enough to enjoy it like Keaton and Lola did!  I hope you enjoyed all my silly pictures and useless details.... :)  Here is the picture that Lola drew for her class....(I will share her journal some other time)

whobody loves the rides? {dw nine}

Well....even though Cruz was feeling better, we decided not to push him so he stayed at the hotel with Jason...and they relaxed all day. 

(I think that was actually both of their favorite days on vacation....)  

My dad also was under the weather and he stayed at his hotel too, 

so it was just Keaton, Lola, Nash, me and Grandma Piano.

We really had a fun day! (No offense to those who didn't join us.....)  First of all the weather was actually NICE.  We wore jackets right away in the morning,

 but most of the day we were in t shirts and shorts.

 The weather made everything seem better!  

(The weather wasn't terrible the rest of the trip...it just wasn't great....)

Lola on her one of her favorite rides....the carousel.

...and Keaton too... 

After the carousel, Keaton, Lola and I headed to the new part of the Magic Kingdom to see the newest ride based on The Little Mermaid.  It was GREAT!

Grandma and Nash stayed and rode the carousel over and over until we got back...

two thumbs up!

 Then Keaton & Lola and I rode on Winnie the Pooh, while 

Nash and Grandma just played in the play areas in the line. 

(Have I mentioned Nash got scared of everything that was in inside ride?)

 He had to try on this awesome hat. (No, I did not let him buy it...)

The three kids in front of "pooh's house" at the ride.

 ...and inside of Pooh's house!

We then headed over to the race cars....Now, you have to realize, this is OUT of my Mom's comfort zone. Go Karts are NOT her thing...even if they are in a very controlled situation.  BUT she graciously agreed to ride with anyone, anyone but Nash!

So...Nash drove MY car. (Well, he and Lola took turns driving)

 And....Grandma rode with Keaton. Now, if you know mom, she doesn't "ride with" very many people....so Keaton must have been a great driver if she was riding with him! (she barely even looks stressed!)

 Now, I mentioned in the last post that while waiting for the Dumbo ride, there was a play area.  Here is Nash on one of the slides. He LOVED this place.

And Lola LOVED to balance....as you can see, it was themed after a circus. Pretty cool.

Then, of course, another ride on Dumbo!

 This time, I rode with Nash, Mom and Lola rode together

....and because we didn't have enough adults...

 Keaton rode alone! 

He was very brave! He could have very easily squeezed in with one of us,

 but then we would have 2 kids fighting over the controls to make it go up and down. 

 He was a little worried at first, but soon, seemed to be having a great time!

 We also explored Tom Sawyer's Island....The kids really liked running around here.

 Although...Nash was a little worried whenever we would go inside of a fort or tunnel....

We then rode the train back to the entrance, and headed back to the 

hotel to enjoy the beautiful weather at the pool!

Today, we switched it up a bit. (It worked a lot better this way.) 

We first took Nash to the pool, and then took him back to the room for his nap.  

He actually had lots of fun with his Mater in the water!

The first day, we swam at the pool closest to our room, but the 2nd day we figured out that this other pool was actually in the sun, and therefore, felt a lot better.  

THEN on this afternoon, Jason and the kids found their 

favorite pool

  ...this was a small round pool right on the lake.  

It had no slide, but was 3 foot on the edges and got to 5 ft in the middle (approx.)...so the kids had a blast swimming back and forth. 

I think they were playing tag with Jason always being "it". I did notice that on the resort maps, this was referred to as the "Quiet Pool"

but, no worries, there was no one else there that cared if it was quiet or not.

(as usual, we are "that" family)

This was our best afternoon swimming. But also, our last full day there! 

(Funny, we figured out the best swimming pool AND that Cruz's pack and play fit perfectly into the second bathroom and was a perfect place for his naps.....all on our last day!)

We ate at our resort....got our things packed up and hung around there for the evening.  I should say that Cruz and Jason had a great day at the hotel while we were at the Magic Kingdom....Cruz got a couple of good naps and was back to his old self by that night.  

After we had walked around our resort for a little bit, my Mom took Keaton and Lola into the Magic Kingdom to watch the 9pm parade....and then they made it back in time for the fireworks from our balcony!

 (It should be noted, we had a 'standard view' room, but ended up with a view of both the Magic Kingdom AND the Bay Lake....not perfect views...but views nonetheless!)  

It was awesome to see the fireworks from our room...we would put Cruz to bed, and then Keaton, Jason and I could watch from the balcony...

and our 2 kids who are scared of fireworks would sit inside with their earmuffs on, and watch from the safety of their bed.

This was a great day at Disney World....this was the day our trip turned

 so. much. better. 

 (Healthier kids made a big difference.)  

It was after this day, I wished we were staying longer...

up until this point, it felt like our trip was way too long.  

As always, just as something is ending, you get it 

figured out how to make it the best it can be!