My Walt Disney World Vacation

Thanksgiving day brings travel for many families, but for mine it was an extra special road trip.  While others were making turkey, pie, and all the fixings that accompany a glorious meal, we loaded up the car and headed to Walt Disney World, Florida!  Our travel adventures took two days, with an overnight stay in Tennessee.  The long days were worth it when we pulled onto Disney property and our vacation officially began.

After unloading the car, we headed to Downtown Disney.  While the entire admission free area is split into three sections (The Marketplace, Pleasure Island, & The West Side), our favorite spot to roam is The Marketplace.  It's full of shops and restaurants with Disney flair.  A giant Lego store, with huge Lego creations outside, is one of my boys' favorite stops.  This night, we bypassed many of our favorite shops in favor of our dinner destination.  Delicious meals from Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney's Marketplace will always be on my favorite foods list.  The penne alfredo, that was calling my  name before we left Michigan, did not disappoint my taste buds.

The Magic Kingdom was our destination for the first full day of Disney.  When we arrived, we were thrilled to find ourselves going from one ride to the next without a big wait.  Crowds were not overwhelming as they have been in the past when we've visited.  Christmas atmosphere seeped into every area of the park, even Cinderella's castle lit up with gorgeous lights when the sun when down.  It was simply beautiful.

As we skipped from one attraction to the next, I began to notice a growing trend.  In fact, I caught my husband and myself participating in this a number of times as well.  While waiting in a line or sitting at a meal, cell phones were front and center.  Thankfully, I picked up on this fairly early into our first day and when I had time to talk to my husband quietly, I mentioned my concerns.  Many parents were spending those free moments exploring their gadgets instead of interacting with their children.  As we didn't want to fall into the technology trap, we agreed to limit our time on phones during our vacation.

Throughout the remainder of our trip, we gained so much.  Our family had true quality time with very little interruption.  We used wait times to learn about things around us, practice lines, do "homework," and discuss our experiences.  Our goal was to absorb everything possible.  Had I attached myself to my cell phone's apps, I would have missed out on many special moments with my husband and boys.  Instead, I saw through the eyes of my children and felt my heart warm on countless occasions.

My husband and I both felt our eyes were opened to various new and different thoughts and feelings  during repeat experiences on this trip.  New perspectives were gained because we have grown and are at different stages in life than we were before.  We are excited for what our children gained with their new and repeat experiences well.

Walt Disney went away on trips to come home renewed, refreshed, & "a new man."  When we headed home on December 2, 2010, I completely understood that feeling.  I had not been so relaxed in a very long time.  Over the next few weeks, I hope to share more of what I learned while on my Walt Disney World vacation.  

*****

A very special memory to be cherished for years to come was created on this Disney vacation.  We met up with my father-in-law and his girlfriend, P, at Hollywood Studios on Monday, November 29, 2010.  Unbeknown to P, a surprise had been in the works for some time.  Our family enjoyed the Beauty & the Beast stage show from VIP seats.  After the show, we were given the privilege of meeting Belle & the Prince "backstage."  During this extraordinary meet & greet, my father-in-law proposed to P.  We were honored to be a part of the surprise & celebration!  I couldn't ask for a better step-mom-in-law!

Congrats on your engagement M & P!!!

*****

The Rest Of The Story: Maine

On my way to school, work, and other various destinations in my life, I used to listen to the radio icon Paul Harvey.  His Rest of the Story program always held interesting stories that gave you a bigger insight into someone or something that you already knew.  Clearly, his "and now you know... the rest of the story..." was the perfect tag line to every radio episode. 

As I posted my final blog of 2009, and took a blogger's vacation, I neglected to give you the rest of the story regarding my leave of blog-o-sphere absence.  Of course, it was easy to assume that Christmas had hijacked my brain and body so I was unable to post a tidbit of reading material.  While that is true in a sense, there is still more to my blog vacation story.  I'd like to share a piece of it with you today.

The Wednesday evening before my last blog post, my husband received a phone call from his dad.  C was told that his grandmother, lovingly referred to as Nana, was not doing well and would be going off of dialysis after the holidays.  We had planned to visit her, in our other home state of Maine, over Spring Break in April.  The news not own threw a monkey wrench into our plans, but left us feeling a strong sense of sadness.  Nana suffers from Alzheimer’s, diabetes, & kidney failure (among other health issues) and we were hoping to spend some time with her before she left us to spend a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow with God.

After talking to my husband, I told him that we were going to have a chance to say goodbye to his adoring grandmother.  Our son, O, was almost on Christmas break and I was certain that C's work would allow him to take his vacation time on short notice, due to the situation.  As Christmas was quickly approaching, I finished up all of the projects and preparations for the big day, while planning out our packing list.  It was a busy week trying to get ready for the blessed holiday and a long road trip to Maine, but I knew that I would never regret the hectic days.  The day after Christmas, we rolled out of our driveway and headed to spend some time with our family & friends on the East coast.

Two days on the road with two young boys is never an easy task, but it was so worth it.  When we rolled into my father-in-law's driveway that Sunday night, we shared a small Christmas celebration before heading to bed.  Our week would be busy and we knew it would go by much too quickly, so plenty of rest was in order.  As it was a whirlwind, I feel as though we were in fast forward nearly the entire time.  Gratefully, we were able to visit with most of our friends & family at least once, visit our favorite place in Maine (even if it was unbearably cold), and eat at a few of our favorite Maine food locations.  Most importantly, we were able to spend a couple of hours with Nana. 

When we visited, Nana was having a good day.  She knew who we were and although she could not remember when the boys were born, or how far apart they were, she understood that O & M were our children.  I believe we were given a gift that day, as she has had much harder days in most recent weeks.  Nana said a few little things that we will carry with us, and we were able to let her know that she means so much to us.  It seemed as though the time went by all too quickly, but as though we were in slow motion at the same time. Leaving her room was more difficult than I think my husband or I had imagined.  Before we left, she said the words, "I hope to see you again..."  and we told her that she would. 

With all my heart, I know those words to be the truth.  Nana is a woman of strong Christian faith, and we know we will see her again in Heaven.  When it is time, she will be welcomed into the loving arms of God, just as she has often opened her arms to her many sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other family members, & friends.  We have been so very blessed to have been a part of her life. 

Disney Dreaming

I fully intended to have my blog typed up last night and scheduled to post at 7am today, but it didn't quite work out that way.  Plans around here can get altered due to my children's moods, a forgetful mind, various unexpected things and happenings, or simply by running out of time.  When we have to "fall back and punt" in this world, for whatever reason, our days and plans change.  In some cases, it is a blessing and at other times it's a disaster!  Today, I am leaning towards the first one. 

Our morning was hectic at first, and then just plain busy.  This afternoon was slightly more relaxed.  Now we are into early evening and I'm finally getting a chance to get my blogging done.

Lately, my brain has been hovering in the Disney World zone.  I have been reminiscing about past trips and dreaming about future trips.  My husband and I were lucky enough to visit Disney for Thanksgiving, and the following week, in 2000.  Going to bed one night and waking up to magical Christmas decor the following morning was amazing.  I am anxious to share this exciting atmosphere with my boys.  Watching their reaction to it all will certainly bring tears to my eyes.  Thinking about all of this has lead me to begin planning our November/December 2010 trip, which will be an early Christmas gift to our boys (okay, and to ourselves).  Can you tell how excited I am already? 

In the midst of our chaotic morning, my boys were being typical boys while playing loudly.  I wanted to find a way to have them wind down before we took O to school.  When I offered to play some music for them, they happily accepted the offer.  What was their choice in the vast collection of music that we own?  Surprisingly, they quickly agreed on their selection.  As Walt Disney World's "Four Parks One World" cd began to play, my overactive children laid on their stomachs in front of the speakers and the room went quiet.  I quickly grabbed 2 copies (from past years) of Birnbaum's Walt Disney World For Kids books and handed them to my silent boys.  Seconds later, they were soaking up the music and doing their own Disney dreaming.  Between the peaceful moment and sweet sight of them enjoying such a special part of our lives, I realized it was a moment worthy of a photograph!  In the midst of our crazy morning, I found such a smile worthy moment that it calmed me almost instantly.  There is something so special to me about this simple joy that I know I will cherish this memory for a long time, especially when my kids are being rowdy and wild.

Today didn't turn out as I expected, but I appreciate the blessings that the unexpected brought me... today anyway! 
 

A Little Piece of Heaven In A Store

That's right! This is the blogtastic blog you've been waiting for, well at least I know Marybeth has been. It's all about that little piece of heaven in a store... Target! However, this isn't just any Target store... It's a SUPER Target!!! Amazing isn't it! Personally, I believe that every Target should have "SUPER" as part of it's name and the current SUPER Targets should be known as SPLENDIFOROUS Target or better yet, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Target! Regardless, I have waited all my life to enter the blessed red & white surroundings of a SUPER Target. I would not feel complete in my life had I not been able to experience such a magnificent event as shopping at a SUPER Target!

Ever since the day that I knew SUPER Target existed, I knew I would someday walk through those glorious automatic doors. I longed for the day when someone would build such a magnificent place within driving distance. Then one day my husband declared that we would be taking a vacation to Florida. He added that a SUPER Target would be a short distance away from our hotel. My husband, although not obsessed, enjoys Target like any other sane person would. Knowing that I would walk to SUPER Target if I had to, he promised to take me the day that we arrived!

This past April, we left our home in Michigan to start our long awaited vacation. The drive to Florida was of course full of the usual vacation excitement, but I also had visions of SUPER Target dancing through my head. We had packed lunches for the first day of driving and when lunch time rolled around, my husband took an exit that held more than a parking lot and a public restroom. It seemed like fate that we would end up taking an exit that held a little piece of Heaven in a store. We did not have time to shop or browse, however everybody needed to take a bathroom break. What better place to stop than a SUPER Target! I entered and looked around distractedly as my husband pointed in the direction of the restrooms a short distance from the entrance. This would have been the only time I had wished it was in the back of the store! I felt like I was hungry and someone was eating in front of me, unwilling to share. At least I caught a small glimpse of what I was hoping to explore the next evening!

The rest of our road trip was full of boring traffic and listening to the occassional unentertaining voice of our GPS, dubbed Veronica. We stayed in Georgia overnight, before continuing to Florida the next day. There was one interesting stop in Floriday involving a 13' gator, but other than that it was your usual road trip. Then we arrived... at our hotel that is! I was anxious to get settled as my husband took a trip to the Orlando airport to pick up my father-in-law and his wonderful girlfriend. Once they returned, I knew we'll be letting our kids enjoy the company of their grandparents while we took a short drive to enjoy the SUPER Target experience.

When everyone was settled, we were off! My husband laughed at my giddy school girl excitement, but I knew he too was looking forward to this major event. When we pulled in, I was in awe. The palm trees accented the big red target so beautifully. I forced my husband to take a few pictures before entering my favorite store in the world. He again thought I was a little goofy, but he obliged. Once in the store, we ignored our "to get" list in favor of exploring first. The biggest difference from a normal Target were #1 size, #2 a garden center, #3 an entire food & grocery department, and #4 more cool stuff! This particular SUPER Target was the closest to Walt Disney World, so it also held an entire section devoted to the "happiest place on earth!"

While in the garden center, I instantly made myself comfortable on a nearby patio couch. With a chandelier lit gazebo above me, I assumed this would be a very comfortable place to sleep. I instantly considered the thought of moving in. Anyone who has read the book or watched the movie "Where The Heart Is" knows this is a real possibility. My husband burst that bubble quite quickly however and insisted that we got on to our shopping. Along the way to the grocery section of the store, I continuously paused and drooled at all of the pretty things. Then I realized I was walking down aisle upon aisle of real food in Target! I stopped to admire the wine display, of course I don't drink it but I certainly loved the display, and all of the different delicious items that I wouldn't normally see in a Target store.

All in all, my SUPER Target experience was excellent! I could only have wished for 2 more things to really make it even better... #1 that I had more time to enjoy it and #2 that it was down the road or across the street from home!

SUPER Target... truly a little piece of Heaven in a store!