Animal Kingdom

We started out Monday on an African Safari at Animal Kingdom. It was awesome!  We got to see giraffes and alligators so we had some very happy kids. Grandma was the official photographer and enjoyed Sam as her boss (haha...dictator).

Then we had some lunch and went to the Finding Nemo musical. So much fun! We are still singing the songs 😀

Our next stop was the Kali River Rapids ride. Abby, Andrew, and I hung out on the observation bridge and watched the monkeys while we waited. Then Abby and I went on the ride where she proceeded to squeeze all blood out of my hand, cry, and declare she knew she would be the one person to get soaked in the boat. And then the ride started and she went from excited to nervous and back again. And she and I were the only ones who walked off the boat dripping wet. 

They have a cool Dino area and we had so much fun. Abby and Sam even did the big Dino ride twice!  Before doing the Dino ride with me, Sam told me the ride was a little scary the first time and that tears came to his eyes. Lydia hung out doing the smaller sink ride and Andrew slept for a while and then joined in on the smaller ride. 

It was a fabulous day and we were all hungry and tired and happy 😀

Once Upon a Summer

We had so much fun his summer! It was hard to start back up in the schedule of school. It was great playing with cousins, going to water parks and pools, and soaking in time outside. Here are the random shots of our ordinary days:

Magic Kingdom

Day 2 of Disney was spent at Magic Kingdom. We did lots of rides and met Anna and Elsa and saw all the night shows. It was so fun!

We happened by a show on the castle stage. Singing, dancing, and fireworks meant we had to stay until the end even though it was more than halfway through and we had no idea what the story was about. 

The girls went to meet Anna and Elsa and the boys did their own thing. I sarcastically told Lydia to be sad that we were meeting the princesses and she posed perfectly.  She is such a goof. 

We had to get a picture of Cinderella's real, sparkling glass slipper!

Anna was so cute talking about how Abby and Lydia are sisters just like she and Elsa are sisters.  The girls were speechless and looked star-struck.

Elsa sparkled and swished her cape each time she moved.  I think both girls just grinned and nodded the whole minute they were with her :)  

The kids got spoiled by Grandma and we made them pose by the castle with their spoils of the Castle Couture Shoppe. 

Sir Sam, the knight, fiercely guarding the castle from dragons and evil villians:

Princess Lydia with her crown and the cutest Anna and Elsa upside-down doll (who is frequently in Lydia's arms):

Princess Abby with her cute Dusney charm necklace. She asked Grandma how much she could spend and then carefully picked out each charm and added it all up. She has worn it every day and has plans on expanding her charm collection each holiday and every time she goes to Disney: 

We rode the Little Mermaid ride and loved seeing our white clothes glowing with the black lights. Sam rode with Grandma and Baba Z to protect them :)

And then, for the females bragging rights for the rest of time, we soundly beat the boys in a race.  Meanwhile, Grandma and Baba had a very angry, screaming, snotty-nosed, snack-covered Andrew.  What was in reality about 10 minutes probably felt very long to them and to the poor people within ear-shot of Andrew.  As soon as I got back to him, he resorted to soft snuffles and many, many hugs. 

While Sam and Roy rode Space Mountain, the rest of us filled out time with other rides and a show. When Sam got off the ride he told Roy, "My dreams came true!"  A roller coaster addict has been created. 

After a yummy dinner with a view of the castle, we enjoyed the Electric Parade, an amazing show where they lit up the castle, and the fireworks display, which Sam recorded so he could share it with his kindergarten teacher and any other interested person.  Before the fireworks even started, I was asking the kids what the best part of the day was so far.  Sam interrupted me and said I couldn't ask him yet because he already knew it would be the fireworks.

Andrew toughed out all the loud noises and bright lights.  He was interested as long as he viewed them from the safety of my arms, and sometimes neck, and sometimes only with his face buried into me.

It was exhausting, exciting, hot, happy, sweaty, superb, memorable and magical day.