Disney World - A Magical Place!

I know some people thought I was crazy taking my kids to Disney World in August by myself, and I even wondered what I was thinking at times, but I am so glad I did! We had a wonderful time. It was exhausting..... VERY exhausting, but it was so much fun.

So, here's the story of our trip....

Starting out, I had everything ready to go on Wednesday night before we were supposed to leave. Clothes laid out we were wearing, suitcases by the door, etc. We got the kids up, dressed them, and put them in the pickup, and I could NOT find my flip flops! Looked for 15 minutes, and never found them. Heath thought I might've packed them, so I went with it and just thought I'd find them when we got there. I asked Luke when we got on the plane (we were the last ones on, by the way) where they were, and his face lit up when he said, "in that drawer!" I didn't really know what he meant, and I was just hoping I would find them.  Never did! Ugh. Until we got home.... Luke showed me how one was in the junk drawer, and one was in the next drawer over. Anyway.......

So, the flight was okay. Landry wouldn't nap and had a melt down or two, but Luke loved it. We made it to Orlando, took the bus to our resort at Disney, met up with Traci and her family, and headed to Mickey's Backyard BBQ. We road on a ferry over to where the pavilion was set up with picnic tables and had a live band. We ate and danced with the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, cowboys, etc.) until it started POURING down rain. Luke, Kale, and Kade ran around dancing in the rain until they were soaked! It was fun.

Oh, and I found out quick that girls just need more stuff! Ha! This is what it looks like for Heath and I to pack suitcases, too! :)

The next day, we got up and went to Animal Kingdom. It was awesome!! We had breakfast there and ate with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy. We went on a safari ride and saw some animals from about 10 yards away. All the animals were close, but some were like RIGHT there! We saw giraffes, wart hogs, lions, monkeys, zebras, hippos, elephants, etc. And best of all, we were able to get on every ride while we were there without standing in a single line. This was truly a privilege and the key to the experience we had with my kids being so young. At Animal Kingdom, we also went into their animal hospital where we could watch the animals being cared for through big windows, and we went to the Lion King show, too! I loved it, and so did the kids! It was just the right length and was peppy enough to keep the kids' interest the whole time we were in there. That night, we went and ate at a restaurant at Magic Kingdom, and the rest of the crew either did the light parade or the pirate voyage, but the kids and I went on back to our room. I want to do those things next time we go! My kids were pooped by the end of the day though.

On Saturday, we went to Hollywood Studios. This place was a dream for Luke. It was so cool. We started out with breakfast that morning with Handy Manny, Jake (from Jake and the Neverland Pirates), and Special Agent Oso. Then, Luke got to see "the REAL Lightning Queen and Mater"! He was starstruck! He loved it. We went from there to meet Phineas and Ferb, and then on to Toy Story Mania. This ride was way fun, and we skipped 110 minute wait to get on it. Awesome. So, we ate lunch that day at a drive-in type place that played old Disney shows on a big screen, and we sat in classic car-like booths. Really neat atmosphere, but wasn't for Landry girl! She didn't like how dark it was in there. She thought I was trying to put her to bed in there, I guess! The kids rode some more rides, and we got Elise on the Rock-N-Roller Coaster!! She was terrified, but she wanted to go since she was tall enough, and it was her Daddy's favorite ride. She stood there and watch the car ahead of us take off and said, "I'm out." We talked her into getting on though, and she LOVED it! She made it even more fun for me since she liked it so much. So, then we ate (We ate a LOT!) that evening at 50's style diner place where the waitresses were like mamas. They made us mind our manners, get off our phones, elbows off the tables, etc. When another table next to us needed to be cleared off, Kale and Luke got up to help wipe it clean. Super cute! Oh! And Hayley (Traci's neice) got up and performed "I'm a Little Teapot" for everyone on our side of the restaurant! Ha!

  

 On Sunday, we went to have breakfast at the Grand Floridian. We saw Pooh and Piglet, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins. Alice was sooo nice to Luke! He was driving McQueen and Mater around on the table, and she came and played with him. She asked him about his toys and was really sweet. After breakfast, we saw more of the Magic Kingdom and rode more of the little rides (Dumbo Flying Elephants, Buzz Lightyear ride, Pooh ride, etc.). Luke met Buzz, too!! He gave Buzz and hug and a high five. He's still telling people about meeting Buzz and getting a "big ol' hug" from him. We got to see the castle, too! Pretty neat. That afternoon, we went over to Downtown Disney and shopped. I was warned to save shopping money for that place, and I'm glad I did! The neatest stuff was there, so we ended up getting most of our souvenirs that day. The rest of the crew went on to the T-Rex Grill, and me and the kids went and picked up sandwiches and Ghirardellis ice cream. :) There was a little splash pad there Luke had fun on, too.

 

Monday was our last day there. We managed to get a few pictures, but it ended up being a very long day of fighting sickness and dealing with plane delays! We made it home, and we are STILL recovering! 

So, what else is there to love about Disney World, and why in the heck would I want to go back!? Well, I'll tell you! I've never seen a place more clean and accommodating for kids. There were things I discovered that just blew my mind. For instance, I couldn't buy gum anywhere. Not at Disney World, and not even at the Orlando airport! They want their stuff kept nice! 

When the kids and I left Lubbock that morning, we checked our bags, and never touched them again until they were in our room that same day at Disney World. How nice is that!? Made traveling so easy for me. Same thing on the day we left - Left our bags at the check-out desk at the hotel, and got them at Lubbock. Awesome!

I never had to wait in line to use the restroom, anywhere. The bathrooms were clean, and there was a little sink for kids at every one.

We never put on sunscreen. Not once! The sun is just different there. Plus, we were in and out of places so much, we never really were in the sun for hours straight. All the roller coasters are indoors! This was crazy to me. I never knew what I kind of ride I was in for - hence the face in the picture! Super nice though.

I had found little hand held evaporative coolers (like little air conditioners) before we left, and I just mounted them to my stroller and kept batteries and cold water with me all the time. I'd turn those on and put them through the back netting of the kids' stroller, and it really helped keep them cool! I was super glad we had them!

At every park, there was a baby station. I could take Landry in to their private nursing rooms, and they had changing tables, a play area, etc. just for the babies.

I also want to go back when the kids are 3 and 5 because the new Fantasyland will be open, and I think Luke will still be young enough to enjoy it. It was truly magical for him. In my opinion, I think the preschool age is the absolute BEST time to go. Luke's mind was just blown by the things he saw. He was so amazed by the characters, and he wasn't ever bored. I think if we were to wait too long to go back, he wouldn't as be interested in Mickey Mouse, McQueen, Mater, and Jake.... But at the same time, he might not be big enough for the big rides and stuff. So, we are surely going back before too long. And to think of Landry being older and in awe of it all is so exciting, too! And Heath! Heath is gonna go with us next time. :)

I'm so glad we got to go with such a helpful crew. Their experience and extra hands made the trip an awesome experience for us. Thank you, friends!!

Work, Work, Work!

Sheesh. What a busy summer this has been. In short, in the life of Heath Gresham, if it can go wrong, it does. I learned this early on... My parents had a place at Lake Brownwood, and at 17, Heath and I rarely made it down there without a flat on the boat or pickup. A day trip to a deer (mainly quail, really) lease outside of Tahoka in college usually meant he'd be back by dinner. Uhhh, try a stuck ranger/mule/whatever it was at the time in the river, walking probably 5+ miles back to the pickup in the heat of the day with nothing to drink, and no cell phone service. If it could go wrong, it did. I rode with him down to his deer lease at Big Lake one time, and we had a blow out on his AirStream (high class) on a Sunday afternoon (Holiday weekend too, if I remember right) in Stanton.... If you don't know the area, "up a creek" is the key phrase that day. He's had to back a module builder down a busy street trying to get one home one time because he couldn't clear an underpass, and then I think he ended up dropping it off somewhere and going back to get it because his pickup was acting up..? I can't remember all of the details, but you catch my drift.

So, all that to say, this year has been exhausting. In March, Heath and I got in on some land at Olton. Heath has been looking for more land for a while, and it just so happened to spark his interest over night. Another over night decision came in June, when he took a planter up there after thinking he wouldn't until next year. Did you catch the "in June" part? Not the ideal time for a farmer to be taking on land, and I won't even start on the drought. So, Heath has been spread extremely thin. We go days without catching a meal with him, and there have been several days when Landry doesn't see him because she's asleep when he leaves and asleep when he gets home. He's been so close to being caught up for several weeks now, but as his luck would have it, it just hasn't worked out that way. Like last night, we thought we'd get him home in time for supper, but as soon as he got into town, he had to turn around and go right back up there. I'm hoping he can really get caught up this week, and then rest up while the kids and I are at Disney World!

I'm really not complaining. I hope it doesn't come across that way. If anything, I'm overwhelmed with pride at how dedicated Heath is to his work and making a good life for our kids. I know, on the flip side, we get to have him home during that down months of farming. I'm thankful for that! And for that reason, I have decided to keep Luke at home another year. I think I had posted a few months ago about putting him in PDO at our church, but after the way this summer has gone, I think one more year without the commitment of school would be nice. He's only 3 anyway. We have plenty of time to get him prepared for Kindergarten! We might look into some fun/educational stuff for him to do instead.

Needless to say, the kids and I have been spending lots of time at home. :) We have been to some fun birthday parties and play dates, and we are getting geared up for our trip. We leave next Thursday! I think we'll have a blast. Landry has gotten big enough to not only be entertained by Luke, but to even help entertain him! He pushes her around the house on his little riding cars, and he tattles on her when she's playing in the toilet or has something in her mouth. She's stolen his breakfast while I was in the shower, and she changes the channels while he's trying to watch TV. They're great for each other! I think it's a blessing to get to have them close in age. 

As for milestones for Luke...... He had his first sleepover here at the house AND went for his first sleepover (besides grandparents) this week! His Uncle D took him and his "befriend and brudder" Jaxon to Joyland, and then they came back here and spent the night. Then a few nights after that, Luke went and spent the night over at their house. They play so good together! It's neat to watch them be so silly together. I saw a quiz on pinterest a few weeks ago and gave it to Luke. Here's how it went.

1. What's your favorite color? Red

2. What's your favorite toy? Buzz, and nother Buzz. Two buzzes.

3. What's your favorite fruit? Strawvries.

4. What's your favorite movie? Store Story. (Toy Story)

5. What's your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Spiderman cupcakes.

6. What's your favorite shirt? Store Story shirt.

7. What's your favorite game? Store Story. (Wii game)

8. What's your favorite snack? Fee Fer Yogurt. (Phineas & Ferb Yogurt)

9. What's your favorite animal? I love horseys.

10. What's your favorite song? Twinkle wittle star.

11. What's your favorite book? Store Story book.. It was big. It was square.

12. Who's your best friend? My befriend Jaxon.

13. What's your favorite cereal? Cinn toast crunch.

14. What's your favorite thing to do outside? Paint.

15. What's your favorite drink? Chockat milk.

16. What's your favorite holiday? Nope. (Didn't understand)

17. What's your favorite thing to take to bed? Daddy. Daddy's big. And I'm big, too. Daddy's bigger.

18. What's your favorite breakfast food? Cereal.

19. What was on your birthday cake? Mike the Knight

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I be Lightning Queen.

Landry just turned 11 months old, and she is extremely mobile. She crawls all over the house, and she has started pulling up and walking around furniture. She uses a little rocking chair we have of Heath's when he was little to push around and use as a walker. She loves to be outside, and she is quite the picky eater! I gave her milk for the first time yesterday, and she acted offended. Haha. She doesn't like it at all. Even when she gets ahold of Luke's chocolate milk cups, she takes one drink and puts it back down. Besides the baby snacks and crackers, she will eat cereal, cinnamon toast, strawberries, oranges, and greek yogurt. I have to sneak veggies in! She gags at the sight of most new foods. Completely opposite of her brother... He'd eat anything you'd put in front of him. She says Dadda, Mama, Bubba, and Hi. She's a sweet girl, friendly, and a cuddler. She loves bath time, and sometimes, I put her in the kitchen sink with the water running so I can get supper ready or groceries unloaded. When Heath comes home, she rubs on his face and hugs on him. It's pretty cute!

Luke as Spiderman.

Luke usually falls asleep while I put Landry down for her nap. I come out to find him in some pretty random positions! Haha!

This was on our pajama & fort day. :)

Painting on the back porch.

Haha!

Cousin time. :)

Sitting in the pickup at Olton while Heath and Luke walk a pivot.

More cousin time!

Luke loves Tayta Head.

Heath got Luke a 4wheeler. Landry wanted to ride on one, too. She loved it and cried to get off!

So glad they love each other!

Luke on the bluetooth on the farm.

Luke and the Abney boys put donuts on Landry. She just loved the attention!

This was in the evening on Mother's Day after the kids were dedicated at church.

Heath spraying. We ended up with quite a bit of grain this year.

Landry has a blast on this thing. She'll climb up on it and squeal for Luke to come push her. :)