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Friday, December 03, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Labor Day Weekend 2010
For Labor Day weekend we made a quick trip down to Florida! We had some DVC points to burn, so it was a good excuse to get away for a few days. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first time and it was AWESOME! As you will see in the pictures below, we had a savanna view and the animals were plentiful. It didn't hurt that we had a giraffe feeder right outside our window :) There aren't very many pictures from this trip because we were in or very near water the entire weekend. We visited Sea World on Saturday and Typhoon Lagoon on Sunday. Sea World was nice and I'm glad we did it once, but probably wouldn't visit again. I think we are spoiled with the GA Aquarium (which in my opinion is better, with the exception of the Killer Whales). We all absolutely LOVED Typhoon Lagoon. The wave pool is the best and the Crushin' Gusher (Water Coaster) was a blast. Enjoy the pics!
There was a busy sky writer that weekend. The skies were perfect. This message said "LOVE GOD"! What a wonderful thing to see first thing in the morning.
Of course we always forget at least one thing each trip. This time it was Gracie's hat. She chose this white number at Sea World. I thought she looked like an old lady :)
Playing with Daddy's wedding ring while he applied sunscreen.
The first show we saw was in the the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium. I'm not going to lie, it was freaking HOTT and I was not very disappointed that Gracie wanted to sit at the very front where you could possibly get soaked. Unfortunately, we didn't for that show. We only got drained by the sun :(
Shamu and Gracie
I don't have any pictures of the real Shamu because we were sitting in the very front row and got completely drenched!!! It was interesting to see the Killer Whale show since that poor trainer got killed earlier this year. I wonder how different the show was before. The trainers certainly did not get in the water with the whales. The show was amazing and sad at the same time. It's astonishing to see what these creatures can be trained to do, but so sad that they are kept out of the ocean where they belong.
Ron showing his "fear" on the Shamu Express. LOL
It's pretty hard to see in this picture, but there were several zebra, ostrich, wildebeast and giraffe in this little area. Ron captured this moment when Gracie and I were at the pool. He stayed behind to watch the Notre Dame game and he said that when he glanced out the window he thought he was in a zoo.
Graceful creatures
Gracie loved waking up in the morning to sit on our balcony and look for animals.
I couldn't get my camera to focus on both the forefront and the background, but here's proof that these pics were taken from our balcony!
We ate at one of the Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants, Boma. Ron said that this is his favorite restaurant in all of Disney. It was a buffet of African infused dishes. You all know that I'm not an adventurous eater, but it was very good. I definitely got my money's worth on the desserts alone, especially the zebra domes :) I don't know what was in them but they had some type of liqueur in them and they were DELICIOUS. This restaurant will definitely be on our agenda next time.
There was a busy sky writer that weekend. The skies were perfect. This message said "LOVE GOD"! What a wonderful thing to see first thing in the morning.
Of course we always forget at least one thing each trip. This time it was Gracie's hat. She chose this white number at Sea World. I thought she looked like an old lady :)
Playing with Daddy's wedding ring while he applied sunscreen.
The first show we saw was in the the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium. I'm not going to lie, it was freaking HOTT and I was not very disappointed that Gracie wanted to sit at the very front where you could possibly get soaked. Unfortunately, we didn't for that show. We only got drained by the sun :(
Shamu and Gracie
I don't have any pictures of the real Shamu because we were sitting in the very front row and got completely drenched!!! It was interesting to see the Killer Whale show since that poor trainer got killed earlier this year. I wonder how different the show was before. The trainers certainly did not get in the water with the whales. The show was amazing and sad at the same time. It's astonishing to see what these creatures can be trained to do, but so sad that they are kept out of the ocean where they belong.
Ron showing his "fear" on the Shamu Express. LOL
It's pretty hard to see in this picture, but there were several zebra, ostrich, wildebeast and giraffe in this little area. Ron captured this moment when Gracie and I were at the pool. He stayed behind to watch the Notre Dame game and he said that when he glanced out the window he thought he was in a zoo. 
Graceful creatures
Gracie loved waking up in the morning to sit on our balcony and look for animals.
I couldn't get my camera to focus on both the forefront and the background, but here's proof that these pics were taken from our balcony!
We ate at one of the Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants, Boma. Ron said that this is his favorite restaurant in all of Disney. It was a buffet of African infused dishes. You all know that I'm not an adventurous eater, but it was very good. I definitely got my money's worth on the desserts alone, especially the zebra domes :) I don't know what was in them but they had some type of liqueur in them and they were DELICIOUS. This restaurant will definitely be on our agenda next time.
That's all folks!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
First Day of 2nd Grade
Gracie started 2nd grade this year :( She is growing up waaaaaay too fast! It seems like she has changed from a toddler to an almost tween overnight. She's such a sweet girl, even with all her drama. She has definitely come into her own fashion sense, which unfortunately we don't share. I so want her to have her own style, I just have to keep it in check sometimes! :) We have a super busy schedule this school year: dancing twice a week, religion classes, piano lessons and girl scouts...Whew! I'm worn out just thinking about it. Oh and lets not forget all that 2nd grade homework!!!The last picture in this series shows how tall she has gotten. She can't even stand up straight under the mantel anymore!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
DISNEY 2010
We made our annual/semi annual pilgrimage to see The Mouse at the beginning of June and I must say it was one of our best trips yet! We were joined by Ron's sister Liz, who had never been to Disney. It was definitely fun to show her the ropes, however I'm not sure she's recovered from all that walking yet. LOL.
I only took around 400 pictures, which is not much for me on a trip like this. My subjects were not very cooperative....HA HA!
The biggest surprise of the trip was Gracie's total lack of interest in the characters. She was all about getting to the next ride or roller coaster and the swimming pool! It was also the first year that she was not in a stroller and we were prepared for the whining. But, we were shocked that she NEVER complained about the walking......and we walked alot and it was HOTTTTT!!!! On the contrary, if I had a dollar for every time Gracie looked at me, out of the blue, and said "Mommy, this is the best vacation ever!" and "I love Disney World", I would be rich. We also got confirmation on something we already knew.......she's NOT shy! She made friends with everyone she came in contact with.....on the monorail, in the park, on the boat, in the pool, and on the beach.
This was our first stay at The Polynesian and it was great. The convenience of the monorail and the theme of the resort was awesome. We had a room right next to the Great Ceremonial House, which was also a short walk to the pool and Ticket and Transportation Center. I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone (only if you are able to get a substantial discount!)
I'm happy to announce that after much research and speaking with friends who are members, we are now Disney Vacation Club members!!! We are so excited and have already begun planning our next trip/trips :) Our new home is Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary.
Enjoy the pics!
We had a great view from our room. We could actually see some of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. The best viewing spot for the fireworks, however, was on the beach. Perfect.
The quiet pool right outside our window
The volcano/fun pool. I'll know next time to budget for the pool side pina coladas. That was sticker shock!
She was always 100 ft ahead of us and running at super speed!
Waiting for the monorail
Our first monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom
The first walk down Main Street always chokes me up.
Climbing the Swiss Family Treehouse. That was a first for us. Pretty cool to be climbing it during the fireworks too!
Our first ride was Thunder Mountain of course! Gracie's favorite. Here they come!!!
Gracie rode all the mountains this trip. We won't talk about Space Mountain. Let's just say that she was not a fan. Her new favorite is Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom which she rode several times!
Yeah, we got soaked!
She even got a driver's license while in Florida ;)
Waiting for breakfast at Ohana with Lilo and Stitch
This is one of our favorite breakfast spots. The dinner at Ohana was also wonderful..... All you can eat steak, chicken, shrimp.......
Hollywood Studios
The Disney Photo Pass photographer made her do this ridiculous pose. I didn't get it.
Devo anyone?
A trip to Disney World would not be complete without eating a Mickey Bar....or a few.
This next picture CRACKS me up. Gracie was so engrossed in what was playing on the screen at the Sci-Fi cafe.
Again
This is the closest I've ever come to San Fran.
Enjoying a quiet morning on the beach at the Poly.
Yes, I know I need a tan.
There were so many ducks at the resort. Gracie enjoyed feeding them. A flock of them even swam with her in the pool.
We ate in Mexico for lunch one day. We were craving chips and salsa.
Kidcot stop #1
She got a gown in China.
She also got her face painted, which became a nuisance later when it was so hot and it became itchy.
Her makeup artist
She bought a fan in Japan and had her name written in Japanese.
I LOVE this picture of my baby with her arm around her daddy :) It makes me smile every time.
Playing Mickey Mouse hopscotch.
Anchor
Brucie
Chum
Dinner at Nine Dragons in China was very good.
It was a long HOT day
"It's Tough to Be a Bug".....especially when your eyes are on upside down.
These next few pictures are what you get when you give the camera to a 7 year old while waiting in line for Kilimanjaro Safari.
Aside from my double chin, not a bad pic.
These were some aching feet!
Here we go
I'm just glad she didn't get a picture of mine
This is one of the 100 photos that Ron took of this White Rhino that was right near our jeep...LOL
Making friends swimming in Seven Seas Lagoon
(I know the water looks gross)
I tried getting a picture with the castle in the background.....not an easy task with an unwilling participant :)
There's Bay Lake Towers on the left
Sand Angels
She must have gone down this slide 100 times. It was pretty fun, I must say.
I only took around 400 pictures, which is not much for me on a trip like this. My subjects were not very cooperative....HA HA!
The biggest surprise of the trip was Gracie's total lack of interest in the characters. She was all about getting to the next ride or roller coaster and the swimming pool! It was also the first year that she was not in a stroller and we were prepared for the whining. But, we were shocked that she NEVER complained about the walking......and we walked alot and it was HOTTTTT!!!! On the contrary, if I had a dollar for every time Gracie looked at me, out of the blue, and said "Mommy, this is the best vacation ever!" and "I love Disney World", I would be rich. We also got confirmation on something we already knew.......she's NOT shy! She made friends with everyone she came in contact with.....on the monorail, in the park, on the boat, in the pool, and on the beach.
This was our first stay at The Polynesian and it was great. The convenience of the monorail and the theme of the resort was awesome. We had a room right next to the Great Ceremonial House, which was also a short walk to the pool and Ticket and Transportation Center. I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone (only if you are able to get a substantial discount!)
I'm happy to announce that after much research and speaking with friends who are members, we are now Disney Vacation Club members!!! We are so excited and have already begun planning our next trip/trips :) Our new home is Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary.
Enjoy the pics!
Welcome to The Polynesian!
We had a great view from our room. We could actually see some of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. The best viewing spot for the fireworks, however, was on the beach. Perfect.
The quiet pool right outside our window
The volcano/fun pool. I'll know next time to budget for the pool side pina coladas. That was sticker shock!
She was always 100 ft ahead of us and running at super speed!
Waiting for the monorail
Our first monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom
The first walk down Main Street always chokes me up.
Climbing the Swiss Family Treehouse. That was a first for us. Pretty cool to be climbing it during the fireworks too!
Our first ride was Thunder Mountain of course! Gracie's favorite. Here they come!!!
Gracie rode all the mountains this trip. We won't talk about Space Mountain. Let's just say that she was not a fan. Her new favorite is Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom which she rode several times!
Yeah, we got soaked!
She even got a driver's license while in Florida ;)
Waiting for breakfast at Ohana with Lilo and Stitch
This is one of our favorite breakfast spots. The dinner at Ohana was also wonderful..... All you can eat steak, chicken, shrimp.......
Hollywood Studios
The Disney Photo Pass photographer made her do this ridiculous pose. I didn't get it.
Waiting for "Voyage of the Little Mermaid", one of our favorites. Photographed by Gracie
Devo anyone?
A trip to Disney World would not be complete without eating a Mickey Bar....or a few.
This next picture CRACKS me up. Gracie was so engrossed in what was playing on the screen at the Sci-Fi cafe.
Again
This is the closest I've ever come to San Fran.
Enjoying a quiet morning on the beach at the Poly.
Yes, I know I need a tan.
There were so many ducks at the resort. Gracie enjoyed feeding them. A flock of them even swam with her in the pool.
We ate in Mexico for lunch one day. We were craving chips and salsa.
Kidcot stop #1
She got a gown in China.
She also got her face painted, which became a nuisance later when it was so hot and it became itchy.
Her makeup artist
She bought a fan in Japan and had her name written in Japanese.
When asked what her favorite thing about this trip, she says the Kim Possible mission. This is something fairly new in Epcot where they give you a cell phone with 7 missions to save one of the countries. It's like a scavenger hunt. Our mission was in France and Gracie was very serious about the task.
I LOVE this picture of my baby with her arm around her daddy :) It makes me smile every time.
Playing Mickey Mouse hopscotch.
Anchor
Brucie
Chum
Dinner at Nine Dragons in China was very good.
It was a long HOT day
"It's Tough to Be a Bug".....especially when your eyes are on upside down.
These next few pictures are what you get when you give the camera to a 7 year old while waiting in line for Kilimanjaro Safari.
Aside from my double chin, not a bad pic.
These were some aching feet!
Here we go
I'm just glad she didn't get a picture of mine
This is one of the 100 photos that Ron took of this White Rhino that was right near our jeep...LOL
Making friends swimming in Seven Seas Lagoon
(I know the water looks gross)
I tried getting a picture with the castle in the background.....not an easy task with an unwilling participant :)
There's Bay Lake Towers on the left
Sand Angels
She must have gone down this slide 100 times. It was pretty fun, I must say.
Ron played a round of golf one day and this is how close he came to a Hole in One. SWEET.
This photo is so funny to me. Look at those long legs.
Teacups
On our way to Hoop Dee Doo Review
This was Gracie, Ron and Liz's first time to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. This was Gracie's face the entire time. She laughed the whole show through. It was definitely worth it. We loved it.
After the Hoop Dee Doo Review, Gracie and I headed back to the Magic Kingdom for the Extra Magic Hours by ourselves. Ron and Liz wimped out on us. We had such a special time together just the two of us. Here she is being captured by the evil Zerg.
We rode the Astro Orbitor for the first time ever and it was soooo cool.
THE FINAL POSE
This photo is so funny to me. Look at those long legs.
Prince Charming's Carousel. This prince doesn't look too thrilled.
Teacups
This was Gracie, Ron and Liz's first time to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. This was Gracie's face the entire time. She laughed the whole show through. It was definitely worth it. We loved it.
After the Hoop Dee Doo Review, Gracie and I headed back to the Magic Kingdom for the Extra Magic Hours by ourselves. Ron and Liz wimped out on us. We had such a special time together just the two of us. Here she is being captured by the evil Zerg.
We rode the Astro Orbitor for the first time ever and it was soooo cool.
THE FINAL POSE(The castle was in the background....but again I wasn't quick enough with my camera settings)
WE LOVE YOU MICKEY. SEE YA NEXT TIME!
WE LOVE YOU MICKEY. SEE YA NEXT TIME!
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