Each year my son and his wife head north of Houston to Montgomery County where the annual TX Renaissance Festival is held for several weekends in the fall. They camp with friends the opening weekend, mid-October and then take the minions on “All Hallows Eve” weekend. 2009 I decided I wanted to go for my birthday and we would help with the grandkids. They were just 1 and 2 at the time. What a fun time we had. Here are a few photos from the kiddos first RenFest.
Little Toot was a very cute little witch!Got the Pirate Chill down to a science!Introducing lil Toot to the charactersMr. B is clueless to the character visiting himNot so sure about taking candy from a “stranger”Well ok – if you insist – I will have just one!If I give you a hug you might give me candy – I am getting the hang of this!She knows no strangers!Mama and her little pirate….Look carefully – little toot is behind daddy and they are boogying down the hill in the wagon!Before they get goingUp Up Upand Away!Grandpa gets them goingAlong for the ride!I think he likes it!So high!She was working that swing!Hard to get photos when the swing is in motion!He was so tiny back then!This is a great self-propelled swing!Can you say “sugar overload!”Sticky smooch ahead!I was afraid of that – but not the little ones!Not so shy anymore!Glad Grandpa is wearing a hat – it was a sticky hat too!See it really is a llamaMr. Q experiences the llama!Love her outfit!But there were some antics before we could get a photo!All my daughter-in-law wanted was a nice photo with my son!Weary at the end of the day!
RenFest is for kids of all ages – there is all kinds of entertainment. Fun food – turkey legs and stuff like that! Games and activities for the kids!
As our reunion came to an end we had some additional fun activities. Several attendees headed to the Uintahs for a little target practice. Some went hiking.
We headed to Midway, UT. My father was born in Midway in 1906. My grandparents are buried in the midway cemetery under a beautiful tree. Midway is a beautiful swiss inspired town and I just love the laid back feel.
Midway Mural!My Grandparents photo taken July 2010A very damaged headstone – a very young Bunnell – photo taken July 2010The Bunnell family ….. Photo taken July 2010
And here are a few more candid photos from the cousins just being kids!
The other 2014 leaf to the Kendrick Green branch!Mr. M is in total disbelief of what Mr. B is explaining to him!Terry is going to get me for this one!Oh my – he is cuteness personified!Back and forth – back and forth…..He thinks I should move….Yes I snapped the photo – then promptly told her to GET DOWN!At one time I think they had kids from one end of this spiral slide to the other!Adorable!Endless energy!Still smiling!All the cousins get in on the action!
All in all it was a FANTASTIC family adventure. Our next Green’s family reunion is set for 2016; hopefully in Yellowstone! Get your reservations to Linda to make sure you are included!
The 2nd day of our re-union was hosted by Aunt Iris’ family, the McCleary’s. It had been a few years since we had all had the chance to visit – their family has grown so much, adding new daughter-in-laws and adding new babies which is always fun! I am sure Aunt Iris is watching and smiling! Her family is beautiful and a delight to be around!
The youngsters are visiting with Uncle Ron – I am sure he is only sharing words of wisdom!Cousins!I tried to get a photo of her not smiling – not going to happen – ALWAYS SMILING!Nice kick!Great throw!Aunt Carol is watching the kids in the field!What do you mean I need to take a nap?Aunt Carol and Jared. What a wonderful young man he has turned out to be!As our hosts the McCleary’s had us singing for our dinner – the table that performed the best gets to line up first!Uncle Kenny and Chad are serving up the beveragesLittle toot is not quite sure about this singing for our dinner part!After dinner entertainment included each branch of the family introducing their clan. The McCleary’s started us off, they sang a song about their families set to the Sound of Music!Here they are all lined up!Aunt Carol’s family was up next for introductions. Aunt Carol and Uncle Ron had to leave early so it was left to Darin and Lynn to tell us all about the Jones.Trying to look official! (not too sure about that t-shirt!)Sending it off to his point man…..It took a flow chart to introduce the Jones!My sweet brother-in-law started our branches introductions. He told stories of his dad while they were growing up – Linda and Corey followed up with more stories. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t even take photos! We miss you GRANDPA KEN! You are remembered!My beautiful niece and….Our branch also sprouted a couple of new leaves this year. 2 little (grand nieces to me) joined our family in 2014! This one is learning what it means to be Green!
So many memories that just cannot be put into words or photos!
This past July we travelled with grandchildren in tow to Utah for the bi-annual Green’s family reunion. Here is a recap of our first day of re-uniting.
The view as we start our day – this is from my brother-in-laws back yard.I decided I needed a better photo so I ventured out to the street (probably still in my pajamas)
Prior to heading to Oakley to visit with Corey’s family we stopped by Grandma Pat’s house. We are so glad some of the Chatwin cousins could stop by to visit too!
A Great Lady with her Great-Grandchildren
While Corey’s dad is no longer with us his spirit lives on through his children and their children and grandchildren!
Aunt Iris is also no longer with us – but her family is strong and so enjoyable to be with.
Aunt Carol’s family travels from Idaho to join in the festivities and they are a FUN bunch!
Here are a few random photos of the generations as we celebrate being family!
Sleeping babes….oh so very curious when awake
My niece, Chandler was in charge of activities for the first evening – she had gathered all of the items necessary for some really fun family games. Both of my grandchildren agreed this was one of their favorite parts of the trip!
And the games begin – Kaylene was really getting into it!Kids of all ages enjoyed putting nylons on their heads and knocking over water bottlesThis game was geared to the adults due to difficulty. Did not deter Mr. B!Rejoicing in a WIN! (and sporting a beautiful bracelet made by Little Toot for all of her family!)Sweet Girl!The cookie game – Aunt Linda, Little Toot and the young man that shares my birthday!And the winner is…..Sweet Victory!Do they get any cuter?My husband – I haven’t seen those moves in a long time!Christy is always fun to be around – those are tea bags on her hat!Trying to get the tea bags on top of the hat!Walking with a ping-pong ball to the cup is not as easy as it sounds – but it is a really fun game to watch!And this young man was so kind to my grandson who adopted him! Following him EVERYWHERE!What?You are taking another picture?Christy and Uncle Ron
We plan our family reunion around the 24th of July, which is a BIG holiday in Utah. It is Pioneer Day and there are parades, carnivals and rodeos as well as TON’s of fireworks! I must say that there are actually too many fireworks, they go on well past midnight in many neighborhoods!
And our night endsLittle Toot made sure I took some good photos of the perfect ending to a perfect day!
More to come on our adventures at the Green’s Family Reunion – 2014
Every once in a while you just need to do something a little different
Our sales person for our new house (who has since moved to a different home builder) asked if we want to join a group for a very special event (this was in April)
And if it involves taking hubby to work at 5:30 am,
Drive back home only to return to pick him up at noon
Head towards the location with plenty of time to spare so you schedule a meeting with low-voltage sub on the new house (which is on the way to the event)
Great meeting with the sub, only to be running late to the event now – arrived with time to spare – good thing because if we were late then they lock us out!
Arrive at the event – only to wait …………..
And when the event is over you drive back home (4 hours) to get up and go to work the next day….
Now if this seems a little batty to you – WAIT until you see these photos!
Bracken Cave Preserve is part of the Bat Conservation Inc program 501c3Our guide for the evening – very soft-spoken and if you are too loud you will be “shushed”While we waited for the event to start I took some random photos. This one turned out great. The one of the very large skunk not as good so I will not share. Needless to say we kept our eye on the skunk!A late start for our event – but around 8:40 pm they decided to make an appearance. Monday night they emerged at 8:09, they must’ve known we had a long drive home! I could not see this with my eye – glad the camera caught itAnd out they come……And off the go. These are the Mexican Free-tailed bats.They head southeast from the cave to feed on the insects in the agricultural areas in the New Braunfels areaBats are not blind – they actually have great site – better than humansNow – that is a pretty good photo (NO PHOTO SHOP – straight from the camera with a little cropping!) These bats eat insects. Some bats eat fruit and nectar. And there are bats in South America that do like blood, but they do not suck the blood, they make a bite and then lap it up (TMI!)These bats are all momma’s that will begin delivering their babies any day……one baby per momma. They only nurse their own baby, there are millions of mommas and babies, they use sound and smell to find each other in the “pile”As they emerged we could smell the ammonia smell also migrating from the cave from over 10,000 years of bat guanoCan you see all the bats against the foliage?And they keep on coming – they will emerge for about 4 hours.
To see what the emergence looks like on radar click here – be sure to scroll to the bottom of the link – it is really cool!
In the pre-dawn hours they will return, diving straight into the cave, this also takes about 4 hoursThis red-tailed hawk was perched in the top of a tree long before the emergence waiting for dinnerAnd he is ready to swoop inThe majority of these bats migrate between Bracken Cave and Mexico. They reside here from about April til NovemberBracken Cave is home to the largest mammal population in the world!
Bracken is not the only place you find bats……
And this little guy was spotted by my granddaughter a couple of years ago – he was up inside the patio umbrella. One of our neighbors has a bat house. We had to encourage him to fly back to his house – he was quite confused. When you build a bat house you allow them to sleep over when they need to venture farther than normal for food.
So me going a little batty is nothing new to most of you! I hope you enjoyed going batty with me and that you learned something new!
Well, I have a lot of catching up to do. When last I posted I had promised to post about the fabulous concert with Peter Frampton and BB King at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, CO.
But before I can do that I need to share the last of our site seeing with you as well!
Sunday, August 18 we ventured to the top of Pikes Peak – did you know the road is paved all the way to the top now? We watched a few of the marathon runners reach the top – wow! Hubby visited with one of the paramedics that works at the top, he found that every employee at the top of the peak is a paramedic, they work 14 hours shifts and even they are affected by the altitude. The first half of August had been a busy month for the paramedics already with numerous critical rescues. The main reason is that visitors stay at the top too long and they they are unable to drive down, did you know your body uses up its fluid reserves very quickly when climbing – the paramedic said we can lose up to 1l on the way up the peak. On the way down you are stopped at the “lodge” and they check the temperature of your brakes, ours were fine, having grown up in the mountains of Utah and climbing hills in jeeps hubby is very experienced in letting the vehicle gears do the work not the brakes. We observed 1 group of “youngsters” have their brakes checked, they were 400 degrees, they were told to park it for a while and let those brakes cool off!
The air is a little thin up here!But what a view!
After more adventures in the area we headed to Evergreen, CO to spend a delightful evening with my niece her new beau! I wish we lived closer as I always enjoy my visits with my niece – she is an amazing woman!
The view from niece’s deckMy niece and IBetts and DaveMe with Betts and Dave
On Monday we visited Leadville, CO. In the 1880’s my great-grandfather, Milton Fornia and family lived in Leadville. One of my great aunts was married there, her name was Grace Fornia Davenport. I don’t believe my grandmother, Cali Fornia lived there, she was born in AZ after they left CO. It was fun to visit the Leadville Public Library and search through the Colorado Census that are not available online. We also visited the Mines Museum in Leadville. My husband had worked for Asarco early in his engineering career and it was interesting to ready about the contributions made to mining at the museum. We also drove out to the former Asarco Leadville Facility, now closed. And of course I found more “old” things to enjoy.
Old ThingsOld Things
Tuesday we played in Golden, CO and drove around the mountains some more – soaking up the beautiful weather and views. We visited the burial site for Buffalo Bill. And of course a tour of the brewery – although taste testing at 10:00 am was not something I needed to do!
One of the many statues around GoldenThe art work along the streets of Golden was amazingAlong the waterfront park
Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill
And then the CONCERT – this is the 3rd time we have seen Peter Frampton in the last 4 years and I am sure it won’t be the last. We travelled to CO this time because the great BB King was touring with Peter for a few stops and this was one of them. BB was brought on to stage on a golf cart, they had his chair ready for him up front and once he was settled, he held court! Inspiring his band members and then calling Peter out to jam. While BB is not able to strum too much anymore, it was truly some of the best entertainment! As BB finished, he tossed souvenirs to several members of the audience, honoring those in wheel chairs and a couple of very young fans – I hope they know the greatness they witnessed. As BB strode off stage to his golf cart, he stopped to shake hands with each crew member and take a moment to thank them – a true gentleman if ever there was.
A pre-tour of the venue on Monday to get the lay of the landI can’t wait for the concert!During the day the venue is open to those real health nuts that come here to work out – I was tired just watching them!Nature and architecture in harmony!
Tailgating Miata style with Betts and DaveLots of walking UP to get to our seatsI told him to take my photo – really I just needed a breather!The stands are filling up
Frampton’s Guitar Circus, also featured Sonny Landreth and David Hidalgo – man can those guys play!The KING!No cameras with removable lens so the better pix are from the point and shoot aimed at the big screen. We were only 12 rows up but focus was an issue!And Peter – where did those golden locks go?As we were leaving the venue, the clouds parted and we were able to see the full moon!
I had posted on my Facebook page that we attended the concert, one of my Facebook acquaintances sent me this note and also gave me permission to share. The long and short of this post – enjoy your passions, follow your passion and SHARE your passion. How much do we not share with our children because we think it won’t be important to them.
From Deborah!
But … let me tell you briefly an amazingly cool thing that happened.
My youngest son (19 at the time) was in the Beaumont / Galveston area in Fall of 2008 doing hurricane cleanup from the huge hit of Hurricane Ike. He was sad because being there for a few months was taking him away from his newborn daughter (born in Sept a few days before the hurricane hit) and wife. He didn’t have the time off to even come home to see them nor the money to be going back and forth. He even missed Autumn’s first Halloween (not that she noticed – lol).
One day he was sitting at a table by himself for lunch. An elderly man asked if he could sit with him. Of course. They sat there together visiting. Over the course of the lunch the man found out that Justin was away from home and family to do this work. Justin showed him photos of Heather and Autumn. They talked about family, told stories, and laughed. Finally Justin told the man he had to get going back to work and thanked him for the visit. The kind man thanked Justin for all he was doing and all he was sacrificing to help a community that wasn’t even his home and asked Justin if he could buy his lunch for him. How sweet!
After Justin left, the men that he was working with were all around him asking him questions, but the gist of it was Wow! Don’t you know who that was? What did y’all talk about?
Justin called me after work that day and asked me if I knew who B.B. King was. Yes, here is the point that I hang my head in shame. Parent fail. What? My own child doesn’t know who B.B. King is???
Then he told me that he B.B. King bought him lunch that day and told me the story. He never told Justin that he was famous. Just introduced himself and enjoyed lunch with my son.
How cool is that??? What a fabulous, humble, kind man.
And my comment…
WOW – I had to get out a tissue! On stage this is exactly how BB is too! Can I share your story on my blog? I this story really is a testament to who BB really is.
Day 2 in Colorado was a Saturday – we started our day off by heading to Colorado Springs and “Garden of the Gods”. A most accurate name to be sure – it was amazing…..
With a sunrise like this you just know it is going to be a great day. This was taken off the hotel balcony in the middle of Lakewood, COAn iphone panarama of Garden of the GodsLook who was our greeter at the visitors centerGarden of the GodsGarden of the GodsIf he had on his scout uniform we would call him “Russell”Thank you for the very generous gift!Garden of the GodsHey we were both there!While I was taking photos of the family with their camera – hubby was taking photos of them with our cameraDee – climb higher – No THANKS!Garden of the GodsWhat you can’t hear is my hubby encouraging these young minds (there is a boy behind the little girl) to see how far they could go back in that crevice – but also telling them to be mindful of the snakes!My Soul Mate!Stopping to enjoy the endless viewGarden of the GodsBalancing Rock at Garden of the Gods – google this and learn the history of this scenic spot
While at the visitors center I saw the information for the Royal Gorge – so we headed that direction – only to find out that a fire in June had wiped out the park – however the bridge was saved. The park was mostly closed, but they had built an access road that would allow visitors to at least see the bridge – the gnats were just down right awful when we got out (clue number one would’ve been that the park ranger had been sitting in his car with a beekeepers helmet on, the car was not running – it was just how he was escaping these gnats). Hubby told me to “get your picture” and let’s get away from these bugs. So here is the bridge – we will be back when it opens again in the future and we thank all the fire fighters across the US that are fighting horrific fires this year, saving lives, homes and national treasures.
Bridge at the Royal Gorge
From here we headed back to Canon City for sustenance, we chose Michaels it was a delight then we were off to visit the Abbey and check out the winery!
Statues at the winery
Now when you are on vacation it is common place to take a different route home than the one you arrived by – I am the co-pilot and I saw a road Hwy 67 aka Phantom Canyon Road would take us right back to Denver. Well this is where the asphalt ends and you are now following the Narrow Gauge Railway that hauled gold down from Cripple Creek and neighboring towns. This road was narrow (duh) and a had the washboard effect at times but all and all a trip well worth the effort. Just in case you are not inclined to make the trip yourself I took a few photos to share (imagine that!)
Watch how the geological layers change in this canyonA River Runs Through ItImagine rail cars coming through that tunnelNot an original trestle – very pretty though….I know I know – if you’ve seen one rock you’ve seen them all – sorry I just don’t agree!A little historyThe view from a top that trestleWe just drove through that – it was very narrowWonder how skinny the road gets up aheadYep – more rocks!THE EDGE! That is really a long way down!Did you guess correctly? Yep – more rocks!I like old things – cool barnHow many winters has it seen?Maybe we should take from building instruction from this builder
And then there is the new construction – up on the highest hill – if you got it – flaunt it! This was a beautiful structure!I live at 11′ above sea level!If you live in the sky this must be your addressThe road inDid I say I love old things? And mining structures sing to my heart. On my dads 16th birthday (1922) he went to work in the mines in Park City so maybe it is inherited …..Structures like this are everywhere in ColoradoA little more history lesson for youHistory 101Old thingsWhen the Keep Out sign isn’t enough use chain linkI want one in my yard!Actual vehicle traveling along the bywayCripple Creek was having a bike rally to honor VeteransJust a few bikesA few more bikesAnd some morePretty!What is not to love?This needs flowers planted in it!Squeak…..A weed grows…..Enough said!
Say what you will about mining – but we all require it. We ride bikes, we drive cars, we heat our homes….. Yes over the last 200 years we have learned how to do it better, safer, cleaner and that is a good thing.
This blog post is from one of our days in Colorado – I look back and wonder how we survived this trip, we still have Pikes Peak, a great visit with my niece and her leading man, Leadville (where my great-grandfather lived in the 1880’s) and THE CONCERT to cover!
Well we didn’t have enough going on this year (just kidding) so we added another trip. Hubby is a guitar collector and “player” and had mentioned a few months a god that he would love to see BB King while BB is still performing – then Peter Frampton posted on his page that he would be touring with BB this year so we anxiously awaited the schedule and found that Colorado would be the perfect fit. Hubby had 2 free airline tickets from his employer to celebrate his 10 year anniversary and I would be able to visit my niece in Evergreen. So August 16th (a Friday) found us flying our way to Colorado, upon arriving we realized other than the concert on Tuesday and dinner with my niece on Sunday we had no real plans.
Hmmmm what to do…….
We had arrived about 8:30 am so we had all day (we had to get up at 4:30 am for our rendezvous with the plane!). After picking up our Avis car – (I love Avis Preferred!) – I took the little map Avis gives us and start scouting. Vail looked like a great first stop – so we headed west on I-70. Here are a few photos from our first day….
Harper would’ve liked this place! We really enjoyed it too! Sat outside enjoying the beautiful area and a fabulous Bloody Mary and did I mentioned the “truffle” french fries were excellent!We thoroughly enjoyed walking around Vail – so much to see and NO HUMIDITY!Feels so EuropeanLove how the sweet potato vine shines in this hanging basketAmazing sculpturesStairs are everywhere – should’ve had an UP bracelet for this trip!Hubby liked the bear sculptureYou can almost here the thunder of the horse runningLove the architectureThis is the back of the Stop sign – it’s all about the details!I love roof linesSo much detail in this sculpturehad to take a couple of shots of this oneAnd the flowersLove mountain flowersA creek in the middle of the resort – I bet that water is shivery cold!Did I mention the artwork?More architecture to loveYep – more stairs!This is a cloud bench in a playground with wind chimes to catch the lower breezesWhere am I again?Rows of mountains as far as the eye can seeInteresting “fence”Heading back towards DenverNatures WondersA weed in the middle of a parking lot – it’s the little things in life!
Dinner that evening was a little Cuban Place I found when I googled – “where to eat in Lakewood, CO” We almost didn’t get there because the Iphone GPS did not quite know where it was – however the reviews had said it was a little tiny place in a strip mall so we kept looking and we are so happy we found “Frijoles” Cuban Restaurant. This is the place the locals eat, while there may not be many tables, they stayed full and lots of people were in/out for take-out. The atmosphere was almost like eating in “grandmas kitchen”. I highly recommend you try Frijoles in Lakewood, CO, but you might want to wait a few days as they were expecting the birth of a new grandchild and planned to close for a few days to enjoy the big event!
More from Colorado later – now it is time to QUILT!
A few years back in a galaxy far far away I took my husband to Disney World for his 50th Birthday. We had so much fun that we called our son and his wife and requested grandchildren so we could bring them with us next time. Well they fulfilled the request and we scheduled the trip!
Now scheduling a trip like this can be tricky, you don’t want to go when it is too crowded, but you also want it to be spring when all the flowers are in bloom etc. You also need to take into consideration various work schedules, school schedules and GRADUATIONS! (see how I am able to sneak this big congratulations in!)
Kat has worked so hard and we are very proud of her!
We all agreed that we wouldn’t tell the kids until we were in route – momma decided while we were waiting for the plane would be the best time. She primed them the night before by telling them they were going to need to help clean the house and cars on Saturday, but they would get up early and go out for breakfast before beginning their day of labor. They assumed the suitcases were full of cleaning supplies. They could not figure out why they were at the airport and why were Grandpa and Grandma there too? Such gullible children at those ages! I don’t think it sunk in until we were on the plane in the air headed to DISNEY WORLD!
When will our plane get here – “We’re going to Disney World!”
So earlier this year dates were chosen and grandpa went to work on the details. We had an amazing experience while dining at Wilderness lodge our first trip we decided then that we would stay there on our next visit. So Grandpa reserved our “villas” at Wilderness Lodge.
totem!Heading to the boat to take us to the Magic Kingdom!
He also decided it would be fun for the kiddos (and especially their mom) to arrive at the lodge in style, so he rented a limo for the ride to/from the airport, including a grocery stop to stock the villas.
Sweet Ride!
We checked in, found our rooms, stocked the fridge, had a snack and headed to the Magic Kingdom. Now if we had tried to plan this entrance it never would’ve happened, BUT the afternoon parade of characters was just starting as we walked in! Yes I got choked up! And I knew then that LIFE IS GOOD! (I know it all the time, but this was so amazing to watch their little eyes light up and see the wonderment of all this world holds for them!)
Let the memories begin – even if the sidewalk is hot hot hot!The parade begins as we walk in! Timing!Overhead view – see the 2 on shoulders – yep it is the beginning of the trip!
After the parade we needed sustenance so we stopped at Casey’s for hotdogs (too big to eat if the truth be told) but we dined in front of the castle and watched the world go by! Then we headed off in search of stuff to do! We walked through Swiss Family Robinson’s tree house – Mr. B wanted to do that again! But we talked him to the magic carpet ride instead.
The castleKeeping Gotham safe?Just a pretty place for pictures!
While waiting for the magic carpet ride I started to get hives, many of my quilting friends know about these spontaneous hives I get – not sure if they are food or environment related. I get them about 6 times a year and benedryl has always cured them. So I popped a benedryl (yes I now always have these with me!), and hoped for the best. After the ride the hives weren’t better, but they didn’t seem to be worse so we headed for Pirates of the Caribbean, while in line (in the shade) for this ride the hives became worse, I took the 2nd benedryl and stated that if I didn’t feel better after this ride, we would hit first aid. Well that lasted about 3 minutes and pulled my husband out of line and we headed for a place to sit down, I was dizzy and nauseas and when I saw a custodian with a Disney badge I asked my husband to “GET HIM!”, I knew there was no way I could walk and I wasn’t improving. The “custodian” calmly asked me a few questions and then got on his radio and requested the paramedics. He then proceeded to ask me questions every now and then, I guess one time I did not respond and he was back on his radio upping the status, at that point the paramedics were just around the corner but we couldn’t see them. They put me on the gurney, wheeled me to some shade, gave me oxygen and took my blood pressure – it was very very very low. I was feeling better but the numbers weren’t lying . (Apparently that is because they had me with my feet up now and out of the direct sun). Needless to say my 2nd ride at Disney World started with an A and ended with an E – if you said AMBULANCE you are correct.
No words needed!
The first evening the our kids and grandkids were able to watch the Electric Parade, which is one of my favorites at Disney. Our day had started very early so they did bypass the fireworks over the castle. As they returned to the lodge, my husband and I were just finishing our meal so they joined us for dessert.
Day 2 we decided to sleep until we woke up and then head back to Magic Kingdom, we rode some rides – Splash Mountain was first up and then Thunder Railroad (which neither child liked one bit!). While we were having lunch it started to rain, we were able to fit in a few more rides in between the rain, Mr. B’s favorite was “Small World” he wanted to ride it 10 times. Many I love that boy! The TeaCups were on little Toot’s list of rides, we found them but they were being upgraded! Guess we will have to come back! Day 2 finished with dinner and fireworks at Epcot – the kids were mesmerized!
They loved getting autographsvroom vroomDaddy getting ready for the bumpy ride!A flying elephant –EpcotEpcotEven the drinks are magical!
Day 3 was an Animal Kingdom day, Mr. B and I were in the sweet spot (the wettest spot) on the rapids and were spent the rest of the day drying out. Seeing the animals on the safari was fun and searching for animals by their footprint and “poop” was another adventure for the kiddos. We lost Mr. B for about 3 minutes, seemed like forever, we were reminded to always look forward for that little man – he doesn’t backtrack! Our afternoon was wet with rain over at Hollywood studios – but Kat got to ride Tower of Terror twice so she was a happy camper. The kids and I went in search of characters! We had hoped to watch the laser show – but the rain was not cooperating.
It’s Russell!An actual termite hill – this is food for many of the animals!RhinoWhat kind of “poop” is that?Mickey and Minnie!Which ones are the characters again?Momma enjoys meeting the characters too!Mr. B loved meeting Goofy and Pluto!McQueen and Mater
Day 4 was our last – we spent this one at Epcot (another rainy day) but we met many characters the highlight of the day was Soaring – we weren’t sure Mr. B would go – but he LOVED it! Then we headed back to the hotel to swim and slide! I guess we didn’t need to leave Houston after all!
My kind of croc!One of the many flower arrangementsChip and Dale – Chip and Dale – Chip and Dale!It’s the Donald – the original angry bird!Daddy and Mr. BAwesome!Little Toot meets her Snow White!The princess chats with the young prince!Mr. B will only meet Snow White if sissy is there too!Precious!Our ponchos made it fun to play in the rain!
The limo picked us up at 6:30 am and we were all exhausted. Mr. B fell asleep in my lap on the plane, little toot had an airsick episode – grandpa said he didn’t know there were that many airsick bags on a plane – as helpful passengers decided they should send them all his way! Unfortunately Mr. B has been ill with tummy issues and ear infection since we returned home.
Asleep on Grandma’s lap on the plane home!
Even with all the drama and weather – I can’t wait to go back to Disney again. The “cast” members are amazing – from the “custodian” to the “maid” to all of the characters and their helpers. Our experience was amazing!
