Florida Vacation Part II

Clearwater Beach

Florida Vacation Part I

After 3 years from moving away, we finally made it back to Orlando for a vacation to see all our friends. It was a quick trip, though. I initially thought 4 days would be enough to see our friends and do some fun things, but not quite. I could have used one more day. We stayed with friends which helped make the trip more economical. We had planned on having a little party Saturday night where all our friends could gather in one place so we wouldn't have to run around all weekend to meet them individually. But between conflicting schedules, people wanting to see us more, and even one of my friends giving birth, we still ended up running around all weekend. Though it made it a little more hectic, it was all worth it. We did get a few fun things in as well.

Sunday evening, we went to Clearwater to watch the sunset. This is the beach where Bryan proposed to me nearly 4 years ago. Madison LOVED the beach. She loved looking for sea shells and playing in the sand. The weather was perfect for an afternoon/evening at the beach.

On Monday we spent the day at Disney World in the Magic Kingdom. Maddie had a GREAT time. She enjoyed seeing the princesses and of course Cinderella's Castle. We rode a few rides. She didn't care too much for the dark indoor rides. The only part she liked about Pirates of the Caribbean was going down the little waterfall. I think she really would have enjoyed some of the bigger rides like Splash Mountain & Thunder Mountain Railroad, but she was 2" too short. We rode the carousel & the Astro Orbiter at night (got some really neat pictures). Bryan & I were able to ride Space Mountain before my parents left for the night. We ended the night by meeting meeting Mickey & Minnie Mouse. Madison's favorite part, however, was the fireworks display.

Tuesday was just spent catching up with all my friends (and meeting a 3-day old baby). Madison, however, started feeling ill about lunchtime. At least it was our last day. She slept most of the way home.

There were a few people we were not able to see in such a short time. I guess we'll just have to come back. Hopefully it will be in less than 3 years.

*Pictures to follow*

Commercial Break

I interrupt this blog to share with you a few new blogs, written by friends of mine, that are worth a read. (I have posted links in the sidebar)

Do you get tired of reading those boring old cookbooks? Why can't cooking be more entertaining? If this is you, then check out Cooks & Crooks, written by my friend Deb. This site is very new (like a week old) so there aren't too many recipes posted just yet. But her descriptive and humorous step by step instructions (with pictures) will not only help even the most novice cook, but are also an entertaining read.

Are you a busy mom looking for new & creative ideas for parenting your little ones? Mom's Daily Adventures is a blog written by Amber, a friend of my from college. Her blog features money saving tips, product reviews, and creative projects & ideas that you just may not have thought about.

Thank you for your time. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Another Year Older

It seems that most people, as they get older, are less likely to celebrate their birthday. Me, on the other hand, I LOVE birthdays. I believe all birthdays should be celebrated in some fashion. Why not rejoice in the life with which God has blessed you. This year was no exception. Despite not feeling well with a cold that hit me the day before, I had a great birthday. I went to lunch with two of my friends from work. When I ask Maddie how old I am, she makes me younger & younger everytime I ask. First I was 90, then 12, and now 6! Madison also gave me the best card. She picked it out herself (it had Mickey Mouse on the front). It wasn't so much what the card said, but how she wrote "MOM" on the envelope and signed her name all by herself. It made me cry. We tried a new local Mexican restaurant with Bryan's parents. I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't fancy. It was actually a little more "homestyle" - which I like! The beef tacos could have had a bit more spice, though. They were a little bland. But the cheese enchiladas were excellent. It was a great birthday!

Christmas Recap 2010

Christmas started early for us this year. It began a week before the actual holiday with the Children's Christmas Program at Church. I didn't intend for Madison to participate this year even though I was going to be singing with our new church's Contemporary Worship Team. Maddie hadn't gone to any of the rehearsals until the morning of the day of the program. I had to be there for my practice and I brought her along. The leaders said she could still participate if she wanted. That evening, her lack of rehearsal was evident in that she didn't know any of the songs and just danced around on the stage. Oh well. I hope everyone was entertained.

The next day, we celebrated Christmas with Bryan's parents (and Aunt Marlene). This is also the time when we exchanged our gifts to each other.

On Wednesday we took off early for Michigan to spend Christmas with my family. We stopped in Columbus, OH that evening for dinner with Bryan's Uncle Larry & Aunt Kay then on to the Kushnirs to spend the night. We exchanged gifts with them the next morning then made our way to Michigan in the afternoon.

Maddie had a great time playing with her cousins and also playing in the snow. She even help frost some cookies.

Christmas Eve evening we went to church and then next door to my Grandpa's house for the Cook Family Chirstmas.

Afterwards we got ready for bed and left cookies & milk for Santa.

We awoke the next morning to find the cookies & milk all gone and new presents under the tree! Madison wasn't quite sure what to make of all this.

After opening presents from Santa, Sam, Kristie, & the boys came over and we exchanged gifts from them and from my parents. Maddie is definitely loved. She got so many presents. I can't believe we were able to fit all of them in the car.

We left early the following morning. It had snowed a bit overnight. There wasn't much in terms of accumulation, but the roads were VERY slick. Only a few portions of the highway had been treated. It took us an hour just to get to the state line (which is only about 30 miles away). We saw no less than 30 accidents along our route home. One was just a couple cars in front of us. As Bryan slowed down, even he started to slide. He quickly gained control and all was fine. It was pretty scary, though. The roads & weather finally started to get better as we started heading west into Indiana. By the time we got back to Missouri, the sky was actually clear. But now the sun was starting to set and the temperatures quickly dropped to the teens.

All in all it was a very nice Christmas. I know Maddie greatly enjoyed it - which makes it all worthwhile.