DISNEY WORLD!

This might just be the longest post ever, so prepare yourself... 
*Disclaimer* This blog is to give family and close friends a peak into our lives and as a journal for our memories, so if I'm too long winded with the details and you just want the highlights, feel free to just scroll through the pictures...We had a magical time at Disney World!  It was so nice to travel on someone elses dime, thanks Pampered Chef! 

Ok, so the fun began the day before we left on June 9th when I got a new car!!  YAY!!  That day just also happened to be our 9 year anniversary - thanks for an awesome anniversary gift babe!  We traded in my Prius for a RAV4 and lucky for us we did because once we started packing there was absolutely no way were going to fit all our stuff in my other car.  Atticus was glad too because that meant we were able to bring more of his toys, especially his jumper!

We broke up our trip by making a short stop in Alabama to visit with Merinda and Daniel, Aarons' sister and her husband.  Love them both so much!  They crack me up!  (Daniel isn't cutting his hair until he finishes his dissertaion...I told them they have the same hair cut now!!)

We went to dinner at this fun seafood restaurant near their house and I got shrimp and grits, yummy!!  Grits are practically a religion in the south and you can eat them with almost anything!  I could have eaten a whole 'notha plateful!  The Pioneer Woman also has a recipe for shrimp and grits on her site...check it out here!

Our stay with Merinda and Daniel was short and sweet, but we knew we'd see them again on our way back home.  We packed up and began our looooong drive to my parents house in Florida.  Atticus did amazingly well - he only got fussy once right towards the end of the ride.  He was such a trooper, 10 hours in the car is a long time for anyone, not just a baby! 

We had a great time visiting with both my family and some of Aaron's family while in Florida before we headed over to see Mickey.  This was the first time for all of them to meet Atticus and so needless to say he got loved on ALOT!  We had a big cookout with our families and my Grandma made one of our family favorites, pistachio salad!  I haven't had it in so long so I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.  (I'll post it on my recipe blog shortly...). 

My dad with Atticus, Rachel and Lexi

Hanging out on the back porch (Atticus was ready for his afternoon nap!) 

Aaron's cousin Ron and my cousin Aaron with his little girl Lexi, she was being shy...

My aunt Michelle and Atticus playing together - he liked her glasses!

My Grandma with Atticus, her fifth great-grandchild!!

Four generations

Now it's off to Disney!  The trip I earned was for four people and since Atticus didn't count we took my parents with us so they could spend some quality time with Atticus since they don't get to see him on a regular basis.   Everything was wonderful from the moment we walked into the resort!  Our accommodations were at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort...it had a Mexican/Mayan theme to it's decor'...very nice!

The pool was ahhh-mazing!  It even had a slide with ups and downs that dumped you out into the pool, Aaron rode it several times!!

Atticus also loved the pool.  This was his first time in a pool - I think he thought it was just like a big bathtub because he did the same things in the pool that he does in the bath, splash and kick his feet :)  The pool was a nice retreat from the busy parks and the heat.

Wasn't his monogrammed swimsuit the cutest?!?!

Family fun 'n the sun!

We had an awesome breakfast buffet in the morning - I usually don't eat a big breakfast but it was just too good to pass up!  Eggs, bacon, waffles, potatoes, muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, cereal, juices, and coffee.  On this particular day all 1600 Pampered Chef consultants and their guests wore our "Celebrate the Magic" red t-shirts (Atticus even got one, but the smallest size they had was 2T so he didn't actually get to wear it :).  It was pretty cool to see the Magic Kingdom covered in red!! 

The Magic Kingdom was open early for just Pampered Chef for the first two hours of the day, it was soooo nice!  Thinking there were still going to be lines, we made a mad dash to a handful of rides that we wanted to be sure we got on but we didn't wait in a single line to ride any of the rides!!! 

 

(I was really bummed when I got home and looked at this picture up close because the humidity fogged up my lens!!!)  First in line was Dumbo!  Aaron has a special memory of going to Disney with his Grandma and her waiting in line for over an hour with him so he could ride Dumbo - luckily we didn't have to wait in line at all - Atticus loved it!

Next we headed for "It's A Small World" and it was so much fun to watch Atticus' expressions as he took in all of the colors, sounds, and sights of the ride - it was definitely information overload!

While we were in Fantasyland we also road Peter Pan, Snow White, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted House, which Atticus fell asleep in, I guess he wasn't too scared...He fell asleep in my arms and so we snapped a shot when we got off the ride in front of one of the silly tombstones.

It was so nice to have park-hopper passes for all the Disney parks - we could come and go at our leisure...  After our afternoon nap one day we headed over to The Animal Kingdom.  Atticus has a video from the San Diego Zoo and he loves to watch the animals so I knew he would really enjoy going here.  Atticus and Poppa getting geared up for a wild time!

the boys...

Look closely, do you see the tiger??  Atticus did!

I'm not sure what this animal's name is, but it reminded me of the 'black & white cookies' from Starbucks that I love too much :)

Epcot is one of my favorites!  I know it kind of has the reputation of not being as fun for kids, but I always loved it as a child and still do today.

Visiting a chateau in beautiful Canada (can't wait to go there next year for our 2011 Incentive Trip to Toronto!!)

We stopped at the Trevi Fountain in Italy and had some gelato!  Aaron and I spent our honeymoon in Italy and visited the real Trevi Fountain 9 years ago!!

They made me do it!!!  While touring through Morocco we popped in the belly dancer store and I got suckered into trying on one of their head pieces....and of course Aaron didn't tell me he was taking the picture yet...Yikes!

Next stop, China - the food smelled so good!  They had beautiful bamboo and bonsai gardens!

Mexico!! We found a hat just Atticus' size...almost :)

Anyone know these folks???  Think I should use this picture for our Christmas card?? Ha!

We had lunch in France - French onion soup and a napoleon for dessert!

 

On the last night Disney's Hollywood Studios was closed to the public and it was open exclusively tuntil midnight for The Pampered Chef...again, no waiting in lines, AND all the food, drinks, snacks, everything was FREE.  You could walk up to any of the food vendors and just tell them what you wanted and how many and they just gave it to you!!  How awesome is that?!?!  They also had two huge buffets set up for us on Hollywood Boulevard and in the Indiana Jones Show - the shrimp skewers were soooooo good!!! 

One of the treats that Atticus and I enjoyed together was a frozen banana...I ate off the chocolate and Atticus sucked on the frozen banana, it was the perfect snack for him, especially since he got his FIRST TOOTH while we were there!!! (we look pretty rough, it was a long hot day!)

Our two favorite rides at Hollywood Studios were Toy Story and Star Wars - we opted out of Tower of Terror since Aaron was just one week post surgery (side note - back in the summer of '95 Aaron and I were at Hollywood Studios with our youth group for "Night of Joy" and rode Tower of Terror 9 times in a row!!!).

We hooked up with my good friend Betsy and her girls Bailey and Kayla - she is one of my best friends from our  time in Nashville and even though I don't live there anymore she and I have stayed close!

Atticus showing Kayla some love!

I keep Atticus on a strict, but flexible schedule (thanks Babywise!!).  I knew he would adjust fine to the changes (sleeping locations, noise in the hotel room, being in the heat long hours, etc...) but I didn't know he would do so well...I was SO PROUD of him.  I kept him on his same schedule for the most part, only a few minor adjustments when needed.  That's the beauty of following Babywise, it pays off in times like this!  Atticus you're such a big boy and I love you!

Atticus sportin' his mickey ears...isn't he such a sweetie?

By this time we were exhausted!!  It was a wonderful trip and I'm glad that my parents were able to come with us - they were a huge help!  Atticus may not remember this trip but we certainly made memories that we'll have forever and pictures that we can look at down the road!  

 

Like the song says....

M-I-C-see you real soon -K-E-Y - why? because we like you! M-O-U-S-E!