Disneyworld Day 1!!!!

And off we go to Disneyworld!!  This was the girls first time on a plane which came with lots of questions and lots of trips up and down the aisle.  Actually, they both did a great job.  I sat in between the two of them and Mitch was right across the aisle so that helped.  Luckily the Ipad and other technology was in tow.  It is amazing how people kept kids entertained before the computers or videos in cars isn't it?! The only humorous thing that Addie Blaire seems to tell everyone about the flight was how mommy's phone slid all the way to the cockpit on arrival.  (I had left it in Britann's seat and was holding her when we landed and sure enough my phone goes sailing all the way down the plane from the 20th row where we were to the cockpit.  The attendant gets on the intercom to let us know that she is now the proud owner of one really pretty pink phone with some cute kids on it, well Addie just thought along with the rest of the plane that watched it sail by that it was just hilarious, leave it to me!!) Besides that, it was a nice 2 hour flight into Orlando and we landed at 10:30 am to sunny skies and ready to begin our little family adventure....

We first started out in the land of the Lion King... where the bones of those before roamed..

then found our way to the treasure chest and our "under the sea" adventure at the Art of Animation (our hotel) began!

It is amazing the treasures buried beneath the sea!

and on to the Magic Kingdom (via the very LONG complimentary bus ride to the park, another story all it's own)  Luckily, I had been given many tips in my planning and a shout out to Elizabeth Anderson because she told be about the best website that would deliver a stroller right to the hotel and come and get it there when we were done.  It paid off big time! I rented a double stroller and it was the best decision I made in my planning.  The girls stayed in that thing from the beginning to the end so I didn't have to try to keep up with them walking around the whole time and Mitch and i could really book it from one thing to the next.  Let me know, cause I would definitely recommend to those going and it was much less expensive the park ones.  Anyways, Brit fell deed asleep as we entered the park so Addie was the first to experience the "magic" but as we entered the gates we just happened to walk right into the "Celebrate the magic" parade and up comes Britann for a front row seat to the action...

This is the text I sent out to our family after we arrived.  I had been telling everyone that I was hoping for this moment when I would look up and know that we had done the right thing by bringing the girls and that would be enough for me to say it was worth it.  Well, I got that moment right off the bat as I sat next to the girls and just watched them watching the parade I saw the biggest smiles and the most excited gestures,(Addie with her arms exuberantly moving around (it's a Mitch thing) and Brit with the biggest eyes shining brightly)  I actually will say I teared up a bit (I know I am turning into my mom!) not me at all but I was just so happy.  I must say I look at this picture and the videos I took from this moment and it still brings a smile to my face. 

The girls just couldn't believe all the characters they were seeing and meeting.  Addie Blaire just kept saying "there's Cinderella, no Snow White, wait I see the Beast" it was overload for them for sure but definitely set the tone for the rest of our magical day...

We decided to start at one side of the park that day and make our way around the rest of the afternoon and the next day.  So off to Tommorowland and the Buzz light year ride.  All the rides are so expertly maneuvered and animated that even I had forgotten how cool they were.  This ride Addie Blaire and daddy took down all the enemies with their guns and Brit and I kinda took it easy and watched.

She did give it a try though, for a 2 yr. old without a nap and up since 5 that morning she defied all odds and hung in there.  She was such a trooper the whole trip and seemed to have as much fun as the rest of us. 

Minnie!

and the only Minnie memorabilia that Brit let get within a few feet of her.  Needless to say she got to make the trip back home to Arkansas. 

The girls stopped firts to get their autograph books and off we were to meet some new friends... of course we had to get princess books so Addie made sure hers was signed and ready.  First stop..

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger.  I thought it was so big of Britann to walk right up their with AB to get her book signed that is until Tigger made the move to try and get her pen.  As you can see in the pic, she dropped that pen and took off!!  It came to be a common theme with Britann after that experience if you were in full costume beware!!   Maybe next time, but she did love the Princesses as you will see later.

Addie Blaire wasn't scared though she jumped right up there every time and loved every second of it. (Side note, I kinda thought it was funny as I looked through these pics how her shirt with the three flowers looks identical to the Mickey symbol.  I had several comments on where I found the outfit, just thought it was funny cause I never noticed it until these pics came back)

Well, as you can see Brit still wasn't crazy about the idea but the whole family jumped in to make it happen!

Then we went into Winne the Pooh's adventure ride and got to experience the 500 acre forest and all his friends.  After that, we went into Mickey's Philharmonic I believe and it is a 3d show.  Mitch and I got the biggest kick out of AB because as things would come at her or appear to be falling from the sky she would jump and wiggle and scream.  It was more enteratianing to those around us (even though the show was really cool) then the show!! 

It was time for a break.  And let me tell you it is like baskin robbins around that place everyone seems to be eating ice cream nonstop so what do you think they had to have... but mom wouldn't settle for just any ice cream we had to have the Mickey ears.... pretty sure they were a hit!

It was time for the "move it, shake it" parade and boy did these two girls do just that!!

Goofy giving AB a little spin!

I guess the ice cream kicked in because they both went into overdrive with their dance moves out there! Addie was shaking her tail feathers! I was trying to post another video that was even funnier but I couldn't get it to upload, it's too bad too cause it showed her dancing with her pal Goofy!

 

 

 

Next up was "It's a small world" I couldn't get over how intricately detailed all the little figurines were with blinking eyes and moving mouths. It was really worth seeing as we floated past all the countries of the world!

We ended the day with a ride through Ariel's underground sea adventure.  It was one of Addie Blaire's favorites or so she says, but we heard that alot that week.

 We left the park about 7 and headed back to our grotto for some dinner and a little sleep.  It had been a long day and Cinderella was awaiting our arrival early the next morning....to be continued

 

Jonquil Festival and The Big D!!!!

Oh, my favorite time of year is here again.  I just love spring and in this part of the state there is nothing better than the Jonquil festival to get me excited.  It was a beautiful day for the kids to play and hang out with friends. This year was even more fun because Aunt T, Uncle B, Lila and Nana came down for the weekend.  The flowers were still blooming and so pretty.  We met up with Peyton and Brady too, which added to the fun for Addie Blaire. 

 

It seems every year that we run into our cousins that same day too!  Addie Blaire, Lydia, Julia, Katie Ella and Britann.  Aren't they just the cutest little bunch of Bobos! 

It wouldn't be the fesitival if we didn't partack in a little bounce house fun...  that is definetley Addie Balire's favorite part.

Britann, Lila, Addie Blaire and Peyton checking the fishies out.  I didn't think the little ones were ever going to leave they were so facsinated by all the different fish.

Little Brit in her first jonquil picture because the past two years the jonquils had already bloomed by the time the festival came around so we  never got a picture in the field of flowers.

My little butterfly!

Lila and Brit

Addie Blaire and Peyton, don't worry we put all the flowers back you see picked in the pictures!

Sweet little cousins, they had the best time that weekend getting to play together.  It seems like we spend so much of our time together in a rush or on the go that just having time to play outside and chase each other through the house was relaxing to be able to finally do.

Precious little girl!  She was so excited because we had just told her a few days before this....

 

My two little princesses just found out they are going to Disneyworld!  I can honestly say that I got the reaction I was hoping for or at least from Addie Blaire.  Britann is obviously a little too young to understand but hopefully we will make a return trip in a couple of years when she does fully understand.

So that Tuesday morning the adventure began!  I had booked our flights out of DFW very early on Wednesday morning so we decided to spend the night in the big "D" and start the vacation a little early.  We pulled straight into town and headed to the Galleria for some fun at the American Girl store.  Addie was pretty overwhelmed by all the options you had to choose from for the dolls.  Luckily, we had brought our own dolls but they were very much in need of a good makeover.  Britann's was in need of a good bath!

While the dolls were awaiting their spa time we took a second to have a little mid day snack in the resturant with our new friends. 

Britann even seemed to make a few new friends while she was there!  She is the tiniest little thing but according to her she is like 10 ft tall and all grown up.  She is the best little "momma"  she found these little display babies and next thing I knew she was reading them a book!! Love her!

Me and my girls, all 4 of them!!

Daddy was such a sport, he was so sweet to wait on us while we had this girl time.  He knew that Addie Blaire had been hearing all about this store and so he wanted to make sure that she got to experience it as well.  He is such a great dad to these two girls, I just couldn't ask for someone that would be more involved and more loving to them then he is... he hurts when they hurt, he laughs when they laugh and he loves unconditionally even in the middle of American girl!!  (not to say he wasn't seen whispering under his breath a little while doing it though)

Beauty salon time, this beautician had her work cut out for her.  Luckily they were able to get out all the tangles and we even picked out a perfect matching hairstyle for them both.  Oh, and Kayla (the doll)  got her ears pierced, Addie decided she would let her give it a try first.

Britann's doll got a bath because she was a baby with no hair, but I must say it is a little embarrassing when you see the cloth that the poor baby was wiped down with... easy to say the baby goes everywhere she does and the cloth proved it!!

New outfits and hairstyles now it was time to shop...

or so we thought!!  The trip really was starting off so great that something had  to happen and that it did.  The only problem was it happened in the Versace department of Nordstroms!!  We had just shown the girls the ice rink at the Galleria and were making our way into the store, the girls chasing one another around and  suddenly Britann stops in full stride and just starts "yackity, yacking" as we say at our house.  I was a nervous wreck we had nothing on us, in the middle of thousands of dollars of dresses and puck going everywhere.  The associates were in a panic as well, rushing for paper towels and she just keeps on going!!  I was mortified, terrified and so freaked out that I didn't know what to do.  All I kept thinking at (5:00pm) is that we have a flight out at 7:00am in the morning and well Disney isn't the best about refunds I hear!!  She and I were covered in you know what so I was so relieved to make it back to the car and to our hotel.  I called poor Dr. D and he told me to quit freaking out per say and just keep watch over her to see how she would do.  We laid low at the hotel for most of the night on some liquids and just waited and watched.  It was not the best night's sleep for me because I was so scared she would get sick again and with neither of the girl's ever having flown before how terrible would it be for poor Brit to be on a flight sick at her stomach already.   Well to my relief she woke up the next morning ready to go, I was still a little weary about putting her on the plane but we decided to take our chances and just in case brought along a little more armour this time.  So 5:30 am off to DFW in route to Disneyworld!!!... To be continued thank goodness....