Days 3, 4 and 5 . . .

Were awesome!! But we're exhausted!

Day 3 - Kennedy Space Center

We headed out to the coast (an hour from here) to tour the facility - it was a nice, relaxing, very interesting day. Hardly anyone there, and the weather was beautiful, so we just roamed around, the boys RAN around, checking out all sorts of rockets, etc. We even got to see the space shuttle sitting on the launch pad, being prepared for a Feb. 7th launch, so that was really cool. Here it is below: (you can only see the tips of the rocket boosters - they have to keep the shuttle itself protected from the elements, thus the structure around it):

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom

We had a GREAT day here - it went so much better than we expected! We had finished ALL of the rides we wanted to go on (even going on a few more than once!) before lunch. There were no lines, it was just fantastic. Then we had a really fun lunch at a buffet where the kids got to hang out with Pooh, Tigger, Eyore and Piglet - we didn't think Jack and Noah would be interested in them anymore, but they just had the best time. They've made it their goal to get pictures with ALL of the Disney characters . . . yikes. Anyway, then we just roamed around in the afternoon and got to do some things there that we didn't think we'd have time for. We ended the day with a parade and a show on the steps of the castle. Jack and Noah's favorite on this day was the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (roller coaster) - had to do this one twice!

Day 5 - Disney Studios

Formerly known as MGM Studios - not sure what the name change is all about but anyway . . . this was today, and we had a good day, although this park was not nearly as fun as Magic Kingdom or Epcot. There were only two "rides" that the kids could go on - the rest of the attractions there were all "shows," which get kind of old after a while, and aren't really geared for 6-year olds. However, we ended up having a lot of fun chasing the various characters down - today we managed to get pictures of the boys with Chip and Dale (their absolute FAVORITES), the Power Rangers, Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, Mater and Lightning McQueen, and the guys from Monsters, Inc. So, Jack and Noah walked away at the end of the day happy with their progress on their photo albums.

Tomorrow is a much-needed day OFF! :) The resort we are staying at has a big water park and a mile-long lazy river, so we plan on floating in that all day. More later!

Days 1 and 2 . . .

DAY 1
Okay, so this day was NOT a good one - first day of vacation, if you can call it that because it was a travel day . . . Anyway, to begin with, the night before we left, I discovered Jack's hamster had died. Yikes. Not only did I feel awful about it (yes, even though it's a rodent), but we quickly decided we needed to hide this event from Jack until the end of our trip. I don't know how you feel a sense of loss over a hamster, but I certainly did when I went to bed that night. Well, we were up at 4 a.m., the boys were up at 4:30, and we were out the door at 4:50. Our flight was on time, no problems at all . . . . UNTIL we stepped off the plane in Denver and entered the gate area, at which point Noah threw up 4 times. Out of nowhere. Ever had one of those moments where everything feels surreal? We were stunned, shocked, horrified, you name it. Unreal. Needless to say, we spent the next few hours, and basically the rest of the day on pins and needles, trying to figure out what we were dealing with. (Note goal #2 in my last post!) It never happened again, and he was totally fine the rest of the day, so who knows. We're just thankful it wasn't the full-blown stomach flu we thought it might be. We have a feeling it was the combination of a nasty cold he's had, with lots of drainage down his throat, along with getting up at 4:30 a.m., on top of being so excited he could hardly contain himself. Anyway, then once we arrived in Orlando, the baggage claim area suffered a malfunction and we waited an hour for our bags - - so by the time we reached our condo we were so exhausted we couldn't see straight.

THE CONDO
Now onto some better news - our accomodations! Folks, let me tell you, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO DISNEY!!! We couldn't swallow the cost of a basic hotel room on Disney property, so we went "outside the box" and rented a condo, for LESS, (from http://www.vrbo.com/) at a golf resort close to the parks. Oh my word, our jaws were dropped from the time we were let into the gated property by a security guard until we finished touring our rental. We are definitely in another realm here - totally, unbelievably GORGEOUS. Ours is a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom (the smallest we could find) with absolute top of the line everything. It's just amazing, and it's cheaper than any Disney resort, or any other off-property resort we looked at. If you are coming here anytime soon, get in touch with me and I'll hook ya up!! I'll post some pics of it later.

DAY 2
Much better day!! We hit Epcot fully rested and refreshed, and had the most incredible day. We arrived before opening (definitely the way to go), and had finished the 2 biggest, most popular rides in the first 30 minutes. Wow, that's unheard of. We completed 3 more before lunch, and even went back a 2nd time to one of the big ones. It was great - no lines, no waits - amazing! At lunch, Jack and Noah got to spend a fair amount of time with Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale, so they were just over the moon. We literally could not get them to sit in their seats. Chip and Dale (the boys' favorite Disney characters) did a regular comedy routine right at our table, the kids were THRILLED. I don't remember the last time I saw them so excited. It was just so much fun. Jack and Noah were just amazed, awed and enthralled by everything - I can see why Disney World is considered "magical" - however cliche it sounds, I could really see it in their faces. We left the park around 5, much later than we thought we would, but the kids were just having a blast. To top it all off, it was simply gorgeous outside - 65 and sunny.

Tomorrow
. . . is Kennedy Space Center day. According to my trusty "crowd calendar," tomorrow is going to be a busier day at Disney, so we're heading east to the coast to see everything we can about NASA. More on that tomorrow!

Mission: DISNEY

Tomorrow we head out on our adventure to conquer Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL with two six year olds who are currently so excited they are behaving like 2 of the 101 Dalmatians. I've kept them home from school yesterday and today in order to 1) theoretically get them to REST (ha) and 2) to keep them from getting infecting with all the yucky viruses going around school - Influenza B being one of them. So far, goal #1 is NOT happening, but I'm still hopeful on the success of #2. Meanwhile, I've finished reading my 850 page manual on all things Disney (not kidding!) - it's the "UNofficial" guide - meaning they tell you all kinds of things Disney would prefer you didn't know. :) It's been very helpful so far, we'll see how all the theories and tips pan out once we get there! I have 100 little sheets of paper on my coffee table with my notes and details about optimal times to hit each ride, "crowd calendars" I've printed off the internet for each of the parks, forecasts for each day, daily events at each park, ideal days to visit each park along with days NOT to visit each park, restaurant reservation numbers, etc. Uggh! Lucky for us, we're are going during a slow week, so hopefully I won't need much of this info. I'm one who likes to be highly prepared and have A PLAN for nearly everything I do, but I had no idea how involved maneuvering around Disney could be - WOW. It's been comforting, however, to find out that there are people out there who are WAY more Type A than me! I think I have a good balance of schedule vs. spontanaeity going for this trip, so I'm comfortable and even getting excited to tackle this. I'm also thinking of opening a consulting business once we get back . . . . .

We had a small moment of panic when we realized that Frontier Airlines had scattered the 4 of us around the plane, none of us sitting together (yeah right, like THAT'S going to work with kids), but that was quickly resolved this morning when I remembered we could check in from home (within 24 hours of departure), and found that the entire front row was open! So we are all very happily seated, TOGETHER, in the front row for our 3.5 hour flight from Denver to Orlando. Whew!

Anyway, I'd better get back at it - lots of packing tro finish today and my bedtime is 9:00 tonight since we have to be up at 4:00 a.m. to make our 6:00 a.m. flight. Gonna need LOTS of Starbucks tomorrow! Wish us luck - I'll be posting updates next week from ground zero, so check up on us!

The Truth Project

I just returned from Scottsdale, AZ a few hours ago (let me tell you, quite the climate change!! Came home to 7 degrees and snow!) where I attended a conference this weekend on Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project" with my mom and dad. What is The Truth Project? It is a "comprehensive systematic biblical worldview study." Long definition, I know - but wow, it's truly amazing material. I first went through the entire "project" last year in church and was deeply affected by it - so when my dad recently starting talking about going to Scottsdale to sit under the instruction of Dr. Del Tackett (the creator) for a weekend, I jumped at the chance to go with him and my mom. I have never in my life met a speaker/teacher that I could literally sit and listen to for days on end, but this man is it. He is so remarkable, and his passion for, and awe of, God is highly contagious. It was just a fantastic weekend of learning and soul-searching. I came home with many things to ponder over and pray about. It was also fun to experience a little of AZ for the first time - I LOVED Scottsdale, but could see pretty quickly that it's definitely a playground for the wealthy! May not be vacationing there any time soon . . . We didn't have much free time, but did find a couple excellent restaurants, and definitely enjoyed the warm dry weather. I left early Friday morning so it was a quick trip, but I was ready to see my babies again!! The boys had a fun-filled bachelor weekend, as Mark called it - playing basketball at the Y, a Monopoly game that evidently carried on the whole weekend, tennis, cooking, watching football - they fit a lot into a couple days!

Now I keep trying to get my head around the fact that I'll be right back at the airport on Saturday morning, except this time with my family, for our Walt Disney World vacation. The kids have tomorrow off from school, which is nice to have a leisurely day with them at home, getting my head back in the game.

We received good news a few days ago - Jack and Noah got into the first grade at Zion, thank heavens!! Even though we're relieved, I'm feeling for those who wound up on the waiting list. I hope something works out in the coming weeks and months so they can get in . . . .

Well, The Amazing Race finale awaits - as does my husband! :) Have a great week!

Colorado Eagles

Last Sunday we got a call from one of Mark's college buddies, Mike, inviting us to join them for a Colorado Eagles game this weekend. He has access to a box suite at the Budweiser Center in Loveland, home arena of the Colorado Eagles, a minor league hockey team. We'd never been to one before, but evidently they have a huge following - have sold out 145 consecutive games and have a great record. Another one of Mark's buddies, Blake and his family, from Breckenridge, were coming too and surprisingly, we had the weekend open (how did that happen??!), so we quickly accepted and drove down on Friday after school. We haven't seen these families for a couple of years, so it was amazing it worked out on such a last-minute basis!

We had absolutely the best time - spent many hours just catching up on our lives, and the kids all had a blast playing together. They have a Wii, so we all had our first experience with that, and Jack and Noah were hooked in the first 5 minutes. They played the tennis, golf and bowling games all day Saturday - even the adults joined in periodically - I had no idea that thing could be so much fun! I was so impressed - and gaming systems don't impress me much. Here's Noah in the middle of a golf swing - the boys were much better at this than mom and dad!
Saturday evening, Lisa cooked the BEST Mexican dinner for all of us (13 total!), and then we were off to the game!
Here's Jack and Noah in the suite - which was totally amazing - couch, chairs, bar with barstools, TV, food, drinks, etc. THIS is the way to do sporting events!! (ha ha) We all got free t-shirts which is why you see all the boys in blue . . . .
Of course all the boys got the front row of the box - I NEVER thought ours would make it for the whole game (in fact we even drove separately just in case!) - but to our shock and awe, they were GLUED to this game from the first minute through the last. It was just amazing. The only time they came out of their seats was for food . . . and a couple other reasons you'll see below . . .
Doesn't Jack just have that look like "oh yeah, I'm all that . . ." Thinkin' he's pretty cool!
Here's Mark and Mike . . .
And us girls . . .
Mike utilized his "connections" and arranged for the cheerleaders to come visit the kids - oh my word, I wish I could have captured the look on the boys' faces when these gals showed up at the door - - it was PRICELESS! (Jack is in the middle - Noah's on the far right) And he also arranged for the mascot to show up as well - here he is harassing the boys . . .
And a group shot . . .they thought this was the coolest thing . . . .
It was even a great suspenseful hockey game - the Eagles won by one. Towards the end of the game, the boys had figured out how to jump up and down in unison, capturing a cameraman's attention, and got themselves up on the jumbotron. That just sent them through the roof, they were so excited. It was such a great evening - and one the kids will NOT forget anytime soon. They jabbered nonstop the whole car ride back to Mike and Lisa's after the game about the events of the evening - hardly took a breath, they were so excited about all of it. It's so amazing to see your kids have so much fun, and it's even better when they are so appreciative of it!!

Today after breakfast, we headed home - exhausted and sleep-deprived but so glad we were spontaneous and did this. It was just the best weekend. Thanks Mike and Lisa - you guys ROCK - and Blake and Toni, you too, it was great to catch up with you again! Hope we can all get together again soon, like we talked about!

Back to normalcy tomorrow - sometime in the next few days we should be hearing whether or not the kids got into Zion for next year. They have two kindergarten classes, but only one first grade class, so there's a small math problem there, and we are hoping we "make the cut." On Friday I'm headed to Phoenix with my mom and dad for a seminar on "The Truth Project" (I have their link on the right side of this blog). I'm really excited to go, this is such an amazing seminar - but of course will miss all my boys! :) They'll have a good bachelor weekend though, doing all the things mom won't allow . . . :) Mark's already making plans. Have a great week!

Grandpa and his playmates . . .

So on Thursday I get a phone call from my dad (just 45 minutes away in Spearfish), wondering if Jack and Noah could come have a sleepover on Friday night and hang out with him on Saturday . . . . . hmmmm, a free night for me and Mark - no babysitter costs - duh, OF COURSE, I told him! A no-brainer! :) So we shipped the kids off to Spearfish after school on Friday and went out for peaceful dinner together and then went to see National Treasure, which we LOVED and thought was excellent - of course our favorite parts were the shots of our "backyard" - Mt. Rushmore and Sylvan Lake. Then Mark got to sleep in this morning while I went to a church meeting, and then to a bridal fair with Marcy (Josh's fiance). By the time Grandpa and Grandma brought Jack and Noah back around 4:00, we were definitely ready to see them.

MEANWHILE, Jack and Noah had the time of their lives - Friday night they were treated to pizza and a movie; this morning Grandpa made pancakes and then took the kids to the coffee shop to get their favorite "coffee" drink, then took them to the fish hatchery to feed the ducks, and this was only the beginning. Back at Grandma and Grandpa's - who have plenty of snow, as their house is up in the hills - Grandpa helped them build a snow fort, a snowman and a snow PUPPY (Noah's idea and design). Then macaroni and cheese (yet another favorite) for lunch, and then off for a hike in the hills. On the way back into Rapid, Jack fell asleep in the car which he NEVER does - Grandpa thoroughly wore him out. So, they had a great time, which is wonderful - we are so thankful for the bonds Jack and Noah have with all 4 of their grandparents. What a blessing!

Grandpa was sure to get pictures for us - here are their creations:

And on their hike:

Happy New Year!

Happy 2008! While it's always exciting to usher in a new year, it's always rather sad for me to "pack up Christmas" for another year. We had such a great one, it's a total bummer that it's all over (and over so quick!). Couldn't Christmas last a little longer? The presents are unwrapped and put away, tree is gone, the decorations are all boxed up, and the house looks just plain normal again. Uggh. I think it's a good thing we go on vacation this month, or I would be really down in the dumps . . .

We were in Willmar, MN at my last post - we then headed home and had a terrific, peaceful, happy Christmas here at home. Christmas Eve we went to our church - had a really nice service - then came home and had an awesome dinner (if I do say so myself) :), then watched The Nativity Story with the boys. We were only planning on showing them a few parts of it, just so they could see what things might have looked like when and where Jesus was born, but they were hooked on this movie in the first 2 minutes, and wanted to watch it in it's entirety. So we spent a lot of time during the movie going over the people and events surrounding Jesus' birth, and it was just awesome. At one point Noah said this was "the best Christmas Eve ever" and when I asked why, he said "because I'm older now and I understand more of what's going on."

On Christmas morning, we had a wonderful, relaxed morning - first discovering Santa's goodies, then lounging a little while and having a yummy breakfast, then opening gifts. After lunch we headed out to Spearfish and celebrated with the Horaks until late into the night. The next day, my mom, sister and I went shopping - had to check out the after-Christmas sales - had a nice lunch out, and we had a really nice day together. Something we don't get to do very often!
Here's the boys on Christmas morning - can you tell they're excited??
And here they are with their stockings - yes, those are it, thanks to Grandma LaRayne, who must have thought Santa needed to leave a little more for her grandkids . . . . :)Jack and Noah's special gift from Daddy - Adrian Peterson (Vikings) jerseys . . .And Daddy got one from Jack and Noah too!

We spent the next few days putting away, re-organizing, cleaning out drawers, toy boxes and closets, cleaning the house and getting back to normal. Sunday we watched the Vikings end their season, much to my three boys' disappointment . . . Mark's already doing the countdown to next season - ever the optimist! Last night we had our friends the Rossons over for New Year's Eve - spent the evening eating, chatting and the kids all had a blast playing and watching movies. We stayed up LATE - 1:00 a.m. - who knew I could still do it? I was pretty proud of myself - I'm usually a 10:30 bedtime person and anything after that, I'm totally useless. This morning we all lounged around and they left around 11:00 - it was a great time - the perfect New Year's Eve!

This afternoon we're still lounging . . . Mark and Noah are napping and Jack and I are going through all the pictures we took over the past week. We have a Monopoly date with the boys once everyone wakes up and then movies until bedtime. We are all about RELAXATION today!

We did have a sad event Christmas Eve day - my sister had to put her dog, Muffy (a bichon), to sleep - she was 15 years old, and was a treasured part of our entire family for all of those years - even lived with Mark and I for a while. We'll miss her spunky nature and funny antics, but are thankful for the great (and long!) life she shared with us. Goodbye, old friend . . . .