11 years

11 years ago today....man do we look young....Happy 11th Anniversary Honey! I would do it again in a heartbeat and never regret, I love you so much and as corny as it sounds I wouldn't be complete without you.

Happy Anniversary!!!

What a day! *updated

The last few days Britt has been complaining at times about not feeling well. First said that her eye was blurry, then just not feeling well. Then she would bounce back.

I was on the verge of thinking maybe she just needed some special time with me. So bright and early this morning we get up and head to WalMart to get donuts and do a girls day out. She about passes out in the store, gets very dizzy goes down to her knees. Scared the crap out of me! So to ER we went. She starts feeling better after we get checked in. The doc does a full work up on her chest Xray, ears, etc. Doc isn't sure what is going on but since she feels better he says we can go. He says to keep in the back of my mind MS....talk about scaring the crap out of me again. So I leave ER she is feeling better so we stop by my office, and Brittney proceeds to throw up.

We head home she sleeps a few hours, wakes up no fever but throwing up. So I call and get her into the pediatrician (we are in between pediatricians right now)that was on call. He said not to let what the doc said about MS scare me. By this time Brittney is running a fever. He did a complete nuero work up and while he said that the eye thing has him befuddled he does think the rest is just a virus. He said to keep the MS comment way way in the back of my mind and that if she continues to have weird episodes then we will check more into it.

She has some phenergan and is now holding down sprite and a few crackers. Hopefully it will pass soon and the weird dizzy spells will go away as well and it will all be chalked up to a virus.

But oh what a day!

* Brittney is still asleep but she has quit running fever and last night did drink a large Sprite, eat some crackers, then have some water before bed. So I am hoping we are on the up side of whatever this was.

Hacked

Yesterday evening and this morning in between my deathbed coughing and snottin I was trying to change passwords and account names.

I was hacked...or more specific my ebay account was.

Because anyone who knows me knows I have a slick little Nissan sports car for sale for $55...ugh...that is what I saw that I was selling on my ebay yesterday. I was like what? Had to get online and fix the selling fees and all of that. Change everything.

Ugh now it is done so I can go back to this summer cold that is threatening to be the end of me.....I just thought I was getting better....ugh....

Almost over it...

I slept basically all day yesterday. I was suppose to watch a total of six kids as favors to friends, but luckily they all understood when I backed out. I was so glad I had backed out because I was really feeling lousy yesterday.

Better today...but now I am heading off for a day of appointments and errands with the kids so who knows how I will feel after all of that.

We leave Sunday for a week away four days in Enid Oklahoma while hubby works on a new computer system at the hospital and 3 in Fort Worth for fun!

Hopefully no one else will get this junk that I have had. Of course always is the luck that someone gets sick right before or during a trip.

Not even the right season for this

Stuffy, coughy, achy, sneezy, yucky all over....yep summer cold.

Summer...that is the key word, not suppose to have a cold in the summer.

But boy oh boy do I ever have one. I am so miserable.

I went to bed at 6:30 which of course made me wake up at 11:00. I have now taken more supposed make me better medicine and will hopefully fall back out soon.

At least in the winter I feel like I can snuggle under the covers, it is overcast skies more, now bright sunshine outside and the last thing I want to do is snuggle under the covers. Yet here I am snottin and coughin and all over yuckin.

Day 1 down

Okay I have decided I have to do some excercising have to have to have to.

I thought it would be easier if i involved the kids. So I signed all of us up for a fun run/walk at the zoo in October. I thought this would be a good goal to work towards.

This morning the kids and I head out for our workout. Brittney wanted to do her scooter (which is much easier and faster than poor Braden and I). Braden bless his heart ran the whole way while I power walked. He has to sit towards the end because he said his legs were stinging off! We then got in the pool to cool off and work out some more.

Anyway I can now say I did day one, Braden has already informed me that I could do tommorow without him. Brittney said she would do the pool part with me.

I am going to try to really do this but as of this evening I am already thinking I could sleep in a little extra tommorow and switch the walking part till the evening (which I know will then become oversheduled and forgotten).

Ugh am I sure being healthier is all it is cracked up to be?

Simple Fun

I found a book of make your own paper airplanes in the party favor section of Target. It had 12 papers, stickers and directions.

Tonight we had the family airplane races...sad to say I didn't win (darn hubby). But we all had fun and the kids are still at it racing their planes down the hall. I like the times when they are having fun with something they did, something that didn't cost the bank to buy, something we could all do. Of course the arguing just started and I will now have to go hang them both by their toes...(a threat that always guarantees to have them laugh but at least it makes them quit).

Still stinks

I learned a lesson last night...Act II is not right on how long it takes to cook a mini bag of popcorn in my microwave.

I sat it by the directions...3 minutes.

Left the kitchen to do a few things while it was cooking. Walked back in when it had about 30 seconds left, smoke was billowing out of the microwave, the bag was smoldering, and it stunk so awful.

I had to use a knife to stab the bag and remove it from the microwave. We turned on the exhaust fan over the stove, the ceiling fan, opened windows all to keep the smoke alarms from going off.

This morning even after the trash has been taken out and microwave cleaned it still smells like burnt popcorn.

The correct time for a mini bag in our microwave is 1 minute 50 seconds, but after I learned that and got Brittney's popped I was so sick of the stinch I couldn't enjoy popcorn.

Yard Sale Success

Yard sale is over I made almost $500.00. Which is great, but if you add in all the hours I spent preparing, the labor of putting it out, sitting out with it, loading the leftovers, etc...I don't know if I made minimum wage. But it is all out of here now, we donated the leftovers to a church for their youth yard sale. Now I need sleep.

A lift in my day

Today has been so busy, the kids and I started errands at 8am. I have been breaking my back getting yard sale stuff out to the garage, arranged, priced, etc. Several friends of mine are bringing stuff over we always have yard sales together at my house because of my location. It is also much more fun when a group of us do it.

I have been looking for an outfit to wear out for when hubby and I go out for our anniversary. We are doing it a week later than our actual anniversary so that we can have fun in Fort Worth and some friends of ours live there and will babysit (for the whole night...yippee)...anyway I have looked at JCPennys, Kohls, TJMaxx, nothing. Today I thought well I will run through WalMart but thought chances of finding an outfit fancy enough for the resteraunt and occassion were slim. I thought wrong I found the perfect outfit it is dressy but so comfortable, something I will actually wear again, and the bonus actually looks decent on so that made me happy.

Of course the 3 hours since then that I have spent on yard sale stuff not so happy.

4th Fun

We had about 20 people here for the 4th.

The 5 youngest kids got to play in the pool and the oldest (my dad) got in with them as well. I imagine he will be sore as he had each kid on his shoulder a few times.

We got some rain, but we just played games inside. Gestures was funny to have everyone play (kind of like charades). The rain let up in time for fireworks, it was actually great temp not too hot. The neighbors also did some huge fireworks so we watched those too.

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Matt and his dad are playing Uno with the kids. My parents are due any minute and all the other guests in about an hour and half. Food is prepared, pies are chilling, ice is cooling the drinks, shade tent is up in the back yard, toys are in the pool, decorations are up. We are ready...here are a few pics I snapped. The kids and I had so much fun with those window crayola markers. They wash right off we decorated both storm doors. We will have to do that for all the holidays from now on. More pics of the bbq later.

Stylin!

We all went in for haircuts today. Brittney got about 5 inches cut off, it is the shortest she has ever had it. Braden's looks cute too.

Needing a little tender loving care

Britt is very kind hearted. She loves animals, will give away her last dollar, cry at the slightest hurting of feelings, etc.

Saturday she was at the garden center with her nana. She said a flower wasn't getting watered and the guy said it was just going to die. She started begging her nana for it. The garden center lady gave it to her for 50 cents. Brittney is trying to nurse it back to health, she has even been talking to it. It is suppose to be an azeala that blooms in Fall and Spring.

I will be going to buy fertilizer for it tommorow.

She said it was sad and the garden center lady put it in a sack so she named it "Sack of Sad".

Hot!

Temp 97.9 with 37% humidity = a hot and muggy day

We got the yard work done. I have to get my 4th decorations up tommorow evening for the cookout on Tuesday. I have also been working on yard sale stuff.

Hubby kids and I all jumped in the pool...which was nice.

I figure between the heat, the work we did, and the pool play we should all be tired and sleep good!

Not techy enough to figure it out

I tried for over an hour last night to load a video on youtube so I could put it on the blog. I had used my digital camera to record the kids at vacation bible school program last night. I just couldn't get it done. I have them on my computer but can't get them turned over to the youtube.

The kids were both cute singing, but I had about 15 people come up and comment on Braden. It was super cute he was singing VERY loudly...cute...with his verbal apraxia you would think that he would be shy with public speaking, but not Braden he puts it all out there.

I will keep trying to figure it out, or better yet make hubby figure it out.

Sorta Of

I have said before my SIL is crazy...here is yet another example.

SIL: Kelli could you come over and clean my house I think I broke my foot.
ME: Did you go to the doctor?
SIL: Yes they said it was sort of broken and to stay off of it for 6 weeks, but they didn't cast it or anything. I bought me some crutches and I am suppose to not do anything for 6 weeks.
ME: So your foot is broken?
SIL: Sort of broken.

Oh yes having a conversation with her is so fun. Needless to say I am much to busy to go clean that pigsty that her and my BIL call a house. Eeek I would be scared to even attempt it. So now SIL will be whining for weeks, also needless to say there is no doctors report, or anything to substantiate this "visit" to the doctor wherein he said her foot was "sort of broken".

Par for the course with crazy SIL. And when I say crazy I don't mean "sort of" I mean full blown!

Braden Funny

Braden was so tired. Getting up and around. He goes into the bathroom and I am getting Britt's hair stuff. He sits down and says "This morning mom I am just going to sit and pee like a girl because I am just too tired for boy peeing".

Quiet Time

I did get some rest last night.

I got up on purpose so that I could have some quiet time. It didn't last as long as I had hoped.

I feel that my day just goes so much smoother if I can have my time to sit nice and quiet check my emails, and so on. I like not having to carry a conversation or hold a kid on my lap. Not that I don't love both those things but first I love my quiet time.

Selfish of me or not I have decided I need that time in the morning and I think if I am granted it I will be a better person all around throughout the day.

Tired and Blah

The title sums up my day.

I am tired.

I have the Blahs.

Nothing specific. It is a emotional week so that leads to being tired.

I did bible school this morning. Thank goodness my friend is helping me in the class or I would be adding bald too the title because I would have ripped all my hair out. Some kids just try my patience more than others.

McDonalds playland was the place of choice after bible school. The conversation was good with two friends. The kids all had fun, yet it did nothing but make me sleepier.

Tommorow I plan to run some fun errands with the kids after church so maybe that will perk me up. Hubby is going to run Braden to speech tonight so I don't have to get out again this evening and that sounds good to me as well. Early to bed sounds good, but of course that also means I probably won't sleep all night...ugh...vicious cycle.

Sleep?

My sleep schedule really sucks.

I have tried all the sleep tips the doc gave me such as not paying bills in the bedroom, etc, so that it is a place to sleep but not where you have dealt with weighty issues.

So far the best for me is taking Melatonin to help me fall asleep. Problem though, I wake up at 3 or 4 am. After that I can't go back to sleep.

If I take Tylenol PM or Benedryl I sleep longer but I am in such a fog the next morning I can't function.

Ugh it is so frustrating and this week seems to be worse than normal. 3am this morning wide awake and I was so exhausted last night. I have a super busy day today and I know I will feel the weight of waking up so early.

Yuck I hate insomnia.

Happy Birthday to Me

I have had a great 32nd birthday!

We started bible school today at church and the kids made sure everyone knew it was my birthday so I got lots of birthday wishes.

Hubby made me breakfast before bible school and had lunch for me after bible school. My friend Christy bought over 2 beautiful lighthouses for my living room.

This evening the kids and hubby took me out to Olive Garden. They bought me a wonderfully good ice cream cake. They also got me THREE 30 minute massage gift certificates...YIPEE for those...can't wait to use them. I also got some great bath and body works lotions.

Some good friends are coming over to share cake in a little bit.

So it has been a great day. Thanks to hubby for making it extra special!

Baby Shower

I did my friend Becky's baby shower today. I heard two seperate people say it was the best baby shower they had ever been to. I also had a lady asked if I would be interested in doing some party planning for her and her husband. So I considered it a hit. I am tired though. At least it is done, next big thing is bible school this week I am teaching completed 1st grade. So have to work on that tonight and tommorow. Here are a few pics I snapped of the shower of the things I made and put together. I love doing showers and parties. The theme was frogs....

FROGGY DIAPER CAKE


FROGS FLOATING IN THE PUNCH AND FROGGY COOKIES


CANDLES (I got the idea of the internet but made my own much cheaper, I printed the poem and used wedding favor bags to put the candles in and tie them.


YOU CAN SEE THE CARRIAGE I DID OUT OF A WATERMELON IN THIS PIC AND A SET UP OF THE FOOD

They are outta here...

SIL and BIL just picked up the nephews.

A hugh sigh of relief from my kids and myself.

They are just not easy boys. They have no rules or structure at home and so they don't expect to have any at anyone else's house either.

First thing the 3 year old did was tell his daddy "Aunt Kelli made me mind".

Yes I did, I made them eat lunch, go to the potty, wash hands and take naps. All of which they said "I dont have to". The kids are 3 and 4 and just now potty training.

The thing is they did it, I reminded them and they went in and did it. Once they realized that Aunt Kelli was serious and that they had to take a nap, eat, quit throwing a fit they did it.

So they aren't bad kids, but just not well taught I guess is the best way to put it. Of course SIL and BIL are both nuts and hubby agrees that the kids will be ruined the older they get.

Not bad for a quick throw together

My friend asked me to throw something together for her 13 year old step son. I did this candy bouqet....for less than $10. If you have ever tried to buy a candy bouqet they are much more expensive. I thought it came out good and he loved it and it wasnt too girly or too babyish.

Suckered again

I am going to get a recording of me saying no and play it when someone calls.

Especially when that someone is my crazy SIL.

Tommorow I will be watching my nephews. Like hubby and I say it isn't there fault their mother is nuts. Of course if someone doesn't do something with the boys soon they will be out of control. Crazy SIL has also asked to borrow money. Which ticks us off for several reasons, one we don't really have extra, the other is we have to save in case another medical issue arises with Braden, and yet another is she quits any job she gets, and yet another is while she is telling me she needs money to buy food and so on and still manages to get a manicure and pedicure. Ugh.

Anyway I will be watching the boys tommorow but as for loaning money I don't think that is going to happen.

I better get more things done today because I wont be getting much at all done tommorow.

Writer's Block

I have had this screen pulled up for a good thirty minutes.

Nothing is coming in the form of a post.

I could post about the high maintenance attorney that I worked for today. It made me very thankful that normally I just work from home. But I just don't want to rehash the heck of a day.

I could talk about how I can't seem to say no and I have been sitting here tonight hot glueing a candy bouqet together to help a friend out.

Of course part of the reason I can't post is that I am also watching 8 Below. So far a very good movie, but not holding Braden's attention as he is trying to go to sleep.

So you just get a writer's block post for tonight, I am going to quit trying to multi task and just concentrate on the movie.

Happy Fathers Day!!

Happy Fathers Day to my Dad.

I grew up with my dad in the military. We moved from time to time. I learned discipline and structure but also softness. I remember being 8 and seeing him crying over his brother dying, and knowing that sometimes men do cry. I remember being around 7 and him having tears in his eyes when he spanked me for lying and trying to blame my trouble making on my little brother. I remember when I was a teenager him covering for me because we both know my mom is wonderful but prone to dramatics and would have blown my bad judgment way out of portion. He let me know I did wrong and that he didn't approve but he let it stay between us and because of that I didn't do it again. He isn't perfect and sometimes I look back and feel that he treated my brother and I on different levels, but after really looking at that I am glad I was on the level that learned structure and love could work together. He didn't let me get away with everything and he set boundaries and it has helped me become who I am. So happy fathers day dad...here is a pic of my dad (far left) with my mom, hubby, me and the kiddos from Christmas.



Happy fathers day to my dear hubby....

I may be bias but I think you are one of the greatest fathers. Our kids know that you love them. You take time to do things with them, you show them that dads can do housework (I love that part), you show them men can be gentle and strong. You make a point to arrange your scheudle so that you can be at things that are important to them. You show them how important they are. Best of all you show that you can be a big kid too when you are down in the floor playing the newest gamecube game, or playing hide and seek in the house, playing pokemon, you show that what they love is important to you. Thanks for being the best! I love you and Happy Fathers Day!
A pic where hubby looks tired, but I still like it from Easter of this year.

3 parties

We picked Matt up from the airport and headed to the first birthday party of the day....

It was at crazy SIL's so we got to enjoy a dramatic performance because things weren't going her way. Always an enjoyment. Luckily I didn't have to stay long because I had to have Brittney at party 2. Here are the kids and their cousins.


Party 2 was held at a wedding chapel that also does tea parties. The girls all dressed up it was fun, but I could tell that the older girls were kinda thinking this is silly. But they all did have fun getting to dress up and have a fashion show and tea party.



Party 3 was at Bowling World. By this time I was starving so had to have some nachos. The kids played two games of bowling, they had a blast but I was ready to get home and I know hubby was since he hadn't even been home yet.


We arrived at the house. I had put dinner in the crock pot I did the finishing touches and we sat down to eat. We had hubby open his presents for his birthday. He loved his new dvd burner and is itching to try it out.

Him and the kiddos are playing a new gamecube game he brought them back as a surprise and I am hoping we all go to bed early tonight.

Happy Birthday to hubby

Happy Birthday to hubby, he turns 35 today!!! It is too bad that he is on a business trip for his birthday. The kids and I will pick him up at the airport in the morning. We will celebrate his birthday on Sunday with Fathers Day.

Tommorow we will pick him up from the airport and then basically have a whole day of birthday parties. The schedule for tommorow is wake up, clean the house (so hubby doesn't think that I sat around and ate chocolate on my butt all week), pick up honey at airport, go to park for our nephews 3rd birthday, then Brittney and I will go to her friends birthday tea party, then in the afternoon we will all go to a bowling birthday party.

So much for hubby getting to rest after his flight.

It takes longer the old fashion way...

Yes more Florida pics....these took longer because I actually had to get film developed, ugh the horror of not having digital...but finally remembered to get them into the store.

These are some from Blizzard Beach at Disney...







Some from Cocoa Beach....





Some from Discovery Cove....







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Definetly daddy's girl

I am taking a break from my deep cleaning of my daughter's room.

Is she ever her daddy's girl...she is such a PACK RAT!

It is unbelievable the stuff she has stuff here and there and saved. Ugh....Matt is a pack rat as well so I should have known one of them would be.

Braden likes to keep his stuff, not sell it at yard sales, etc. Brittney however keeps every scrap of paper she writes on, every sticker, etc....I have carried two black trash bags out of her room so far...and I am not done. I am hoping she is also like her dad in the fact that he keeps so much he doesn't notice when I do clean it out when he is away.

Back to the rat's nest....

Hubby's away...

Hubby is away so we will play...haha.

Hubby is on business trip, the kids and I are having fun (while missing you dearly hubby).

It is just so busy without him to help, so we have eaten out so much this week. The kids have camped out in our bedroom. The rules have sorta went out the window, we have swam each night and I have given them their shwoers in the hose.

Last night we went and saw the movie Cars. It was so cute. I really enjoyed it, much more than I do some of those movies. The graphics were so cool, and the story line was a good one.

Never buying toys again....

I cleaned Braden's room yesterday. The deep cleaning where I drag everything out, where I cuss about him having too much stuff, and swear that I am never buying him anything again.

I had the kids helping me which made me have to be sneakier on throwing things away.

But I can now say Braden's room is so clean, everything is in it's place, no broken toys, cheap little burger place toys, and clothes all in place.

I am sure it will stay this way too....for at least another 40 minutes until Braden wakes up.

Now if I could just get every room done. I always do more deep cleaning while hubby is away on business trips.

Got my butt in gear

The house has just not been the same since returning from Disney. We put the stuff away or at least most of it, but I just hadn't got the house good and clean.

Have not been motivated....

Enter...motivation....In the form of finding out on Friday that I am hosting a dinner at my house on Saturday for my parents 34th wedding anniversary.

My brother and his girlfriend are suppose to be here in about 30 minutes, house is clean, back yard is set up, things look nice....just dont look in the closets.

For the album....

A sample of what I found on my camera card after Britt borrowed it at the family reunion.....

Not quite as bad as it was.

The day has improved and I have calmed down, I know I overreacted (I tend to do that). But things are better.

We are enjoying a quiet evening. Kids and I are watching Jimmy Nuetron. Matt is on the phone to his dad.

I still have to get some pics of my new living room set and the new paint job. It is looking so nice but I have to find an entertainment center that I like.

Also went to a homeschool meeting last night and I am getting so excited about starting it.

Ticked Off and needing to vent

Dear Hubby I know you read my blog but you might not want to read this because I am ticked and need to vent! So here goes...

I love my hubby and we have a really good marriage but sometimes I want to kill him. Luckily those times are pretty rare. I cannot remember EVER being as mad at him as I was last night. (I am sure I have been but I just cant remember) Okay here goes...

For several months hubby has been wanting to put some new insulation down in the attic of the house. That is fine, last week he checked on the prices. He mentioned over the weekend wanting to do it this week, I pointed out one that it is hot and not the best season for it and two why cant he wait till he gets back from his business trip that will take him out of town all next week.

I worked yesterday filling in for a friend, so I wasn't home to stop the chaos or talk sense into dear hubby. I get in at 4:30 and he has gotten the machine from Lowe's and all of that. I have a homeschool meeting and will be gone so Matt is going to have the kids help him that is fine. Well I was naive I had no idea what was entailed in this process and I know for a FACT now that hubby didn't either.

I come home at 10pm the garage door is partially raised, Braden is in tears (both him and Britt have masks on and are covered in dust). Both kids eyes are red (they did not have on safety goggles. I was ticked the house was BEYOND a mess besides the garage being covered in insulation, it was tracked in the house, all my yardsale stuff I have been working on including our old couch and loveseat...all covered in insulation. On top of all the shelves....hubby comes down out of the attic and I lose it I am ticked. I get Braden get him a shower, benedryl and in bed. Then Brittney. Who also shows me that part of her bedroom ceiling now has a nice long crack in it (another reason to thank hubby for this project).

I then go out and start shoveling the bricks of insulation into the machine to keep hubby from having to get out of the attic...it was awful, all I could think was he had the kids out doing this. I got more and more ticked. Not once did he apologize or admit that he didn't put enough thought into this, or that it could have waited.

I admit that the house will stay cooler I am sure and that it will benefit, but it did not have to be done right then, and he should have researched and figured out more what was entailed, and when he realized how bad it was deposit or no he should have started looking for some help besides the kids.

This morning I was still ticked after getting to bed at 12:30 and I was going to do some office work so that I could be home the rest of the week with the kids. I got up and left. Feeling awful, I HATE fighting with hubby...so I finally decided heck with it I would call him (my plan was not to speak to him again..EVER..I know that probably wouldnt work but it was my plan). I called still no apology, he did get the machine returned and so on. But he does not see why I am still mad. I could choke him I want a dang acknowledgement that he screwed up and an apology. I plan on going and getting the kids something special today since they were such good helpers for their dad last night while I was at the meeting, but hubby honestly doesn't see that he screwed up.

Ugh husbands!

Okay that is my vent, I am sure we will talk it out (yell it out) and he will eventually see that he screwed up and that I want an acknowledgment of that and then I will feel better. I don't care if that makes me sound witchy or not, if I screw up and it gets pointed out and I see my error then I am going to acknowledge and talk and apologize. Ugh sorry started venting again.

Good news that I haven't been able to post yet about is that I got new living room furniture...I will post pics after I get the entertainment center and sofa table, right now the couch, loveseat, chair and ottoman are in the living room and I love it.

Disney Trip Review

I am home alone today....a rarity to say the least. Unfortunately I was not feeling well today causing Matt and the kids to accompany my parents to a family gathering a few hours from here. I am feeling better and actually have enjoyed some resting time today. I have been wanting to document our Disney trip and share some of the things we liked and disliked in case anyone is planning a trip, so thought I would use the quiet time.

Disney Trip of 2006....

We left out at 3 am because we were so excited. The drive was long and pretty boring. Our first Florida stop was Cocoa Beach. Ron Jon Surf Shop was a fun stop. I was impressed with the Best Western on the beach. We walked from our rooms to the beach. The kids loved their first glance at the beach. I wish I would have had the video camera running because Braden's expression when he saw the ocean for the first time.

The first day at Disney we went to Downtown Disney this does not require park admission. The shops were really fun and the kids enjoyed seeing the large statutes made of Legos they also had a Lego play area. If you go don't miss the large Stitch above the World of Disney shop. Stitch "spits water" every once in awhile and the kids love to get wet.

We had purchased the Dining package with our disney trip and I must say it definetly paid for itself and would be something I would strongly recommend. I must say at times though we were dissapointed with the food at Disney.

Another great perk from staying at the Disney Resort was the extra magic hour it helped SO much at getting through the parks. The longest we waited for any ride, etc was 25 minutes.

Some of the resteraunts were a disappointment. We ate at Capn Jacks Resteraunt in Downtown Disney. The food was very expensive (luckily we had the dining plan and it was included in our package, but had we paid for it I would not have been happy). It was good but not exceptional. We did all enjoy the view of the lake from our table. We had breakfast with Donald and his friends. The food at the buffett was very good (we realized throughout the trip that buffets seemed to have better food than some of the more sit down resteraunts). I have to say the Sci Fi drive in was the biggest dissapointment in all the places we ate. The atmosphere was neat but that was the end of it, the food was simply put awful. I think our favorite two resteraunts were buffets one being Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and the other Chef Mickey's with Mickey and friends.

First theme park we hit was Animal Kingdom. My absolute favorite at that park was the 3D show "It's Tough to Be a Bug". The theme park was small compared to the other ones. We did like that the park had a lot of shade. Lion King show was also a favorite especially when the kids were picked from the audience to participate in the end of the show. We did not stay for the Jungle Parade as we had finished the park and wanted to head to another park. The safari was neat but really it wasnt my favorite.

MGM was a favorite of Braden's because of the Power Rangers. The motor car parade was fun and entertaining. I actually liked it better than the Believe parade that was at Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom the parking situation takes time. First you park, then you get the tram to the monorail, then get on the monorail and go the actual park. My favorites of Magic Kingdom were Buzz Lightyear (Brittney and Braden loved it), Haunted Mansion (Matt liked it), Splash Mountain (my fav), and I think a fav of all four of us was another 3D show Mickey's PhilharMagic.

Epcot the around the world was definetly our fav. We found pokemon that the kids had never seen before in Japan. Definetly the Kidcot stations were a hit. The kids wanted to keep walking to each new world, they loved making the masks and getting their passports stamped. We bought the passports, but the masks were completely free to make.

I know there is SO much more to write about but at the moment this is it. All in all it was a wonderful trip and I highly recommend if you go to go to a Disney Resort and use the Dining package and Fun passes that come with the Your Way Plus package.
We booked ours through a special travel agency and they found the discounts for us free of charge I was pleased with them as well.

Next on the agenda hopefully down the road a Disney Cruise but it will be awhile.

Slow....but getting there.

Starting to get the house back in order. We had the living room, entry way, hallway and kids bathroom painted while we were gone. To prepare I took all the pictures, etc off the wall, I have not had time yet so are house is a clean slate with no pics. Putting pics up is on the to do list.

I still plan on writing in detail about our trip to Disney. To review some of the things we did for anyone else planning a trip and to document it for us as well.

My mother has been off work this week and so that has not helped with me getting much done. I will say she has watched the kids so I could get some legal work done. Today my dad is off work as well so they wanted to take the kids to a drive through Safari not to far from here. Of course they want me to go along too. So today I wont get anything else done.

Saturday we plan on putting our pool up, the evening we have a picnic to attend for the new homeschool group we have joined. Sunday we will be traveling about 2 1/2 hours for a family reunion. So the weekend will not find me getting much done either.

Oh well I am sure it will all get done eventually....good news is that the laundry is caught up....of course not everything is put up quite the way I want it, but that is going to involve some moving around and organizing.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm surrounded

I'm surrounded by mounds and mounds of laundry, souveniers, clothes, suitcases, toys and more.

At least we are home.

We hit some amazing outlet malls on the way home and got some very very good deals. Now finding a place for everything.

Guess my short break is over I am afraid if I leave the piles too long they will multiply even more.

On our way back home

This morning we checked out of our Disney Resort. We headed to Gatorland...yes that is a real gator my kids are sitting on...the mouth is taped shut and the trainer is right with them. We then went to an outlet mall I got some good deals and even started on my Christmas Shopping!..LOL. We only made it about an hour out of Orlando so we wont make it home until Monday night probably and maybe even Tuesday morning we will just see we are definetly not going to rush it.

Here are some pics and of course more are in Flickr.

Braden's Favorite Time....