Visiting our Florida Family and DISNEY!

Our first family vacation in 2.5 years was a big success! Liam did great on the plane and spent the majority of the time playing on the iPad(watching Frozen) and chatting up whoever sat next to us. The pilot on our flight from Denver to Orlando offered for him to sit in the pilot's chair and wear his hat so I could take a photo, but Liam was not interested. Maybe next time! Grandma Michelle picked us up at the airport and Liam was so excited to see her. He was exhausted though and fell asleep on the way back to Grandma Beach's house in Edgewater. We finally got to see Dan after 24 hours away from him (the longest any of us have been apart from each other). I think the Grandmas were amazed at how big Liam has grown and also how chatty he is. I was glad they got to see Liam and Dan interact, I know how much I love it, I can only image what they felt watching their son/grandson with his son.

The rest of the first day was spent hanging out with the Grandmas and a trip to the beach so Liam could check it out. He LOVED it! The next few days were filled with more beach trips in New Smyrna and Daytona. We checked out the Daytona boardwalk on Saturday night and it was a blast. Liam really wanted to go for a ride on the ferris wheel, but he settled on a t shirt and playing on the beach in the dark instead. He also got to try his first slurpee from 7-11. He was very impressed! Thanks to Michelle and Shirley for watching Liam, so Dan and I could to have lunch on the beach together, followed by a long drive to check out all the beautiful houses in the area (I LOVE taking drives!)

The day after Liam's Birthday, we headed to Orlando. We dropped our stuff at our hotel (The Dolphin) which is about a ten minute bus ride from Magic Kingdom. The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very helpful, if you're looking for a great place to stay (Thanks K, for the rec.) I knew Disney would be busy, I just didn't realize HOW BUSY! A list of the rides we went on for those that are interested...It's a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain, Astro Orbiter, Haunted Mansion, Teacups, Pirates of the Caribbean, Little Mermaid, Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan's Flight. We also got to walk through Cinderella's Castle, see the Country Bear Jamboree and 2 parades. The electrical parade at night was our favorite.  Liam was disappointed we didn't get to meet Cinderella, but she is a popular lady and had a very long wait to visit her every time we checked. We took a two hour break back at the hotel around dinner time, then went back until around 11. Dan picked Liam up and within 30 seconds he was passed out. We had to miss out on splash mountain, but there is always next time. Also, I finally got to try a Dole Whip, which lived up to all the hype!

We headed back to Edgewater the next day and spent the day being lazy. Disney is exhausting! Maybe next year we will try for 2-3 days at the parks. It was pretty rainy for the rest of our trip, but we did squeeze in one more beach day, a little shopping and lots of time with the Grandmas. 

Our flights home were uneventful. Liam was happy to see the puppies and even more happy to play his Wii! Dan arrived early the next morning (Easter) and promptly fell asleep after the 23 hour drive. 

I feel so, so blessed that my husband works so hard (while going to school), so we are able to take family vacations together. As silly as it sounds, I will treasure the memories we make together forever. I love that Liam's first Disney trip is at the age, when everything is so magical to him. I love that his Grandmas got to see him at this amazing age. It was a really great vacation :)

Liam is FIVE!

Liam is FIVE! I truly don't know how it is possible that the sweet little 6 lb bundle we brought home from the hospital is now a little man. How he has turned in to a walking, talking human being with thoughts, opinions and his own personality is beyond me...but it is amazing! In an attempt to document age 5, here are some questions he answered.


What is your favorite color? blue and orange
What is your favorite toy? ninja turtles
What is your favorite fruit? i don't like any fruits. oh yeah, bananas
What is your favorite tv show? ninja turtles
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? waffles
What is your favorite outfit? ninja turtle shirt
What is your favorite game? Mario cat wii
What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
What is your favorite animal? lions and giraffes
What is your favorite song? Happy
What is your favorite book? Bubble Guppies firemen
Who is your best friend? Michael
What is your favorite spot? soccer
What is your favorite thing to do outside? play on the playground
What is your favorite drink? orange pop from Grandpa in Japan
What is your favorite Holiday? Easter
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Squeaky
What is your favorite breakfast? cinnamon toast
What do you want for dinner on your Birthday? cupcakes
What do you want to be when you grow up?  "the ghost host" from Haunted Mansion

We were lucky to celebrate Liam's Birthday with his 2 Grandmas in Florida. He love, love, loved spending time with them and won't stop talking about them! For his birthday meal he asked for McDonalds (of course) and a dinosaur cake. It was a cloudy day, so we didn't make it to the beach(the pictures are from the day before). He did however have a blast with his new scooter :) Here are a few Birthday photos.