Walt Disney World ~ Art of Animation

We love Walt Disney World ~ we always have SO much fun! We usually do all of the planning ourselves, but this year we let our friend Jennifer, a Vacation Specialist with Dream Come True Vacations, do it all. We had family meeting us there from NJ and Ohio ~ she made everything so easy and fun!! We stayed at the Art of Animation Resort, and we loved everything about it ~ the kids want to go back as soon as possible!

There were three themes for the rooms/suites ~ The Lion King, Cars, and The Little Mermaid. I love how every thing is "larger than life" at the Disney Resorts ~ it's always fun to walk around! Each one was just as cute as the others, but we loved staying in The Lion King suites. 

Simba, Pumba, and Timone greeted us each morning!

This was our first time staying in a suite (Andrew could still sleep in a pack-n-play the last time we went), and it was so comfortable... and FUN!!

Disney also has THE BEST pools! One of our favorite movies is Finding Nemo, so we really enjoyed this pool!! The kids loved listening to music underwater!!

They also have the most amazing playgrounds ~ so much fun!! Andrew even had it all to himself for a little while.

Could he be any happier?! His smile just melts my heart!!

 Magic Kingdom pictures coming next... :)

Around Here...

We've been having lots of fun with family and friends over the past several months. I'm really trying to be even more present, as I enjoy and cherish these special times ~  time is passing way too quickly! I hope you enjoy these snapshots of our crazy busy, fun, and blessed life!

Birthday Celebrations

 My absolute favorite moment of Daddy and Andrew's shared birthday celebration!

Preschool birthday celebrations are so sweet! We celebrated Andrew's special day one more time with candy sprinkled sugar cookies and juice.

We then celebrated Jonathan's special day (their birthdays are just two weeks apart) at the Outback, complete with a brownie and ice cream (it's flourless!) ~ the perfect birthday dessert for him!

   We celebrated again the next day (on his actual birthday ~ too many schedules to navigate!), and I still can't believe he's eleven! ELEVEN!! He's truly an awesome kid, and we are so blessed to be his parents!

Andrew was SO excited about the Skylanders he picked out for his brother. He was successful at keeping a secret, and Jonathan loved them!

Basketball

We're so proud of how hard Jonathan worked during basketball season. He has been experiencing an onset of Sever's Disease ~ a painful bone disorder that results from inflammation (swelling) of the growth plate in the heel. It's something he'll grow out of, but he was in a lot of pain during/after practices and games. He just loved playing too much to step away for the season ~ we're so proud of his determination and perseverance!

Indoor Soccer

Lauren loved playing indoor soccer, and we enjoyed watching the games ~ it really was a lot of fun!

Taekwondo

And just like that.... Jonathan earned his rank as Black Belt Recommended! He has been taking for about a year and a half, and he has worked really hard... but he makes it look so easy! These photos were taken by our friend and neighbor, Rick Strupp.

All County Orchestra

 Lauren and her friend, Taylor, were excited to be a part of the All County Orchestra again this year. It's their second year of Strings, and they both love playing the violin. I was in complete awe listening to the orchestra's performance ~ they played so beautifully!

Lunch Dates and Play Dates

We enjoyed lunch at French Fryz (complete with chocolate milkshakes) with our sweet friends who were traveling through Asheville on their way to a hockey tournament. We always love spending time with them!

Sweet friends enjoying every minute of their time together at the Play Lodge! The moms had a pretty good time as well ~ it's always fun to "catch up".

Snow Days

Snow days with friends and neighbors are the best! 

We absolutely love the snow, so we were disappointed when the biggest snowfall of the season arrived as we were leaving for Disney. But thanks to our sweet neighbors, we got to enjoy lots of beautiful pictures! And quite honestly, once we felt the warm sunshine and enjoyed a few rides, we stopped missing the snow. :)

 

Walt Disney World

 We enjoyed our winter getaway with family to Disney World!!

I'll be sharing lots and lots of pictures very soon!