The announcement finally came..."Passengers with small children and those who need assistance are asked to board at this time." All of the good-byes had been said, tears were shed, and the anxious anticipation all led up to this moment. The moment had come and we were ready.
Brady had on his new Spiderman p.j.'s and instantly transformed into Spiderman! Our flight was filled with young military guys. I'm sure they didn't know what to do with the little kid in blue glasses shooting "webs" at them. He would extend his little arms, hold his hands down and shoot the web. When he was satisfied whoever he was shooting had enough web, Brady would say "gotcha!". Of course because he was Spiderman, we had to refer to him as such. The flight left at 9:30pm, so Brady watched part of a movie then fell asleep. He woke up just before the plane landed in Rota, Spain. He played so nicely during the layover and the last 2 1/2 hr flight for the last leg of the trip. He got so excited during take off exclaiming "I'm flying!"!
Juliette fell asleep during take off and woke up about 30 minutes before landing in Rota. During the layover, she stalked a little kid who wanted nothing to do with her, continually located trash cans, and tried to snatch some guy's Snapple bottle. During the second take off, she fell asleep again and once more woke up just before landing. Amazing!
Both Greg and I had very little sleep on the plane, so we were exhausted. When we got off the plane and even still, I had/have no idea what time it is or what day it is.
God has been gracious and shown us mercy every step of the way. Everything from how Greg's name got on the overseas list to a stress-free flight has been a true answer to prayer. Now life in Sicily begins!
5.27.2011
5.22.2011
Destination: Disney!
Ready or not, it's time to go. Bags are packed, furniture is gone, house is rented, and we are on our way! The first stop on our journey to Italy is Disney World. We were able to spend time as a family and lucky enough to have Laurel and Caroline join us. Our cabin in Fort Wilderness was great and we managed to squeeze 6 people in 1 room to sleep. Granted, one baby was half in the closet and the other baby was in front of the door, but it worked out! Brady was over the moon because his bed was a top bunk. He loved his "bed with the ladder."
The first day was the Animal Kingdom experience. We rode the train, went on a safari, watched the parade, saw the Lion King show, and chased the goats at the petting zoo. The entire day all Brady wanted to do was go back to the cabin and play on his bed.
The next day it was time for the Magic Kingdom. What a magical day! Lugging two babies, diaper bags, two strollers, and a three year old didn't effect our day at all. We arrived around 11 and left just before 9. We met Minnie and Mickey and all the storybook princesses. Brady enjoyed meeting them, Caroline liked them from a distance, and Juliette just wanted to walk around. When I took Juliette to meet the mice, she screamed at them. She wasn't scared, she just decided screaming "BAH" several times was appropriate. Laurel and I taking the girls on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. All was well until the boat in front of us entered a dark tunnel and dropped out of sight. My mind ran wild with thoughts like I couldn't believe we took our kids on a ride with a drop, why didn't the operators tell us not to bring babies, I'm a terrible parent! We held on tight and luckily the drop wasn't too bad, but boy I was scared! We watched the fireworks on our boat ride back to camp, and it was a perfect ending to the day.
I was really excited about Hollywood Studios, but quickly realized the day wasn't going to live up to my expectations. The park was busy and lines were very long. The highlight for me was taking Brady to a character lunch where he was able to meet Handy Manny, Special Agent OSO, and Leo and June from Little Einsteins. The characters rotated through coming to our table and interacting with Brady. He was also able to go to the front of the restaurant to sing and dance with the characters! So much fun! In the evening we went back to the campground and joined the Chip and Dale sing-a-long and campfire. It doesn't get much better than toasted marshmallows!
Time to go came too quickly and we were off to another hotel in Jacksonville. Two good things happened in Jacksonville, we didn't get shot and we went to an Imagination Movers concert! Building memories is so important for ourselves, but more so for our children. This time it happened to be in Florida, but my challenge is to build them everywhere we go. The location doesn't matter, a cabin with family or a hotel room with all of us stepping on each other, but it's the fact we are together loving and living in each moment.
The first day was the Animal Kingdom experience. We rode the train, went on a safari, watched the parade, saw the Lion King show, and chased the goats at the petting zoo. The entire day all Brady wanted to do was go back to the cabin and play on his bed.
The next day it was time for the Magic Kingdom. What a magical day! Lugging two babies, diaper bags, two strollers, and a three year old didn't effect our day at all. We arrived around 11 and left just before 9. We met Minnie and Mickey and all the storybook princesses. Brady enjoyed meeting them, Caroline liked them from a distance, and Juliette just wanted to walk around. When I took Juliette to meet the mice, she screamed at them. She wasn't scared, she just decided screaming "BAH" several times was appropriate. Laurel and I taking the girls on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. All was well until the boat in front of us entered a dark tunnel and dropped out of sight. My mind ran wild with thoughts like I couldn't believe we took our kids on a ride with a drop, why didn't the operators tell us not to bring babies, I'm a terrible parent! We held on tight and luckily the drop wasn't too bad, but boy I was scared! We watched the fireworks on our boat ride back to camp, and it was a perfect ending to the day.
I was really excited about Hollywood Studios, but quickly realized the day wasn't going to live up to my expectations. The park was busy and lines were very long. The highlight for me was taking Brady to a character lunch where he was able to meet Handy Manny, Special Agent OSO, and Leo and June from Little Einsteins. The characters rotated through coming to our table and interacting with Brady. He was also able to go to the front of the restaurant to sing and dance with the characters! So much fun! In the evening we went back to the campground and joined the Chip and Dale sing-a-long and campfire. It doesn't get much better than toasted marshmallows!
Time to go came too quickly and we were off to another hotel in Jacksonville. Two good things happened in Jacksonville, we didn't get shot and we went to an Imagination Movers concert! Building memories is so important for ourselves, but more so for our children. This time it happened to be in Florida, but my challenge is to build them everywhere we go. The location doesn't matter, a cabin with family or a hotel room with all of us stepping on each other, but it's the fact we are together loving and living in each moment.
5.13.2011
White Picket Fence
White. Picket. Fence. What is the first thought that comes to mind? Perhaps that it’s a symbol of the “American Dream.” What is your “white picket fence?” Is it a house on a hill with lines of laundry drying in the sunshine? Is it a Manhattan apartment with Wall Street always on your mind? For me, it’s a journey. My “white picket fence” has been a lifetime of seemingly small decisions, yet each one created a picket surrounding my life. Deciding not to give in to peer pressure during my teen years, moving out on my own, working at a Children’s Hospital, marrying a man who is everything I could have hoped for, having children and being a woman of character are just a few decisions that have made me who I am and my life what it is. Sure, challenges come and stress happens, but it’s the everyday choice you make on how to handle it that makes a difference.
So here I am with a new adventure on the horizon…Sicily, Italy! I’m picking up my fence and taking it on the road! We will navigate through twists and turns with wide eyes and open minds. There is no doubt that excitement will be around every corner! Join me as I continue hammering pickets as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, doing my best to live with integrity and demonstrating love. Experiencing life lessons, God’s abounding grace, and life lived abundantly everyday in the journey of the Traveling White Picket Fence.
So here I am with a new adventure on the horizon…Sicily, Italy! I’m picking up my fence and taking it on the road! We will navigate through twists and turns with wide eyes and open minds. There is no doubt that excitement will be around every corner! Join me as I continue hammering pickets as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, doing my best to live with integrity and demonstrating love. Experiencing life lessons, God’s abounding grace, and life lived abundantly everyday in the journey of the Traveling White Picket Fence.
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