Disney Baby!!!

We had a wonderful family vacation at Disney!!! 6 days of beautiful weather, lots of time with grandpa, grandma, uncles, aunts, and cousins, and more fun at Disney than we could handle! No matter how "relaxing" you want a vaction to be that just isn't how we vacation! Every minute of every day seems packed, and that is especially true at Disney.

...HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS...

Family Picture with Wreck-It-Ralph

The Toy Story ride at Hollywood is a family favorite!! One of the best things about going to Disney in mid-May and not on a holiday weekend is that the lines were not too long.  What a difference from our last Disney vacation during Christmas of 2010.  That meant we were able to ride all of our favortite rides more than once!

Luke wasn't tall enough for the Rock-n-Roll-er coaster, but Katie, John and I LOVED this ride!! The.Best.Rollercosater!!! 


...Jedi Training...

The kids were all old enough to do the Jedi Training School this visit! They each learned some basic Jedi moves and then it was off to defeat Darth Vador.

The force was strong in young Jedi Luke!

John and Katie battled it out with Vador too!

We saw the Fantasmic Fireworks show that evening once we meet up with the rest of family! I guess I was enjoying the show so much that I forgot to take any pictures.  But, I would recommend it for sure!

 

...MAGIC KINGDOM...

Seriously, this is the best we could do for a family photo at Magic Kingdom, but that is what you get when everyone is more interested in getting to the rides than taking pictures. Lucky for me, I was able to snap a few pictures with all my loves throughout the day! 

Luke and I riding Big Thunder Mountain Railraod!

John driving me on the race track!!!

My three little Disney fans!!!

 

...MICKEY'S BACKYARD BBQ...

It was almost like a good'ol fashion Texas BBQ.  Of course, this was Disney style (beer, bbq, & disney characters). The kids got to dance around with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Chip & Dale.

 

...PIRATES LEAGUE...

The kids love the Pirates League!  It was the one thing that the kids requested to do again on our trip to Disney this time! Such a fun way to spend Mother's Day!! Nothing makes me happier than seeing my sweet loves happy!!

I had a magical Mothe-arr's Day with my little pirates!

We finished up the night with the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage in the Seven Seas Lagoon.

There was lots of singing and sillyness
from the pirates on this fireworks cruise!

The fireworkds were so much better
than my picture makes them look.

...BLIZZARD BEACH...

Blizzard Beach was our last day at Disney! It was probably one of my favorite days for several reasons. I love the water and knowing that it was sleeting back home at Fort Drum made being in our swimsuits at the waterpark that much sweeter! And it was a little more relaxing that running around a big theme park! And the best part, THE WATER SLIDES WERE AWESOME!!!

 

...COUSINS...

Again somehow this is the one picture I got with all the kiddos!

I really should be better about taking photos on big trips!!

 

Can't wait until we can do it again!!!

 

Back in the swing of things!

...Donnie has been home for two weeks...

The Welcome Home sign has been taken down, the kids winter break is over, and life has returned to "normal."  It is hard to believe that two weeks ago we were having breakfast together for the first time in 9 months. It has been heartwarming to watch Donnie enjoy some of the simple pleasures we take for granted.  For example, the first thing that he ate when he walked in the door was a banana. Who knew that would have been something he missed. 

He has spent time learning the kids favorite video games. 

The picture on the plasma has been gray since after Thanksgiving, but it just wasn't a task that I was willing to tackle.  It was on the top of Donnie's list! Less than 24 hours home and he had the kids taking the TV apart to see if the problem could be fixed. Unfortunately, this wasn't one he could fix so we are now enjoying family movies on the new 60" LED with built in wi-fi.  Certainly, a pleasure he wasn't enjoying in Afghanistan. 

 ...Catching up on sleep is an important 

part of adjusting back to life at home...

...and sometimes that means falling asleep

and snoring at any moment...

...because after all, you need a lot of

energy to game with the boys...

...We have been savoring our time as a family...

...Eating...Drinking...Laughing...

Doing the things that families are supposed to do together!

 

This post really would not be complete if I didn't talk about the little things that have made me laugh as Donnie is adjusting to life back at home.  I think most everyone would agree that having a phone is important.  Not Donnie, he did not want me to activate his cell phone for him so he would have it when he got home.  Never mind that we don't have a home phone and I am not one to share my iPhone.  Finally after being locked out of the house (we were home, but no one heard him at the door) and Katie getting her eye busted open, and having to borrow a neighbors phone to call me home, guess who has a new iPhone 5? 

 

I loved when he came home from the gym and said, "It is so awesome to have mirrors at the gym!"

Apparently, it is a lot easier to lift weights when you can see yourself! Dang he looks good!

 

...Driving...

This is a separate topic in itself.  He says that he survived 9 months in Afghanistan,but my driving is going to kill him.  He was not allowed to drive for the first 48 hours back at home.  The fastest you can drive anywhere on post is 35 mph, and if passing a pedestrian it is only 10mph. So needless to say I wasn't driving fast.  But, he was VERY concerned that I was driving way too fast.  He thought 35mph felt like we were flying down the highway!  Guess this is what happens when you don't drive for 9 months and the speed limit in Afghanistan is even slower than on Fort Drum.

Thankfully, he has adjusted to driving.

 

...and my favorite...

He actually forgot how to add tip to his credit card at a restaurant. 

We went to dinner at our favorite peanut place and when the waiter brought the check. He got out his gift card to the restaurant and his credit card. I said, "Just give them the gift card and then they can put the rest of the credit card." He looked at me very confused. The waiter came and picked up the cards while Donnie gave him the same puzzled look.  He looks at me and says, "How is he going to know how much tip to add?" No, I am not joking. He was totally serious.  I explained that he would bring the receipt we would add the tip and sign it. It was like I was talking to an alien.  He did not remember this concept at all!! It wasn't until the waiter brought the ticket back that it clicked and he looked at me and said, "Shut up!" I was dying laughing. Poor guy, but don't worry he as fully adjusted to spending money and using his credit card again!

 

It's the simple things in life that we forget.

 

 

 

...playing catch-up...

...this seems to be the theme since Christmas...

...I never quite have everything done, I know that most other mommas don't either, but I usually don't feel quite so overwhelmed and I need a sense of order to keep me calm or as Donnie put it to me today, "Keep Calm and Chive On."  I am giving it my best shot! 

We had a nice Christmas with my family, but it just wasn't the same without Donnie.  I hope that we don't have to miss Christmas together as a family again, but I know that with the Army that isn't something that I should count on...I hate the thought of Donnie missing these little sleepy eyed faces on Christmas morning!


...or seeing how excited they are when

spending time with their cousins...

...or getting to do something special with Mimi& Poppy...

...missing rare moments like a white Christmas in Texas...

It was so nice to be home and be able to have a break from our routine.  We were all able to relax and have fun.  We spent most of our days at home, while the kids played.  I think this is truly what they enjoy the most, spending time together! 

We did take a day to go to the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.  The kids loved it! There was so much for everyone to see and do!  I am so glad my parents got a membership so we can go back and see some of the exhibits we didn't get too!

 ...before we knew it was New Year's Eve and our 10 days in Texas were over, and we were on our way back to NY...

On our stop over in Chicago the kids convinced me that they NEEDED these Chicago Bears hats!  I thought it made a great Happy New Year picture for Donnie! 

Go Bears! 

 

Christmas & New Year's Eve was all rolled into one big night of fun and excitement for us!  We arrived home to a couple of feet of snow (we missed two storms while we were gone), and it hasn't stopped snowing! (I swear, we have snow flurries everyday!)

...and SANTA left some presents for us at home too...

...that had to be tested out immediately...

I wish I had a picture at midnight!  We rang in the new year with Donnie via skype! It was so nice to share the moment with him (at least I got to blow my love a kiss for the new year).  And the best part of this year is that he will be home in 2013!!!

 

I couldn't send the kids back to school without taking them sledding! So on our one day to "get things done" we did what HAD to be done and spent the rest of our time sledding!

...and warming up...

Let this new year be one, where all your dreams come true,

cherish each moment that 2013 holds!