My New Gadget

Look what I got!  I know that I am late to the iPhone game, but I am never on the cutting edge when it comes to technology.  Dave was going to buy me a Kindle for our anniversary, but after some consideration, we decided to go with an iPhone instead.  Thanks Dave!

Motherhood's Best Moments...

-During the 6th grade choir concert you see your daughter who is on stage scan the audience looking for you.  When she finally finds you and makes eye contact, she smiles and gives you a little nod of the head, letting you know that she is glad you are there.

-When you walk into 1st grade to volunteer, your six year old daughter runs up to give you a big hug and her little friends smile and say, "hi, Paige's mom."

-One daughter writes you a thank you note and sticks it in the mailbox.  The other daughter "casually" asks if you have checked the mail today and suggests that you check it again, even if it is after 7pm and freezing outside.

Halloween Festivities

Halloween is one of those holidays that just gives everyone a reason to party.  It can be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.  This weekend was filled with class parties, parades, dances, parties with friends, and a church trunk-or-treat.

This year, Ashley was a sailor gal and Paige was a rock star.  Dave and I decided  not to dress up, but then I found a cute spider headband at Disney World and so I ended up going as the Black Widow.

 

Paige at her school costume parade



Ashley with her friends

Pumpkins, pumpkins, punkins

This year we didn't have to muck through an over-priced pumpkin patch or dig through giant bins at the grocery store for our pumpkins.  This year, we had our very own pumpkin patch in our backyard.  Way back in May, Paige helped me plant the seeds.  And now after months of growing and vines climbing into the neighbor's yards, we have our own pumpkins. 

We ended up with about 10 pumpkins.  They were small to medium in size but just perfect for us.  Most of the pumpkins ended up as decorations or jack-o-lanterns, but a few have made their way (in puree form) into the freezer for bread or soup.

We barely squeezed in carving pumpkins, because we were so busy going from one place to the next, but we managed.  The girls even did all the carving this year by themselves.

Happy Birthday Paige!

After getting back from Orlando, we hit the ground running.  Our schedule was filled with school parties, parades, Halloween parties, soccer games, and of course, the best of all Paige's 7th Birthday!



Following our celebration in Disney, we just had a family party at home.  Paige requested pancakes for a special meal, so Dave and I took her to IHOP for a free scary face pancake that they were giving to all kids. 

In between soccer games on Saturday, Paige opened her presents.  She got a Slurpee gift card and silly bandz picked out by her dad.  She also got a new coat and a 3 Webkinz gift pack.  Her Grandpa and Grandma Smith sent her a new outfit and she also got a card with money from Great-Grandpa and Grandma Church to go with the charm bracelet she got at Disney from her Aunt Debby.  She was pretty spoiled and very happy.

And even though it was Halloween weekend and we were on sweets-overload already, you can't have a birthday without cake.  At Paige's request, I made a chocolate-covered strawberry cake.  It was pretty yummy.



Oh and just to make sure that we didn't have one second of free time this weekend, Paige was selected to be the student of the week.  This means that we had to make a poster for her to take to school on Monday:

The Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom, the Happiest Place on Earth, the Place Where Dreams Come True....

We spent a full 12 hours at the Magic Kingdom.  The girls and I were at the park when it opened and honestly rode all the rides including a 90 minute lunch break by 4pm.  This is about the time we would leave the park and head back to the hotel, but on this day we stayed BECAUSE Dave was finally finished with work and came over to meet us at 4pm. 


Always start in Fantasyland with Dumbo!



My favorite picture of Paige, driving on the Speedway

 

The girls in Minnie's house



Buzz Lightyear---a favorite!

 Once Dave got there, we started all over again and took our second and third turns on the rides.

I really can't say much more, who doesn't love the Magic Kingdom?  We rode Splash Mountain three times!  Paige officially joined the rest of the family as a coaster lover.  She even put her arms up on Thunder Mountain, but Space Mountain might have been her favorite. 

We had a great day and a wonderful trip.  The girls were awesome.  We had a lot of fun, but we also had a lot of late nights and early mornings with tons of walking in between.  Ashley was especially helpful and responsible which made it possible for me to tour the parks with the girls on my own.  We are blessed with lots of good memories. 

Needless to say, the next day we were a little sad to leave:

Animal Kingdom

We had a very good time at the Animal Kingdom.  It definitely surpassed our expectations.  The crowds were very low at the park and so we were able to walk on a number of attractions and ride everything at least twice.

I thought my favorite at this park was going to be Expedition Everest because I am a little obsessed with Mount Everest and this is a roller coaster ride that goes backwards, but surprisingly I have to give my favorite vote to Dinosaur.  The whole showmanship of Dinosaur was just top-notch.  I mean how often do you have a life-size dinosaur roar right in your face, so close that you can feel it's breath blow your hair back?  The first time we rode Dinosaur it was a little scary for Paige, but Ashley and I convinced her to go again and the second time, knowing what to expect, she loved it.


Waiting to ride Dinosaur!




All smiles after ride number two on Expedition Everest

 We saw two shows at the Animal Kingdom: Finding Nemo and It's a Bug's Life.  I can't recommend It's a Bug's Life enough.  This was by far the best show we saw in all of Disney.  Ashley loved, loved it!



Up close to the wildlife on the Motor Safari




Soaling wet afte Kalihari Rapids




live stage show of Finding Nemo




Goofy