Disneyworld trip (a little late!)

After christmas we joined Marlon down in Orlando for a little family vacation. He was down there for work and we met up with him when he finished to visit the Disney parks (and Sea World). We had 4 days there and we were able to visit Sea World, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios and we spent a day enjoying the hotel pool and water slide. Marlon's assistant coach and his family were also down there, so we were able to do some activities together with their family, which our kids loved since they are good friends! It was Kellan's first time down there and Alex's second time--we made the same trip 2 years ago after christmas. We lucked out and had perfect weather--the kids did really well with the travel (I flew down with them by myself) and they had a ton of fun!

Day One - Sea World

Daddy and Kellan
My favorite exhibit--the dolphins!

Dolphin/Bird show

Alex and I feeding the dolphins with Ashley, Haley and Tate

Cute Penguins!

The family at the Shamu show (minutes before Kellan passed out at the end of a busy day)

Alex and Tate-good buddies!

Opening to the show

Day 2 -Magic Kingdom--riding on the People Mover

Riding the carousel--Alex has to find one anywhere we go!

Getting ready to watch the Christmas Parade

Day 3 at Hollywood Studios--Kellan visiting his friend Mater!

The kids before the car stunt show

June and Quincy from Little Einsteins

Buzz and Woody

If you notice the red lanyard Alex is wearing in the photos, you can see that she started becoming a Disney pin collector. Once I explained how pin trading works at the Disney parks, she was excited to pick out her starter set and get to work. She enjoyed finding employees at each park who were wearing pins, checking out their collection and trading with them if she found one she liked. She must have traded off all of her pins 3 or 4 times, but at the end of the day she was happy with the ones she brought home. We will save her lanyard and pins for her next visit to Disney!

We had a wonderful trip, beautiful weather, and nice time spent with friends. We look forward to our future trips to Disney!

Christmas Part 3

Our final christmas celebration was at my parents' house with my family. We traveled out to NJ/PA on Christmas day and celebrated christmas on the morning of the 26th. Below is a pictures of the cousins in their matching jammies!

We got a huge snow storm that day that prevented Marlon from flying out to FL, and I did not come prepared with a snowsuit or boots so I had to improvise for Alex, who was so excited to go play in the snow with Nolan! Check out the plastic bags over her non-snow boots--they worked pretty well!

It was SO cold outside but the kids braved the weather to do some snowing in the front yard--Aunt Nay Nay was a trooper and went out with the kids--what a good aunt/mommy!

Mia is a snow lover too--she just sat in it and ate snow to her heart's content :)

Christmas - Part 2

We were able to have Nana and Pop-Pop come up for a visit a few days before christmas. Nana was feeling a bit under the weather but we got Pop-Pop involved in decorating his first ever sugar cookie! This was the second batch I made as our first batch seemed to mysteriously disappear...can't imagine who would have eaten them (Marlon).

The boys decorating some cookies

Nana and Pop-Pop with the kids before the Christmas Eve service

Christmas morning :)

Kellan opening one of his first gifts--with a great look of excitement! It's his second photo book with pictures of him from the past year--he loved the one my mom made him last year so much I decided to make another one.

Alex opening her photo book

Once we opened presents, we packed up the car and drove to NJ to spend christmas with the rest of Marlon's family (and I managed to pack the camera deep in the car somewhere where it wasn't accessible, so I don't have any photos!). Then we headed on to my parents' house where we celebrated our last christmas in the Newtown house with my brothers and their families...more to come in my next post!

Christmas 2010-Part 1

Although the christmas holiday has already come and gone, I need to get caught up on how we spent our holiday season...

We did our annual cookie baking--this year I expanded a bit and made a few more cookies--and they all were delicious! We made spritz cookies, peanut butter/hershey kiss cookies, peanut butter chocolate chunk pretzel cookies, snickerdoodles, and finally sugar cookies. This year was the first year I made icing for our sugar cookies and the kids enjoyed decorating them and making a huge mess!

The finished products

Alex had her christmas program at school--she was so excited to wear fancy christmas clothes to school--I sent her in last year's christmas dress so I didn't have to worry about whether or not she ruined it (true to form, she spilled applesauce all down the front at lunch--but no worries!).

Waving to her brother in the crowd :)

She did a great job singing--they sang Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bells.

To be continued with the rest of our christmas festivities...