Thanksgiving (Disney World Style!)

This trip was a long time in the making.  It felt like it was so far away, but like most events, it seemed to creep up on me and was here before it felt like it should be. Once again, there are a million pictures. Just how I roll.

Jason and I flew across the country with Ila and Lilia.  Colby and Eva flew with Grandma and Grandpa 'tello. (I hear Colby watched ESPN, keeping up on college football scores, the ENTIRE flight. Made his daddy proud.)  Leslie, Alex, and Lola drove up from Fort Lauderdale. Crystal, Valerie, and Asher drove down from Virginia.  Matt flew down Thanksgiving morning. It was a Croshaw explosion in Orlando.


Jason found a TV to watch the Boise State game our first night there. I didn't think it would be possible, be he found a way.

The ward we went to the day after we arrived was right by the Orlando Temple.  At least the second time that has accidentally happened to me.


We started off the Disney experience at Breakfast with Disney characters.  It was so much fun! Then it was off to Hollywood Studios. Colby got to do Jedi training, thanks to some persistence and patience from Jason.  We didn't know you were supposed to go sign up first thing in the morning, so he didn't get a spot and had to be on the waiting list.  They did the training once every hour or so (I don't remember exactly) and if you wanted a stand by spot you had to go early and wait to see if everyone who had a spot showed up. It took about three tries, but Colby finally made it.  And he got to light-saber-fight Darth Mal. One of the most exciting moments of his life up to this point, I believe.  Darth Mal was scary too.  Scarier than Darth Vader I think. You can see in the pictures. We also watched the Indiana Jones action sequence thing. (Lilia started crying hysterically a couple minutes in and grandma took her out. It was too loud I guess.) We saw a car chase, Colby loved that one. We watched Muppets in 3D. The greatest part was watching Lilia watch it. She reached out trying to grab whatever it was that was coming toward her.



The Star Wars ride


Face paint.


Jedi Training!



I realize this video is terrible.  Sorry about that.



Disney Junior!!  Definitely a favorite of the day.




Toy Story ride.  The wait was OUTRAGEOUS! (Thank you fast pass!)


Day 2 was Disney World...I can't even remember what that park is called.  It's the one with Cinderella's castle.  It was just too busy and too crazy to really enjoy.  But we went on a bunch of rides and sat around a lot trying to figure out what to do next.  Eva, Lilia, Asher, and Valerie got to meet the princesses, which was so awesome. We bought an autograph book just for that purpose, and then forgot to bring it in.  They also met Mickey and Minnie.  Colby got to go on a couple roller coasters. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain.  He's a fan of fast and scary.



Winnie the Pooh ride.


Teacup ride (Barf! It made me feel sick the rest of the day, and it was only the second ride.)


Lola. Love.


One of my favorite pictures :)



Princesses! I didn't get a good picture of Belle. :(


Pretty dang Magical.


The last day was Animal Kingdom, and my favorite.  We started off by seeing a play of Finding Nemo and it was INCREDIBLE!! My kids were enthralled and didn't get bored.  It was pretty much the movie, just condensed down.  The characters carried around these large fish on poles.  Hard to explain.  Hopefully the picture helps.  Then there were more rides and more sitting around.  We went on a safari ride in the Africa section.  That was fun.  We went to a Lion King production thing. That was fun. Fun, fun, fun!




I was amazed at how fast these two clicked.


On Thanksgiving day we decided to go to the Golden Corral instead of cooking.  Remind me to never do that again.  We tried some amazing Taco Fresh tacos. Mmmm...good work Alex and Les.



My mom and I went and saw The Muppets and I loved it!!  I wish I'd done this post right after the trip, because I can't remember much else.  There was swimming at the hotel. There was loving on the cousins, Lola, Asher, and Valerie. I do remember it was an incredible trip, and such an important time to grow closer to family.  I love any excuse to do that.



Lilia on the flight home.


Sums it up.

A trip home (San Antonio style)

Jason found out right after he started his new job that there was a credit conference in San Anyonio in October. It was the perfect chance for me to make the trip with him and show off Ila Jo, since we moved four weeks before my due date and none of our friends got to meet her. The first couple of nights we stayed in the hotel the conference was held in. It was kitty korner from The Alamo. Pretty sweet digs. After that we stayed with the McCallys. We had late game nights every night, just like the good old days. We love our Texas friends so much. It was a great chance for us to go back. By the end of this summer almost all of our friends will have left, except 3 or 4 families. Lifetime friendships. It really did feel like going home to me. These picture might be all over the place, but I'm posting from my phone and can't make sense of it.

Alamo drive by shot


Ela, Ila, and me at an afternoon movie


Spoons! At the McCally's


Our day trip to Austin had to include Mighty Fine burgers


Game night at the Hansen’s

Melanie, Lisa, me, Corinne

Burke, Jason, Brad, Adam

Melanie was 40 weeks pregnant and staying up into the wee hours of the morning with us. That is true friendship right there.

Jason’s birthday night at the McCally’s

That is a Texas sized game of Rummy

Corinne and Ila



Mmm…..Harmons….

Halloween

This year I was super ambitious. Not sure when, or if, that will happen again. The costumes were crazy expensive on ebay and I knew I could make them for a tenth of the cost.
Anyway, we decided to be an Angry Bird family. My mom helped quite a bit, that probably helped my ambitiousness. My dad also designed a few of the faces. Ila Jo was our King Pig. Is that even what they're called? I'm not sure, because I have never played. But Colby has, and Jason, maybe even Eva and Lilia.
We had a trunk-or-treat and then we trick-or-treated in our neighborhood. It was the craziest trick or treating I've ever participated in!!! We've never lived in a neighborhood full of kids before, but I'm pretty sure I could count on one hand the houses in our neighborhood that don't have kids. So that was an experience!

The most felt I'll probably ever buy!

We made a trip to the corn maze/pumpkin patch and the kids loved the maze!

First Day of School!

Eva started kindergarden and Colby started 1st grade.



Waiting in line to go in to class.


An after school shot


School pictures (pictures of pictures)



We did Fall soccer this year, the kids had a blast.

Lilia


Eva


Colby


In November Eva got into a charter school, which was quite miraculous I guess! It's really hard to get in, they do a lottery each year. This year was a little different because they opened an extra kindergarden class, so they somehow had room for her. If you don't get in in kindergarden it is almost impossible because siblings get first dibs and there is only a couple of openings in each class every year. It's a great school, and Colby was picked in the lottery for 2nd grade! Yay! This is Eva's first day at her new school.