Okay, I don't have any home movies to show you but I do have a lot of pictures to share regarding "how we spent our summer vacation".
After wondering if a vacation was going to happen because initial plans of traveling across the Country in a RV did not work out at the last minute, an opening at a condo near DisneyWorld showed up and we jumped on it... tuned up our vehicle and headed South.
Dave is an amazing long distance driver and two days later, the kids were swimming in a pool in Florida.
After wondering if a vacation was going to happen because initial plans of traveling across the Country in a RV did not work out at the last minute, an opening at a condo near DisneyWorld showed up and we jumped on it... tuned up our vehicle and headed South.
Dave is an amazing long distance driver and two days later, the kids were swimming in a pool in Florida.
Dave's sister lives near Coco Beach and we spent a day on the beach. There's nothing like watching and listening to waves roll in along the shore. I find it very relaxing.
And there's something about boys and water and digging. Ask my brother Doug, he still loves playing in moving water...creating new paths in a stream of water, whatever it takes....
No, Nicole was not picking up men on the beach.
This is Nicole's, Chay's and Blade's cousin Joshua. He's 2-3 years older than Nicole.
And there's something about boys and water and digging. Ask my brother Doug, he still loves playing in moving water...creating new paths in a stream of water, whatever it takes....
This is Nicole's, Chay's and Blade's cousin Joshua. He's 2-3 years older than Nicole.
OUR FIRST DAY AT DISNEYWORLD!
(the "OD" was part of "God", that was written in the sky...too bad I did't get it all)
There's a lot of walking that can make a boy tired. Thank goodness for big brothers!
Taking a time out to EAT.
Blade HAS to make his penny souvenirs.
Our official meeting with Mickey and Minnie.
Another piece of evidence to prove that I do exist.
Dave had been eyeing the turkey legs all day and before we left the park at the end of our first day, he enjoyed one....well, part of one. Blade took a bite of the leg and kept knawing on it until his energy ran out and he couldn't work it any longer. I missed shots of that unfortunately. There is always so much going on....
We arrived at the park before it opened and stayed until midnight to watch the Parade and some fireworks (and get in all the major rides we could) and as soon as Blade was in his carseat, he was out for the night!
Day 2
The Tree of Life was an amazing tree to look at with all the different carvings in the trunk.
It's difficult to tell here but there are animals carved all over.
The kids loved the rides! After the rides, Chay loved exiting and looking to see how we looked in the pictures taken on the ride.
Blade said he loved the rides but on the big ones, he never looked up.
Joshua literally screamed like a little girl... at first I thought Dave was just fooling around but, I was mistaken. Notice how the lady behind Chay is plugging her ears? It may not be because of the roar of the dinosaurs...it could be because of some high pitched screaming...
Day 3
...we're singing in the rain..."
Fast passes are wonderful, and we used our share but, there are still long lines to wait in.
This is how my kids entertain themselves...
Have you ever seen the show "Wipeout"? We love watching the show as a family and Chay especially loves the show!
Chay loves his American Idol also...
This was interesting. We watched 3 people sing and then voted for the one we liked best. The winner of that performance then competed with other winners from other performances and then the the winner had a chance to perform for the real try outs. Last season the young boy in the final 10 was the winner from the Disneyworld tryouts.
We waited in long for almost an hour for the Toy Story 3D ride and then just as we got close to the end of the line (or would that be the beginning of the line?) the ride broke down and we all had to evacuate the building. BUT, we took the opportunity to cross the barrier and pose for a picture...
Voted the BEST RIDE at Disneyworld by Nicole was the Rock and Roller Coaster ride. I must admit, it was a fun one. With the use of Fast Passes, I think Nicole rode it 3 times.
The Car Stunt show was a must see also. (Documenting this for Sheila so she can plan their December trip).
Just last week we were talking about this stunt show and for some reason, Nicole doesn't even recall a major part of the show where you find out how cars are driven backwards so well in movies. She remembered everything before and after that brief revelation but that one part is lost in her mind. Maybe the heat got to her and she blacked out...It was hot and humid while we were in Florida...something we definately are not use to. We couldn't drink enough while we were walking the parks. It didn't matter what they charged for beverages, we would have payed it. It was nice though that you could get free cups of water or ice at most of the food places.
When I wasn't looking, Dave bought Blade a balloon (he didn't know that I had told Blade "no" to a balloon earlier when it was just me and Blade wondering around). It's the usual trick kids play with parents but the smile on Blade's face and the joy it displayed was worth more than the cost of the balloon!
The kids had a great time posing for pictures throughout the parks. No need to buy expensive souvenirs...
Day 4
There is something relaxing and amazing about watching Marine life. Blade was studying the crab thing but I find seahorses interesting.
Who's that good-looking man?
Throughout the parks there are these Kodak picture spot signs. It became a joke that I HAD to take a picture whenever I saw one of these signs. THIS time though, we just took a picture with THE Kodak picture spot.
This was outside the Canadian section at Epcot Center. We went through this park relatively quickly, not a FULL day.
We only really stopped in JAPAN. We had to eat there of course. According to Chay, that was the BEST teriyaki chicken EVER! As he will tell you, "You have to go to Japan to have the best teriyaki chicken!"
Nothing like a new car to makes boys smile ear to ear....
Great picture but the Norway ride was a waste of time.
Checking my camera and found this little treasure.
Poor Josh, he slept on the pull out bed in the living room and when Blade woke up early (6:00) he was the one to entertain Blade until the rest of us woke up.
Dave and his sister Crystal.
It had been almost 12 years since they had been together.
My children are blessed and deprived at the same time. We went out to eat at a Chinese buffet in Coco Beach and it was there that I found out that Chay has never experienced crab in the shell. I had a bit of a crab leg and afterwards I was pulling the "tendon" think to move the claw (yes, I'm still a child at heart... who can resist opening and closing a claw?) and Chay was thoroughly amazed! He wanted to keep that forever.
...what kind of fortune is this?....
The Gang
On the right end is Crystal's new husband Wil, I think it was their 3 month anniversary.
We were only missing Crystal's daughter Joselyn.
The plan was for Dave's parents to meet us in Florida but that didn't happen and so we drove to North Carolina to visit them on our way home.
They have a cat and a dog and Blade loved both.
Chay loved them both also, but we found out that he is...
...allergic to Siamese Cats.
His eye was swelling up and constantly tearing.
Nicole and Chay couldn't get enough of looking at old pictures of their Dad.
This is just a shot of hanging out at Dave's parents' home but, the fan on the bike was refreshing... (the air conditioner wasn't working like it should and it was over 100 degrees farenheit and humid!)
Memema and Papa Gathers were doing great and surprised to see us. We didn't let them know we were coming and called them just before midnight when we were pulling up in their driveway.
A MUST when we are in "the South".
A trip to Bojangles. 
Nicole HAS to get dirty rice.
When we was little and Dave asked her if she wanted some dirty rice, she was disgusted and said "no". Then she found out that it wasn't really dirty rice and tried some. She has been hooked ever since.
Chay says that they have the best fried chicken.
Food was a big part of the trip...any trip really.
Have you ever watched that show on the Food Network where a guy goes to different places where if you can eat a HUGE serving of something you get it free? (I love the Food Network)
Well, we came across a place that served a skillet like one we saw on one of the shows...
....no, Nicole did not try to eat it...
(but she thought she would be able to do it)
It's sad that I would mention this but, the rest areas a long the way were quite nice. They were clean and you could hang out and play.
We headed home to Utah, grabbed out passports and headed north to PB.
We must have been in the country because Dave found a sling shot and Blade learned how to use it and the three of them were shooting crabapples down the driveway.
We took time to do some clean up...but our plans were cut short when the truck started having problems. Dave and Doug tried to figure it out though and really did a lot of research online and spent time under the hood.
We visited with a lot of family members that we haven't seen for years at my second cousin's wedding reception. That experience was priceless.
Blade did a great job taking pictures of me with my cousins Lei and Brenda.
I did okay taking pictures of Chay and Blade with my Mom and Dad.
Doug and Judy drove down too! I love visiting with my brother.
And who knew that the day would come when Doug would be related to one on his best friends?
Taking a break with Grandpa.
...Land of the Giants?...
Perception is everything isn't it? It's amazing how Mom and Chay are only inches apart from each other but it looks like something from a paper next to the National Enquirer (which I haven't read for a very long time, and kind of miss it now that I think about it).
Other than seeing Grandma and Grandpa, the one thing that Chay wanted to do while in Canada was to go to Costco and eat some french fries with gravy. And so we made a special trip to do just that. (Dave IS in the picture, waaaaay in the back).
A bonus
Grandpa let Nicole, Chay and Blade pick another walking stick.
And to complete a trip to Canada, a stop at the tourist information in Milk River (another great rest area) to play.
I found out too late that the stop in Milk River is a must. Chay was sleeping when we stopped and I didn't think that he would want us to wake him up, so we let him sleep. BIG mistake, he was disappointed and surprised that we didn't wake him up, and that he missed out.
We had a wonderful summer vacation and we actually spent a total of 7 days in the vehicle and it went surprisingly well. We covered a lot of ground.
And you just experienced it all also...the very abridged version believe it or not.
Our official meeting with Mickey and Minnie.
Another piece of evidence to prove that I do exist.
Dave had been eyeing the turkey legs all day and before we left the park at the end of our first day, he enjoyed one....well, part of one. Blade took a bite of the leg and kept knawing on it until his energy ran out and he couldn't work it any longer. I missed shots of that unfortunately. There is always so much going on....
We arrived at the park before it opened and stayed until midnight to watch the Parade and some fireworks (and get in all the major rides we could) and as soon as Blade was in his carseat, he was out for the night!
Day 2
The Tree of Life was an amazing tree to look at with all the different carvings in the trunk.
It's difficult to tell here but there are animals carved all over.
The kids loved the rides! After the rides, Chay loved exiting and looking to see how we looked in the pictures taken on the ride.
Joshua literally screamed like a little girl... at first I thought Dave was just fooling around but, I was mistaken. Notice how the lady behind Chay is plugging her ears? It may not be because of the roar of the dinosaurs...it could be because of some high pitched screaming...
Day 3
...we're singing in the rain..."
Fast passes are wonderful, and we used our share but, there are still long lines to wait in.
This is how my kids entertain themselves...
Have you ever seen the show "Wipeout"? We love watching the show as a family and Chay especially loves the show!
This was interesting. We watched 3 people sing and then voted for the one we liked best. The winner of that performance then competed with other winners from other performances and then the the winner had a chance to perform for the real try outs. Last season the young boy in the final 10 was the winner from the Disneyworld tryouts.
We waited in long for almost an hour for the Toy Story 3D ride and then just as we got close to the end of the line (or would that be the beginning of the line?) the ride broke down and we all had to evacuate the building. BUT, we took the opportunity to cross the barrier and pose for a picture...
Voted the BEST RIDE at Disneyworld by Nicole was the Rock and Roller Coaster ride. I must admit, it was a fun one. With the use of Fast Passes, I think Nicole rode it 3 times.
When I wasn't looking, Dave bought Blade a balloon (he didn't know that I had told Blade "no" to a balloon earlier when it was just me and Blade wondering around). It's the usual trick kids play with parents but the smile on Blade's face and the joy it displayed was worth more than the cost of the balloon!
The kids had a great time posing for pictures throughout the parks. No need to buy expensive souvenirs...
Day 4
There is something relaxing and amazing about watching Marine life. Blade was studying the crab thing but I find seahorses interesting.
Who's that good-looking man?
Throughout the parks there are these Kodak picture spot signs. It became a joke that I HAD to take a picture whenever I saw one of these signs. THIS time though, we just took a picture with THE Kodak picture spot.
We only really stopped in JAPAN. We had to eat there of course. According to Chay, that was the BEST teriyaki chicken EVER! As he will tell you, "You have to go to Japan to have the best teriyaki chicken!"
Nothing like a new car to makes boys smile ear to ear....
Great picture but the Norway ride was a waste of time.
Checking my camera and found this little treasure.
Dave and his sister Crystal.
My children are blessed and deprived at the same time. We went out to eat at a Chinese buffet in Coco Beach and it was there that I found out that Chay has never experienced crab in the shell. I had a bit of a crab leg and afterwards I was pulling the "tendon" think to move the claw (yes, I'm still a child at heart... who can resist opening and closing a claw?) and Chay was thoroughly amazed! He wanted to keep that forever.
...what kind of fortune is this?....
The Gang
On the right end is Crystal's new husband Wil, I think it was their 3 month anniversary.
We were only missing Crystal's daughter Joselyn.
The plan was for Dave's parents to meet us in Florida but that didn't happen and so we drove to North Carolina to visit them on our way home.
They have a cat and a dog and Blade loved both.
Chay loved them both also, but we found out that he is...
...allergic to Siamese Cats.
His eye was swelling up and constantly tearing.
Nicole and Chay couldn't get enough of looking at old pictures of their Dad.
This is just a shot of hanging out at Dave's parents' home but, the fan on the bike was refreshing... (the air conditioner wasn't working like it should and it was over 100 degrees farenheit and humid!)
Memema and Papa Gathers were doing great and surprised to see us. We didn't let them know we were coming and called them just before midnight when we were pulling up in their driveway.
A MUST when we are in "the South".
A trip to Bojangles.
Nicole HAS to get dirty rice.
When we was little and Dave asked her if she wanted some dirty rice, she was disgusted and said "no". Then she found out that it wasn't really dirty rice and tried some. She has been hooked ever since.
Chay says that they have the best fried chicken.
Food was a big part of the trip...any trip really.
Have you ever watched that show on the Food Network where a guy goes to different places where if you can eat a HUGE serving of something you get it free? (I love the Food Network)
Well, we came across a place that served a skillet like one we saw on one of the shows...
(but she thought she would be able to do it)
It's sad that I would mention this but, the rest areas a long the way were quite nice. They were clean and you could hang out and play.
We headed home to Utah, grabbed out passports and headed north to PB.
We must have been in the country because Dave found a sling shot and Blade learned how to use it and the three of them were shooting crabapples down the driveway.
We visited with a lot of family members that we haven't seen for years at my second cousin's wedding reception. That experience was priceless.
I did okay taking pictures of Chay and Blade with my Mom and Dad.
Doug and Judy drove down too! I love visiting with my brother.
And who knew that the day would come when Doug would be related to one on his best friends?
Taking a break with Grandpa.
...Land of the Giants?...
Other than seeing Grandma and Grandpa, the one thing that Chay wanted to do while in Canada was to go to Costco and eat some french fries with gravy. And so we made a special trip to do just that. (Dave IS in the picture, waaaaay in the back).
A bonus
Grandpa let Nicole, Chay and Blade pick another walking stick.
And to complete a trip to Canada, a stop at the tourist information in Milk River (another great rest area) to play.
I found out too late that the stop in Milk River is a must. Chay was sleeping when we stopped and I didn't think that he would want us to wake him up, so we let him sleep. BIG mistake, he was disappointed and surprised that we didn't wake him up, and that he missed out.
We had a wonderful summer vacation and we actually spent a total of 7 days in the vehicle and it went surprisingly well. We covered a lot of ground.
And you just experienced it all also...the very abridged version believe it or not.
5 comments:
Enjoyed your pictures of your holidays. Ypu folks seem to have had a great time. These are the times that you will remember as the years go by.
Thanks for coming up to Canada to visit us.
yay!!! finally an update on your blog!
It's funny because at first when i saw the picture of nicole with her cousin i thought that she had picked up someone!
I sure miss you guys!!! hopefully when i move to idaho i can come for weekend visits just like old times!
Love you guys!
I just mapquested Utah to North Carolina and the quickest route it gave me went right through Lexington. I hope y'all were't in our backyard and didn't stop to say hi.
Looks like it was a fun trip.
Looks like a fun trip.
Looking forward to our trip to Disneyworld in December.
You guys are always having way to much fun!!!!
Love all the pictures
Sure miss you guys!
I guess Nicole just needs to get married so we have an excuse to get together......... :)
Post a Comment