Disney: Round 2

Hello all!! We just got back from a fabulous trip to Disney World!! This was our second trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, and it lived up to that reputation once again. I know what you're thinking: "Who would take 3 tiny children to Disney World in the middle of August??" Yes, good point. It was hot. And it was a challenge to keep Elizabeth cool, since she's still too young for sunscreen. But it was a blast, and I was once again impressed at how well the kids did and how much we were able to do! We did have some extra sets of hands. Cline's mother was with us for one day, and we brought one of our fabulous babysitters with us, as well, so that made the excursion manageable. The reason we picked this particular timing for our trip was because Cline's old high school scheduled a football game at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. Cline wanted to go to the game, and thought it would be a great excuse to make a fun trip out of it. He was right, but it was a lot of work to prepare before and after. We may stick to going during the cooler months in the future, especially with infants! Enjoy the pictures!

Ready with Cline's mom for a day of fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Eating lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive-in Movie Theater - my favorite restaurant there!

Like I said, it was hot, so we let the kids cool off and get messy with some chocolate ice cream. I dropped mine on the ground, so I took that as a sign that I was supposed to stick to my diet :) I promptly bought Abby Kate a Disney dress so she would be comfortable after she covered herself with melted ice cream!

The whole gang at the studios!

The second day we were there, we went to the Magic Kingdom. Christa loved the teacups, and the line wasn't too bad, so she rode them twice.

It rained the afternoon at the Magic Kingdom. It was actually welcome relief from the heat, which drained my energy. We ended up staying a few extra hours after the temperature dropped.

Cinderella's Castle.

Our 3rd day there, we went to Epcot. Our fabulous babysitter, Katie, was a wonderful help holding babies and bags and doing whatever needed to be done. At the end of the day, Cline and I would get everyone fed and back to the room, and Katie would watch the kids while we went back to the parks for "extra magic hours." It was exhausting, but soooooo much fun. I felt like a teenager again, riding fun rides with my hubby into the wee hours of the morning.

We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle. This was a favorite activity of Christa's, even though I couldn't talk her into wearing her Cinderella dress we'd brought from home. Abby Kate looked quite cute in her Snow White outfit, though! The girls loved meeting the princesses, and excitedly said each one's name as they came by.

We got to meet Snow White, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty! The girls got a wishing star and magic wand and got to participate in a wishing ceremony (which consisted of waving their wands over their stars and saying "bibbity bobbity boo!")

After our princess dinner, we watched the Wishes show and fireworks by Cinderella's Castle. Elizabeth loved the fireworks, and laughed throughout the show. It was really neat - they posted pictures taken throughout the day on Cinderella's Castle. I was amazed at what they were able to do with their digital photography and animation techniques.

We got to meet up with some friends from our Augusta days, Mike, Rosi, and their 3 beautiful children. We ate dinner at Downtown Disney and let the kids dig for bones at T-Rex. It was great catching up, and I could have chatted for hours more! Hope to see them again very soon!

We also went to the Animal Kingdom, but didn't stay too long, and I didn't take many pictures there. We were pretty tired by that day. Our final day, we completed our trip with a Mickey breakfast at Chef Mickey's! It was great food and great company, starting with Minnie Mouse!

Goofy was a favorite of Abby Kate's. She's an expert at saying "gawrsh" and laughing like he does.

And the star of the restaurant - Mickey himself! We also met Pluto and Donald. The kids had a blast, and it was a nice way to start off our trip home.

Good times were had by all!!