May 9-17, 2014
Hang in there with me for the next week or so, as this is the first of many posts on our Disney World trip we took a few weeks ago! I have been putting off blogging about it because we did SO much and I want to write down every. single. detail. I don't want to forget anything! If it gets to be too much, sorry- this is kind of my journal of memories :)
We were set to check into our home in the Windsor Hills community on May 9. Well our plans had us starting our Disney tour the next day, Saturday, May 10 at Epcot. After much deliberation, we decided to drive a little over 1/2 way on Thursday, May 8 to Tallahassee, FL. It was a little bit of hard work to pack the overnight bags, unload the car partially, etc. but it ended up being a great decision for our family. On Friday when we arrived, we got there in the early afternoon, had plenty of time to explore the clubhouse before check in time, then had all afternoon to unpack and get settled in. The kids even got to go for a swim while I unpacked and organized our home for the week.
We looooved our house. We couldn't have picked a better fit for our group. There were 9 of us total- 3 couples and 3 kids. There were 3 "master" bedrooms downstairs and 2 kid bedrooms upstairs. Each bedroom had it's own bathroom which ended up being super nice. Caleb and Addison shared a room and then Kailyn had her own room. Our house had it's own private swimming pool in addition to the large community pool at the clubhouse a few blocks away.
Once we were settled in, we were anxious and excited to start the next day with Epcot!!! I was a little nervous, as I did most of the schedule planning, Fast Pass booking, etc. and I just hoped and prayed that it all would go smoothly...
May 3, 2014
It's official- I am old. 10 years since high school? WOW! It really does seem like yesterday since we were all in high school. Some of my best memories came from those times. Jeremy and I started dating, color guard, driving/first car, wrecking first car, fun with friends, and so much more. Kacie told me the other day that her best memory of high school was when I wrecked my car because she started coming to pick me up in the mornings and take me to school because the school bus...well do I have to say more?! We really grew closer in those few months before my Dad finally got me another car. If it weren't for that wreck, we might not be besties today. Crazy, huh? At the time it felt like the end of the world to me. I think Friday night football games were also one of my best memories. I loved wearing my uniform and performing at half time and acting silly in the stands with friends during the game. And all of this was 10 years ago...it blows my mind. That means that Jeremy and I have been together for almost 13 years. Now that is crazy!!
Ok, so back to the reunion. It was held at the Guntersville State Park in one of the ballrooms. Kacie and I decided that we would share a room so we could visit and hang out. It was SO fun to hang out with the Kirkland's...seems like we don't do that enough without the kids. We checked in, hung out on our porch with an awesome view of the lake, then got ready for the reunion. Kacie and I wore matching shoes!! We took some before shots:
Then it was time to go over to the reunion. It was so nice to see everyone. And really, everyone looks the same! It was almost like walking through a time machine. Unfortunately, some of my shy feelings from high school came rushing back and I am so mad about that. I wish I had of talked to more people than I did. It was really nice to catch up with old friends and have a night out.
Meanwhile, the kids were in Guntersville too. They stayed with Gran Gran and had lots of fun playing there. Of course, they were spoiled rotten and we had to detox once we got home Sunday afternoon! :)
I also should add that Saturday morning before we headed to the State Park, Daddy took Caleb fishing with Grandaddy, Addison, and Uncle Josh. They caught SIXTY ONE fish. Not kidding. Caleb had so much fun!
April 26, 2014
We are loving this spring time weather here in Alabama!! It seems like we had such a long, cold winter so the sunshine feels so good. A few Saturdays ago we actually didn't have any plans, so off to the gardens we went for some fun in the sun. We were surprised to find butterflies already fluttering around in the butterfly house. We also found some new friends down in the big goldfish pond: tadpoles. Lots and lots of tadpoles...at least 200. Wow. We took a picture of them so we can see how they have changed the next time we visit. I tried to get some pictures of the kids but mostly we just went to play. And also Kailyn's poor little cheeks turn red when she gets hot so it doesn't make for the best picture, ha!
April , 2014
It was finally my favorite holiday of the year- Easter! I just love everything Easter is about- Jesus is alive and with the spring brings a refreshed and renewed sense of being. Every Easter, we head to Guntersville to spend time with Daddy’s family. On Saturday, there was a big Easter egg hunt at the park. We pulled into the parking lot right when it started. Luckily, Kailyn’s age group was close so I scooped her up and ran over. Caleb’s was a little further away and by the time they got him over there, he found only 1 egg. I guess the baby section just wasn’t as crowded and there were hundreds of eggs left, so we dumped Kailyn’s into Caleb’s bucket and let her go again. He seemed bummed at first but I think he was excited to still get the prizes inside the eggs.
After the egg hunt, we went down to feed the geese and ducks by the lake. They love saltine crackers! The kids always think it is so funny to watch them scramble for the crackers. Then we let them throw some rocks into the water for a bit before heading back to the house for lunch and nap times.
Since we were also celebrating Josh, Grandaddy, and my Birthdays this weekend, I was released to go shopping downtown during nap time, which was really nice. And I actually bought something for myself- a cute pair of wedge sandals! I was also excited to find Grandmama’s Mother’s Day gift and the kids’ teacher gifts for the end of the year, which is coming up sooner than I want to talk about. When I got back to the house from shopping, we ordered pizza and enjoyed an ice cream cake. It was a fun night!
Once the kids were ready for bed and in their matching spring pajamas, it was time to set out our Easter baskets for the bunny and to make him a snack. To eliminate fighting (yes, they all fight but they love each other so much!), they each made their own plates for the bunny consisting to carrots and lettuce. We tried our best to get a picture of them together because they just looked simply adorable. I love how their coordinating pjs turned out!
Easter morning the kids were up bright and early- 6am if I remember correctly. Yes, it’s early and yes, that is normal at our house. The kids were so excited to see what the Easter bunny had left for them. Hmm…notice and spoiled kids here? They all got a present and basket from the Easter bunny and a basket from Grandmama and Grandaddy. Then we always make Addison a basket and they make one for our two. Wow! It is a lot of fun though. Now, when I was little, after I opened my basket I took it outside to hunt the eggs that the bunny had hidden for me. Well, the Gilmore’s do it a little different. We have to wait until after Church and go over to Daddy’s Grandmother’s house to hunt eggs. Luckily the kids had already gone to so many egg hunts, they were ok with waiting.
You know me- we had to get a few family photos before darting of to Church. You never know who might spill something on their clothes at lunch so we couldn’t wait until after all of that.
During Church, Kailyn got a little restless once the preacher started his sermon. It was so pretty outside so I decided to walk to the car and get the camera out in hopes for a good picture of her in her Easter dress. Well, she just wanted to play- can you blame her?!
After Church, we ate lunch at the local Mexican restaurant. When everyone was finishing up, Mom and I snuck off to get to Great Grandmother’s early to hide the eggs from the Easter bunny. You see, I had told Caleb that I sent our empty eggs home with her the night before and she would leave them out at her house for the bunny to fill up and hide. He totally bought it! There were so many eggs to hunt between ours, Great Grandmothers, and Grandmama & Grandaddy’s!! Caleb and Addison both had to dump their buckets twice to make room for new. Poor Kailyn tried to keep up and only filled hers once. She didn’t notice her lack of eggs though, she was so excited to go look inside them.
Before we went inside to look at their goodies hidden in the eggs, we took some family photos. The kids were not thrilled about this, as they just wanted to see what was in the eggs! I think they did good though and we got a few descent shots.
Finally, it was time to get into the treats! The Easter bunny did a great job of not getting anything chocolate that would melt and he even got a lot of toys instead of candy.
Oh! And I have to add these pictures too…we ended the afternoon trying to distract sleepy kids while we all finished visiting and packing up to head back for naptime. Kailyn enjoyed walking down to Great Grandmother’s boathouse to look at the lake. I like the picture of her and Grandaddy, it’s so sweet.
Now, all of the egg hunts, treats, and candy are awesome fun but let us remember what this day is truly about. Jesus loved us so very much that he sacrificed his life to save each and every one of us. His blood washes away our sins- no matter how tiny or huge they are! How awesome is that? This holiday is closest to my heart because of this. I love Christmas and the birth story of Jesus, but Easter is what our religion is all about. Jesus died and came back to life. Amazing. During his time on Earth he felt love, pain, hunger, etc. and he knows every reality of our struggles…all he wants us to do is pray and talk to him about them. I just think it is so awesome to serve a God who was once human just like me. Happy Easter!!!!
