Pray for SC

I'm sure everyone has heard about the horrific events that have taken place in the area we call home. It is so incredibly sad. We were lucky to make it out without any damage. I couldn't believe what I was seeing as I watched the news footage. After the second day I told Pat I couldn't watch anymore, it was too sad. I was off of work on Monday due to the excessive road closures. When I returned to work on Tuesday it took me almost 1 1/2 hours to get there. There were very few people on the road but everyone was forced to use the only open road so you can imagine the backup. I don't know anyone personally that had major damage to their car or home but I still can't get over how many people, just miles from my house, lost everything!

We made the best of the conditions and enjoyed some outdoor time jumping puddles! I think we changed outfits 3 times one day!

The Thursday after the flooding I was scheduled to take a work trip to CA for training on our new equipment. I felt so guilty moving on with my life knowing so many were trying to put theirs back together. To say I wasn't excited about this trip would be an understatement.....until we found out Zac Brown Band would be performing at the Hollywood bowl! Our meetings were in Newport, about 1 hour away but we all agreed it would be worth it. We had meetings most of the day Friday but only part of the day on Saturday so we hit Newport Beach, then headed to LA for the concert. The rolling hills and 'Hollywood' sign were the backdrop and the lights crossed right above the stadium! I am a huge ZZB fan so I would have loved to see them anywhere but the venue made the concert even more amazing!

I had a feeling there might be a guest appearance and I was right! John Mayer came out and they jammed out to some Bill Withers and Bob Dylan.

*I had many more pictures from this trip I would have loved to share but Pat had a little mishap with my phone. He put it on the roof of the car and drove off! I had to borrow from the ones I posted on Instagram and I took one from the internet so you could see how awesome the venue was!

We also hit the fair again this year! We did the farm animals first which she loved! I think she would have fed the goats the sheep all day had we let her. 

She loved the bunnies. We had look at every single one!

We bought ride tickets but could only find a few people that would let her on. They are strict with their height requirements at the fair!

The house is decorated and we are ready for the rest of the festivities the fall season has to bring! Please remember to keep SC in your prayers as there are many families still trying to overcome the devastation of the flooding.

Unlock the Magic

I thought it would be a few more years before we took a trip like the one we did last weekend but I'm excited to tell you about it! We  went back to Orlando and this time we hit the amusement parks!

There were many factors that lead to this decision. First being, I had some vacation time left and a co-worker that will be out on maternity leave soon so I needed to get it in while I could. Secondly, Pat and I have been to Disney together twice, once in May and once in September and both were slow times so we were hoping it wouldn't be packed. Lastly, and most important, Lily is free!!

Lily loves to "fly" and "jump high" and she seems to be most happy in situations where there is a lot going on. She has always been a child that needs a lot of simulation so I was pretty confident she would make the trip worth it!

Well, she didn't disappoint! We arrived Thursday around lunch. We decided to visit Aquatica, the water park, first. We dropped the dogs at Sea World's kennel, threw on our suits and hit the pavement.

We were originally planning to go to Disney on Friday but the weather report wasn't very good so we went with Sea World instead. It was HOT and Lily was tired but we managed to see a few things.  We only made it a few hours before Lily fell asleep, then the rain started. The day was kind of a bust but we are learning our limits with a little one.

We stayed off site in our dog-friendly hotel which was great for us. It was basically a townhouse. We had a kitchen, living area and 3 bedrooms which worked out perfectly. Lily loved the playground and we enjoyed an evening at the pool and quick dip before we headed out on Sunday.

After a relaxing evening we were up and at 'em Saturday morning. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 9:30. As we walked up to the castle a show began! What and awesome way to start the day!! Lily's reaction wasn't the excitement that I am used to, I think she was more in awe of it all. She just stared with her jaw dropped.

The tea cups were our first stop, then Dumbo!

 

"Fly high, [in the] sky!" - Lily

Once again, it was hot so we would run in pretty much any building for relief. Lily saw "Pete!" on one so we went in. We had no idea it was a character meeting! The lines were short, maybe 10 people in front of us? That was when the magic started...

Lily is the only little girl I know whose favorite character is Donald. When we told her, last week, she was going to see Mickey she said, "Donald?!" Neither of us had any clue she knew all of the characters much less her love for Donald. Her reaction made the trip worth every penny!

"Keess, Donald. And hug!" -Lily

Girl loves a carousel, we rode 3 times!

This is the face I was referring to earlier.

When we were planning this trip I was dead set on seeing the fireworks display but by the end of the day I was pooped! We decided earlier in the afternoon that we were more than satisfied with our day so we would skip out on the parade but it started as we were leaving so we watched a little then bid farewell to the happiest place on earth. (It is actually ironic that people refer to it as that because I saw more crying children and frustrated parents than I ever had before! Haha!)

We covered so much and Lily was such a trooper. By Sunday everyone was tuckered out and ready for the chance to rest on our long ride home. This trip has me psyched for the next one. Until next time, Disney....