Walt Disney World 2014

I'm kinda impressed with myself.  We have only been home from Walt Disney World for 12 days, and I'm writing this blog post.  :)  Small steps, my friends, small steps.

Now, I've blown the surprise ... this blog is to share some fun photographs from our winter family vacation to Disney in January.  We rather spontaneously decided to book this trip only a few months ago thanks to a spectacular travel special.  This time ... we took BOTH BABIES (and one superstar "NeNe") with us!

Let me say this:  the trip was certainly different.

It was busier, it was both faster and slower-paced (at the same time), it was "slightly less" relaxing (okay, it wasn't relaxing at all) ... but is was ultimately the most magical Disney trip thus far.  This trip was about Jackson and Oliver.  It was about the little ones who REALLY still believe in all the magic in the first place!

It was about seeing their faces on their first airplane ride ... 

About hearing their reaction to spotting Mickey Mouse in the Magic Kingdom ...

About imagining we were royalty ...

(and, apparently, about picking our noses in castles)

About reliving childhood memories with our own children ...

And letting them make special memories of their own ...

About introducing them to our favorite attractions ...

(even if, sometimes, they "did not love it")

About earning their "ears"

About catching some "fleeting" nightlife while they lasted ...

(and while "certain someones" remembered it)

Sometimes is was about making the best of cruddy weather ...

But ultimately, in the end ... it was all about love and family ...

... and it all started with a mouse ...

... or two ...

***

THE END

Christmased ...

Thank goodness it's 2014 ... because this holiday season ... I got officially "Christmased-out."

There is something to be said about surviving Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, then "Roanoke Christmas" will two wild little boys.  To put it nicely ... there was lots of sugar, lots of gifts, LOTS of demands, lots of stimulation ... but, also, lots of fun.

I don't have any photos from Roanoke this year because I video-recorded instead ... but here are some snapshots of:

CHRISTMAS 2013

***bonus shot of Jackson as a cow in his preschool nativity***

Christmas Eve:

My folks were around for ALL of Christmas ... yet I somehow only got one photograph of them ... and it's blurry ... and my dad looks angry (he wasn't).  Lol!

I rest my case about the sugar overload!

Getting ready for Santa to come ...

Oliver, Oliver, Oliver ...

Listening to the bear read "Twas' the Night Before Christmas."

***

(I just want to squeeze him!)

(look!  Mom made another shot!)

Look!  We have THREE children, now!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Williamsburg, Circa 2013

Whew!  The New Year has started off with a whirlwind (and outside the wind is whirling right now too).  Finding quiet moments to edit a few photographs from the end of December, including those from Christmas, has proven difficult.  Nevertheless, I finally had a few moments to get them done!

Tracing our steps backwards a few days, here are a few images from our family "outing" to Williamsburg, Virginia on December 21st.  Originally, we planned a final 2013 trip to Dutch Wonderland.  However, that would have meant driving into colder climates.  That day, Williamsburg was 70 degrees ... so, away we went unexpectedly.  I can't really explain it ... because we didn't go on any major excursions or spend much money ... but it was one of my favorite day trips I have ever taken with Justin and the boys.  We certainly plan to do this one again!

Williamsburg, Virginia
Circa 2013

(you may recognize this from Facebook!)

I just LOVE this photograph!  It's not particularly flattering of me ... but a bystander saw us attempting a "long arm shot" while battling two kids, and offered to snap this photo.  The genius he was, took multiple shots ... and we GOT ONE WITH EVERYONE FACING THE CAMERA ... and 3 out of 4 of us smiling.  Not bad!  And without suburb planning ... almost unheard of!  Love it!

Whoa ... this was a"magical picture day" undoubtedly!

Jackson showing off his musket ball (which he repeatedly called a basketball).  He suggested once that "we should put it in a gun and watch it do something."  Wow!  Comments like that might get him expelled someday ... which is scary ... because I'm not even sure where he came up with that!

The Parish church.

TJ's pew.

And me in it (feeling very smug and history-laden).

Oliver ensuring that we hadn't forgotten his general grumpiness!

The boys doing sweet/cute stuff that we will probably never see again.

HA ... seriously, though, all day they held hands and "assisted" one another.

Which made us VERY happy.

(Justin looks great in Vera Bradley too, don't you think?)

Jackson thought this was "Princess Sophia's Castle."

And ... we didn't feel like arguing, because the stage of the "why's" has official begun.
Note:  He also thought were were in Disney World ... and at UVA.  He asked us where CavMan lived.  Priceless.

Don't let his smile fool you ... this was taken after a pretty brutal fight in which the entire cup (of free water, mind you) was spilled on the cobblestone because BOTH OF THEM WANTED TO HOOOOOLLLLDDDD IT!!!!!!!!!  In the end, no one got to drink it.

:D

Williamsburg was fully decorated for Christmas, and it was really beautiful!

Finally, we ended our day with a ride on the ferry.  Oliver slept through the entire experience, but Jackson was absolutely amazed.  I love seeing such wonder on his face!

If anyone is ever looking for a great day-trip ... Williamsburg is the place to go!