Happy 60th Dad

For my dad's 60th birthday, all of the kids got together and planned a weekend at a cabin on Lake Norris. We kept it a suprise for 9 months! That is amazing for our family. We had 10 adults and 8 kids all in one house. We had a great time. The kids (ok, adults too) played Rock Band. Ethan rocked on the guitar! Tyler was an animal on the drums. I loved the song "Wanted Dead or Alive" when we first arrived, but after 20 times, I could go at least another year before I hear it again.


We spent the afternoon with a professional photographer. Thank you Jessie for setting this up for us. I can't wait to see our pictures. These are a few shots that my brothers took of the group.

It was a wonderful weekend! At the end of the weekend we shared our memories growing up with each other. It was great to spend this time together. Before dinner, we stood in a large group holding hands and praying for the meal. I was humbled and amazed looking at our family. It is a testament to my father and mother that each one of their children serve the Lord and have married a Godly spouse. I pray that the legacy my parents have begun will continue through many generations.

Downtown Disney We spent two evenings at Downtown Disney. This is a great place to go when you first arrive. It has some great shops and wonderful restaurants. We ate at Cap'n Jack's one night and the Rainforest Cafe on another night. It was nice to visit the shops here and not have to take time at the parks shopping for items.

Tyler had a great time at the Kid's Dance Party in the Square. They had hula hoops and music all night. Ethan, of course, is too old for this now. I love this video of Tyler dancing.

Animal Kingdom

We spent one day at the Animal Kingdom. It was a great day! We went straight to the Safari Ride. This was really amazing! We got to see elephants, giraffes, lions, and several other animials. I saw animals I never even knew existed. There were no fences separating us from the animals and sometimes we even had to stop because there were some animals in our path.

Chris and I got to ride the Epedition Everest roller coaster. There was no line, so we just kept getting on and riding. This was great! I really liked the Nemo show. I think that this park definitly has the best shows. We got the chance to meet several characters with no wait time. That was a nice change.

Chef Mickey's

One of my favorite events was breakfast with Mickey Mouse. You have to schedule your character meals well in advance. (Sometimes as far as 6 months in advance!) We went to the Contempory Resort at Disney and ate at Chef Mickey's. We got to meet Mickey and all of the gang. This is definitly worth the cost. If you get your pictures at the meal times, you do not have to stand in line at the parks to see them. The lines at the parks can get pretty long! At the meals, each character comes to your table. I highly recommend Chef Mickey's!

Hollywood Studios

We spent two days at Hollywood Studios. This was the boys favorite park. I definitly think it is more focased on the boys. They loved the Indiana Jones show and the Car Stunt show. We stood in line so each boy could meet the Power Rangers. Tyler was so excited about this.

Ethan's favorite part of the day was being chosen out of the audience to train to be a Jedi. He went up on stage and received a Jedi costume and a light saber. He went through several practice moves and then Darth Vader came out on stage. Ethan got to fight Darth Vader. He was so excited! Tyler was sad that he was too young to be chosen. The man in charge felt bad for Ty, so he gave him a training certificate along with Ethan.



While we were at Hollywood Studios we won a prize for the Year of a Million Dreams. They chose our family out of the park to win special Mickey Mouse ears that say year of a Million Dreams. They gentleman told us that you can't purcase these ears, only win them by being in the right place at the right time. This really was a magical day!

Disney World

We went to Disney World for fall break. I had an entire week off of school. I had never been to Disney World before. I think I was just as excited as the kids. We had a great condo at the Westgate Resort. We were about a mile from the park. Next time I will definitely stay at the Disney Resorts. We had a great kitchen, two bedrooms, three televisions, and a dining room. The boys loved the giant jacuzzi in our room. We found that we spent very little time at the condo. We were always at Disney.

We spent two days at the Magic Kingdom. Tyler loved the Buzz Lightyear ride and Ethan loved Space Mountain. I loved watching the boys meet the characters.

Tyler celebrated his 4th birthday on our first day at Disney. It was amazing! He got a button that said "Happy Birthday Tyler!" Every employee at the park stopped and told Tyler "Happy Birthday." We had lunch at the Crystal Palace and got to eat with Winnie the Pooh. Tyler had his own Birthday cake. During the light parade at the end of the day, Cinderella leaned out of her carriage, blew Tyler a kiss, and told him Happy Birthday.

Flame

I took the boys to see Flame on Sunday night. One of the local churches, Mt. Olive, puts together a kids production every year. They are actually bringing in all of the elementry schools this week to see it as well. It was really great! There were fireworks and people flying in the air. The boys loved it!

We were excited to see Uncle Chris and Aunt Jenny in the flame. They did a wonderful job! Chris was the professor, a major role. He sang and danced very well. Aunt Jenny held her own with her dance moves. She played the role of a police officer. The boys were so excited to sit with their cousins, Justin and Joy. It is a blessing to have family near. We love you!

Fire Starter

We had a faculty picnic for the Walker Valley staff. My boys were so excited because I made dirt cake in the flower pot and all. Oh the simple pleasures... We arrived early so I could help set up the food. When we arrived, there was a very large fire pit that was smoking from the night before. My boys, along with their friends Winston and Fletcher, decided to rekindle the flame. They started throwing sticks and debris onto the pit. Within an hour they had a pretty good flame. When it was time for dessert, my boys decided it was more important to work on the fire than eat the dirt cake. Who knew that dessert was second to fire. Obviously their priorities are not the same as their mother's priorities. I definitely would not survive on an island.

Football Friday Nights

One of the best things about teaching for a local high school is the football games. I love the sense of community and camaraderie that arises from rooting for a common cause. Ok, I know it is only football, but it is fun. I love watching my students outside of the classrooms setting.



Ethan and Tyler love Walker Valley Football games. They ask every Friday night if we are going to the game. This past Friday was the big rival game between the two local teams. We went to Chick Fil A with our good friends Tina and Jason. Tyler always asks me if their son, Andrew is coming with us. Their daughter, Hannah, was with us as well; but Ethan was preoccupied playing football on the practice field with the older kids.

Tyler was glad to see his good friend, Haley. I can see trouble brewing here. My dear friend, Donna, was gracious enough to watch Tyler so he could sit next to Haley. Unfortunately, I think this will be the last football game we will make it to this year and the weather hasn't even turned cold yet.