85 More Days.... AWESOME!!!!

So… my girls may be just a little spoiled. 

Okay, so they are spoiled rotten.

On Christmas morning, after we divided out all the girls’ Christmas presents and watched them open each one of them with excitement, we had one last surprise in store for them.

Disney World was always just a dream vacation, or so we made it seem to the girls.  We would sit at the dinner table and tell Lexi that maybe when she was 18, we would take a trip to Disney World.  Sometimes, we would even tell her we would take her maybe when she had kids of her own.  Thinking back on it, we may have been a little not-so-nice when we watched with the girls the DVD that Disney sent to us on how to plan a Disney vacation (they enjoyed watching it anyways, even though they knew that it wasn’t anything that would happen anytime soon).  That’s how awesome our girls are.  To sit with their mom and dad and watch a DVD about a vacation that isn’t going to happen and they enjoyed every minute of it.

This was going to be one special Christmas for them.  We wanted to tell them in a unique way that would not only surprise them, but in a way that they would have something to remember this Christmas for the rest of their lives.  We decided to purchase for each of them a Minnie Mouse roll-away suitcase, personalized with their names on the outside.  Then inside, we put a Christmas ornament that said “We’re going to Disney World” on it. 

So, they unwrapped their presents from us and Santa and thought they were done.  They were sooo happy to get so much stuff.  Honestly, my girls are the type of kids who would have been happy with all dollar store stuff.   Josh went and got the last special gift that they were not expecting.  We turned the music off, sat them in their new Disney comfy chairs, and got the video camera rolling.  They were ecstatic about the suitcases but I don’t think it crossed either one of their minds why in the world we would get them such a gift.  Then, I encouraged them to look inside of the suitcase.  After Lexi opened up her suitcase and pulled out the ornament, she read, “We’re going to Disney World”.  “AWESOME!”, she screamed.  Josh asked her if she knew what that meant.  “We’re going to Disney World???” she asked.  Then it hit her.  WE WERE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD.  “AWESOME!!!!!!!!!”

Since Christmas, it has been non-stop excitement for all four of us.  It seems like our whole lives are centered on May 2011.  We count down with the girls each day with our Disney Princess calendar that is on the fridge.  Every Disney movie we watch, the beginning shows the Cinderella Castle – we all talk about how we will be there soon eating in that very castle with the princesses (The picture above is Kaitlyn with her Cinderella outfit she will wear when we eat dinner with the princesses). 

It also helps that I am married to my own personal travel agent who rocks at doing research on all of the wonderful places and restaurants we’ll be hitting up while at Disney.

To say that we are all soooo excited, well, that would be one BIG understatement.  Only 85 more days!!! J

P.S. Check out http://memories.disneyparks.disney.go.com/#/detail/18655 to catch a peek of the girls opening up their unforgettable Christmas surprise!!!

A Letter to Grandma

Dear “Grape” Grandma,

Yesterday, you ran through my mind off and on, as you often do, but it was your birthday, and I couldn’t help but think about how much I would have loved to take you out to lunch with Josh and the girls.  Your choice – and I knew you too well – you would’ve chose Bob Evans.  It was your favorite.  And I can’t help but feel sadness when I think about how we were supposed to take you to lunch last year on your birthday, but you ended up getting a cold and didn’t feel up to it.  I was supposed to make it up to you, but we never got around to it.  If I had known it was going to be your last birthday with us, I would’ve definitely tried a little harder.  I know you understand though.  You knew how busy we were all the time.  And I know you never held that against me.  I miss just coming to spend time with you in your cozy apartment as you sat on your couch and watched the girls play and you would have that sweet little smile on your face.  You adored my girls so much.  They thought the world of you and they still talk about you.  At Christmas-time, at my mom's, Aunt Jennie was there and I think it confused Kaitlyn at first.  She might have thought it was you until we told her who it was.  But you know Kaitlyn, she is very shy and doesn't care much for strangers - she ended up hanging out with her all night.  And yesterday, I told Lexi it was your birthday.  She got SO excited and looked up and exclaimed, “Happy Birthday great Grandma, have fun with Jesus today in heaven!”   I will forever be grateful that they got that chance to spend time with you and got to know you since there are so many children who never get the chance to meet a great-grandparent.  Well, I hope you had a great birthday with Grandpa yesterday and we all love you and miss you Grandma!

Love,

                      
One of your Favorites ;)