In the Beginning... Day one

Awwww.....  they really do love each other.... when they are asleep and not aware they are touching each other.... 

 

 

Our trip to Disney started at the ugly hour of 4:30am.  We headed to the airport, made it through all security checks with ease, and awaited our 7:05am flight.

 

 

Jake and Holly did amazing on their first time flying.  They weren't scared, no complaints about their ears, nothing.  Holly was so chill about flying that she managed to fall sleep during take-off on our second flight!  Pretty. Awesome.  4.5 hours after take off, we set foot on our resort.

 

As it does so often in Florida, it was raining when we arrived.  And not just the soft gentle rain that will quickly clear, but a heavy, soaking, down-pour type of rain.  So what do you do if you're going to be soaked anyways?  Put on your suit and dance in the rain.

 

 

(The view from our room is the pool and laundry area.  First floor rooms rock!)

 

Since we didn't have park passes for our first day, we spent our time touring our resort and meandering to nearby connecting resorts.  Then it was time to head to the Grand Floridian for dinner.

 

 

The Grand Floridian is a Victorian style resort with plush carpets, elegant seating areas, and a live serenading pianist that knows every Disney tune by heart.  It is also home to the 1900 Park Fare buffet style restaurant which, very suiting, hosts....

 

...character dining of the most royal Disney members.

Prince Charming

Cinderella

Lady Tremaine

Anastasia

Drizella

 

The last bit of excitement, even for the kids too, was watching a live band play even more upbeat Disney songs.   We danced and danced and played name that tune.  

 

What a great ending to the day!

 

 

Its GO Time!

The house has been cleaned.  The dishes are done.  The fridge has been purged of all perishable items.  The kitty sitter has been given instructions.  The lawn has been mowed one last time.  And, most importantly, the bags have been packed.  That can only mean one thing....

 

 

DISNEY, HERE... WE... COME!!!

Loving This

In order to avoid doing things I really should be doing this evening, I planted myself upon the couch with a bowl of popcorn and one of the many, many books I want to read. (There is always time for cleaning later, right?)  The current book I'm reading is The Year without a Purchase by Scott Dannemiller.  And I'm. In. Love.

 

The premise of the story is Scott and his wife, Gabby, were unhappy in a life that is the American Dream - a house, two cars, successful jobs, vacations...  They wanted a change and God provided them one.  A mission trip that could last as little as a one month commitment but were moved enough to stay for a year.  After living, surviving, and, better yet, thriving on next to nothing, they came back to America only to have our fast paced, busy, buy-buy-buy culture chip away that new found fulfillment, leading them back to square one.  On every page I'm moved and inspired by their insight.  If I tried to type up everything that tugged at my heartstrings, I'd be in danger of plagiarizing the entire book! I did manage to narrow down one excerpt that I wanted to share with you, but to also remember for myself. 

Recently, our Sunday school class began studying the book Firstfruits Living by Lynn A. Miller.  In the book, Miller talks about how faithful people put God first in their lives by giving away the best of what they have.  Their firstfruits.

Yes, the man is crazy.

But reading this book, I notice that I am doing the exact opposite of what it suggests is the path to fulfillment.  I am essentially hoarding the best of what I have for myself and giving away the leftovers.  If a Boy Scout comes to the door collecting canned food for a fundraiser, I am the guy who reaches into the very back of the pantry, pushing the chicken noodle soup out of the way so that I can snag that three-year-old can of hominy.

Because poor people love hominy.

Its ridiculous.  And when I do give away something of real value, I don't part with it easily.  Instead, I give it with the stipulation that the person must thank me profusely for the gift, acknowledge my awesomeness, preferably in public, and then proceed to use the gift in the exact manner I intended.  Its an unspoken selfishness constantly lurking beneath the surface.

And I don't like it.

Been there.  Done that.  Felt those feelings.  I want to change, to be better, and can do so for a little while.  And then there comes the Boss telling us we need this and that to be successful, happy, complete.  Protect ourselves first and let everyone else struggle in the meantime - the 'they've probably done something and made poor choices to deserve it anyways' mindset.  And in the very next paragraph there is more wince worthy, hitting the nail on the head, painful truth:

One evening, Gabby and I are discussing our general dissatisfaction with getting further and further away from the joy and fulfillment we felt ten years ago.  Its one of those wonderful reflective conversations where you feel that you are really accomplishing something by examining the trajectory of your life with the added satisfaction of making no real commitment to change anything for the better.

 

Oh snap.  I have had those conversations.  Many times.  There is something about them that does make you feel very accomplished.  And yet that feeling wears off and you are back in the same rut with the same arguments all too soon.  Talk is good.  Action is better.

 

That is, until Gabby asks a hypothetical question.

"What if we didn't buy anything for a year?"

 

Shaken from the comfort of my own inaction, I respond as any good husband would.

 

Defensively.

 

"Wait.  Are you saying that I buy too much stuff?"  I bark at her, ready to challenge every frivolous purchase she has made in the past six months.  A new dress.  An art set for Audrey.  Incredibly soft toilet paper.

 

"No.  I'm just saying it would be interesting to see if we could do it.  If we could get back to a simpler lifestyle.  A life more connected to God.  And one another."

 

Challenge accepted.

 

Reluctantly.

 

Holly's Big Day

Wait a minute...

 

Holly is old enough to go to school?  How is this possible?!?  I'm not sure either but never the less - the time has come and off she goes!

 

Holly Jacquelynne

Preschool 2016-2017

3 year old class

 

 

 

Don't be fooled by that cute smile.  As she realized that I really was going to leave her there, the flood gates opened and I heard her crying all the way down the hallway as I headed off to work in the school library.

 

Her wonderful teacher stopped by my room to inform me it didn't take long for her to calm down and she was happily playing with the other kids.  A short time after that, her day was done.  She joined me in the library and kept me company until my day was done.

 

We moved books, prettied up the shelves, had a snack, and chatted while we worked.  She is definitely a Momma's little helper.  And with the older two siblings at school and no younger siblings coming up, I think its safe to say, and might as well admit it now, she is going to be spoiled with quality time... and probably more. 

 

Its good to be the youngest. 

What I'm reading this week

I think this post would be more aptly titled

'What I don't have time to read this week'

The stack on my nightstand gets taller and taller but the days keep getting fuller and fuller. 

Here is what I'm attempting to read:

Into Thin Air

This is the book that the movie 'Everest' is based on.  I saw the movie but, as we all know, way too many details tend to be left out of movies and I'd just like to know more.

Hollow City

This is the second book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.  Although I wasn't very impressed with the first book (which has already been made into a motion picture and hits theatres at the end of September), I am pressing forward in the series and am pleasantly surprised how much I am enjoying this book than the first.

 

Year without a Purchase

The concept of this book is simple:  "The difference between needs and wants had grown very fuzzy, and making that distinction clear again would require drastic action: no nonessential purchases for a whole year."  Well...  you've got my attention.  Lets read further. 

Disaster on the Horizon and Sea in Flames

I'm not planning on reading both of these books.  The topic of both are on the 2010 Gulf oil blowout that is also coming to a theatre near you in September.  I would like to get a little back story, a little more knowledge before seeing the action, drama, thriller Deepwater Horizon. 

Junk: Digging through America's Love Affair with Stuff

and

Unstuffed: Decluttering your home, mind & soul

Again, I probably won't read both of these.  I'll probably just scan 'Junk' for interesting and useless facts.  'Unstuffed' though...  I think that one may help in the mental stress of this season of life that I am in. 

In This House, We will Giggle

Truth be told, I'm not sure why I have this one.  Concept wise, it doesn't sound too bad, but to carve time out to read a so-so book when there are so many others out there calling my name?  I don't know.  Good thing is - I have it as an audio book too.  Here's to "reading" on the road.