A Christmas Prayer

While saying the family prayer, Gavin made his Christmas list to Santa.

"And please bless that Santa brings me a big boy basketball

hoop since the one on the street is too tall for me."

Every day is a new, laughable adventure with this preschooler.

I love it!

My Sweet Baby Logan

I love everything about this boy.

His smile, his laugh and his eyes.

His eyelashes have been growing in darker, redder lately.

It's almost like looking into a brand new set.

And that makes me love him even more.

If that was possible.

And despite all the love I have to give this child, he tries to escape sometimes.

Sock'em Boppers

This is why I love having boys!

The Boy Loves Slides

Gavin sliding down the hotel's water slide.

  

I loved watching his expression every time he was about to hit the water.

He smiled every time.

A Birthday Party in December

Some pictures surfaced on Sean's computer from a birthday party Gavin attended in December 2010  and with Blogger's new layout a bunch of draft posts were brought to my attention.  I do not remember many of the details surrounding this party, but I remember the Brazilian food.  One of Sean's classmates was from Brazil and had a girl turning four.  I remember we all had a great time but since it was hosted at 1pm the boys were super tired.  In fact look at the last picture and Gavin is just staring at his pizza.

One Last Day with Mickey

Before I comment on our final day with Mickey, it looks like our trusty point-and-shoot had a fingerprint smudge on the right of the lens.  Every picture starting with day one appears to be a little blurry on the right and pretty crisp on the left.  Oh well, no worries for the memories are still preserved.  I am so glad I noticed this now we are home though.

Lucky for us, my mother decided to skip some of her conference meetings on the last day and join us one more time at Magic Kingdom.  We still had quite a To-Do list in Fantasyland inside Magic Kingdom that included Peter Pan, Cinderella's Carousel, Snow White, Dumbo, and Mickey's Philharmagic.  

What a difference the middle of the week makes at Disney!  Magic Kingdom felt like a ghost town compared to the weekend's trip with Jake and Lindsay.  To start things off, Logan and I rode the Tea Cups twice then I rode twice more with Gavin.  The lines were pretty non-existent and much of the time was spent walking through the turn-styles.  What a glorious day, but boy was it still humid.  We live only one state north and I swear the humidity is so much worse in Florida.

A Side Effect of Too Much Mickey

This trip also marked the first time we had visited Disney multiple days in the a row. Traditionally we had only gone on one day trips with family or friends, and I think the constant excitement led to sheer exhaustion.

Alone at MGM

Having spent so much time last year at Disney as a family, I knew the kids and I could handle a couple days by ourselves alone having fun. We had a system and the boys knew it well. I was confident in their behavior and my solo juggling abilities. I know I can be disgustingly upbeat sometimes, but we had a perfect day at MGM. The kids were so patient and well-behaved. The crowds were non-exsistent and our timing for rides was impeccable. And for the first time ever, we actually had to wait a few minutes for the gates to open at Disney. I guess that would be one of the perks of staying on property.

Upon entering, we made a beeline for Toy Story Mania, and for the record so did everyone else. We waited in the Stand-By line since the Fast Pass line was already 1/4 mile long. Unbelievable! We basically walked in line the entire time and waited maybe 10 minutes. Gavin has always sat on one of our laps so without Sean, Gavin sat by himself for the first time and had his very own gun for the games. He rocked the trigger and was having so much fun. I should have recorded the ride for right in the middle Gavin exclaimed in true Tangled fashion 'BEST RIDE EVER!' It was priceless. I might have shed a tear of happiness but there were no witnesses around to notice.

After the much loved Disney Junior show, we saw magic Mickey again. Sometimes I question how I have such patient children.

When Grandma Jeana and Papa Miner were here in early September, they bought the boys Beauty and the Beast. After watching it too many times, I decided the Broadway Beauty and the Beast show at MGM would be great for them to see. I was right for they both were glued to the show the entire 30 minutes.

In fact, I had a son on each leg watching the show.

This might just be my favorite picture from the whole trip.

They are so handsome. I love them.

With so much Cars and Cars 2 viewing lately, we also made it to the character greeting of Lightning McQueen and Mater. After first we just walked by and waved hello, but then Gavin asked to wait in line and take a picture with them. The demands of a three year old.

Mickey's House with Jake and Lindsay

Since my mother had a conference on Disney property and our Disney passes were still valid, the boys and I decided to tag along for a little vacation. Before the conference started however, we all spent the day at Magic Kingdom with some close Utah friends who were in town for the conference as well.

Jake, Lindsay, Gavin, Logan, me, and Grams

Sadly, our group picture with the mice did not turn out so well.

Here is a shot courtesy of Gavin (hence the shake) but I still like it.

After months of being shut down by a fire, the Tiki Room reopened to our delight.

More shots courtesy of Gavin.

We had a great day filled with Pirates, the Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, and much more. But I will admit it was hot and crowded. This was actually our first visit on a weekend and I could tell it was busy. It was a humid day with a little afternoon storm burst. Despite the weather and the people, we had a fabulous day with Jake and Lindsay.

Side note mainly for my memory's sake: Gavin's favorite show is Jake and the Neverland Pirates, so when I told him we were going to Mickey's House with Jake and Lindsay he heard Jake and Izzy. Regardless of the company, he was excited for a day of fun.

More Fun with Papa

Papa recently bought a giraffe hand puppet which Gavin went crazy for. He must have been at the right stage for puppet comfort. Logan, on the other hand, was not at the same puppet comfort level. Notice the tiny head emerging from the safety of the chair's arm. At least by the end of our visit, Logan no longer shook with fear around the puppet.

Papa also has an ever-expanding Matchbox car collection which the boys love to drag race.

Like always, we had loads of fun.

Waiting for the Train

Last week the boys and I took a road trip to Florida leaving Sean home in the land of golf carts. Before we joined my mother in Orlando for some fun at Disney, we stopped by my father's house for a few days. Our visit was quick but the smiles were not. The boys naturally love all the outdoor activities including train watching whenever we can catch a train.

However, we waited and waited.

Nothing railed by until we were back home and settled upstairs.

Oh, the nerve.

We pass by a farm on the way with a couple animals to watch.

This recent addition is well feed and named Sausage.

One day we will catch another train, but until then I guess they have to keep going for more rides. Life is tough for these two.

Logan's First Tea Cups

While brother was driving the cars with Grams, Logan and I rode the Tea Cups twice without ever leaving our cup. Here is the video from our first turn which happened to also be Logan's first Tea Cup ride ever. He did not go quite as fast as Gavin but still he had a blast.

Gavin on the Tea Cups

The side effects of going fast and having fun.

(If you do not want to watch the whole 1:16, fast forward to the middle for a laugh.)