So this year for Christmas we cut way back on gifts for the kids (although after grandparents brought their gifts it didn't look like it under the tree!)
I got each kid 3 gifts and they knew in advance that they were only getting 3 gifts for Christmas...and all of them were very content with just 3.
I had told Joe in the Fall that I thought in place of buying them toys and other material things for Christmas this year, ....that would wind up broken or in a bin in their bedroom and forgotten...that we should give them memories...instead of material items.
He liked the idea and we began looking into options. Now my first choice would have been for Disney. Not because I love it so much or think it is the most fun place on earth...but because I think it is fun for the kids and love seeing them take it all in. And I know that it won't be long before they will be beyond "loving Disney."
Joe on the other hand sees that money and thinks of all the gorgeous tropical islands we could go to. He is not a disney fan!
So it was a total shock when he says, "let's take them to Disney World for a few days."
Of course I was totally on board and we began planning our trip. We were going to leave either Christmas night or the morning after Christmas. And as one of the kids gifts I got them all suitcases (none of them own their own) that was going to already be packed for the trip when they got it!
I began working on a poem/note to give them on Christmas morning that would let them in on the surprise of our trip. We were so excited we could hardly stand waiting and couldn't wait to see their surprised faces when they found out Christmas morning.
Well, about a week and a half before Christmas Maggie gets sick....at first I think it's just strep..but after about 24 hours I realize it is a little more than that. She becomes our first victim of the flu.
Emmie Jayne went down a few days later, followed by me.
A few days before Christmas we are all beginning to feel better and we think we are in the clear to still go....until Joe wakes up with fever and aches.
We had to make a decision at that point whether to keep flghts/hotel/car rental or not. And I knew good and well that he was not going to feel like hiking around Disney in 3 days. So we decided to cancel it all and postpone the trip until later in January. So we never told the kids anything about it. Joe and I were super bummed but thankfully the kids were clueless and had no idea what we had planned.
Well....move forward a few weeks. The kids had off a monday and tuesday in January so that is when we had decided to move our trip to so that they would only have to miss one day of school (Wednesday is when we would return).
I don't think that God had big plans for us to go to Disney....but I do think He cares more about little things than we would think. And I think He made our flu epiosde and missed trip turn into a blessing.
We were going to be headed to Disney during pretty much the busiest time of the year. (As in the week we were going Magic Kingdom closed their gates 2 days b/c they were full).
The week we switched to is one of the lowest weeks of the year! Not to mention although they were having record low temps the 3 park days we had the temperature was set to be in the 70's.
And lastly....although the trip was prepaid for with our vacation budget money...the day before we left Joe got 2 unexpected checks in the mail that more than covered our expenses. We didn't even know this money was coming our way.
So we definetly feel this whole trip was a blessing and worked out so much better than we had planned it.
Joe booked our flights, hotel, and rental car while I packed suitcases, planned our days, and made a new poem/note to give the kids along with their "surprise boxes". Which contained a Disney shirt for them, their lanyard with pins for trading, and maps of Disney World.
Saturday morning we got up like any other morning and had breakfast. Then got ready for Owen's basketball game. We went to his game and than headed home. I had to run to Kroger for a few things so Maggie went with me. While we were there Joe got the van packed up and made sure there were no suitcases visable at all.
We had told the kids that we were going to run into Louisville and grab some lunch and than Joe had to run to the airport for a fast errand. (They think nothing of going to the airport as Joe will have to stop by there to do things occasionally).
So we ate some lunch at Carabbas and then drove to the airport. When we got into the parking garage Joe parked the car and began to get out. But then began to tell the kids that we had to tell them something. At first they seemed a little nervous as if they thought it was something bad. I gave them each their box and told them not to open it and gave Maggie this note to read outloud......
after she got to the end they were allowed to open up their boxes and they instantly knew where we were headed. Although it seemed to take a bit to totally sink in. They were so shocked and surprised and in a million guesses would have never guessed that when we drove to Lousiville we were actually going to Disney.
I can't believe we actually were able to keep it a secret for as long as we did! But I am so glad that they didn't find out because the surprise was so much fun!
We got out of the van and the kids were all shown their new suitcases, all packed for warmer weather!
(they had not gotten their suitcases for Christmas after we changed our plan).
And than we were off to board our plane!
The kids acted like pro's at this flying thing.
They get it from their Dad....not me!
Everyone was in charge of their own luggage (we only brought carry-on's per Joe's request) And since he is sort of the King of airport traveling we went along with whatever he said.
This is pretty much what we looked like headed to our plane and again when we hit Atlanta!
When you fly with 4 small kids (and you are once again pregnant) you get alot of looks and even more comments. And although some were not as sweet and thoughtful as others... the majority of people commented on how well behaved our kids were and impressed that they were able to manage themselves and luggage through airport checks/lines/etc.
And I must say what nice comments those are to hear about your kids....and they were pretty amazing on the entire trip I must say.
These three knew exactly what Disney World is and what was in store for the next 4 days....
and they could hardly contain their excitement.
That morning at Owen's basketball game Joe had taken a picture of a paper in Owen's classroom the he had written and on it it says, "places I want to go in 2014......and he had written Disney World!
We boarded our first flight and got situated.....after a few discussions about who gets the window seat!
These two were hysterical to listen to. Josie busts out the safey brochure they have on flight and says, "wow. I hope our plane lands in the water so we can get on one of those little boats."
And about midway through our flight Emmie Jayne (who had also looked at the pamphlet) looks at me and says, "when do we get to get on the big slicky slide?"
So between the two of them they apparently were hoping for some type of crash landing!
Emmie also LOVED take off and landing and each time would throw her hands up in the air like she was on a roller coaster and say , "wheeeeeeee."
We had a short layover in Atlanta. Here we hit up the bathrooms (more for me than any of the kids...it would be the start of a bathroom maranthon I would be on for the next 4 days).
Em guarding all our luggage.
The leaders of our pack...
Owen getting prepared in case we needed it...
The kids watched a little bit of a movie while we waited for our next flight while Joe grabbed us some dinner.
We boarded our next plane and got into Orlando around 9 that night. Got our rental van and headed to our hotel to get some sleep. Because the next morning the fun was going to begin!!!
Next stop.....Disney's Animal Kingdom!!
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