Disney and our actual anniversary.

We absolutely LOVED Disney World. We soaked up every minute of it - opening the parks up in the morning and shutting them down at night. There are only a few rides we didn't go on, and a ton of them that we rode 2-4x. Our absolute favorite part of the trip was our first night there. We arrived to a torrential downpour - it literally took 4 days for our clothes to dry out. Did that stop us? Nope! We went to Downtown Disney with Linda and her group and when they ended up going back to the room, we took the shuttle over to the Magic Kingdom. We rode almost every popular ride(except Splash Mountain[because we were wet enough] and Pirates of the Caribbean[because we didn't see it]), and got to see the castle for the first time lit up in all it's glory!

Our second favorite day was our anniversary. We spent the day in Epcot because Bryan made us reservations at a restaurant called the Coral Reef. So, we enjoyed all of the rides, had a marvelous dinner, got a delicious free dessert(that we were ALMOST too full to eat), and made it out of the restaurant in JUST ENOUGH time to get a good seat for the fireworks show. Afterwards, we made the trip back to our hotel and invited everyone in to enjoy some cake.

Another question people always ask is our favorite rides, but it's very hard to pick just one. It would probably be the tower of terror because I think we went on that 5 times, but here is how I like to break it down:

Magic Kingdom:
Rides - Splash Mountain(Bryan's absolute fave), Space Mountain
Food - Casey's hot dogs(we at there 4 times - they have amazing hot dogs/corn dog bites, and cheese sauce for the fries... YUM! The tables outside were also a great vantage point for the fireworks show and parades), and Aloha Isle for the Dole Whip ice cream!
Show - The fireworks behind the castle

Epcot:
Rides - Soarin' and Test Track

Hollywood Studios:
Rides - Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror(My absolute Fave)
Show - They had the absolute best show - Fantasmic!

Animal Kingdom:
Rides - Dinosaur, Mount Everest, and it's tough to be a bug
Food - Flame Tree BBQ

We also went to Universal Studios which was a bit of a disappointment on the day we went. The biggest roller coaster was out of order all day, the park closed early which caused long lines, it was not nearly as organized and flawlessly operated as Disney, and we could only get into one side of the park. We both liked ET the best.

We plan to go back often. NEVER have we wished we had kids more than we did when we were there.

16 Days Until Disney!!!!

Soooo when we finally called to make reservations at one of the restaurants, they were all booked already! We have been so bummed out about it… until today! I was searching online to figure out the best way to defrost the top tier of our wedding cake when I saw someone’s post about their first anniversary at Disney. They said that the restaurants in Disney will recreate the top tier of your wedding cake for you which sounded like the perfect idea for us! We were never thrilled about having to make a timed reservation when we’re not quite sure what our days will look like once we get to Disney. Plus, depending on which park the restaurant is located in would dictate which park we would have to visit that day. While I’m sure it wouldn’t have been an issue, it’s certainly easier to be able to do whatever we want during the day/for dinner and come back to the hotel to find a fresh cake waiting for us! I think it will be the perfect way to make sure our actual anniversary doesn’t go by unnoticed while we’re entranced by the most magical place on earth.

Problem solved.

Disney

So, I figured I could elaborate more on Disney.

Part of the reason that our wedding date was so perfect was because the following Monday was Columbus day so we didn't have to take as many days off of work. So, we decided to do the same thing this year. We'll be in Disney World for our 1st Anniversary! I've never to Disney World and Bryan hasn't been since he was a toddler, so we're both very excited. Even better, we convinced my sister to come along, so we get to be there while my oldest nephew experience's the magic just before he gets too old for it to be magical.

We're staying at the pop century resort within the park and I'm super excited about it because I'll get to see this(and others like it):

We've been busy reading books that people have let us borrow, making plans/reservations, and talking to people who have already been for good advice. We're currently trying to find the perfect place to enjoy a romantic dinner on our anniversary. We're trying to find the place that falls perfectly in between the 12-course meals in the uppity restaurants and restaurants that people will pack with their screaming kids. I know - dream on, right?

To anyone who has already been - suggestions?

North Carolina, a birthday, and a new arrival.

Two weekends ago Bryan and I made a trip to North Carolina to visit his family. We strategically planned this trip to fall on the weekend of his niece's birthday part and a few weeks after the arrival of his newest nephew. We had a really REALLY good time.

Bryan has always felt disconnected from his niece, Olivia, since they live so far away, but it didn't take long for her to warm right up to him(after she insisted he put on a hat to cover his scary green mo hawk...). Also, prior to this trip, my mother-in-law owned a business, so when I went down, the trip consisted of sitting around in a coffee shop for hours out of the day while Bryan and his step dad worked on the Jeep they're building. This time we were able to do a little shopping(after I let Bryan pack... and by pack I mean I put our clothes in a pile on the bed and I trusted him to put them into the duffel bag... and only half of my clothes/items made it with us) and a lot of sewing.

Baby Mason and his crabby butt

The birthday girl!

"He can't be all THAT bad if he's willing to sit on the floor and play with girl toys."

Diamond Head

So, remember my first Hawaii post? I showed you a picture of Diamond Head and said you'd see it from a different angle later? Here's your different angle! Any book, website, or person you talk to about Oahu has the Diamond Head hike on the "Must do/Must see" list. It's a very VERY tiring hike, but it's very much worth the sweat(and in my case, blood). Not only do you get a view of the "Diamond Head Crater", but you get a panoramic view of the valley behind you and Waikiki.

On the hike up!
The inside of the crater.

Waikiki. I can't point it out on this picture now, but when we were up there, we could find our hotel.

The houses :)

Did I ever mention how one of my favorite things about Hawaii was the clouds? The earth their is so wet that there are CONSTANT big, fluffy, beautiful clouds(P.S. I love clouds).

My newest obsession.

Antarctica.

While online one of the many times I shouldn't be while at work, I ran into a slide show of an Antarctica cruise. It was breathtaking. The beauty of the icebergs. The vast untouched wilderness. The opportunity to be feet away from a society of penguins! I guess you could say it's #1 on my bucket list. I say bucket list because IT IS EXPENSIVE! The cheapest cruise we found(which is really the only way you can go if you want to spend a lot of time on the continent) was over 4k a person!

But, oh, it would be so worth it.

Pearl Harbor

Of course, while in Hawaii, visiting Pearl Harbor was a must. We woke up bright and early(which was easy seeing as they're 6 hours behind us) and took the bus over to the memorial site. Even with as early as we arrived, the place was swarming with people. We received our timed ticket and walked around looking at all of the displays while we waited our turn.

The anchor from the USS Arizona

First, we did the Arizona memorial. It was very surreal to be able to see the sunken ship beneath us. Everyone was quiet and respectful and some people even brought flowers and lei's to toss into the water for the bodies that were still trapped beneath us.

The wall that contained all of the names of the people who were lost during the attack.


The Arizona Memorial

The second tour that we took was of the Battleship Missouri. Our guide was a man who actually served on the ship years ago, so it ended up being a great tour. He was super enthusiastic and had lots of fun stories. Definitely a must see in Hawaii. Bryan and I enjoyed this trip very much.

The huge guns

Bryan standing in front of the Mighty Mo.

The Dole Plantation

On our first full day in Oahu we took a bus to the Dole Plantation. This was a part of the trip I was really excited about. It didn't really live up to expectations. It was a tourist trap. I mean, it might be good if you have kids. There's a maze and a train you can take around the plantation, but it just didn't do it for us.

The first exhibit we went into was the worlds largest maze. It sounds cool, but after 5-10 minutes you're ready to leave. To keep my sanity, I spent my time taking pictures of hibiscus flowers. Good ole Bry chugged along, though, and completed the maze. Then we went into the garden tour... that was literally a garden. You walked into a small patch of adorable baby pineapples, then you walk into a hibiscus garden, some other kinds of trees, and then you realize its retarded and walk out. One thing made it all worth it though, Dole Whip. Delicious mouthwatering pineapple flavored ice cream with pineapple chunks! Mmm! We had a pineapple float with fresh pineapple juice... and actually went back for seconds later on in the trip. So, moral of the story, go to Dole Plantation for the ice cream(you won't regret it).

A pink pineapple!

Amen, Mr. Dole, amen.

My silly husband...

The worlds largest maze

Bryan so diligently trying to read the tiny map of the maze

Me on the "guided tour"

Cute little baby pineapple

One of the many flowers I captured

The coup de grace - a pineapple float!

Hawaii

I think it goes without saying that Hawaii was amazing. We both agree that it was the most memorable time of our lives and we wish we could move there to relive it over and over again. I've decided to break our trip down by event to share with you!

When we first arrived in Hawaii, we were on the island of Oahu and were taken completely by surprise. The Waikiki area is nothing like what you expect when you think of a Hawaiian vacation. We checked into our hotel(which was a little on the shady side, but we knew would be seeing as we decided to put most of our hotels on a budget in order to do more on the islands) and found out that we were on the top floor! Sounds cool, right? Not when you ride a rickety glass elevator all the way to the 40th floor... The room was mediocre, but the view was to die for! It had a 10 foot panoramic view of Ala Moana beach.

We enjoyed the hotel until the night that our neighbors intoxicated girlfriend was on the ledge of our window crying telling him that she was going to jump... I slept right through it, but Bryan was terrorized by it. He wouldn't talk about much else until we checked out(earlier than planned).

The view from our first hotel

So, our first night on the island, we were planning on relaxing. We put our bathing suits on under some clothes and decided to take a stroll. We stopped at a mall to get some face wash and found Ala Moana Beach Park. We ventured in to enjoy some sun, sand, and amazing views!

Bryan watching the surfers









Diamond head(which you will see from another angle in a different post)

The happy couple watching the sunset.

Theatre, not to be confused with theater

A few years ago, Bryan and I made a weekend trip to New York and caught a show of the Lion King on Broadway while we were there. I was very skeptical at first seeing as the Lion King was my #1 favorite movie growing up. I watched it once a day for at least a year and a half... it was a bit ridiculous and my family still won't let me hear the end of it, but its a good movie. Can you blame me? Back on topic - I absolutely loved it. I felt like a starry-eyed child the whole time. Since then, I've seen three other Broadway shows. I love the theatre!

On our most recent trip to NYC, Alicia and I made plans to attend a show. We planned to see Phantom of the Opera, but we were unable to get the tickets ahead of time so plans changed. For most of the day it looked doubtful that we would be attending a play at all. We tried going into each theatre to purchase tickets, purchasing them online with Alicia's phone, and lastly we decided to check these TKTS booths that both of us have heard about. The line was long so we were hesitant at first, but it was well worth the wait! We were able to get excellent seats and 50% off the regular price! To anyone going to New York with plans to see a play - I would highly recommend using them! Although, it will be a little bit riskier if you have a particular play in mind - especially if its a very popular one.

We decided while at the booth to see Mary Poppins instead. I will tell you, it was not supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It was cute - Don't get me wrong, but as a big fan of Mary Poppins, I was very disappointed. While we were very young, we only owned a handful of movies: Back to the Future, Crocodile Dundee, Alice in Wonderland, Sweating to the Oldies, and Mary Poppins(An interrupted recording from the Disney Channel), so understandably that movie was a regular during the early years of my childhood. There were many scenes cut out of the theatrical version such as the carousel race, the barn scene/penguin dance, laughing on the ceiling, the boat on top of the house, weird things were added like a dancing statue, a scene in a magical candy/conversation shop, an evil nanny(not just Katie Nana) and my favorite part, steppin' time, was merely tap dancing. I'm glad I saw it, I only wish I could show the producer how it should have been done!

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"

Over the weekend, Bryan and I took a trip to New York with Ryan, Alicia, and Jude. I don't yet have access to the pictures from the first day, but I have some from the second! On the second day, we took a ferry from Liberty State Park NJ over to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I feel like a good percentage of people have visited one or both of these historical attractions whether it was with school or family - but I never have. It was very surreal. I would recommend anyone that hasn't been to go and if you went as a child, possibly even go again now that you might be able to appreciate it more.

The view of New York City from Liberty State Park

Our first stop on the ferry was Ellis Island. Due to the ferry schedule, we were unable to get through the entire museum, but we made it through the majority of the exhibits. It was all very interesting. Bryan said he went as a child but didn't remember much from it - completely understandable. It wasn't exactly the type of museum that would easily keep a child's attention.

This exhibit compared the ratio of male and female immigrants over the years. I was amused that the females were orange and the males were green!


The next and final stop on the ferry was the Statue of Liberty. This ended up being my favorite part of the entire trip. It was very surreal to see something close up that you've heard so much about and seen so much your entire life. It was definitely something that made you say, "Why did I wait so long to do this?" Once again, we were at the mercy of the ferry and we had to rush through the museum part of the monument, but walking the 150+ steps to the foot of the statue took the cake. It was an amazing trip and I plan to go back - most definitely.

2010 is going to be a great year...

Marsha's first vacation/long car ride!

We've had Marsha for about a year and a half, so she was due for her first family vacation/road trip. The weekend after Thanksgiving, Bryan, Marsha, and I went down to visit some of his family down in North Carolina. Marsha made the trip down seem twice as long because she didn't know where she wanted to stand - because she didn't want to sit or lay AT ALL. Her favorite position seemed to be standing on Bryan's lap looking out the windshield which didn't always prove to be the safest.














Up until then, Marsha had only been in the car to go to the park, vet, or some other fairly short ride. As with most dogs, her favorite part of the ride is sticking her head out of the window and sucking in all of the different smells with her powerful hound nose. Unfortunately, going over 70MPH on 95 doesn't exactly make this the most comfortable thing, so she had to settle for doing it only on the small side roads.














The ride home was much better. While in North Carolina, I made Marsha a soft dog bed out of fleece material. So that, mixed with the memory of how long the last car ride was, convinced Marsha that laying down was probably the better alternative for our returning trip. Plus, she was completely exhausted! All in all - a very successful first trip for our little girl(and some much needed alone time before bringing in a #2).