Thursday, December 31, 2015

Cookie Returns & Cactus Blooms

Just as the kids expected, Cookie the Elf returned on December 1st.  They were excited to see him again.  Searching for him each morning is one of their favorite things about the holiday season.  He surprised them with Christmas pajamas, hot chocolate mixes and a few sweet treats to go with their drinks.  
Before we left for our Disney trip our Christmas cactus was covered with beautiful buds.  I was so happy that it was going to bloom again, but I was afraid we'd miss it while we were gone.
But it looked like this when we got back home!!!  It was full of these pretty, peachy-pink blooms!
Thankful for the sweet, simple little things in life. :)

Disney: Days 6 & 7 Hollywood Studios & Travel

I'm way behind in finishing my Disney posts (it is actually February when I'm writing this...can't believe it has been two months since the trip!) and I'm ready to move on, so this will be brief!  :)  On Friday we went to Hollywood Studios.  Maybe no one else would admit it, but I think we were all a little bit tired by this point.  (I was definitely ready to go home!)  We spent a few hours at the park then went back to the resort to swim.  Alexee and Crosby finally had a chance to meet Minnie though, and everyone liked the Toy Story 3D ride and lunch at the diner.  
Sorcerer Mickey was cute!

Lunch at the 50's diner 
Toy Story!
Saturday morning we packed up, loaded everything in the rental car then went to Epcot for a few hours because our flight wasn't until late afternoon.  I didn't think to take a Magic Band photo until the last day!
The kids tried Coca-Cola products from around the world.  They decided they liked the U.S. version best.
Our last stop was the Cronut stand at Epcot.
The resort had such pretty landscaping...this is just a few of the pretty plants there.
It was a wonderful week together, and I am so glad we were able to go!  The kids have already started asking when we can go again.  :)
The trip home went fine.  It was a direct flight, but it still seemed to take a long time because we were  so anxious to get home, and we still had a 3 hour drive from the Little Rock airport.  We really wished we were flying into the airport that was 45 minutes from our house!
We couldn't wait to pick Bogart up from my parents!  They met us in a grocery store parking lot that night.  He had a fun stay with them (he slept on this little mat beside their bed), but I think he was really happy to be home too.
We missed him!!!

Disney: Day 5 MK/Very Merry Christmas Party

Thursday morning we had breakfast at the hotel (Kona Cafe) then spent several hours at Magic Kingdom.  That afternoon the kids went swimming then we went back to MK for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  
pictures from day 5:
Chip & Dale were really cute!
More character meetings!
Mine Train
We all liked Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor.
Dole Whip!  
Frozen treats back at the hotel.
Thursday evening we had tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  I think the park closed at 7:00 pm, but with a Christmas Party band you could stay until midnight.  It took a while for it to clear out, but it eventually seemed less crowded.  We were able to meet characters (I think it only took about 20 minutes to meet Elsa and Anna), and Lane and Rhett rode more rides.
This was a favorite ride.
Rhett making faces on the ride camera!  :)
Amazing fireworks--so fun to watch!
So thankful for this time together as a family.  
The parade was fun!
And the lights on the castle were awesome too!
We almost made it until midnight.  The kids were still very merry, but I have to admit I was getting very tired!  When we left the park around 11:30 it was "snowing" on Main Street!  What a fun day!