Magic Kingdom

By far, the highlight of our trip to Orlando was our day at Magic Kingdom. Though we did not make it to half the park, it was amazing. . .all because of the princesses and Madeline. Unfortunately, I have misplaced the CD with the pics of Maddie and the princesses, so the pics will come later, after I beg Grandma to send me another CD with the pictures from her camera.

We had no idea what to expect when we lined up to see the princesses. Of course, we were one of the first groups in line to get into Toontown to get to the tent where the princesses were. As soon as the gate was opened, we high tailed it to the tent while Grandma made an essential stop to purchase a pen for Madeline's autograph book. Thank goodness for Grandma (Matt had taken Ry to ride the Buzz Lightyear ride while we met the princesses. . .go figure that Ry would rather shoot at things than meet princesses). Anyway, after waiting about 15 minutes, we were ushered into a room with three other families. Immediately, Belle came up to Madeline and brought her into her special area. Madeline was mesmerized. She thought Belle was real, the REAL BELLE. Madeline could barely speak. I have never seen her so nervous. She was biting her lip and pulling at her skirt. It was precious. After a special moment together, and signing Maddie's autograph book, Madeline was ushered off to meet Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty, aka Briar Rose). Again Madeline was in awe, taking in every nervous moment. Lastly, she met Cinderella. As we walked out of our meeting, Madeline was walking on clouds. She was ecstatic that she had just met the REAL princesses. It was precious. I was so grateful to experience this magical moment with her. Ry of course had an AWESOME time shooting things on the Buzz Lightyear ride and rode it as many times as Daddy was willing to take him.

After our meeting with the princesses, we toured Mickey's and Minnie's homes and then headed to a storytime with Belle, which was awesome. And guess who we met before storytime??? Anastasia, Drizella, and the mean Step-Mother. They were in true form to their characters and Madeline was a bit frightened to approach them, but she did.

After lunch, we decided to hit Ariel's Grotto. Mommy waited in line for an hour. Thankfully there was a play area for Madeline as we waited and Ryan slept in the stroller with Grandma and Daddy.

We were at Magic Kingdom from open to close. At 8pm we watched an awesome lights parade and at 9pm we saw amazing fireworks over Cinderella's castle. Right before the fireworks began, Tinkerbell flew out of the top of the castle. It was amazing, as the Castle is like a 20 or 30 story building. Matt, Grandma, and I were in awe of the fireworks show. It was truly the best show we have seen, and we have been to the DC 4th of July fireworks shows many years. Though the kids were exhausted and our feet ached, it the fireworks worth the wait.

One thing we learned the hard way at Magic Kingdom. . .you must arrive at all events, especially parades, at least 1 hour in advance to secure a good viewing spot.

Madeline tries out Minnie Mouse's reading chair in her sun room.

Madeline meets Ariel. Though she is still shy, Madeline has more confidence when she meets Ariel. She walks up to Ariel and says, "I see you in movies". Ariel then asks Madeline what her favorite part of the movie is. Madeline says, "Seeing you". Ariel then tells Madeline how sweet she is. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, it was so precious. I almost could not contain myself as I watched the transaction.

Mommy and Maddie pose with Buzz.

RyRy and his new favorite hero. . .Buzz Lightyear.

Madeline and Belle. Madeline's favorite part of our time in Orlando was meeting characters.

Madeline gets Belle's autograph.

Mommy and her princess Belle.

Maddie and Grandma. Beautiful hair bow, Grandma!

Madeline with Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters.

Can you tell from her stance that she's a little frightened?

The Ry guy waiting in line for the Buzz Lightyear ride. I think he and Daddy rode it at least 5 times.

Madeline and Ryan enjoying hula-hooping (or hoop da hooping, as Maddie calls it), while Mommy, Daddy and Grandma enjoyed a low key dinner.
The fireworks display over Cinderella's Castle.
As you can imagine, minutes after the fireworks ended, the kids were fast asleep. I love my sleeping babies.

City of Oaks Marthon 2008

Wow. As I sit down to write this, my eyes are watering. I cannot believe it's over and that I did it. I am so grateful to the Lord for the strength to persevere and endure.

The first marathon I did was in 2001, the Marine Corps Marathon. Seven years and two pregnancies later, I completed my second marathon. After running the Marine Corps, I remember telling myself that I would NEVER do it again, as it was so painful, but. . .

Yesterday morning, Anna picked me up at 5:45 and we headed to Centennial Campus at NC State. As we drove, we were like teenage girls, bubbling with excitement and anticipation. For 18 weeks we have been faithfully training, looking forward to this day.

At 7am the bullhorn sounded and we were off. The first 9 miles were incredible. You can't help but feed off the excitement of all the other runners. As we headed into Umstead Park, at mile 15, it was beautiful. The trees' colors were gorgeous and they stood so tall. And the gravel felt so good beneath my feet. This love for Umstead's beauty quickly waned, as I realized we were climbing hill after hill. When we finally came out at mile 18, I was so relieved and thought for sure that there would be no more hills. I was wrong. The hills did not end until mile 22. Thankfully, Matt, the kids, and my wonderful friend, and neighbor, Roxann were waiting for me at mile 20. It was so uplifting to see them. It gave me the strength to go on. Matt even ran next to me for a minute. All I could say was, "please pray for me, I'm dying". Tears were glistening in my eyes. From mile 21 to 26, I was really angry--my thoughts were, "why did you sign up for this stupid race, no human body is meant to run this long, you will never ever do this again, don't even think about it". The only thing that kept me running was that I knew I would get to the finish line faster if I ran instead of walked. My legs were in such pain that I was not sure if I was running. I kept looking down at my feet to make sure there were moving. When I hit mile 23 I decided that I was going to walk, but I was scared that if I walked I would never start running again, so I told myself that I would go 1 more mile and then walk. When I hit mile 24, I realized that this distance to the finish line was the same as the distance from my house to Harris Teeter and back. So I started to visualize my walk to Harris Teeter. I knew that I still had enough left to run to Harris Teeter and back. My mind was going at this point, so I was envisioning myself walking with the kids to HT, stopping to look at the geese and fountains. I even imagined myself chugging a Dr. Pepper at mile 25, the equivalent of walking to HT. Hitting mile 25 was incredible. I knew there was only 1 mile left. As I neared the finish line, I saw Matt and the kids. . .it was the last little push I needed. Crossing that finish line was amazing. Granted, I could not really walk, but it still felt amazing. Thank you Jesus for the strength to run this race. God gives us strength to do all things.

Though crossing the finish line was incredible, my most emotional and memorable moment, was watching Anna cross the finish line. I'm tearing up as I write this. She has been my dear running partner, and friend, for over a year now and it was incredible to watch her finish the race. I am so grateful that the Lord let us do this together.

I must confess that though I was dead, my first stop was not home. . .it was Cold Stone Creamery. Never, has a Cold Stone Creation tasted so good. Though it is difficult to walk stairs today and I did not sleep well last night, I feel great.

I'm looking forward to the next adventure. . .suggestions, anyone?

This is about 30 minutes after crossing the finish line. Though I'm smiling, my body is in pain.

Madeline and Ryan pass the time by running around some trees. Can you tell that Daddy dressed them today. . .Mommy would have drawn the line at the black tights with the blue skirt, and there's no way those tennis shoes would have made the "out the door" cut. :) Really, though, I don't care. She beautiful whether or not she matches.

Animal Kingdom

The first Disney park we entered in Orlando was Animal Kingdom. Though we were there "off-season" (does Disney ever really have an off season), the park was packed before it even opened. Once the gates opened people with strollers starting running for their favorite rides. Though somewhat exciting, it was also stressful. I went in one direction to get fast passes for a ride, while Matt, his mom, and the kids went in the opposite direction to hit the safari ride.

Our favorite ride in Animal Kingdom was the safari ride. It's the closest we will come to a safari in our lifetime. We got to see lots of great animals and experience a bumpy, jolting, and exciting ride. And our favorite shows were the Lion King and Nemo. They were both amazing and so well done. Even the kids were captivated. It was a wonderful experience.


We had to get this picture of Grandma. Thank you for the wonderful pose. Grandma dressed for comfort. We joked with the kids that if they got lost, just look for Grandma. Not only are those orange socks, they are Halloween socks. They definitely compliment the rose top! Thanks for having so much fun with us Grandma!
These are the 3-D glasses we wore into the Bug's Life show/ride. It was AWESOME. . .at least Matt, him mom, and I thought so. It definitely scared Maddie and Ry. I was sitting next to Ry and he kept taking his glasses off. He could not figure out how the bugs were flying so close to him when the glasses were on, but went away when he took the glasses off. I must confess that part of the highlight of this ride was seeing Maddie and Ry in these glasses. So cute and funny!


Here we are on a typical lunch break. Let's just say that we ate A WHOLE LOT of peanut butter and jelly during our week in Disney. Since we enjoyed eating dinners out, we economized for lunch.

RyRy watches the parade from Daddy's shoulders.

Madeline helps Daddy overcome his fear of the Dinosaur ride.

Ryan no longer naps, but he did the week we were at Disney. Our days started early and ended late, and our sweet two year old needed rest. While I sat on a bench relaxing with Ryan, Madeline, Grandma and Daddy went on a dinosaur roller coaster. Unfortunately, Daddy did not realize that the roller coaster was mostly in the dark and scary. Poor Madeline was not happy when the ride was over, and Daddy felt so bad.

Though it seems so silly to stand in line to get a picture with a character, the kids LOVED it. It is so sweet to watch them with each of these characters, as Madeline and Ryan think they are as real as Mommy and Daddy.

Goofy was our favorite character. He was so silly with us and made us all laugh, especially Ry.

Look at beautiful Minnie with two beautiful Wells'.

RyRy did great in line. His favorite activity was climbing whatever was adjacent to the line.

Madeline and Ryan love sleeping together, whether it's at home or traveling. Matt and I love to watch them enjoy one another.
Yes, Ryan has developed a bit of an obsession with superheroes. Should I be embarrassed to admit that he sleeps with this batman mask. In fact, on night as we slept together, he woke me up because he could not find his mask. I ended up having to get out of bed, turn on the light and search through the covers. But he sure is a cute batman.

Happy Birthday Ry!

My sweet boy, you turned three on Monday. What joy you have brought to Mommy's and Daddy's lives.

This year we have lived out the terrible and wonderful two's. You have exerted your independence and pushed every barrier. Though it has been difficult, at times, to establish boundaries and to exert greater authority over you, it has been a joy. You never stop making Mommy and Daddy laugh with your silly faces, your cute dances, and your re-enactment of super heroes fighting the bad guys. Your imagination has really grown this year. One of our greatest joys has been watching you and Madeline grow in friendship. You love to play together and to make each other laugh. Some of your favorite games are "doggy" where Madeline is the mommy and you are the doggy, and superheroes, where you both fight the bad guys and Maddie is the princess. Yesterday we went for your 3yr. visit at the doctor's office and you and Maddie both got flu shots. Before she got the shot, Madeline was crying because she was scared. You looked at her and said, "It's 'kay Mawdelynn, don be scaded, you hold my hand". You then grabbed her hand. And the two of you have been sleeping together in your room every night. You sleep on the top bunk and she sleeps below. Mommy and Daddy love hearing you guys play and talk before you fall asleep.

You have also developed a real love for your friends this year. You truly LOVE your friends. You are always excited to spend time with Chase, Lance, Jackson, and Ty.

This has also been the year of the mohawk. Mommy and Daddy have had lots of fun spiking it. And recently you have loved dressing up in costumes and playing with your sister and friends. For your birthday, we got you an Optimus Prime costume. You have been wearing almost every waking moment since you received it. You also love to wear your batman mask and your spiderman costume. It is so fun to see your passions.

Sweet boy, we love you so much. God has great things for your life. You are so sweet and tender, and so energetic and boyish. You are God's unique and special creation.

Fun in Sea World and M&M Land

Our wonderful trip to Orlando began with SeaWorld. Maddie and Ry had no idea who, or really what, Shamu was, but they were excited to meet him!

Maddie and Ry pose for a post-Shamu show picture. Grandma and Mommy got to the stadium well in advance of show time to secure seats in the splash zone! And it was well worth the effort. Though we never got splashed, we got to see Shamu and the trainers up close. Our favorite part of the show was watching Maddie's and Ry's faces. They were mesmerized by the whales. There is something so exciting about having the privilege of watching your children experience something for the first time.
That night, right before the park closed, we went to see the night Shamu show. It was AWESOME!

Though the most exciting part of our trip was meeting the princesses, our favorite activity was trick-or-treating at Sea World. As one can imagine, the kids LOVED it. . .and so did Mommy and Daddy and Grandma. The M&M's were the biggest hit and the mini-bananas were quickly passed over. And since we stayed at Sea World all day, you better believe that we trick-or-treated more than once! :) We got enough candy to fill beyond capacity, a one gallon ziplock bag.
As we trick-or-treated, we met many interesting characters. Ryan was quite leary of these costumed "things", but Madeline had to have her picture taken with each one. My bold sweetheart.

Madeline LOVED all the "girls" dressed up as beautiful princesses.

After a while, Ryan warmed up to the costumed creatures, but he had conditions. He only wanted pictures with "guys". Ry, I'm not sure if these things are guys. . .
As you can imagine, everywhere we went people commented on Ry's mohawk. These creatures were especially intrigued by Ry's hair.

I remember thinking this was an owl when we stopped to check it out, but I was quickly corrected. And two weeks later, this 32 year old brain cannot remember what this thing was.

Grandma treated us to some fish while we were at Sea World. Or should I say, she treated the stingrays to some fish??? There was a large pool filled with stingrays. You could pet them and/or feed them. It was awesome to watch the kids feed them. The string rays managed to pull part of their bodies out of the water and open this strange looking mouth thing, and suck the raw fish out of the kids' hands. It both freaked the kids out and elicited giggles of delight. And yes, it STUNK!!! Thankfully, they had sinks nearby.
When we returned to Sea World on Friday, we fed some seals. While it was fun, we had to beware of the birds that would come swooping down and steal the fish out of hands!

My handsome boy.

Madeline and Ryan are just like their Daddy. They LOVE rides. Their favorite was the Shamu roller coaster, which they road again and again and again and. . .
On Friday, Daddy and Ry were off doing something and I was with Madeline. My back was in severe pain so I could not accompany her on the roller coaster. She was tall enough to go by herself. I asked her if she wanted to go and she said yes. This may seem silly, but it tore my heart up to watch her get into the line all by herself, make her way onto the ride and ride by herself. I was actually on the verge of tears. Part of me was so excited for her independence, and part of me was so concerned that she might be scared. Wow, I had no idea how difficult it is to let go. I'm sure we will have many more of these experiences in the near future. Anyway, Madeline had a great time and though she was a little frightened, she said she had a great time.

Madeline poses for a sweet picture with Grandma before the Shamu show. Madeline and Ry LOVE their Grandma. No one gets them laughing like Grandma.

What can I say about m&m world. It was YUMMY! Both kids got to pick out their two favorite colors of m&m's and place them in a bag. Mommy, of course, worked the lever that poured the m&m's into the bag. Mommy, Daddy and Grandma loved the dark chocolate m&m's. They are so healthy!!! :)

The fam on a sugar high.

Our super hero enjoying sometime with Grandma before bed. He loves wearing his Spiderman costume with his Batman mask. In fact, he loves his Batman mask so much that he sleeps with it. I shared a bed with him at the hotel and he woke up one night and would not go back to bed until I found the mask.

The trip, of course, was wonderful. Aside from the parks and quality time with the family, my favorite part was the daily breakfast!!! Each morning we ate made to order omelets (of course, I had spinach and mushrooms and drowned it in salsa), cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, fruit, pastries, muffins, toast, sausage, bacon. . . It was awesome to pick your favorite breakfast meal and not have to make it or clean up after yourself!!!