Magical Disney World Trip

So sorry it took a while to post these but I had so many to go through. Where do I begin??? I put together 5 slide shows of each of our different adventures and tried to pick out some of the better photos from each. In all, I think I took about 300 or 400 pictures! The weather was perfect and October is definately a great time to visit Disney World as the crowds are soooo much smaller than most times of the year. Our trip to Disney World was truly magical. I will try my best to put into words how much fun we had. Here are some slide shows and summaries in chronological order:

Day 1 - Travel and Resort hopping

After a 7 hour drive down to Orlando, we met Miche and we started our resort hopping at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have always heard how great the lodge is and that the animals literally walk right by your hotel window. Well, when I checked on staying there it was like $499 a night and lets just say that is way out of my budget. So, we decided to check it out and as you can see from the pictures it was pretty cool. Then we went over to Saratoga Springs which was beautiful. We walked around the resort and found a really neat playground which Landon loved. Then we went back to our hotel and Landon has some fun in the arcade room. Then it was off to bed so we could get plenty of rest for the next day's journey to the Magic Kingdom.

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

We got to the Magic Kingdom bright and early and were just in time to be welcomed by none other than Mickey Mouse himself as they opened the park. Then we hopped on a train and rode over to Frontierland. Our first ride was the Thunder Mountain Train Roller Coaster. Landon easily passed the height requirement but decided he didn't want to ride when we got inside. So Miche and I did the "baby swap" and each took a ride on Thunder Mountain. Landon loved watching us! Then we watched the folks riding Splash Mountain but decided against getting wet so early in the day. So, we headed over to the Haunted Mansion and we made it all the way to the door (there were absolutely NO lines that morning) and when Landon heard the spooky voice coming from inside, we high-tailed it out of there real quick. So, off to Fantasyland we went and hopped on "It's a Small World" and Landon did enjoy the boat ride through the diffreent cultures. Then we rode Peter Pan's Adventure and then on to the Mad Hatter's Teacups which Landon really enjoyed. Miche and I couldn't believe we were actually dizzy while riding the teacups. Boy how things change, huh? We spotted Tigger and Pooh there also so we hurried over and got autographs and pictures with both. It took Landon a while to warm up to the character greetings (as you can see form some of the photos) But by the second day he was loving it and taking his autograph book up to the characters all by himself. So, after greeting Tigger and Pooh, we headed to Mickey's Toontown Fair which is a part of the Magic Kingdom I haven't had much interest in... until now! Mickey's Toontown Fair is where Mickey and Minne live and so we went to Mickey's house and were lucky enough to get a private autograph session with both Mickey and Minne after waiting a whole 5 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I also was a bit surprised that Minnie was over at Mickey's house... hmmmm!!! So, then it was off to Tomorrowland where we met Buzz Lightyear and Stitch (from Disney's Lilo and Stitch). Ok, I must mention something about all of the character sightings and autographs. My friend Miche has what I like to call "Character Charisma" because she is an absolute character magnet! I've never seen anything like it. They were all about Miche! Every one of the characters fancied Miche and some even got a bit touchy feely! Anyway, we then rode the Tomorrowland Speedway Cars which were naturally Landon's absolute favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom. We rode it 3 separate times. And we did the Tomorrowland tour on the expressway. And our last stop for the day was Adventureland where we rode the Jungle Boat and one of my favorites, the Pirates of the Carribean. Then we went home to get ready for the evenings Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Pary at the Magic Kingdom.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is an event that is held at the Magic Kingdom after the park closes for the day. Of course, you have to purchase additional tickets but they are so worth it! Throughout the park the kids (and adults) can go trick-or-treating and all of the rides are still open so there were absolutely no lines at all. Landon was dressed as the cutest little pirate and Miche and I purchased a couple of shirts from the Pirates of The Carribean shop for the evening so we would match our little pirate. We got to see Mickey again and got a great picture with him in his really cool Halloween costume. We met several other characters as well, such as Captain Hook, Mr. Smee and Baloo from Jungle Book. Then at 9:30 we caught the "HallowSpooks" fireworks and light show at Cinderella's castle. It was spectacular. They dim the lights throughout the entire park for the show and it was real spooky. Landon wasn't too thrilled with the show but Miche and I loved it. We went home completely exhausted and with bags of good candy!

Day 3 - Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios

The Animal Kingdom has always been one of my favorite parks. I love seeing all of the animals and it has the Festival of the Lion King which was our first stop. We had front row seats and the show was awesome! Landon didn't really like how loud it was and he wasn't too sure about some of the characters but after it was over he said he liked it. When we left the show we saw a bunch of characters, including Puto, which is Landon's absolute favorite. We were lucky enough to see him twice and Landon hugged him both times. Pluto was the only character Landon would approach all by himself and definately the only one who got 2 hugs! Then we took a ride on the Safari and got to see a lot of animals up close and personal. Then we headed to Dinoland and Landon played in the Boneyard for a while before we decided to head over to Hollywood Studios.

Hollywood Studios was also a hit! That is where we found Landon's favorite show, Playhouse Disney which included Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins and Tigger and Pooh. He absolutely loved it and we were in the front row for it also. And Miche and I took turns riding Tower of Tower and Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster which was awesome. I haven't ever ridden the Rockin' Roller Coaster before!! We also got to ride Toy Story Mania which is a 3D game where you shoot and aim at different things while riding on a rotating carousel. We all liked that one and I must admit, Miche was more accurate than Landon and I.

So, there you have it! I know I left a ton of things out but I know Miche, Landon and I will always remember almost every detail. I can't remember when I have ever had more fun, really! We will most definately be going back every year if my budget allows and we certainly hope Aunt Miche will join us. We will cherish the memories... ALWAYS!

Disney World Sneak Peak....

WOW.... we are finally back and completely exhausted! In fact, I don't have the energy tonight to blog about EVERYTHNG that we did and try my best to explain how much fun we all had. So, I am sorry but you will have to wait until I have some more time to share the many, many photos we took and all of the stories we have to share from our magical Disney trip with Aunt Miche! But for those of you who I know just can't wait to see some photos, here ya go.

Miche, we love you so much and can't wait for next year's trip!

So, here is a little sneak peek of us and some of our new friends.....Stay tuned, there is SOOOOO much more to come!

DONALD DUCK
PLUTO (LANDON'S FAVORITE)

MICKEY MOUSE IN HIS HALLOWEEN COSTUME

My Little Bowling Machine

Ok.... I knew Landon liked to bowl but my goodness!!! I love to bowl so perhaps he has my love of the game. I bowl on a First Responder's League every other Sunday night and Landon is usually with his Dad. But this past Sunday, he was with me so I dragged him to the bowling alley. Man, he couldn't wait to get a ball and throw it down the lane. I was so worried that letting him play would disrupt the league bowlers but everyone loved watching him and cheered him on. It worked out well since two of my team members were unable to make it and our opposing team was a no-show also. So, Landon, Johnny and I bowled three games all by ourselves. I was so exhausted by the time we were done. As soon as I got done bowling I would help Landon (only as much as he would let me) and then it was time for me to bowl again. Needless to say we both passed out when we got home and I am soooo sore today. But I really can't thank eveyone enough for allowing Landon to bowl!! Special thanks to Kelly, Landon's leading cheerleader and new friend, and the always fun Bobby who has been a lifesaver when it comes to helping me out when Landon is around. Landon loved the chicken fingers and fries also. So, to all the league bowlers, thank you for making Landon's bowling night a very special one!

Fish Whisperer

For a "sneak peak" from our photo shoot with Eva this weekend visit her web site at Eva Joiner Photography. She tooks some awesome pictures and I can't wait to see more!

You will also see why the post is titled "Fish Whisperer"!!!

Golf, Eden State Park & Pumpkins

So much to catch up on from the weekend...

Friday I worked a charity golf tournament and went and got Landon a little early from school so he could come to the golf course as well. When he saw the golf carts it was all over! Myself, my friend Sarah and Landon hopped in and went to make our rounds along the golf course. Everytime we stopped to chat Landon wanted to move again, and quickly! He couldn't get enough of riding in the golf cart. Then when the time came for the awards ceremony he got to play a little "roll the golf balls" with Sarah and even got an ice throwing lesson from Mr. Bobby.

Saturday we drove way out to Eden State Park in Walton County to see my friend Eva and take some pictures. It was so nice to see Eva, it has been more than a year since I have seen her and I really miss her! I have been to a couple of weddings at Eden State Park years ago but I have forgotten how absolutely beautiful and peaceful is out there. We had so much fun with Eva. We started at the goldfish pond and Landon was even lucky enough to feed the fish which he absolutely loved! Then we toured the area, the nature trails, the huge magnolia trees, the beach and docks. It was wonderful. We even saw some huge grasshoppers, and I do mean huge. I wasn't able to get Landon to touch them but he did get closer to them than I expected. I'm guessing that is because I held them and he figured if it didn't hurt me it might not hurt him either. Landon really took to Eva and asked where she was our whole ride home. I'm sure she got some great photos as Landon was hamming it up pretty good. We truly enjoyed our afternoon with Eva and I hope we get to do it again soon. THANK YOU EVA!!!!!

We started our Sunday morning with a trip to Navarre Beach to see Landon's Dad at an Art Show. Landon enjoyed walking around at the show and the highlight was getting to pet a big 'ol Bull Mastiff named Rufus weighing in at a whopping 205 pounds. He was a sweetheart but boy was he monstrous. Then we went to Red Lobster for some lunch and then to the pumpkin patch. A local church has a pumpkin patch every year and we usually visit and donate several times.

Halloween Flashlight

Landon's Gi Gi bought him this cool Halloween flashlight last year. It makes all sorts of spooky sounds and Landon loves it. I thought it might scare him but not even a little bit. His favorite is the "witch cackle". Check out these hilarious videos....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cole Brother's Circus

Landon's Dad and I took him and his cousin Ashley to the Cole Brother's Circus at the Santa Rosa Mall. It is apparently the "World's Largest Circus Under the Big Top". I'm not a huge fan myself, but Landon and Ashley loved it. We took Landon last year and he has talked about the circus for a whole year so I knew we would take him again this year. And he had just as much fun, maybe more since Ashley was able to come with us. Some of Landon's favorites included the motorcycles in the ball, the balancing acrobat, and the elephants. The elephants are always one of his favorites. I couldn't get him to ride one though, he wouldn't even go for a pony ride. I must admit, I wanted to take an elephant ride but seeing as I would have been the only adult in line I restrained myself. Maybe next year Landon and I can both ride!!! Anyway, great time for all. Popcorn, snowcones, blow-up sharks and Spongebob...looking forward to next year! Enjoy the pics!

How 'Bout them Noles!!!!

Way to go Noles!!! FSU beat Miami 41-39 but it wasn't a pretty second half. They looked good in the first half and were up 24-3 at the halftime. Then the rain came and it got pretty sloppy. I must admit I was a little bit scared there toward the end but they hung on and I was sooooo happy! I always want the Seminoles to win but there is just something special about beating Miami. Now if we can just beat them Gators!!!!!

Pumpkins & Aunt Miche

On Friday Landon, Gi Gi and I decorated a couple of pumpkins. Well, Landon actually did most of the decorating. It wasn't a traditional carving of a pumpkin. I found these neat little face pieces that you can stick in the pumpkin to make funny characters. Landon loved it!!! And there was no carving and no mess and I'm guessing the pumpkin will last a whole lot longer. And I got 6 different faces for about $6. You can't beat that! We only had two pumpkins but Landon made several different faces and did it over and over again. Then Friday evening we headed over to Landon's Godparent's house to see Tommy, Aunt Miche and her friend Carrie. Miche and her friend drove down from Birmingham for the weekend and they couldn't have picked a better weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect. Landon couldn't wait to see all of them but he did miss Aunt Barbie as she had to go to a high school football game in Gulf Breeze so she wasn't able to join us. The moment he got out of the car he ran to Tommy and gave him a big hug and did the same when he saw Miche. He also really liked her friend Carrie. After all, she gave him Cheez Its! So, we got to sit on the deck and watch an absolutely beautfiul sunset and catch up. Landon and I both really enjoyed it, as we always do when Miche is around. Then Saturday, Landon went to his Daddy's house for the remainder of the weekend. That's right, I had a Saturday night off. So I went back over to see Miche and we watched some good college football. I say it was good because 1.) Florida lost to Ole Miss (ahhh.. I hate that!) 2.) Florida State beat Colorado State despite being the underdog and 3.) I got to watch it with Miche! I love watching college football with someone who loves it as much as I do! So we watched Alabama spank Georgia and couldn't believe it! The food was awesome as usual. Tommy never cooks anything that has ever tasted bad. He is a great cook!

And in a few short weeks Miche will be joining us for vacation (Yes, I'm actually going on a vacation!!!) in Disney World. We can't wait!

Where is 10???

Funny Landon story. We have been working on dialing 911 for a while now and so as a refresher we go over it every once in a while and find the numbers on the phone so Landon would know what do do if Mommy or Daddy got hurt and he needed help from the police and fireman. So, today we were practicing dialing it on the phone (Don't worry, I am also emphasizing when to really dial 911 and when not to) and he was pointing at the numbers on the phone and counting. Well, he got to 9 and looks at me and says, "Where is 10?" Too funny! So, I explained to him that the way to dial 10 would be a 1 and 0 and he figured the rest out rather quickly.

Fall has arrived in Northwest Florida!

Fall is by far my favorite season for so many reasons: college football, cooler weather, Halloween, end of tourist season.....I could go on and on. Fall in Northwest Florida is beautful and the weather is perfect. Most people don't think we have the beautful colors and foliage but I assure you we most certainly do. And it sure felt like fall this morning when Landon and I stepped outside. Landon even put a jacket on because he was sooooo cold. It was a whole 59 degrees!!! As we were getting in the car to leave he noticed that I had a short-sleeve shirt on and he said "Mommy, you must be cold. You can have my jacket if you want." Isn't he just the sweetest little man!!!!

Weekend Review

It was a weekend filled with ups and downs for Landon. We went to Party City Saturday morning and Landon got to pick out his Halloween costume and accessories. As you can see from the pic, he wants to be a pirate this year. So cute!!!! Then we went over to Heather and Parker's house to play for a little while. Then we got ready for some Seminole football and headed over to Missy and Maddie's house. Unfotunately, the Seminoles failed to show up for the game but Landon and Maddie had the most wonderful time running around the house and playing in her room. And he LOVED the "Seminole Cookies" Missy gave him (thanks for sending some home with us!!!) He now has the Seminole Warchant down. How adorable is that picture!!! So, no matter what kind of a season the Noles have, we will contine to cheer them on!

On Sunday Landon went to his Daddy's house and got attacked by fire ants. He got bit about 9 times and his poor little foot was red and swollen. His Dad said he cried for a good twenty minutes. I can only imagine how awful that must have been. Those darn fire ant bites hurt like the dickens! So, we put some anti-itch cream on it and his Dad and I both gave him some TLC but he can't quit scratching them. :-( Poor little guy!

Cool site

I found this really neat site that helps teach little ones letters. Every Mom should check this out...Bembow's Zoo. It allows you to click on a letter of the alphabet and then the words transform into the animal with sound. Landon has really enjoyed it and since he already knew the alphabet it has really helped him identify his letters by sight. Plus it is just so much fun!

Parker Po's 1st Birthday Party!

Arghhhh!
That is one cool pirate ship cake!
Heather and Parker
Wowwwww!

Happy 1st Birthday Parker! Saturday we went to my good friend Heather's son's first birthday party. It is so hard to believe that little Parker is already one year old. And in just a little over two months he is going to be a big brother to a new little brother. Heather is certainly going to have her hands full.

It was a great party for several reasons. One, Maddie was there and according to Landon "Maddie is my best friend!" They love getting together. Second, the theme of the party was The Backyardigans and Pirates, which Landon equally loves. Check out the pirate ship birthday cake. Maddie and Landon were in complete awe. When I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween this year he said a pirate so he got a little taste of piracy at the party and even got to wear an eye patch. Arrghhhh! Lastly, it was a pool party and that is always so much fun. As usual, Landon was the last one to get out of the pool.

Spike the ULTRA DINOSAUR

While at Target this morning Landon found the most amazing toy - Spike The ULTRA DINOSAUR. They had a big display case and when you push the button, which Landon did at least 20 time, Spike comes to life and growls, walks and stands up on his hind legs. He stands up to 27" tall and is remote controlled. Landon loved it! He stood there and growled and stomped his feet with Spike. We must have been there for 20 minutes and Landon giggled and said "oooohhh" and "awwww" and "oh my gosh, did you see that Mommy!" Ok, now the bad part... the darn thing costs $140.00!!! I settled for telling him Santa might bring Spike to our house for Christmas so it looks like I'm out $140.00. But it will be well worth it if it brings that much joy and excitement into my little boy's life. That's how they get us, huh???