We Are Home! Disney World 2010 Part 1

I know some of you are probably wondering what the heck is taking me so long to get my blog updated! Honestly this week is crazy with workshops, scouts, primary activity, company party, relief society summer social, another workshop, pack meeting, reception, high priest social and I was asked on Sunday to do a booth at the American West Heritage Center's first annual scarpbook expo and all night crop.  So we added a trip so South Jordon to pick up supplies for the booth and I am frantically getting ready for that.  Could we have crammed one more thing into the last week of summer?

Ok enough complaining. I know we all have the same 24 hours in a day and everyone is busy. So I will get to the real purpose of this post: DISNEY WORLD!!! It was awesome, fabulous, VERY HOT AND HUMID, exhausting and did I mention AWESOME!!!

I don't have as many pictures as I thought because I was often a part of the action but I do have over 350 photos and that is after I deleted over 150! Do you want me to share them all? j/k I will only share some of my favorites.

Day 1- Flight Day
   We were up at 5:00 am to begin our great adventure.  We had packed and loaded the car the night before so all we had to do was get up, get dressed and leave.  By 6:00 am we were pulling out of the driveway. We dropped off our car at the Park and Ride and after a small detour (Jason forgot Allie’s car seat and we had to loop back around the parking lot to get it) we rode the bus to the airport.  We slipped through security quickly thanks to the stroller.  We were able to go through the special assistance line which was much shorter and faster.  We found ourselves at the gate a little after 8:00 am.  Our flight didn’t leave until 9:58 am.  We hadn’t planned on being to our gate that early but we slipped through check in and security faster then expected.  Brock told us we could have slept until 6:00 and still made it.  Better safe than sorry! Right?  While we were waiting for our flight we picked up Cinnabons (Brock & Mikele), yogurt (Kassie and Allie) Egg McMuffin (Jason) and a smoothie (Nicole) for breakfast.
   Mat and Jenny’s family were on the same flight as us so they arrived which got the kids really excited.  Unfortunately we weren’t sitting anywhere near each other on the plane.  The flight to Florida was a direct flight and went smoothly.
   Once we arrived in Orlando we picked up our rental car from Thrifty.  It was a white GMC Arcadia.  Then we headed to IHop for dinner.  We all enjoyed a fabulous breakfast.  Mikele and Brock ordered hot chocolate with their meals despite the humid hot temperatures outside.
   Brock found our first wild life.  He found a lizard on the way in to the restraint.  He found another one at our house and actually caught it by the tale.  Of course he the lizard ended up leaving his tale behind and scurried away.
   We stayed in a house with Kristina’s family (Adam, Krissy, Austin, Parker and Kai).  The house had an open floor plan with a big kitchen and family room, dinning room, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.  There was also a private swimming pool out side our patio door. The garage was a game room with a pool table and fosse ball table.  Krissy and Adam took the master sweet (they arrived the day before).  Jason and I had the other bedroom on the main floor that also connected to a bathroom with a second bathroom door from the hall way.  Upstairs Brock and Kassie slept in one bedroom and Allie and Mikele slept in the other.  Austin took the last bedroom and Kai and Parker slept in Krissy’s room.
   Once we arrived at the house we got settled and then headed to the grocery store to pick up things for breakfast, lunches and snacks.  Then we came back to the house and went swimming for about an hour before heading off to bed.

Photography Class- Finished

Yesterday was the last day of my photography class. It has been so much fun to really start maximizing my camera's capabilities.  I have been shooting a 100% in manual since the first class.  It has been so much fun! (Can you tell my models are having a great time)

I love the emotion of this picture. We were at the spray park and Kassie had fallen down.

Mikele is so fun to photograph because she is so animated. She is great as long as you are not looking for just a classic smile.

Well she is just too sweet!

I love this photo but don't love how grown up Brock looks. My sister and I picked up a copy of Adobe Lightroom and I have enjoyed playing with the presents and applying different effects to the photos.

These last two photos are taken from Old Main hill up on campus looking over the valley.  I do live in such a beautiful place! Thanks for letting me share my photos. I would love to practice on someone so if you are interested let me know.  My kids are getting a little tired of all the photo shoots.

24th of July Fun!

I have a ton of pictures to post from our 24th of July celebration.  We had a great fun filled day.

First we went to the parade in Logan. . .

then we headed over to the park for the candy cannon and free kid's activities.

Next we headed home for lunch and Allie's nap. (I don't have pictures of that)  After she woke up we went to the new splash pad in Providence.  It was probably the highlight of the day.

Finally we ended the day with a wiener roast in the back yard and some sparklers and fireworks in the front. 

I am tired! How about you?

Allie's Photo Shoot

  Well I am 3/4 of the way done with my photo class and it has been so AWESOME!!! (I hope that word never goes out of style)  I decided it was time to go put into practice some of the things I have been learning about and Allie was my victim.

I took all of these pictures in my front yard and had a great time.  The hardest part was coming up with cute poses especially because Allie isn't walking.  She will walk along things but if you try to have her hold onto your fingers and help her walk she just sits down on her cute little bum. As a result all of the poses are of her sitting.

I have always had a thing for feet pictures. Baby feet are the cutest!!

Cousin Fun!

My brother was out of town last week so on Thursday night and Friday Jenny (his wife) and his 5 kids came to Logan for a visit.  The kids had so much fun playing together! The kids played all morning then we packed up a lunch and headed up to the school for a picnic. After lunch and some more horsing around on the school playground we came back to our house and played in the water in the back yard.  I was terrible at taking pictures but I did capture a few from the water slide.

 Apparently Kassie and Carson were a little thirsty.

Jenny and I had just as much fun as the kids.  We got up and went running in the morning (Jenny nearly killed me) then we chatted the whole day away.  Can you think of a more perfect way to spend a hot summer day in July?

Tuesday Night

At our house Tuesday night is more commonly known as the crazy night!  Brock has scouts then Jason has scouts and then I have young women's.  So who exactly do I spend my evening with?  Well these fine, amazing, hilariously funny young ladies!!!

These pictures are from one of our activities this last month. We walked the river walk trail and then had ice cream cones from arctic circle.

At this activity we rolled watermelons down a hill until they busted open. Then we ate the watermelon. Why you ask? I have no idea but it was humorous.

Photography Class

A few months ago I signed up for a photography class from a local photographer. I have been anxiously waiting for the class to begin and YEAH!!! It is finally here.  Here are a few shots from the literally 100's I have taken since the first class.  It is so exciting to learn everything I didn't know I didn't know about my camera and feel like I am beginning to use it to its fullest potential.  Hopefully we will begin to see a drastic improvement in the quality of my photos.

Trek

Last weekend we went on a trek with our church congregation.  Overall it was a great experience.  The kids especially Kassie did far better then I expected, the weather was rather nice the first day and hot the second but could have been worse and the company was fantastic.  A trek if you are wondering is a reenactment of the pioneers who came across our great country pulling all of their belonging in handcarts and eventually settled in the Salt Lake Valley.  Our trek was not quite so difficult.  It was a two day event and the only things we carried in our handcart was water and our personal items that all fit in buckets.

Oh they look so clean!

Allie rather enjoyed the whole experience in her comfy chariot.

Brock and Papa (my Dad) did a lot of exploring.  Brock was ready to go another day or at least go hiking again. He loved it!

Pull kids Pull!

I can't imagine what our pioneers think of us reenacting their adventure.  I have a sneaking suspicion that they think we are just CRAZY!

Jason promised Kassie a BIG glass of milk when we got home.  Trust me as soon as we got home and walked in the door I was getting Kassie her milk and she wanted a "Big Glass!" Doesn't she just look content!

4th of July Parade (on the 5th)

On the 5th of July, the kids and I went to the Hyrum 4th of July parade.  Check out the kids' cute festive outfits.  Don't they look so patriotic.  I should have got a group photo with them standing up but I didn't.  We went with the Bair family and ran into the Morgan family.  It was a 32nd ward reunion.  The kids had a great time!

Brock's favorite part of the parade was the Mountain Crest marching band.  They played right in front of the kids!

The Millville royalty.  The girl in the purple is my friend Shannon. You may remember her from the finger nail painting post a few weeks ago.

Allie also enjoyed the parade.  I had to post this picture because her facial expression just cracks me up! She was also in coordinating patriotic cloths.

Mikele and Kassie loved all the CANDY!!!! They came home with quite the loot of treats.  Don't worry I helped them eat it.  The only thing that would have made the day perfect is if Jason could have been there. He had to work. :(