Plaza Inn with Minnie and Friends

Thursday, February 28, 2013: We ate breakfast in Disneyland at the Plaza Inn with Minnie and Friends! This is a great family picture...but someone is missing! Our Tucker Bear! We didn't even notice until a friend pointed it out when Mom put the picture on Facebook! We think he was at the table recovering from his ride on Space Mountain!

The Mad Hatter was HILARIOUS! He told Evie her Little Mermaid pen was a "fish and she smelled like tuna." When I told them to say "cheese" for the picture he said, "No Cheese! I'm lactose intolerant, it'll give me gas! Tea!!!"

Goofy's Kitchen

We arrived in Orange County, CA; took a shuttle to the Grand Californian, checked in and headed out to dinner at Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland Hotel.

One of my favorite parts of a Disney Vacation are the Character meals! You eat delicious food while Disney characters walk by to sign autographs and take pictures!

It is rare to get 17 people in a photo together! We're so blessed that we all enjoy each other's company enough to vacation together!

Disneyland-Travel Day

 Near the beginning of February, Mom started talking about a business trip in Southern California...and Poppa said, "Let's go to Disneyland!" We are certainly not ones to turn down a super fun vacation with our family so we all said, "Let's GO!" Because of the timing, we were able to surprise Veronika as to when we were going! So, Wednesday, February 27, we went to check her out of school and told her the exciting news!

I told Veronika she should "eat a frog for breakfast" (a Mark Twain quote I believe). She said, "EWWW!" I had to explain it to her, here she is "eating her frog" aka doing her make-up work before we head out.

The Dowler and Tripp cousins waiting for our plane in Little Rock. The Thomas Family flew out the day before to have an extra day.

Waiting to take off!

Daddy and Phoenix were buddies on the airplane rides!

This picture depresses me! Violet is hiding behind my body!

While walking through the Houston Airport we ran into Corey and Willie from "Duck Dynasty"! We were SO excited! They were so sweet and gracious to pose for a picture for us!

My Baby Boy

This morning Phoenix woke up and told me he had to go pee-pee, he got up and came back in underwear (he sleeps in a pull-up then changes in the morning) and new shorts, t-shirt and socks. He curled up next to me in bed and settled in to watch "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." I laid beside him rubbing his curly hair and inhaling his scens and I started thinking about how far my little boy has come. In July 2010, shortly before his 1st Birthday he went in for Hypospadias Repair Surgery. During the pre-op we were told that Phoenix had "Spina Bifida Occulta." I had never heard that phrase, and I just remember telling the dr, " I don't know what you mean? You must have the wrong file! He doesn't have Spina Bifida!" A few weeks before his surgery, P had some x-rays done to prepare for his surgery, and apparently this spinal malformation was found during those. During his surgery I Googled it, but couldn't find much info. In the weeks that followed I read everything I could get my hands on. I was so angry that no one had told us about it, that we were informed in such a nonchalant way! At that point, we didn't know what Phoenix's life would hold...would he be able to walk, run, play ball, potty-train? I had so many unanswered questions and no one really had any answers for me. Aunt Paula's friend is a Physical Therapist at a wonderful place called Kidsource Therapy, so I took him in to be evaluated. I fully expected Phoenix to qualify only for Physical Therapy, I was shocked when they recommended Speech and Developmental Therapy. In October of 2010 he started Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy and Developmental Therapy. He has been through a Hypospadias Repair, a Hypospadias Fistula Repair, a Frenulectomy (clipping a tied tongue), a set of tubes, a Head-Neck-Upper Spine MRI, and numerous doctor visits. He still has no "official" diagnosis, I don't know if we ever will. He still goes to Speech and Physical Therapy and loves Miss Nicole and Mrs. Katie. He was diagnosed with Speech Apraxia this past year and he has made such amazing progress. I would say we understand him 95% of the time, and what we can't understand he acts out for us! As I lay next to him this morning I couldn't help but tear up as I thanked God for his progress and for how far he has brought my baby boy!

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!

*KEEP SCROLLING FOR A POST ON OUR FALL ACTIVITIES!
We have had so much fun decorating our new home for Christmas! And, I have to brag a little...it is December 2 and I am finished decorating, shopping and have only a couple of more gifts to wrap! This leaves the month of December to bake, craft and make lots of memories!

I love that I can put all of my kitchen decor on the tops of my cabinets!

Watching Christmas movies while I got the Christmas trees set-up and ready to decorate!

The Playroom Tree! Lots of bright colors and candy ornaments!

Our main tree! It looks a little different now, I have redone the mesh 3 times now, but I think I have it how I want it now!

I thought Phoenix was old enough to have Christmas presents under the tree...he found the letter with the 'P' on it and tore in! Since then, he has left all the presents alone but there are none of his gifts under the tree.

My first attempt at a mesh wreath. I want to add to it next year, but I'm pretty happy with it for this year!

The picture is a little blurry, but Steve did great on our outdoor lights!

Our Elf Booker returned for the 2nd year! He spends the day watching the kids, makes a trip to the North Pole each evening, and then returns home each night and makes some mischief in the wee hours of the morning! He got into our snacks...

redecorated the tree with the kids' underwear...

cut his hair (because he thought Violet and Phoenix's haircuts were so cute)...

assembled our Gingerbread houses for us to decorate and more!

Friday night we had fun decorating our Gingerbread houses. This is the 1st year that we've done this with Violet and Phoenix and they did really well! It, of course, was a HUGE mess, but so much fun!

I even made my own Gingerbread house! From L-R: Mine, Violet's, Phoenix's and Veronika's. She was with her Mom this weekend so she'll decorate hers when she comes home on Wednesday. 

FALL in Pictures!!!

I haven't blogged in SO long so I thought I would just play catch-up through pictures! We've had a busy Fall, as is pretty consistent these days...especially as the kids get older and are involved in more activities! Between P's Physical and Speech Therapy, Church Activities, Dance and School Stuff, we always are on the go!

In September, Phoenix had his first Cold of the season, which for him immediately turned into a yucky cough! We finally got a nebulizer (I should have done this his first year!)! He is also on a Flovent Inhaler twice a day and he has not had another asthmatic event since September!!! PRAISE THE LORD!

One day we took Evie and Fiona to Chick-Fil-A so Amanda could take Gwen to a check-up. We were not even out of the parking lot and I turned around to P and F holding hands. They love each other so much!

Playing at Chick-Fil-A

We spent a Saturday in October at Motley's Pumpkin Patch. We rode the "Cow" Train, visited the petting zoo, rode the hayride, and watched the Pig Races!

Family Pic at Motley's

Steve took Phoenix on his 1st Overnight Hunting Trip, so Violet and I had a Girls' Night Out! We ate dinner at Taziki's, went shopping at Target, and topped off the night at Yogurt Mountain!

Poppa and Dodi got a new Hot Tub (or Hot Pool as the kids call it). We have all really enjoyed it!

On Halloween, we went to our Church's Fall Fest then Trick or Treated in our neighborhood. Kalyssa got to join us, so we had Captain America, Wonder Woman, a Ladybug and Rapunzel!

Another Girls' Night Out! Daddy took Veronika and Phoenix to the Deer Woods, so Violet and I got some early Christmas Shopping time at The Holiday House!

Halloween again? No, just another day at our home!

To celebrate our 6th Wedding Anniversary, Steve and I went to a cabin in Ponca, AR. This area is popular for Elk viewing. We had a wonderful weekend! We spent 2 nights BY OURSELVES! We hiked to Hawksbill Crag, had some great Elk sightings, relaxed in our Hot Tub and had a wonderful anniversary! This is the 1st time we were away from our kids for two nights (except for my Lap-Band Surgery) and we were so ready to see them by Sunday morning!