Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

 After checking in at our hotel, we traveled to Downtown Disney for an appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  Here, fairy godmother Marcela gave both kids a make-over.  

 Owen was the first in the chair.  He was getting the "knight package".  This included spiking and putting confetti in his hair.

 Owen's make-over did not take long.  In no time he was ready for the "big reveal".  He was handed a sword and shield to complete the "knight" look.  He was pretty pleased with the finished product (but he was even more pleased with the sword and shield).

 Owen really got into acting like a knight.  For the rest of the afternoon he walked ahead of us, sword at the ready.

 Olivia was up next.  She was getting a princess make-over- which included hair, nails, and make-up.  Prior to getting in the chair we went ahead and changed into her Elsa dress.

 Olivia was able to choose the type of hair style that she wanted as well as the color of her nail polish and make-up.  She took these decisions very seriously.

 The look on her face during the "big reveal" was priceless.  She looked so stunning.

 Like Owen, Olivia had no trouble getting into character.  She walked around Downtown Disney with her head held high and her back straight.  Everyone called her "Princess" and complemented her look- and she enjoyed every second of it.

 Since we had already purchased the memory maker photo package, we decided to go in for a photo shoot at the Downtown studio.  I'm really happy with how the pictures came out.

Disney All-Stars

We have just returned from our long-awaited family trip to Walt Disney World.  We took this trip with my parents and with the Murray family. While we stayed together for much of the trip, we did do some things separately depending on the interests of the different parties.  (If you like to read about Disney, be sure to check out Hannah's blog as she will be posting about the trip as well.)  I feel that we accomplished a lot in our time at Disney, and I have tons of pictures- so get ready to be bombarded with Disney posts.

 We decided to try a new hotel this time, so we booked a room at the All-Star Movies Resort.  It reminded me a lot of the other value resorts that we've stayed at in the past.  The resort was well-themed with movie paraphernalia.  There was even a little movie screen and chairs in the lobby that the kids could sit in while the adults went through the check-in process.  I thought that was neat.  

Our room was in the 101 Dalmations section close to the Fantasia pool.  Olivia and Owen took advantage of the close swimming opportunities.  On two separate afternoons, the kids went down to the pool to cool off and to participate in the fun pool-side games (where they won three- count them- three whoopie cushions).

 We also enjoyed some time in the hotel arcade.

 Although we liked the hotel a lot, it was pretty much just a place to lay our heads- we were in the parks for the major part of each day.  This was by no means a relaxing vacation- it was pretty much go, go, go.  Now that we're home, I feel that we need a vacation to recover from our vacation.  It was fun, though, so totally worth it.

Church Easter Activities

 The kids participated in a couple of church activities in the weeks leading up to Easter.  The first activity was the Children's Choir performance.  This is usually an evening performance, but this year it was done during the Sunday morning service.  Many of the kids had solos, and they all did a great job.  Olivia sang a verse of "I've Got Peace Like a River" and Owen sang a verse of "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus".  They both did well.

 The following Wednesday was the Easter egg hunt.  The kids found several eggs and were rewarded with a large bag of candy.  They always enjoy this activity.

Owen is 7

We celebrated Owen's 7th birthday last weekend.  Owen was so excited about his birthday this year- way more than in years past.  He started a countdown to the big day and was sure to remind us each morning how many days were left until his birthday. When his day finally arrived, the first thing out of his mouth after waking up was "today is my birthday".

As usual, we had our family over for cake and ice cream.  It was great to see everyone.  Owen wanted a Star Wars themed cake this year, and Aunt Hannah was glad to help out with that.  Owen's birthday also gave us an opportunity to use the beautiful table runner that Aunt Connie sent.  It is so festive and looked great on the table.

 After the cake and ice cream, it was time to open gifts.  Owen received so many nice things including clothes, baseball stuff, and video game figures.  A lot of folks went in together and got him a basketball goal, which I know he will use a lot in the future.

I think that Owen had a great day overall.  We sure do love that boy, and we are very pleased with the young man that he is becoming.

102

Five generations

 We were fortunate to celebrate my Great Granny Moore's 102nd birthday with her.  Granny's family has grown exponentially over the years so we've had to start reserving a large room at a restaurant to accommodate everyone.  This year, we met at Ryan's for the birthday dinner.  Granny sure does well for a centenarian.  She is such a sweet and special lady and is well thought of by everyone.  We hope to spend more birthdays with her.

Golf

Brian has really been enjoying the set of golf irons that he received for Christmas.  He goes to the golf course whenever he has time and the weather is nice.  He has two little helpers that like to go with him.

Easing Back In

I am trying to ease back into my running routine.  The goal for the year is "injury free", so I am not rushing anything.  I have cut back to running 3 times a week, and I am going to build mileage slowly.  I have run two 5ks recently and my time is getting back to normal.  I ran a 30.52 for the End It 5k, but the course was a half mile too long, so it was actually better than it sounds.  The following weekend I ran a 25.38 at the Run for the Ribbons 5k.  So far, so good.