Winter Fun

We've had so much snow this winter......I heard on the news today that we've had 33 inches so far and that's about 15 inches more than the average for our area. Last week was a crazy ice storm. I'm not sure how much ice we officially got but based on the ice we're chiseling away on the driveway, it seems like about a 2 inch solid sheet of ice everywhere. The ice made for great sledding. Lenn's office was closed part of Tues afternoon and all of Wed (2/2) and he was a super Daddy and took the big kids outside for some sledding both days. Then we received a surprise 5 inches of snow on Saturday so on Sunday afternoon, we took all 3 kids outside to build a snowman and have a snowball fight. This was Mae's first experience in the snow and she did great. She was not a fan of gloves and a hat but she eventually got used to it and just bolted around.

More Florida Fun

Ella with her favorite princess, Sleeping Beauty, in Downtown Disney

Our happy and nearly healthy family.......I'm holding a chameleon I had found for Ella......he bit me the first time I picked him up......then I found my courage and picked him up again......then I held onto his tail while I placed him on Nicholas's palm.......then he got scared and jumped to the ground.......and then I was holding just his tail and it was still moving!! Yuck!

Ella with her daddy.....on our last morning in Florida......our vacation house is in the background......I never did manage to get any good pictures of where we stayed......oops

Nicholas holding his piggy bank from "Piggy Bank Adventure".......his favorite activity in Futureland........he set a savings goal (retirement, vacation, college or bedroom remodel) and then took his bank to 3 different stations to play games and make money for his savings.......so cute.....he played 3 times!

Inside "Bruce the Shark" from "Finding Nemo"......we are smiling because Bruce isn't real......those are not real teeth!!!

Outside of the Living Seas area

My boys at Epcot

Lovin' the ocean......we stayed about an hour and Nicholas was completely drenched and happy as a clam by the end of our playtime in the water......he didn't seem to notice that the water was COLD!!

Ella's first ocean experience

Our boy dipping toes in the Atlantic Ocean!!

On Thursday, Lenn and I took Niko and Ella to the beach so they could see the ocean. We had totally worn them out the day before at Magic Kingdom but we wanted to try to get a beach visit in while we were in Florida and only 1 1/2 hrs from the ocean. We drove to Cocoa Beach and had an interesting time there.......Nicholas wasn't excited about going at all but ended up loving it, Ella slept most of the way there and then slept on a towel on the beach while Niko played. We now know that she was gearing up for the second round of major fevers and illness for the week. Poor girl. The boy, on the other hand, had a blast and did not seem to care that the water was freezing!!



Friday was another rough day for Ella but we left her to convalesce with Meemaw and Papa while Lenn and I took Niko to Epcot. We thought he would love visiting all of the different countries but his real love was Futureland. There were lots of computer games there.......like making your own video game.....fun. We also rode the popular 3-D experience called "Soarin'" where you feel like you are in an airplane flying over California and you can smell pine and orange trees, you feel the wind in your face, you feel like you're dipping your toes in the ocean, etc.......really cool.


Lenn and I are still trying to decide if we really feel like we had a vacation.......one of our friends told us prior to going to Florida that when you go away with your children, that is a TRIP and when you go away with just your spouse, that is a VACATION. So, no, we did not have a vacation but my oh my did we go on a trip!!!!

Florida Vacation--part 2

Ooh La La.......Fireworks!!!

Mae's thoughts about the fireworks.......she did so great all day.......she was a happy girl most of the day despite only getting two short naps

All bundled up and ready for fireworks (Ella is in the stroller......you just can't see her in this handy dandy self-made photo!)

Mickey and Minnie in front of Cinderella's Castle......the castle changes colors at night......nice!

Niko and Meemaw watching the parade......it was so sweet watching our boy wave to all of the characters going by

Trying to get Mae to nap......she did give up the fight on the train ride

Ready to ride the Dumbo ride

Meemaw and Papa with the grandkids.......soooo excited to finally be at Disney World!!!

Niko and Ella in their mouse ears.....posing on Main Street

My Mae Mouse in her mouse ears......the beautiful part was that she left her ears on for a long time!!! Cinderella's Castle is in the background.

On Wednesday, the troops were feeling much better so we pulled ourselves together and headed to Magic Kingdom. We really did have a magical day. The weather started out chilly and rainy but turned into a beautiful day. We rode as many rides as we could squeeze in, we saw several really great shows, and we ended the day by watching the fireworks over Cinderella's Castle. We had the best day.



Some fun surprises of the day......Mae loved the pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Ella covered her ears and sometimes closed her eyes because she thought they were a little scary but Mae just waved and smiled at all of them......too cute! Also, I have now discovered my roller coaster buddy. Ella and Nicholas were going to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad......a medium-sized roller coaster that goes whipping around and through and over and under a mountain........we got to the point of climbing into our seats and Niko got frightened and backed out......so Ella and I rode by ourselves. She had a blast and as soon as it was over, she asked to ride again......so we did!! We were also surprised that Ella had no interest in waiting in line to meet the princesses and get her picture taken......don't know if she just didn't want to get that close to the "real" princesses or if she didn't want to wait in line. It saved us a lot of time not having to wait for princesses all day!



Niko's favorite attraction: The Monster's Inc laugh floor

Favorite ride: Peter Pan's Flight

Ella's favorite attraction: The Philharmagic 3D Show

Favorite ride: Big Thunder Mtn

Florida Vacation January 21-29, 2011--Part 1

Excited kids getting ready for their first airplane ride....Indianapolis International Airport

GATOR!!!!!!!

Ella and Mommy in the education center at Circle B Bar Reserve....we climbed up onto a platform that sits inside a huge tree.....so cool

Mae could not figure out this sculpture.......she really wanted that book!

Really cute tractor to play on at Barnett Family Park

Which boy is real?

Healthy Ella playing on a saucer swing at Barnett Family Park

Wow! We did it! We flew our busy little family to Florida and have now made it home safe and sound. We had quite a week. The good times were really really good and the bad times were really yucky. Little did we know going into this trip just how sick our family would be. Only the first 24 hours were illness free.......then the coughing started.......then the fevers.......then the Orlando Children's Hospital emergency room.......not exactly the Florida attraction we were interested in visiting!!


The week was full or highs and lows but thankfully we made it through and did enjoy some really fun family outtings. On Sunday, we drove to Lakeland, Fl to Barnett Family Park and the kids had a big fun time playing on all of the really neat playground equipment. We also walked down to the water and saw lots of seagulls. After lunch at Crispers, YUMS, we went to the Circle B Bar Reserve. There was a really cool education center with a huge tree to climb and several nature displays and interactive stuff for the kids to do. Then we hiked. Oh my did we hike. I forgot the sling so I carried Mae FOREVER because she was tired and needed a nap and couldn't get settled in the stroller. We were on a mission looking for gators.......and we found 'em! And an armadillo......so cool!! Ella started feeling poorly on our hike and ended up quite sick by the next morning.......that's when we headed to the hospital. We drove past the exits for Magic Kingdom and Epcot on our way to the emergency room.......talk about depressing. She was thoroughly checked over and was diagnosed with a viral infection. No appendicitis, thank the Lord, and no UTI. So no family outtings on Monday or Tuesday but Lenn did kick me and Evelyn out of the house on Tuesday and told us to go shopping. Woo hoo!! Of course, I love to shop but I didn't want to leave my girlie and my son, who was dealing with his own 103 degree fever and coughing.......YUCK. Evelyn and I worked through it and spent a few hours enjoying some shopping therapy at the Florida Mall.


Next post.........Wednesday......one of the most fun days ever for our family.......Magic Kingdom!!!

Niko turns 7

It took Niko two tries to blow out all of those candles!!

Mae Mae with her grandmas

Papa Carl with Nicholas and Ella......cuddling before Niko's party

My baby, my firstborn, is now 7. His birthday was on a special day this year.....1-11-11. Unfortunately, Ella was sick so we had to postpone Niko's special birthday plans. We did have a nice dinner......his pick......fish sticks and mac and cheese......yes, that's what Ella picked for her birthday also! He helped me decorate his cake and we opened a few presents. He was really sweet about his birthday despite the fact that it was far less fun than it would have been if Ella were feeling better.


On Sunday, the 16th, the grandmas and grandpas came to our home for a little birthday party. The kids and I had made yummy homemade pizzas on Thursday, after thoroughly hand sanitizing and bleaching our house......I exaggerate but only by a little. We ate pizza, fruit with dip, cake and ice cream and Mimi's brownies. Nicholas received some really nice presents. He had the most fun when he got to teach the grandpas some lessons on Wii sports resort. Would you believe that we had to pull the grandpas away from the t.v. in order to get them to come eat? There was a bowling competition underway.......or so I'm told.

Niko's new smile!!

Nicholas lost his two front teeth last week. It was quite a traumatic event. Ella had been sick for several days and was finally feeling well enough to play with Niko on Thursday (1/13/11). They were upstairs playing for a long time with very little noise.....which usually means eventually someone is going to get hurt. All of a sudden, I heard Nicholas crying loudly......he came down the stairs with blood dripping from his mouth (gross).......it seems that he and Ella were doing "silly wrestling moves" and she jumped on him, banging her head into his chin, which caused him to smash his teeth together.......then the bleeding and crying started. The left incisor was dangling at that point and we quickly removed it. The right incisor was soon to follow......by the next evening, Nicholas had pulled that one too. He looks so different without his two front teeth but he's pleased to report that he can still say his "S"es.

Ice Fishing December 25, 2010

Ella and her fish........she was absolutely the cutest ice fisherperson ever!!

Ella watching Nicholas clear the ice away from one of the fishing holes

Ella and Papa inside the shanty

Nicholas and I trying to stay warm in the shanty

As part of our holiday experience in Nappanee, we spent part of Christmas afternoon ice fishing. My children and I had never been before and I was quite apprehensive of sending my babies out on the ice unattended by their hovering mother, so I tagged along. Meemaw and Mae stayed back in Nappanee where it was nice and warm while the rest of us made a trek to Argos. We met Papa Carl's brother, Bob, there and boy did we have quite a time. The men drilled holes with an auger and I felt somewhat comforted by the fact that the ice was 9 inches thick. The men also set up a shanty that was supposed to keep us warm and out of the wind. I did manage to catch the first fish and was quite excited but soon enough there were no fish biting for me and my toes started to suffer from frostbite. The kids loved it. Ella and Nicholas both caught fish and Uncle Bob could barely get his line in the pole before he had another "fish on."

Am I glad we went? I would say yes.

Do I want to go again? Not anytime in the near future.

Will I allow my children to go without me next time? That remains to be seen!!