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Last year our family went to a farm in the north/middle of PA, near Bloomsburg. We enjoyed our long weekend there so much, we decided to extend our stay to a whole week. There were 20 of us there this year, all from my side of the family- my mom, sisters, brother and their families (including my sister from France and her 2 boys). There were lots of little kids, lots of laughter, good cooking, swimming, fishing, and hiking. It was a great week to get reconnected with each other. It is funny how even after all these years, we all fall back into many of the roles and spaces that we occupied when we were children. Sometimes, that is not so great, like when I am sharp with my 33 year old sister, like she is a child. And other times, it is fun as we laugh at my brother's wit and antics. Of course, there was a hole where my dad would have been there with us. We all commented at one point or another throughout the week how he would have loved being there with his kids and grandkids, how it was exactly his favorite kind of vacation. Despite moments of longing, our eyes shiny with tears as we mourned our deep loss once again, it was a joyful, fun week. The kids loved playing with their cousins, favorite activities being the pond, fishing, and the trampoline.
We took a trip to Rickett's Glen on Monday, where coincidentally our next door neighbors were hiking there the same day and we ran into them--crazy! The falls were gorgeous, and the trails were a little challenging, but not too bad. The kids also loved wading in the different pools along the creek. (KK did not come on this hike, maybe next year she will be big enough to handle it.)
Later in the week we went to Knoebels amusement park. It was a blast- KK was actually the one who was the most daring on most of the rides. We went on one together that E and N did not want to try. It lifted into the air and the ride spun several baskets all around in a huge circle through the air. KK kept saying, " This is so fun! I love this ride!" We also went on the flume which she loved, and N hated. I was amazed at her enthusiasm for the fast and dizzying rides. As for me, it is clear that I am past all that. I used to love those rides that went in circles, and I felt absolutely sick. I remember as child, how my mom used to sit out most amusement park rides herself, and I never understood it. Now I do.
This is the ride KK liked so much
My French nephews
Makes me dizzy just looking at it
I actually really don't like this picture, but it was out of my hands.
Well, after our rather emotional spring, we were really looking forward to summer vacation. The one big trip that we were planning to take was to the Outerbanks of North Carolina, more commonly known as OBX. We had been invited to go with Ed's brother's wife's family. We have been wanting to go for years, but could never find another family who was willing to commit, so we jumped at the chance. Our vacation time was the week when a terrible heat wave hit the rest of the country, we were so glad we had the pool and the beach to escape the crushing humidity. The house itself was absolutely gorgeous, everything you want in a beach house- the ocean was just over the dune, we had a beautiful pool (that the kids enjoyed even more than the ocean), and the house was spacious and beautifully decorated.
We loved the slow pace of the day--hanging out on the beach in the morning, going back to the house for the pool or hot tub in the afternoon, and eating ice cream while we watched the sun set at night. Then when the kids were in bed, Ed and I played Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and other games with Jim and Steph. We did take a day trip down to Hatteras Lighthouse, but other than that we hung out at the house.
While on the beach, I tried body boarding for the first time this year, and I found out I really, really liked it. I have grown fearful of the big waves in my adult years as I realize how you can be injured, and my sensible self has been staying out of the big waves. With the body boards, I feel safer, and I can ride the waves in. I had a blast, it is such a rush!
From a photography standpoint, I absolutely fell in LOVE with the dunes. They were breathtaking, and the perfect setting for my first photo shoot of another family (Stephanie's). I also got some great shots of my own family in the mix.
I could have stayed for another week, easily, but unfortunately, our vacation came to an end. I am hoping we can get together another group for next summer because it is definitely the best vacation I have been on in a long, long time.
I have one last post that I wanted to share about our trip before I move on from all things Disney. Here are a few things I found helpful in planning and executing a successful trip.
1. Guide Book:I found The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World to be an invaluable resource. Its 850 pages look intimidating, but it really is the be-all and end-all of Disney knowledge. It has chapters on hotels, dining, and each of the parks, each ranked and rated. It has reader tips as well as the "unofficial" tips. It even has "touring guides" that will help you see the park more efficiently. If you are a planner, and want to be completely informed as you make decisions, this is the book for you!
2. The Dining Plan: Purchasing the "Magic Your Way" dining plan was a great choice for our family. We went with the Magic Your Way Plus dining plan. It included a full service meal (sit-down restaurant), counter service meal and snack for each night we stayed in the hotel. It was nice because we prepaid for all our meals, so we didn't feel the pocketbook pinch when the check came for each meal. Disney food is expensive, and it was nice knowing we didn't have to worry about how much we were spending, because it was already all paid for. Some meals use two table services, but it worked out fine for us. We planned each meal before we left, so we knew how many counter services or table services we were using each day, to make sure that no meals got left behind. We did have an excess of snacks, which we used up on our last day with some muffins and croissants for a last morning breakfast. It was also nice because we could let our kids have special treats that we usually by-pass when we are out on family outings, like that $4 ice cream Mickey Mouse treat. It made sense economically too, the price came to $40 per day for an adult, $11 per day for the two older kids (KK was free, so she split with the older kids, or got a "complimentary" plate of food at some restaurants). This is a bargain, considering that just for a table service meal (appetizer/main/dessert/beverage) it cost about $30/adult $15/child. Counter service meals (main, dessert, beverage) were about $15/adult and $6/child. Snack items (ice cream, water, fruit, popcorn, coffee, etc.) were about $4 each. It was plenty of food, you definitely won't feel deprived!
3. Groceries: We ordered some snack and breakfast items to be delivered to our room when we arrived. It was convenient because we could get the kids up in the morning, get them dressed and fed, and not have to worry about finding somewhere to eat while in the park. The snacks were individual bags of pretzels and some of those PB crackers and cheese crackers. We also had a case of water bottles delivered which Ed and I grabbed a couple each day so we didn't have to pay for water in the parks. We had ordered a styrofoam cooler with our groceries, which we ended up not really needing because our room already had a refrigerator (I had read somewhere that they usually charge $15 for fridges, so I figured we could buy the $6 cooler, fill it with ice each day and it would work fine). I brought along the kids' thermoses, which I filled with ice and water from a gallon jug each morning. I also had an insulated lunch bag from home that I put Ed's and my water bottles in to keep them cool throughout the day. I packed all the water bottles and snacks in a bag each morning that I put in the basket of our stroller once we got through security at the parks. We used Garden Grocer.
4. Stroller: I know you can rent a stroller daily at the parks ($15/day for single $30/day for double), and some people love this option, but I felt we could buy a new stroller and leave it there for that price. I brought our stroller that has a handy toddler bar in the back where N could ride if he grew tired. It was great having it in the airport to lug all the carry-on bags and backpacks to the gate. I also can't imagine renting a stroller and having to carry your bags and kids into and out of the park each morning and evening. Some of the shuttle stops were quite a hike, and N really needed to ride on the back by the end of the day, when we were leaving the parks at 9 pm.
5. Character Meals: We loved the character meals! It was really the only way to efficiently see all of the Disney characters. As we ate each character would come to our table for a picture and give the kids an autograph. The park lines to see the characters were usually 20 minutes to as much as an hour and a half long. There was no way that we would have been able to spend that much time in line to see each character. We did get lucky a few times in the parks, and were able to meet a character with little or no wait. But the bulk of our character meetings were at the meals we booked. We booked 4 meals, and met Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Mickey (twice), Minnie, Donald, Goofy (twice), Pluto (twice), Chip, Dale, Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. Some character meals are really hard to get into, such as Cinderella's Royal Table where you get to eat breakfast in the castle. Last time we went I called exactly 90 days out (the earliest you could make reservations at the time) at exactly 6:58 a.m. for 6 days in a row and never got through in time. All the reservations were filled. This time I was determined to get a table, so I used a...
6. Travel Agent: Our travel agent was great. She was able to get us into the highly sought after Cinderella breakfast our first morning in the park, an hour before the park opened so that we didn't miss any time for the rides, and we were done eating by opening time so that we were first in line for the rope drop in Adventure Land. She also booked our rooms and the dining plan and a couple of other meals. Best of all, she was free! We used Small World Vacations.
7. Schedule: Once I read through the guide book, I had an idea of where we should go each day, and where we wanted to eat. This is where my organization might be more than what you yourself might want or need. I wrote out rough times, confirmation numbers for meals, and attractions we should do at the park for each day of our stay. It was a rough guide, and we often deviated from it, but it was a good general plan and helped us to see where we should be, how many meal credits we were using each day and when we had to leave in the morning if we wanted to take advantage of early morning magic hours.
8. Magic Hours: These are extra hours the park is open, either in the morning or at night for the enjoyment of resort guests. Each park has a different day of the week. Some people try to avoid the parks with magic hours, but as much as possible, we utilized them. We figured that our kids are up anyway, and it was nice to get an early start to the day. We could go on rides with little to no wait before the rush of the general public filled the parks.
9. Resorts: I definitely recommend staying in a Disney resort. You get the advantage of Magic Hours, but the bigger advantage is the shuttle system. Each resort has a shuttle that picks you up and takes you to and from the park, near the front entrance, so you don't have to drive, pay $14/day for parking, or schlep your kids and bags through a parking lot. Another advantage is their "Magic Express" that picks you up at the airport, claims your checked bags and brings them to the hotel for you, and then on the return trip home checks your bags at the hotel and takes you back to the airport. Plus, on top of all this, it's just fun to stay at a Disney property with all the cute touches like the Disney themed rooms,Mickey Mouse soap, and of course the fun pools!
10. Kid's Guide to the Magic Book: We got this tip from Ed's brother's family. They found these books and used them when they went last year. They are great! They have a section for each park with a picture of each attraction, and a place to mark if the kids liked it as well as what they liked. It also had a place in the back for autographs, and the daily schedule. It was a neat way for the kids to remember the rides they went on, and what we did each day. It also was a nice way to pass the time if they were waiting for grownups to ride something they weren't interested in, or at meal times. You can only order the books online, they aren't in normal books stores. 
That is all I can think of now. Do you have any tips of your own to add to my list?
Monday March 15
We thought that it was only right to go to the Magic Kingdom on our last day. We got out a little later than usual, so I didn't think too much of the crowds at the entrance when we arrived. We started off with the Tomorrowland Speedway, and then a couple of times on the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups. I then took K over to Ariel's Grotto to meet "the Little Tiny Mermaid", as K would say. Although I got there about 15 minutes before the official opening time, the line was already 40 minutes long. I decided to wait it out with K while Ed took the other kids in an equally long Dumbo line. It was then that I started to get an inkling of how crowded the park was. It turned out that many schools had started their Spring Break this week, so the park had double or triple the amount of people that the week before had. It was amazing to see the difference! At some points in the day we couldn't even walk from one attraction to another because the crowd was basically at a stand-still in a traffic jam. It just made me all the more thankful for our relatively empty parks from the week before.
Anyway, we waited to see Ariel, and although K was excited, you can't really tell in the pictures. She made another of her goofy faces for the camera, a new thing I just noticed recently (look back over the pictures from the past week- you'll see her pursing her lips or sticking out her tongue in a lot of the pictures!).
We went on a couple more rides- the kids really liked Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster in Toontown fair (that is more their speed). Then we went on a circuit of the park on the train.
We ate lunch before hitting Big Thunder and Splash Mountains one more time. We got a great seat for the afternoon parade, and waved to Mickey, Minnie and all the princesses and characters as they passed by.
We then had an early dinner, rode Space Mountain, and the Transit Authority before heading home. It was clear that N was tired out from the day's activities, he couldn't stay awake on the ride home.
It was sad to say good-bye to Disneyworld, especially since we don't know when or if we will return. There are other trips we want to take before the kids are grown up, and we only do these big trips every few years (our last one was to CA four years ago). At any rate, it was a great trip, and hopefully all the kids will have some memory of it, even if they need to see the pictures to remind them.
This is the ride KK liked so much
My French nephews
Makes me dizzy just looking at it
I actually really don't like this picture, but it was out of my hands.
