Orlando - Mini Vacation - Part 3

Sunday, we spent the whole day at the resort.  Our resort was amazing.  We had a two bedroom condo with a full kitchen, living room and dining area.  We were on the 10th floor which was fun and we had a beautiful pool to spend lots of time in.  Our family really needed some "down time".  Time to just hang out together, laugh, relax and play.  So, that is what today was all about. 

After breakfast, we went to the pool for several hours.

It was really humid and the lens kept fogging up

 It is such a joy for me to watch the girls play together. 

Hannah spent hours playing and falling backwards

The girls...devising a scheme

I think Hannah had an idea, and Nicole her hurt knee.

They just go off on their own and get lost in their pretend world.  I heard them play "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" (a show on the disney channel), I'm pretty sure I heard them also playing "Tangled" a movie about Rapunzel.  They played games with other children and chased with daddy.

Nate played with the noodle and ball most of the time

Even while resting, he wouldn't put the ball down

Somehow Jeremy talked Nicole into going down the pirate ship slide.  What none us us knew is that it was windy and pitch black.

Waiting to go up the ship

She was a little upset when she came out (I heard her screaming the whole way, hehehe).

After a hot lunch in the room, we all took naps.  Well...not All of us.  I got to use a $50 voucher that came with my groupon deal AND a gift card to a spa someone had given me.  I got an hour long hot stone massage.  I have never had one of those before.  It was wonderful.  I could get use to that ;)

When I got back from my massage, everyone was up and we took off to Downtown Disney.  But before we got there, we spotted a Rawlings outlet next to the resort, so we stopped by there first.  Nate could not stop saying "ball" and got his own Atlanta Brave baseball bat and ball set.  Jeremy wanted to make sure he had a picture of this.   I think Jeremy could have spent several hours in that store ;)

Look at that wall of gloves ;)

He was so happy to have a bat and ball.

We spent a couple hours in Downtown Disney exploring the Lego store (while it rained outside), a princess store and eating at a sandwich shop.

Nicole's little lego creation

I have lots of friends who would disagree with me...but, I would be happy to never go to Downtown Disney again. Whew...that place stressed me out. There were so many people and it was eye candy for the kids.  They wanted everything in sight.  I couldn't get out of there quick enough.

Buzz Lightyear, made out of Legos

Once we got back to the resort it was after bedtime..but we took advantage of the pool one more time.  We played until 9:30 or so.  We just had so much fun with the kids. We even caught of glimpse of Disney's fireworks display.

We had to leave Monday morning...but of course we didn't leave until we played in the pool one more time.  Our check out time was 11...and we were in the pool until 10:30:)

Mommy and her boy....just chilin'

We enjoyed every moment together.  We were basically "unplugged", meaning Jeremy's phone was off...and I stayed off the Internet.  I wish we could that (being unplugged AND the vacation) more often.

Orlando - Mini Vacation - Part 2

We spent all day Saturday at SeaWorld.  In hindsight, I wish we would have come back to the hotel for naps and to get out of the heat for a few hours.  Then, we probably could have stayed and watched the fireworks and the special evening shows.  We didn't though, and left around 6:30. 

However, we still had a great day! 

Nicole took a picture of us.

We fed sea lions (the video shows us feeding them, but I can't post those on here).

We touched sting rays.



Nicole and Hannah "inside" a fish tank



 We went to a sea lion show and a dolphin/bird show.  Let me just say that the dolphin show took my breath away!  It was spectacular.  Every little girl's dream.  The trainers spent a lot of time in the water with the dolphins...even riding them on several occasions.  There is just something beautiful and amazing to see a person interact like that with an animal like a dolphin. 

We went back to the kid's area and rode more ride.  Daddy took Nicole and Hannah up in the giant nets/tree house.  These pictures are a little hard to see, but I wanted to share anyway.  Jeremy ended up carrying Hannah a lot, and Nicole got "lost" a few times. 

Carrying Hannah around the net course

Nicole loved this attraction

The kids played in the water area for a while too.  Jeremy gave Nate a water bottle to play with.  A few minutes later, a little boy took the water bottle from Nathan, filled it up, and then dumped it on Nate's head!  It was funny.

Little boy dumping water on Nate.

Nathan was a little timid at first, so his wonderful big sister took him around with her.

We ended our trip to Sea World the way we started it...sort of.  We went back to the Shamu show, however, this time we sat up high, beyond the soak zone and very much enjoyed watching these beasts swim through the water and fly through the air.

The trainers did not get into the water with the Killers Whales (about a year ago, a trainer was accidentally killed during a performance by a whale she was suppose to be riding).

Although people were not with them, they were still amazing to watch.

The can fly so high.

I don't know how they teach them all these tricks...it's amazing!

The girls got to pick something out from the souvenir store...they both picked out little Shamus (since then, Hannah has named hers "house".  So, she'll say, "mommy, will you bring my house to me?"  Kind of funny.)

I love these two.

We ended the night watching "Facing the Giants"

Watching a movie with daddy-o

and falling asleep on the couch with daddy.

Sleeping on daddy-0

That's what vacation is all about, right?

Orlando - Mini Vacation - Part 1

We just got home from a wonderful 4 day trip to Orlando.  Last July, I purchased a groupon deal for the Lake Buena Visita Village Resort and Spa.  We got three nights and a $50 spa gift card with the deal and have eagerly anticipated this time away.  It could not have come soon enough!

Hannah - ready to go

Nicole - ready to go too

Nate - ready to go (three)

Friday, we took off at our own leisure and made it to SeaWorld around 3:00pm.  The first place we went was to the Shamu "One World" show.  Jeremy thought the best way to show the girls SeaWorld was through first hand experience, so we sat in the second row....in the SOAK Zone!  All I have to say is that....our seats lived up to their name.  We were SOAKED  after only a couple of minutes.  Honestly, we did not see much of the show, because we were covering our eyes and covering the children from the salty water for most of the performance.  The water those "killer wales" disperse is Amazing!!!  It was unbelievable to be so close to these huge animals!  However....I don't believe Nicole had the same appreciation for these animals as I did.

This is the "best" frown I have ever seen!

Nicole did admit, after the show, that she would be ok getting wet if she had on her swim suit and goggles (somehow, I doubt that!).

Some entertainers we watched after the Shamu show.

After the show, we spent some time in the kids area of SeaWorld.  The girls and I rode rides together and Hannah tackled her very first rollercoaster (very bravely, I might add).  Nicole sat by herself...and said afterward that she was a little scared, but not that much.  Then, I got to feel her racing heart.

Oh, I was wrong...Jeremy played too...just not on the "spinning" rides

We then went on an Arctic adventure.  I'm pretty sure that I convinced Hannah we flew to the North Pole.  We saw a sleeping polar bear, giant walruses and a couple beluga wales.  Nicole found a place to explore, however, they made Nathan go first.  He was being very brave, until he came around a dark corner where his sisters happened to be (and mom with the camera) when we (accidentally, I promise!) scared him. 

Scared

After the shock of finding us, the kids enjoyed playing and exploring a little while longer.

We held out breath to compare ourselves to the other animals.  I forget which one, but one of them could hold their breath for 25 minutes!

Jeremy made it to one minute!

I maxed out at 4 seconds!

Hannah girl...riding baby Shamu

Nicole, riding Shamu

The girls...posing for a picture by the lakeside

Hey...look!  I was there too!  A picture with my kidd-os.

I think that was it for the first day.  Stay tuned for day #2.