Fredericksburg

We came back from Disney and packed up again - this time, we headed to Fredericksburg to see family and celebrate the Fourth of July.

Even though we didn't arrive until close to dinner time, there was plenty of fun to be had on our first night.  We went to dinner at "Mamma Mia's", P's favorite restaurant near my parents' house.  Then the boys broke out the rocket balloons.

My mom and dad have new furniture in the living room, and C plopped down and asked me to take a picture of him "in Poppa Fred's chair".  He was so proud of himself for "sneaking" into it!

The boys had some fun together in the Jacuzzi tub before we tucked it in for the night.

Our vacation was off to a great start!

A princess and Tonto White walk into a room...

...and a sword fight breaks out.

{No children were harmed in the making of this blog post.}

more Magic Kingdom

Unfortunately, I don't have lots of commentary on our final day at Disney World because I was at our condo with a stomach virus.  I sent everyone else on to the park and I think they all had a great time.  I was starting to feel better that evening, so I got to hear all about the day from P and C.

This is the only castle picture I received.  I guess it'll do, because, as I said, it's all I've got.

The group arrived at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad bright and early

so that this

could happen four times in a row!

While they were in the area, they gave Splash Mountain a whirl.

The boys saw a few character and rode some more rides.

After lunch, it was time for The Pirates' League.  P chose to be multi-eyed Jack Sparrow, and C chose to be a mermaid.

This time around, the weather cooperated and everyone was able to see the parade.  C had a great view of Anna and Elsa, and he told me all about how they waved "right at me".

By dinnertime, it looked like a thunderstorm was going to hit and everyone was tired, so they bid Disney adieu and headed back to the condo for dinner and a quick last minute packing session. Our vacation was wonderful, but we were ready to head home for some lazy days of summer!

Animal Kingdom and more EPCOT

First thing Thursday morning, we hit Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  C wasn't tall enough to ride, so he hung out with Amanda, who gave up her fastpass and allowed P to ride twice.

Daddy A was P's riding partner for the first expedition.

Then he headed back to the mountains for a second ride with me.

P was thirsty after his second ride, so Amanda shared her drink with him.  If you've been hanging around with Daddy A and I since our Camp Hanover days, you know that we have had our share of jokes about Coke products through the years.  I think that's one of the reasons I couldn't resist getting this photo.

Our next ride was Dinosaur!  The store at the ride exit gave C another chance to try on some crazy hats.

In another homage to Coke, Daddy A and I took a photo.

Most of our party found the weather a bit warm, but C was thrilled to have his blue blankie in the stroller.

He and blue blankie didn't seem to mind the heat at all.

Since Thursday was our actual ten year anniversary, Daddy A and I asked a Photopass photographer to take an "official" photo.

We also took a family photo in front of "Mount Everest".

We headed back to EPCOT for dinner.  Unfortunately, the weather ended up causing them to shut down Test Track.  We did take some photos in front of the globe.

We enjoyed dinner at the Japanese steakhouse, and C absolutely loved watching the chef.  Then {Surprise!} we headed to a store and he tried on another hat.

We were lucky to miss most of a thunderstorm while we were inside having dinner, but we walked through a drizzle back to our car to rest up for our final day of Disney fun!

EPCOT

We started off our day at EPCOT with a princess breakfast.  It was a little early for Daddy A, so Chelsea took his spot.  C was thrilled, and P came along for the ride.

Originally, P didn't want to take any pictures with the princesses, although he relented when Ariel posed for a shot right next to him.

P was rewarded for his patience when our first ride of the day was Test Track, which also happens to be P's favorite of all the rides at the Disney parks.

Eventually, Daddy A met up with us and we headed to the World Showcase.

The boys stopped at the Kidcot Fun Stops.

We stopped for a snack in France.  C enjoyed a delicious {gluten free!} macaroon.

At the Canada Kidcot Fun Stop, C got some help making an Ariel Duffy Bear.

Daddy A has always wanted to stop at the photo op in Christopher Robin's bedroom, so this visit we made sure to take time for that.

We got photos of Tigger and Pooh with the boys,

and then the whole family,

and finally Daddy A realized his dream of his very own photo with Tigger and Pooh.

We ended the evening with dinner at the Rose and Crown Pub with patio seats for the fireworks. We had such a fun day!

Bonnet Creek and Downtown Disney

By Tuesday, we were ready for a little down time.  We started off with a late morning swim.

We spent some time hanging around the condo.  The boys, ahem, may have engaged in a tickle fight or two.

Tuesday night, we headed to Downtown Disney.  C's request for the trip was to get some pixie dust sprinkled on his head.  The pixie dust deliverers were happy to oblige.

Even though our anniversary wasn't actually until Thursday, Daddy A and I celebrated with the family at Fulton's Crab House.

Meanwhile, Chelsea was making some Disney magic happen.  After dinner, C received his souvenir for the trip.  He called it his "Anna Elsa flip up doll".

Perspective makes all the difference in this case. :)

We headed home and spent the rest of the evening relaxing and gearing up for more Disney fun!