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Check out Farm Chick's latest post at The Growing Table...

Disney Ears

Pop and I have never had going to Disney World (or Land) on our radar.  At the risk of offending any Disney Doers, it just seemed like a lot of hype to me.  Don't get me wrong, over the years I've loved the movies, cartoons, etc. but I've just never been one to sell out to commercialism.  That said, we DID go to Disney World this summer...Florida...mid July...at Farm Chick's and EJ's request as he had earned a family trip through his work.  We try never to pass up an opportunity to spend time with our grandchildren...so...of course we went...what grandparent in their right mind would pass up time with their grandchildren that would be financed by their children???  Really...no brainer...we began making plans to go to the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Farm Chick had prayed fervently that God would grant us favor with the weather.  God heard her prayer and the weather was miraculously nice for July.  Farm Chick had done some very thorough research and set up everything prior to our trip.  She had groceries delivered to our resort hotel suite, had EJ download an app designed to optimize our park plans, and delighted her matching kid clothing heart with new matching outfits for her kiddos.  We grownups also tried to follow the color scheme so there would be no doubt that we all belonged together.  EJ and Farm Chick were an awesome team getting us around the parks.  We rode buses, boats, and the monorail...we pushed and parked strollers repeatedly.  We had a delightful time with three energetic boys and a sweet toddling girl.

I do have to tattle on Farm Chick even though she may blog about it later...as she was struggling to get Q to cooperate about some picture taking, she made Pop and I laugh SO hard.  You see, Q has a habit of putting things into his mouth (as many three year olds do) and he had put some teeth marks on one ear of his Mickey Mouse hat.  She actually said to him in a pretty stern voice, "Put on your chewed up ears and zip it!"  Pop gave her the "Quote of the Trip Award" and we will probably bring it up for years.

I will have sweet memories of the trip...but not because of the location.  The best memories consist of:

• seeing a sensitive six year old big brother hold hands with his baby sister as he walked alongside her stroller...just because she insisted.
• watching Pop gently snuggle a sleeping baby while he ate his lunch after a busy morning at the Magic Kingdom.
• listening to rain outside and sneaking peeks at a tired but happy seven year old resting so we could go do some secret agent spy stuff later in the day and seeing him fall asleep even though he is too big for naps.  How do they grow so quickly?
• smelling the sweet scent of strawberries from breakfast still on little hands clutching a bottle...sleepy eyes...going down for a morning nap.
• marveling over the long, dark eyelashes of a sweet three year old grasping his teddy and lamby as he fell asleep on his second ever airplane ride after a very early start to the first day of vacation.
• witnessing EJ and Farm Chick working as a team to ensure their kiddos having a wonderful time with happy memories.

Good stuff.  It seems to me that wherever Pop and I are with our children and grandchildren, we are at the happiest place on earth.