Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish all of our family and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! We sure have a lot to be thankful for. Hope you all have a great day...

Thanksgiving party...

Carsyn's class had their Thanksgiving celebration at school today. The children had such a great time playing "Pilgrim and Native American Indian" games, and eating yummy snacks. Carsyn had been so excited about all the stuff she had been learning in preparation for this fun day. It was wonderful to be able to be there to experience it with her.

Carsyn, very excited for school...

Yum...

Play ball...

Gooo IRISH...

We (Mommy and Daddy) went up to Baltimore today to see the Notre Dame vs. Navy game. Rain was in the forecast, so the girls stayed home with Nana. The game was going really well for us (the Irish) until the rain came. At that point we started running for the car. We made it just in time, just before it started absolutely pouring. We listened to the game on our drive home though. It was like a really bad joke. We were like, "Seriously!?!?" When we left the score was 27-7. Then Navy recovered two on sides kicks in a row and made it a six point game. CRAZY. But, luckily we held on to our lead and beat the Midshipman!!!

GO IRISH!

Girls Night Out...

After ballet, Logan, Carsyn, and Mommy went out to dinner with two of their friends from class and their mom. The girls were in heaven spending time with friends outside of school and dance. This was the first time they've had girlfriends to hang out with since we moved--so they were borderline crazy. It was great! After dinner, we had ice cream too. It was such a fun time for them!

Carsyn, Maggie, Logan, and Abigail...

Carsyn's new do...

When we were at Disneyland last Thanksgiving, we noticed that there was a chunk of Carsyn's hair that was shorter than the rest. She had been sitting on her dad's shoulder's, walking around, so our first thought was that it got caught on something. But, there was no complaints of anything hurting her head. So, we asked her if she had cut her hair. Of course she said no. Logan also denied knowing anything. Well, a week later at home we found the missing piece of hair under a rug in the kitchen. Logan finally admitted to doing the cutting. Anyway, after almost a year of pony tails, pig tails, and crazy hair--we decided it was time for a change. Now it is all one length...and super-cute!

The new and improved Carsyn...

We're going to Disney World...

To celebrate the election of Barack Obama, we went to Disney World. Well, actually we had the trip planned for more than six months--but, what a great way to wrap up this election! The girls had been looking forward to this trip since our last trip to Disneyland...five months ago. We definitely were spoiled in California, being able to go to Disney so often. This was also exciting because it was kind of like their first time going to the Walt Disney World resort. The last time we went Logan was three, Carsyn was one, and Maren wasn't even born yet--so this was her first time!


In an effort to save money, we flew out of BWI...at 6:00 AM on Saturday. That means we had to leave our house by 3:45 AM--not fun at all! But, it worked out. The girls slept on the plane and we arrived in Orlando at 10 AM. The "Magical Express" bus from the Disney World resort took us straight to our hotel. After a quick lunch and a change of clothes, we set out for the Magic Kingdom. The trip itself to get to the park was completely different from what the girls were used to in Anaheim. There we just walked across the street from our hotel and were at the main gates in about 15 minutes. This time we had to wait outside of our hotel (which was on Disney property) for a bus. Then the bus ride takes about 20-25 minutes. So, there was a lot of anticipation and a little impatience. But, the girls soon felt right at home, as the Magic Kingdom is very similar to Disneyland. Of course that didn't stop the girls from making any comparisons that they noticed. Our first order of business--ride "It's a Small World!" Right after our New Year's trip to Disneyland, the ride was closed down for refurbishment, and hadn't re-opened by our last trip there. So, this had been on their minds for a long time. We then made the rounds of some of our favorite rides.

We made the most out of waiting for the bus...with a little photo shoot...

Let's get the show on the road...

Carsyn was so excited to see Chip and Dale...

Logan's ready to ride rides...

C'mon Dad, let's go...

Maren after the fireworks show...

The girls after a very long day...wish we were staying at the castle...

The next morning we tried to get up pretty early so we could get to the Animal Kingdom close to their opening at nine--we got there around ten. We headed straight for "Camp Minnie and Mickey" to see the "Festival of the Lion King." It's a great performance full of dancing, singing, and acrobatics. While we were waiting on the show the girls were able to see a lot of characters, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip and Dale, and Pocahontas. Logan and Carsyn still really enjoy these meetings. Maren, on the other hand, still does not. Then we went on the Safari ride and saw tons of animals. Next, Mommy, Daddy, and Nana took turns going on the new "Expedition Everest" roller coaster. To their great disappointment, neither Logan nor Carsyn met the height requirement--next time maybe. We also went to the Dinoland to do some kiddie rides before heading to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Look, some of the animals escaped ; )...

Logan, Pocahontas, and Carsyn (Maren cried)...

Carsyn with Dale...

Carsyn and Logan with Camp Counselor Mickey...

Daddy and the girls with Minnie...

Carsyn, Donald, and Logan...

Ready for the Lion King show...

Logan and Mommy on the Triceratops Spin in Dinoland...

We were so excited to go to Hollywood Studios because of their newest ride, "Toy Mania Story!" They opened this ride at California Adventure two weeks after moved out of CA, so this was on our must-see list. And, it definitely lived up to our expectations--it was great. The girls all had so much fun. They wanted to ride it over and over again. We also went to see a live Little Mermaid show. Mommy and Daddy rode the "Rockin' Roller Coaster," which the girls were also not tall enough for. We couldn't get them to go on the "Tower of Terror" either. Once must have been enough for Logan. Afterward, we went over to Epcot to eat dinner in Mexico!

Maren trying for a high score...

Monday morning we took it pretty easy. After letting the girls sleep in, we ate breakfast and headed down to the pool. The weather was terrific. We got a pizza from the food court and had a nice pool side lunch. What a fun and relaxing afternoon.

Having fun in the pool...

After getting cleaned up from swimming, we went over to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We had gone three years ago. It was so much fun, and well worth it--we knew we wanted to go again. Since they only sell a limited number of tickets for these events, the park is very uncrowded. The girls loved getting to see all the characters with very short lines, and we all loved getting to ride any ride we wanted with almost no waiting. One of the highlights of the night was getting to meet Tinkerbell and her fairy friends. And, Maren eventually warmed up to Minnie--yea!!! We also got more free hot chocolate, cider, apples, and cookies than we knew what to do with.

Wishing to be real princesses...

Carsyn and Daddy on Splash Mountain...

Watching for Carsyn and Daddy...

The carousel--always a favorite...

Hanging out by the castle...

Belle and the Beast--Maren definitely would not go near that...

Peter and Wendy...

Aladdin and Jasmine...

OMG...the girls shrunk down to fairy size...

Silvermist...

Fawn...

Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip...

Cinderella and Prince Charming...

Finally, Maren got in a character picture...

Logan and Mommy in Toontown...

Carsyn was the only girl awake at the end of the night...


Mommy and Carsyn ready to call it a night...

Tuesday, after packing our suitcases and checking out of our room, we went to Epcot for the day. The last time we visited Disney World they had just opened the Finding Nemo ride. But, the lines were too long and we weren't able to ride. This time we made it a top priority. We got to the park pretty early, so we went straight to Soarin' to get Fastpasses, and then rode the Nemo ride. Soarin' is one of our favorite rides from California Adventure. So, we were very thrilled to experience it again on this trip. We also walked around the World Showcase and ate lunch. We had a great long weekend at Disney World. There are definitely huge differences between it and Disneyland; and although we now feel like Disneyland is home, we had a great time visiting! But, boy do we miss our annual passes and the short three and a half hour drive!

The girls enjoying a gorgeous day at a gorgeous place...

They always wanted a dog...

Logan...

Carsyn and Maren...

Carsyn with Rafiki...

The girls with Snow White...

Whatcha lookin' at?


Our family at Epcot...