Getting Ready

We are slowly but surely getting ready for our big trip to Disney World. We are going to spend a week taking in the sun and fun. We will be staying at the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. This is where we are members of the Disney Vacation Club. (Best money we have spent in a long time...)

Jerry and I used to take in all things Disney prior to having kids. We would spend the weekend in O'Town every chance we got. We have always enjoyed the Disney experience... though we know not everyone enjoys it like we do. We have continued this each year as our family grew. Riley went to Disney about 6 weeks after arriving home from China. Madeline's first trip was about 3 months later.

We have spent the first week of July at Disney several times. It is always so much fun. Is there anything more American than Disney? (I know, baseball, apple pie and Mom.. but you get my drift.) Celebrating the 4th there is just so different. We love it. There are cookouts by the pools, amazing fireworks displays, red, white and blue EVERYWHERE! We love it.

So, we have been booking activities to fill our time. We will probably go to the parks 3 days. We will celebrate the 4th at a Luau at the Polynesian Resort. We will do the Ohana character breakfast, too on another day. We will probably take in some miniature golfing, swim a ton and just bum around the Disney property. Our resort has movie nights outside which we will enjoy. We may even take the boys horseback riding.

Our preparations are a little different now that we belong to the Vacation Club. We will be bringing breakfast and lunch stuff with us since our room has a full kitchen. We are going to splurge on dinners since breakfast and lunch will be on the cheap. I have started to shop and collect all of the "stuff" we will need. I have several bags of food and such in the dining room.

One of the organizational things I am facing is that I will be gone away on a girls weekend the three days before we leave. I have to be ready before I go with the girls or else I will be in deep doo doo! HA! I am hoping to be 90% packed and just do some last minute laundry the night before we leave. Crossing fingers here.

So, those of you who know me well, know I am in full list making mode. I have lists for my lists.. truly I do. I am an obsessive list maker. I have a food list. I have individual lists for each child divided into different categories such as tops, bottoms, unmentionables, toys, pjs, etc with quantities and exact outfits I plan to pack. I have a toiletries list... also organized by person. I have a list of comfort items for each child. I have a list of electronics. I could go on and on but then you would KNOW I am more than a little OCD.

I can't wait to take a million pictures of my children laughing, playing , swimming, sunning. I can't wait to sit by the pool with my book. I am just looking forward to an uninterrupted week of family time. That is really what it is all about. Spending time with "just us". That is what makes our vacations the best.