The happiest place on earth...

Walt Disney World…I have had a hard time writing this blog for so many reasons…the least of it is the time it would take to choose the pictures!  HA :)  This trip has been in the works for over a year and to there are so many things about it that I just love.  Let's start with the fact that by BFF and her family The M family were going to go with us.  I can't think of a better way to enjoy the time in Florida then with them.  Seriously - any time we get with them is a treat and to do it with all the boys was just so much fun to think about.

Then you add it that it was going to be a surprise for the boys - we weren't telling them until the day that we left.  Jason and I weren't sure how that was going to go over, and to be honest - it was sort of a flat reaction - but perfect all the same!

So, the way that we chose to tell them was with a Balloon and a note coming out of a box.  It was a really cute idea.  Austin seemed to understand what was going on well before Caleb got it.  He seemed to really take him time and try to figure it all out.  Pretty darn cute!  

We got them dressed and headed to the plane!

On the plane just after we landed!!  So excited!!!!

Welcome to Orlando!!

We didn't have to wait too long until the M family showed up.  I have blogged about this before, but I feel it is worth mentioning again…Kate and her family are my family.  I couldn't love them anymore and I couldn't be happier that we all get along so well.  I mean…REALLY well.  It was actually perfect.  There was minimal - if any disagreements - lots of love, lots of fun and you would never know that these kids only get to see each other once or twice a year.  

Logan in the back, Mason, Gavin, Caleb and Austin.  The five musketeers!

With seven of the nine of us being of the male persuasion, Kate and I felt it was our duty to get a picture taken with Minnie.  GIRL POWER!!!

The boys with Mickey Mouse!

The four of us in England at Epcot.  It was a lot of fun - our favorite park.  The adults liked it for the world showcase (and the beer) and the kids liked it because of the ride Test Track.  

I just love this picture because of how good the kids were together.  I love that Mason and Caleb took their role as the oldest kids seriously and watched after Gavin.  And I don't want to leave Logan and Austin out of the loop…they were watching after him too!

This might be my favorite picture from the whole trip.  This is taken just as Gavin is about to deck Logan.  What you can't see is that Logan was snatching his snack and Gavin had enough.  The timing on this picture was PERFECT!

We did take one night for the four of us…Kate and I enjoyed a nice drink at Bongo's a cuban cafe in downtown Disney.  Fantastic food and a good time :)

Jason and I on our night out!

So maybe the whole downer on the trip was the fact that Austin got some kind of stomach bug.  He was SUCH A TROOPER!  He didn't want to go back to the hotel, he was happy to get a rented stroller, get covered up and rest.  Thankfully it was a day that we didn't plan to do a whole lot.  The weather was sort of stinky and rainy and we all left early for an afternoon siesta.  

And just before we left, we found one more hidden mickey.  Kate found an app where you could look up all the hidden mickey's wherever you were in the park.  This was the last one we found before we left!  There were lots of tears, but I have no doubt that we will be traveling with the M family again soon!!