10 Things I Learned at Disney

October has been a crazy month. And I mean that in a good way. But, goodness, it’s flown by ...

We went to Disney World and then I came home and released a book. I rarely do one thing at a time. So, needless to say, it’s been an exciting month. And these two topics are pretty much what I’ve shared about this month. But I have a little bit more I want to share about Disney, so that’s what I’m doing today.

In no particular order, here are 10 things I learned while at Disney ...

1. Animal Kingdom is great.

It was on the schedule for our second day of parks, but I didn’t realize just how much we’d love it. Multiple of our favorite Disney things were there.

2. Magic Kingdom is best done over two days. 

And I liked that our two days weren’t back to back. We were able to do everything we wanted, except the new Seven Dwarf Mine Train. We saw both the afternoon Festival of Fantasy and the nighttime Electric Parade and preferred the earlier parade. Although all the lights at night were pretty.

3. Building in a day “off” was good for us. 

Two parks and then we went to Downtown Disney for lunch at T-Rex and some shopping, especially at LEGO Imagination Center. Then we spent some time swimming at the hotel.

4. Magic Bands, the dining plan, and Fast Passes are amazing. Magical, really. 

We didn’t regret the dining plan investment and loved the freedom and ease it created. To have that as well as our hotel entry, park admission, credit card and Fast Passes all on our Magic Bands was convenient. Even though I don’t normally wear watch, I kept looking at it to see what time it was! It’s not that magical!

5. Doing just Disney is more than enough. 

We would have loved Sea World, Legoland, or the beach, but I’m glad we focused on Disney. We didn’t even do EPCOT at Disney because I wasn’t sure my young kids would love it like the other parks, plus four days of parks just the right amount for us.

6. My kids – who are 4 and 7 – are at the perfect ages.

I’m glad we didn’t go to Disney any sooner and I’m glad we didn’t have to haul a stroller. Ben does still sometimes nap so he went the whole trip (minus 30 or so minutes while traveling from the park to the hotel) without a nap, which stretched him. But he managed and he slept well at night. We only kept them up late one night. Everything was really exciting to them. Of course, there’s still plenty to do if we go back when they’re older!

7. The My Disney Experience app is helpful.

Download it and maintain enough of your mobile device battery to use it throughout the day to keep track of wait times, Fast Passes, shows, and dining details. The only downfall is once you use the three Fast Passes you reserved ahead of time, you can’t add the subsequent Fast Passes. The Disney lady at one of the kiosks, where you can add Fast Passes, told me this feature is in the works.

8. Disney customer service and hospitality are top-notch. 

One of my favorite examples is not dealing with our luggage after checking our bags at the Nashville airport. Disney people retrieved them in Orland and then brought them to our room while we were out eating dinner that first night. Likewise, we checked them at the hotel before we boarded the bus for the airport and didn’t have to handle them again until we picked them up at the baggage claim in Nashville. Despite the hyperbole of Disney being the happiest, most magical place on earth, there really are happy, helpful people working there. And the parks are so clean, even with the crowds.

P.S. The customer service of the Disney planner we used also was fabulous. I highly recommend Wish Upon a Star with Jennifer Hart. And, hey, this service is free!

9. My kids can be rendered speechless. 

Everyone in our life except them knew we were going. We managed to surprise and shock them! More on that in an earlier post.

10. Buying souvenir items before we went was good advice from seasoned Disney traveling friends. 

It really nixed the “gimmes” that could easily come with all those Disney gift shops. I bought the kids some T-shirts, accessories, and pajamas that we gave them throughout the week. I gave them some coloring books and other Disney-related activities for both plane rides and had glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces for the night we stayed late for the nighttime parade. Thanks to zulily sales, I found great deals on fun souvenirs in the months leading up to our trip and was able to incorporate gifts for the kids throughout the week. Ben’s gifts were wrapped in Planes paper and Cate’s in Frozen. They all were labeled for which morning or evening I wanted them to open them. They did each have some souvenir money from the grandmas, so they spent that at Downtown Disney, mostly on Legoes.

If you’ve been to Disney, what would  you add? 
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Want to read more about Disney so, do so here: Our Favorite {Disney} Things. 7 Reasons to Use a Disney Vacation Planner. And you can see even more pictures here.

I'm linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky, who inspired me to document life this way. I love these monthly posts that document life. Read more previous posts: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September.

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7 Reasons to Use a Disney Vacation Planner

When Greg and I started talking in January about taking our kids to Disney World, a couple different people recommended I talk with Jennifer Hart, who is a Disney vacation planner and happens to live in my town. So I sent her an email with some questions about what I was thinking for our trip that was being planned for nine months later. She emailed back quickly with advice and then quotes and then recommendations. She reminded me when it was time to book dining reservations and fast passes. And we even returned home to a sweet card from her.

Let’s welcome Jennifer here today as she answers the question “Should I use a travel agent to help me with my Disney vacation?” And, hey, you don’t have to live in Murray, Ky., to use her. We just happen to live in the same town, which was convenient for connecting a couple times before we headed to Orlando.

 "Should I use a travel agent to help me with my Disney vacation?" Well, because I am a travel agent, I bet my answer is obvious … ABSOLUTELY! You know that I am obviously biased, but let me tell you why …

1. The services I provide are FREE!

Really! I am paid a commission by the Disney for vacation packages that I book. There are no behind the scenes mark ups or hidden fees. Disney has very standard pricing and the company offers the same rates to all travel agents that it has on its website.

You may be wondering why Disney would pay a travel agent if they could book all of the travel themselves? The answer is actually pretty simple: Travel agents work to make your trip better. The more fun you have on your vacation, the more likely you are to go back.

2. I specialize in Disney, so I have knowledge, training, and experience. 

Not only do I have a LOVE of all things Disney and lots of experience, but I have also done training and taken tests to "earn my ears." I have to work hard to keep my knowledge current with extra reading, online training, and onsite training.

I often get calls from overwhelmed people trying to plan the perfect Disney vacation for their families. Let’s face it, there are a lot of moving parts to a Disney vacation: transportation, choosing a hotel, sorting out all of the ticket options, dining reservations, figuring out which park to visit on which day, what FastPass+ selections should you make, whether to buy the Memory Maker, and a million other decisions. It is a lot to figure out! I like to get to know my families a little bit, figure out the budget, and help them make the most out of their time and budget.

3. I know what the discounts are and where to find them.

I have worked with many clients who were very surprised when my quote was substantially less than the exact same vacation they priced out themselves. Sometimes, you have to know that there is a sale and where to find it on the website in order to get that price. Sometimes shifting your days or even adding a day to your vacation can make it cheaper. I help you figure out how to save the most money!

My favorite story is about a family who called and said that they wanted a vacation to Disney and knew exactly what they wanted. She just wanted me to book it for them. She was in a bit of a hurry, so I got the information I needed in order to book her vacation. As I began pricing out her vacation to book it, I realized that what she thought she wanted was not really the best idea. I called her back and asked if she could check in one day earlier. She thought that she was pretty set on her travel dates until I explained that if she checked in one day earlier, her entire vacation would cost $800-$900 less! A longer vacation for less money - SURE!

If someone books a vacation with me, I am constantly looking for sales and will apply the best sale. We cannot stack sales, so I always pick the best one to save the most money. If you book through Disney direct, you can do this too, but you have to watch for the sales and call Disney yourself to have the special applied. They do not automatically do it for you!!

4. I can help you save money in other ways.

Personally, I try to spend your money like I would spend my own. Sometimes spending a little extra gives you a lot, but sometimes spending more is just spending more. I also try to let my clients know where they should splurge and where they could save a few dollars. Sometimes you don’t need as much as you think.

On many occasions I have tried to talk clients out of a more expensive vacation. Yes, that does mean I make less in commission, but I am much more concerned that you feel like you got your money worth. I would rather make less and have you trust me than make more and have you feel like you overspent.

5. I am a great sounding board! 

When you are planning your vacation, you are going to have LOTS of questions. Even seasoned Disney travelers have a lot of questions. I have opinions that I will freely offer! More than that, I try to tell you why I like something or why I think you would like something or not.

We live in a world where information is at our fingertips. If you search the web, you are sure to find a lot of message boards, blogs, and websites who claim to be Disney experts. This can be good, but it can also be dangerous. I have on more than one occasion seen inaccurate information floating around cyberspace. The safest bet is to ask someone who is trained by Disney. I am kept up-to-date on changes and refurbishments.

6. I will make your Advance Dining Reservations!

Disney lets resort guests make their dining reservations 180 days before check in. I get up early on your ADR day to make your reservations for you trying to secure your preferred reservations. This is very important for those hard to get locations. You do not want to wait even a few hours later or those choices can change.

7. I will help you plan an itinerary!

Just because you use a vacation planner does not mean that you give up all the planning and control of your vacation. When you get ready to start planning your days in the parks, I have access to crowd predictors and am able to help you plan each day. Some people want to hit every attraction in every park, some want to see every character, and others want to leisurely stroll while hitting the highlights. We can work together to make a plan to accommodate your family and their needs.

Using me, a Disney vacation planner, is NOT giving up control of your vacation. It is making sure that everything is covered. My promise to you is that I will strive to make your vacation as MAGICAL as possible. My personalized planning services will help you save time and money, plus get all of your questions answered – resulting in a better vacation experience for everyone! Any family can benefit from my expertise in Disney Destinations. Best of all, when you book your vacation with me, ALL of these planning services are FREE! I can book vacations to any Disney Destination including Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, or Adventures by Disney.
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Jennifer Hart is a stay-at-home mom and wife who homeschools her three children, ages 12, 10 and 4, and works full time as a Disney vacation planner. The Harts love all things Disney and love to vacation during slower seasons. Learn more about her Disney vacation planning services on her website, by contacting her at jennifer@wishuponastarwithus.com or 270-293-1975, or on Facebook. She also blogs and can be found on Pinterest and Twitter.
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{Disney} Our Favorite Things

Before we left the driveway Saturday morning, we turned on a promotional video to show the kids where we were going. They were speechless. Speechless. That reaction speaks volumes. My kids are talkers. Cate sometimes refers to herself as a chatterbox.

And not a word.

I'll take it. Greg and I are terrible at gift surprises. We get excited and give them early. The night before we left felt like Christmas Eve. I was about to explode with the news of the trip they didn't even know we were taking, but the anticipation was so fun.

Plus I wanted them to sleep before we filled Fall Break with amusement park rides, sugary treats, and all sorts of adventure.

Cate's first real comment was about someone else she knew was going to Disney. We saw Greg's grandma who lives next door as we pulled out of our driveway. We rolled down the window and Ben yelled with excitement, "We are going Disney World!"

That's right. We went to Disney World. 

As we've settled back into our regular life, people ask us what our favorite parts where. It's hard to say, really, but, personally, I was most pleasantly surprised with Animal Kingdom. I loved it there. Ben will tell you his favorite ride was Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. Cate starts naming roller coasters at Magic Kingdom, but not Space Mountain, where she wasn't a fan of the darkness. Greg liked several of the shows.

But I didn't let our reflections start there. Before we even left Orlando, I asked each person to list their five favorites. Even that was difficult (and not everybody could even limit it to five!) because the whole week was so much fun, but we did our best.

Cate's Favorites

• Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom
• Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios
• Frozen Sing-a-long at Hollywood Studios
• The Barnstormer at Magic Kingdom
• Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom

Ben's Favorites

• "It's Tough to Be a Bug" show at Animal Kingdom
• Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom
• Toy Story Midway Mania 
• Splash Mountain

Kristin's Favorites

• "Festival of The Lion King" show at Animal Kingdom
• Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
• Splash Mountain
• Frozen Sing-a-long
• Space Mountain 

Greg's Favorites

• Frozen Sing-a-long
• Expedition Everest
• Splash Mountain
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• "It's Tough to Be a Bug"
• Toy Story Midway Mania

We also enjoyed our character meals at Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom with Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger; Animal Kingdom's Tusker House with safari Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy; and Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios with Disney Jr.'s Jake, Sofia, Handy Manny, and Doc McStuffins.

What's your favorite Disney attraction, show, or restaurant? 
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There will be more Disney posts coming, so stay tuned! And feel free to throw questions my way. You can see all my pictures here.

I should also note my mother-in-law went with us and is one of my favorite people to travel with. I would have included her favorites, but she flew out of Orlando before us and joined another trip touring the Northeast. Perhaps she'll join in the reflections when she returns!

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On family tradition in the fall

Tradition can be defined as a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, etc., for a long time and the stories, beliefs, etc., that have been part of the culture of a group of people for a long time.

One of my favorite things about our family is our traditions. Some have been implemented purposefully and others have just happened based on what we like to do. Many are connected with holidays, but some emerged from daily life.

When we first went to Murray State’s Fall on the Farm in 2008, we had no idea the event would become a tradition for us. But it did – and that was before Ben was even born. The corn maze and barn slide have long been the favorite activities. And there was some disappointment this year that pony rides weren’t available.

We’ve been every year since, except for 2011, when we were busy exploring Acadia National Park, other places in Maine, and Boston. Most years Fall on the Farm was in September, which, looking at the pictures, is usually not actually cool enough to feel like fall.

{2008. 2009. 2010. 2012.}

The first few times we went as a family – which is usually how we do weekends. But last year the kids went with school so I tagged along while Greg was working. Then this year Greg had an all-day commitment, but the kids and I went anyway.

I take tons of pictures. But they help me remember moments. I especially love comparing pictures from the same event over the years. Pictures really are worth so many words and tell stories I know I would otherwise forget.

For us, the fall seems filled with traditions. There are football games and the annual church party and bonfire. We like to vacation in September or October, so I find myself remember trips to Chicago, Branson {2008. 2010. 2011. 2013.}, and the Northeast. Ben’s birthday is near Thanksgiving, so there is plenty of celebrating God’s goodness in our lives.

I hear it’s going to cool down around here. We have soccer games on the calendar through the beginning of November. We’re going to experiment with a possible new tradition – camping – in November.

But, first, we’re going to surprise the kids with one of those vacations we love. This one is to “that big castle before the movies,” as Cate refers to Disney World. Honestly, I can’t believe Greg and I have kept this a secret this long from them. We’re notorious for letting our excitement spoil surprises and prompt early gift-giving.

I’ve seen some people talking about Christmas. But I’m not ready to go there. Fall is just arriving and we have some traditions to uphold before the official holidays.

Does your family have any fall traditions?
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Love Your Ordinary

There's one thing I don't like about Independence Day: It marks the middle of summer. Perhaps I need to a glass-half-full perspective on this, but summer is half way over. My kids go back to school in five weeks. Five weeks from today. 

Summer, slow down please.

I love the ordinary of summer. 

No alarm clock in the morning. Afternoons at the pool. Flexibility with dinnertime and bedtime. The longer daylight hours. Lightning bugs. Snow cones. Impromptu lunches with friends. More afternoons at the pool. Our town's old-fashioned walk-up Dairy Queen. Reading fiction books, both my girl and me. Ben's constant request to go outside.

Summer doesn't have to be fancy to be lovely. That's what I love about it.

Mixed in with our ordinary days have been a week on Hilton Head Island, S.C. with my parents, an aunt and uncle, and my siblings and their families. We spent time on the beach and around the pool. We ate delicious food around various tables. We talked and laughed and reminisced and planned. {You can see tons of pictures of all that here.}

And then the day after we got home, Cate went to her first overnight camp {two nights!} and had a blast. I wasn't anxious about it because she was made for camp. After I helped her get her set up, she walked outside with me to hug Daddy and Ben goodbye. And then without hesitation: "I'm going back inside to get to know the other girls better."

She wanted to stay longer than the camp actually lasted and is already talking about going back next year. When I ask about her favorite part of those three days, she says, "Everything."

Ordinary summers for us also include a couple vacation Bible schools -- one is in the evenings this week and the other is a couple hours each morning next week. We've got plans for an amusement park, a visit with a new nephew, another weekend with my family, and hosting friends here.

Ordinary here is the stereotypical summer days mixed with plenty of socializing. I love it here, this time of the year with these people of mine. Ordinarily, I'd write more here, but I'm busy making these memories that matter.

I want to remember the ordinary because I get the feeling I'm going to look back and the little moments are going to be the big moments. 
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I'm linking up this post with Beth Stiff's Three Word Wednesday, Jennifer Duke Lee's #TellHisStory, Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart, and Jill Savage's Hearts at Home Blog Hop.

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How God met me on the shoreline

We walked the shoreline one morning last week looking for shells that were worth keeping. The tide was out, so the sandy part of the beach seemed massive. Yet few shells seemed colored uniquely or shaped wholly enough to put in the plastic buckets.

Except to Ben.

He found broken pieces of shells with different colors. He gathered small shells that were perfectly shaped. He wanted pieces that looked like they could be images of animals – you know, like when a kid interprets the clouds’ designs.

Just because a shell was broken didn’t disqualify it from Ben’s bucket.

Usually one to be where the party is, Ben wandered more slowly than the others or detoured from the group. It was then when he discovered treasures.

We were on a morning walk on the beach, gathering natural souvenirs. But God met me there, cueing Ellie Holcomb’s song called “The Broken Beautiful” as the soundtrack for the moment my heart needed to soak in.

I know that I don't bring a lot to the table

Just little pieces of a broken heart

There’s days I wonder if You'll still be faithful

Hold me together when I fall apart?

Would You remind me now of who You are?

That Your love will never change,

that there's healing in your name

That You can take broken things,

and make them beautiful

You took my shame

And You walked out of the grave

So Your love can take broken things

and make them beautiful …

{Ellie Holcomb in “The Broken Beautiful”}

Ben was right. It didn’t matter if the shells were whole because even the broken pieces had beauty.

Our lives are the same way. None of us are whole. But we’re holy.

We’re set apart, which sometimes means we venture away from the crowd. We all have our own damage and hurt and disappointments and fears. But over time the tides ebb and flow, washing away the jagged edges and making the fragments smoother.

God tells us to bring to him all of those pieces – the conflict among people you love, the dispute with people you once called friends, the phone call that has never come, the waiting, the best friend whose hurt stirs up your past, and the busyness that haunts your summer. Despite our tendencies, we don’t need to be anxious because he hears our prayers and gives us peace that passes all our understanding. {Phil. 4:6-7}

He prepared us for this. {Ephesians 2:10}

He’s not done yet. {Phil. 1:6}

He has a plan for me and you. {Jeremiah 29:11}

And it’s going to be good. {Romans 8:28}

Like my boy with his shells on the shoreline, God gathers up all the pieces of our lives, knowing they’re worth keeping. Yes, some are pointy and others are dusty, but God covers them all with love and grace and compassion and mercy and forgiveness and peace.
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With this post, I'm joining the weekly Soli Deo Gloria Gathering, where brokenness is believed to be beautiful. 

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Oh, Carolina ...

{If there were a soundtrack for this post, it would be Needtobreathe's "Oh Carolina." You can listen here. And if you haven't heard Needtobreathe's new album, I highly recommend it. All of it.}


Some of my best childhood memories involve beach vacations. The location is different now, but these vacation continue now that us three kids are married and have kids. We're up to 13 of us now.

We'll all gathering this week at a house in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where we'll swim, eat, play games, laugh, explore, read, spend lots of time talking about where we're going and what we're doing next, swim, and eat.

In 2005, we discovered Hilton Head when a hurricane was en route to Perdido Key, Florida, which was the backdrop for many childhood memories. We haven't been back to Florida's Panhandle because we fell in love with South Carolina's Low Country.

{See posts from previous Hilton Head trips: 2005. 2008. 2010.}

In 2012, we were adventurous and stayed at Isle of Palms near Charleston. It was nice. But it wasn't Hilton Head.

So, Hilton Head, we're coming back to you.

Do you have memories tied up in a specific vacation spot?
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{Behind the Scenes} In Branson

We celebrated Thanksgiving and even a little of Christmas in Branson with my husband's brothers and their families. Altogether, that's eight kids ages almost 10, 8, 6.5, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 2.5, and 7 months. And, yes, my mother-in-law, who is the best trip planner ever, got all the kids coordinating pajamas from Gymboree.

A big untraditional, but our Thanksgiving dinner was served by a tall elf at Dixie Stampede. And we didn't use utensils to eat our whole baked turkey, half of a roasted potato, corn on the cob, roll, creamy vegetable soup, and apple turnover. The food was delicious and the show was entertaining.

In a merging of the holidays, we went to a Christmas ornament store on Thanksgiving morning and each of the kids picked out two ornaments and each family picked out another. These were hung on a tree my mother-in-law put up in her condo for the weekend. The kids had the best time decorating it and showing off their new ornaments. Ben's choices of an airplane and dinosaur are predictable. He's all boy. Cate's horse ornament wasn't surprising, but I don't have any words about that bedazzled phone. Except, of course, I hope she knows that's the only phone she's going to get for awhile.

We also went to Silver Dollar City. And, let me tell you, we weren't the only ones who thought spending Black Friday at an amusement park was a good idea. We've been there in the earlier fall and now later fall near Thanksgiving twice. The earlier fall is definitely my favorite time of the year to be there. Either season has lovely decorations.

We did ride some rides and eat a funnel cake. Possibly my favorite ride ever is at Silver Dollar City. And I got my 6-year-old girl on it with me.

The Giant Barn Swing takes riders swinging seven stories high on pendulums that go 230 degrees at 45 mph. It's intense. Cate said she felt like she was upside-down. Technically, she wasn't.

She wasn't sure at first if she liked it. But she's talked about the next time she rides it probably won't be as scary. I guess that means she liked it! As a roller coaster lover, I feel like I'm doing my part to raise my daughter to have an adventurous spirit! Ben wasn't tall enough to ride on The Giant Barn Swing, which he totally would have. But he did manage to photo bomb on our photo - on purpose!

We also saw "The Miracle of Christmas" at the Sights & Sounds Theater, "Frozen" at a local movie theater, ate at my favorite White River Fish House as well as other tasty restaurants. Oh, and we spent hours at the original Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., on our road trip to Branson. {It's boy heaven, really, although I had some luck Christmas shopping!}

For the record, our family loves Branson. We came in September 2008, October 2010 and Thanksgiving 2011. There's so much to do that every trip has been a little different with some common sights, sounds and tastes.

Each family had its own condo, which was nice for regrouping each evening and allowing for good nights of sleep. Our days were packed with meals and outings together. Truly, this trip was a good balance of the best worlds of a vacation that bridged Thanksgiving and Christmas and gave us time with each other.
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Gracias, Mexico.

I have this mental list of places I want to visit and things I want to do on road trips. Honestly, Mexico wasn't on the list. But I'm oh-so glad my husband had the idea to go. So, with that said, here are seven reasons I'm saying thank you to Mexico.

 1. The all-inclusive resort was great. The food there was delicious. The grounds were pretty. And the people were so friendly. We used All Inclusive Outlet and learned about El Dorado Royale, an adult-only resort between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. This was our first time staying at an all-inclusive resort and I totally recommend it.

2. I slept so good while we were gone. Perhaps that's what relaxing does for a momma away from her kids. Unfortunately, I haven't slept that great since we've been back home, mostly thanks to a nagging cough. So, really, I kind would like that king-sized hotel bed back.

3. Beach cabanas. For a beach lover like me, having a bed or couch in a personal shaded hut right there on the beach was the perfect setting for me to relax. Did I mention I read three novels while we were on vacation? Yeah, that's what happens when I have free time and relax. Greg says I'm nicer too. {The relaxation must have been good for my health too because my blood sugar was so consistently good.}

4. The kids had fun here too. The grandmas split the five full days we were gone. My mom stayed here the first night we were gone and then took the kids to her house in Louisville for the weekend. Then my mother-in-law stayed here with them the last two nights. {Technically, we were gone only four nights, but we didn't get home until 2 a.m. that last one.}

5. Greg and I needed the time. I'm not much on going on trips without my kids, but this particular trip came at a good time in our life. We've had a busy, busy summer. I wrote freelance and managed lake houses and took care of kids and did fun things with kids and spent hours at the pool and hung out with friends. And my husband's busiest season at work is July and August. The time to talk, reconnect, eat meals I didn't have to prepare, explore, and just be together was good for us.

6. Adventure is fun. Years ago I would tell you I wasn't adventurous at all. But I think I kind of am, actually. We've bungy jumped and ziplined before. On this trip, we spent the day with Adventuras Mayas, where we ziplined, rappelled and snorkeled in a fresh water river in a cave and in the ocean. They also fed us delicious Mexican food. {This was the only day we left the resort, but it was certainly worth it.}

7. Sunshine. We went to Mexico during its rainy season, which I understand is risky. {Just look at the forecast not long before we left.} But it only rained during the day one of the days we were there. I didn't swim as much as I thought I would {see #3}, but we certainly enjoyed being outside. Other than lounging, we enjoyed a bike tour around the resort on our first morning there.

So, gracias, Mexico. We loved our time with you.
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I uploaded all our pictures to a Facebook album, if this sample isn't enough. Here are a couple recent posts that indirectly are related to our trip: Find Your Balance. Six Things I Learned in September.  

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Six Things I Learned in September

I sound like a broken record, but I can't believe September is over. It doesn't quite feel like fall here, but it's getting closer. The season change is in the air ... and I believe it's been causing me to cough all week. Ah, Kentucky, your seasons have a way of messing with our heads, literally. It's been a good month. A fast month. And now we're entering the slope to the end of the year. Yeah, shhh, I know. I won't talk about how I've been Christmas shopping online. 

1. Mexico is relaxing, especially when I'm with my husband at an all-inclusive resort for five days. And for me relaxing involves reading fiction. I managed to finish three books: "Trapped" by Irene Hannon, "Six Years" by Harlan Coben and "In the Name of Honor" by Richard North Patterson. We did talk, eat and explore too. And perhaps I'll get around the writing a Mexico post soon.

2. Hand-written letters are a lost but still much appreciated art form. And, really, so are phone calls from local friends just to chat. But, goodness, when they happen they are sweet.

3. I don't have as much free time as I anticipated having once the school year got rolling. We're six weeks in. And I know God is spurring me toward a new balance. I've read so many things that echo what's been going on in my mind.

{Like this by S.D. Smith :: "Pick only a few things. Do those with all your heart. Dream small. Jesus didn’t seek out crowds. He poured into 12 men. Those men, by the Spirit, shook the world. It’s still shaking. Our lives, poured into a few worthwhile people and projects, will ripple out in a million unseen consequences. We need imagination to see it."}

4. Lots of people like coffee. Lots of people like pumpkin. I'm not in either club. But, hey, give me some candy corn and honey crisp apples and we'll call it fall, y'all.

5. Even though I feel burned on the adoption trail, I find myself grasping to hope fairly easily yet I try to balance that with not getting my hopes up. Yeah, I have no idea what that means either.

6. It's OK to read books slowly and put them down to pick up another book, knowing you'll be back. Right now I'm somewhere in the pages of "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst, "Mended" by Angie Smith and "The Applause of Heaven" by Max Lucado.

How's September been for you?
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I'm linking up with Emily Freeman's Chatting at the Sky and other bloggers who are looking back on their Septembers. Here are my past installments: June. July. August. 

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11 years and some surprises

My favorite picture from Aug. 3, 2002. Louisville, Ky.

Greg has surprised me in big ways three times in the 15 years I've known him. I'm not easy to surprise, mostly because I ask tons of questions. He surprised me the day he asked me to marry him. Then again 8 years he managed to have my family and closest friends keep my 30th birthday party a surprise. It was even a week late, which gave him the Mother's Day hook. Well played, husband.

The most recent surprise came this spring. Greg and I were taking advantage of both our kids being in school and spent an early lunch hour at a local restaurant that sells the best gyros. Not long into the conversation, Greg reveals he's been thinking about taking me on a trip. This isn't the biggest shock because we're often planning our next road trip adventure. But he said he wanted to take just me to a beach.

You should know, beaches aren't typically his first-choice vacation spots. But he knows they are mine. We spent the rest of lunch discussing where we thought we should go. We threw out all kinds of tropical spots. Truly, I didn't care where we decided to go.

The surprise wasn't where we would go. The surprise was that we were going. Somewhere. Together.

Greg and I are notorious for giving each other gifts early. We're terrible at gift surprises. We also are quick to plan a trip and say it's our anniversary present to each other. One year we bought one of those bike trailers for our kids to ride in, you know, for our anniversary. Hey, riding bikes seems like a good thing to do together.

Oh, so you want to know where we're going?

Do you see that? My husband is taking me to Mexico. In one month and 16 days. You know, for our 11th anniversary, which we're celebrating today.

I say Greg has surprised me three times. That's true if you're talking about total, out-of-the-blue surprises, but I've actually lost count. We've known each other for 15 years and almost six months. We've been married 11. We've readjusted our plan when God led us down new paths for work more than once, how to have babies, and thousands of tiny decisions that make up our life together. We've gotten off on the wrong exits or taken detours that became adventures. We've laughed when maybe we should have cried and certainly cried when we should have laughed. We've watched games and played games and read stories and told stories and created stories.

Our life isn't anything like I planned, so, really, maybe that's the biggest -- and greatest -- surprise of this thing called marriage.

Husband, I'd say yes all over again. I'd go through the hard years again to get here. Thanks for surprising me in the few big ways and thousand of tiny ways. Our life is better than the one I had planned for myself. Here's to another four decades together!
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Other anniversary posts: Five years. Six years. Seven years. Nine years. Ten years.

{8.8.13} I linked this post up with Kristen Strong's Out of the Blue, where we documents the stories that surprise us. Clearly this one fits! 

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{Florida in February} Busch Gardens

I like amusement parks and zoos. I liked them when I was a kid. I liked them before I have kids. So I certainly like them now that I'm a momma. Busch Gardens is like an amusement park with a zoo, so, obviously, it's my kind of place. Oh, and, hey, it's in Florida.

Did I mention I loved going to Florida in February? Well, yes, I'm going to be one of those old people who spends a month {perhaps two ...} down there. I hesitate to call my future self a snowbird because, well, I live in a state that doesn't get much snow.

Busch Gardens quickly made our agenda when we decided to spend an extended weekend in Florida, where my cousin was married in a lovely beach wedding earlier this month. The amusement park was the second item of business for my kids who were geared up to see Winter.

My complaints about Busch Gardens are limited to the price of admission and the shortened winter hours. Otherwise, I loved this place. I rode a wooden roller coaster with my husband, mom and brother. And, you know, it didn't leave us feeling the effects of a jerky ride. It was a good way to start the day.

See that ship that's nearly upside down? My 9-year-old niece and 5-year-old daughter got on that with me. I was so proud of them! My niece tried to tell me she didn't liked it after the thrill sunk in and we were back on ground, but she smiled the whole time we were on it. Cate is tall for a 5 year old, but she was just at the 42-inch height requirement so her feet didn't quite touch the ground. Perhaps that added to the upside-down thrill ... and scare.

They got over it and rode a roller coaster with an upside-down loop. I think they were less scared because the upside-down-ness was much quicker than the ship that gradually goes higher as it goes back and forth and then pauses as you hang upside down.

My fearless boy was said he couldn't ride in the bumper cars {and others} and I felt sorry for him. So I bought him some cotton candy. Most of you know I'm not usually that easy. But, hey, I'd be sad if somebody told me I couldn't ride a ride. Of course, I didn't want in a bumper car and I was reminded why as I watched my 30-year-old brother aim directly for his wife and daughter dodging the strangers along the way.

Ben loved the rides he could ride, though. And, you know, I'm looking forward to the day when the four of us can spend the day riding roller coasters together. {Greg and I went to Six Flags for our sixth anniversary and were recently thinking about doing it again. Spending the day riding roller coasters is our type of fun!}

Even though her adventurous spirit is tamer than Ben's, she's still a fan of amusement parks. I preferred to capture her sweet smile and not the gems on the side of this carousel horse she wanted documented. Priorities, people.

Busch Gardens was a great place for us to spend one of our days in Florida in February. We'll have to go back again sometime. Of course, then the kids will be taller, more roller coasters will make the agenda and I'll be a little closer to becoming an official snowbird.
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Read my other Florida in February posts: Dolphin Tale. The Beach. Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Like 152 Insights on Facebook. Or follow me on Twitter.

{Florida in February} The Beach

I may have lived in land-locked Kentucky my whole life, but I've loved the beach for a long time. Growing up, my family vacationed on Florida's Panhandle many years in a row. I've taken road trips with friends to Naples {twice}, Tampa, and Panama City.

Almost eight years ago, a hurricane changed our plans to vacation with my family in Perdido Key, Florida. We ended up in Hilton Head, SC. And, you know, besides a trip to Jacksonville Beach when my dad was working there in 2006, I hadn't been back to Florida. But I've been to South Carolina five times since then {July 2005. June 2008. July 2010. July 2012. November 2012.} and seen the beauty of the northern Atlantic coast.

When the save-the-date card for my cousin's Feb. 9, 2013 wedding on St. Pete Beach, Florida, arrived in my mail box several months ago, I heard the Gulf Coast calling my name. I didn't realize I'd missed it. Of course, I'm not likely to ever deny a beach my presence if it's possible to be there, where the land meets the water and downs out the chaos of everyday life.

We spent four nights in Madeira Beach, one of the many Gulf beaches near Tampa. Our condo sat at the end of the row of buildings next to John's Pass, so we could look to the south and see water and a drawbridge and out to the west and see the ocean. The location was lovely.

I ran on the beach a couple of times. Half of my family of four went to my cousin's wedding while the other half went to the immediate care center because Cate spiked a fever just days after her brother started a fever with strep throat. We saw Winter from "Dolphin Tale" and spent a day at Busch Gardens. We ate good food, played Spoons, and hung out around the heated pool and on the beach.

Yes, I could have spent another week {at least ...} there. Good call, Jennifer, on planning a beach wedding in February. We loved being there and loved an excuse to come back to Florida. It didn't take long for me to remember why I loved the Gulf Coast, where white sand covers the ground and the sun sets perfectly behind the water horizon.

Even in this paradise, imperfect life creeps in.

Our first morning there, Ben woke up with a rash. Turns out it can come with strep throat, according to my nurse friend who consulted a resource to see if it's "normal" for one to show up after a few days of antibiotic. Ben spent Wednesday and Thursday -- the two days before we left -- with a fever that wouldn't quite break as his body battled strep throat.

My nurse friend Courtney told me to make sure it didn't spread to his trunk. I really thought she texted the wrong word. I couldn't figure out what autocorrect mistakenly corrected. I was alone in my confusion. My husband and sister-in-law knew she meant his chest and belly.

After swimming in the {chilly} ocean and then the {heated} pool, Cate couldn't get warm. I figured it was just her body still chilly from the ocean swim. But even after a hot shower, it took a jacket in nearly 80 degree weather to warm her little body. The ocean was nothing like "The Bachelor" polar bear plunge I'd just days before on TV. After lunch, some homework and watching a movie with cousins, she walked up to me and told me she needed to take a nap. I saw glassy eyes and a flushed face. The thermometer confirmed: 102.2.

She ended up at the immediate care center, thanks to her Daddy who was missing the wedding we flew to Florida to attend. I was pretty sure she had strep throat and even tried to call our pediatrician back home. Cate's official diagnosis was tonsillitis. And thankfully she perked up the next morning and was able to enjoy the rest of our vacation.

Meanwhile, I rushed around to get wedding-ready {read: shower and put on a skirt} and forgot to put back on my insulin pump. Of course I didn't realize until eight of us filled a mini van.

We turned around and my gracious sister-in-law {who was closer to the door than my third-row seat next to the boys and their car seats} saved us some time by going back up to our fifth-floor condo to retrieve my pump from the bathroom counter. This is the same sister-in-law who is a hair stylist and offered to blow dry my hair. Seriously, that's speaking my love language. I would hire someone to come blow dry my hair every day if that a realistic option.

Then we had to wait for the drawbridge to come back down before we moved south on Gulf Boulevard to St. Pete Beach. We pulled into the parking lot about 12 minutes before the wedding was scheduled to start but couldn't find a parking spot. We ran by the valets, questioning why we didn't think of that option, right at wedding start time. Seeing the bridal party still gathered not at the ceremony site was a relief. We found our way to seats and took deep breaths.

After the wedding was over, my mom told Ben he was good. "I not make any noise!" he said. Of course, part of him not making any news was the yogurt-covered raisins he ate and stored for later in his shirt pocket.

That's my wedding date. A guy of many emotions.

Back at the condo, Cate rested and thankfully her fever came down. It's worth noting in a matter of three days, I had two kids start amoxicillin. And it was Cate's second time in less than a month. Ah, motherhood, always keeping us on our toes. It's certainly the job that never takes a vacation.
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