Disney Rocks!

Back when Andrea and I went to Maui, we bought some points/option for a time share dealio. With those points we were able to stay at a sweet place in Disney World and another less-sweet place on the beach in Destin, Florida. We definitely would not recommend wasting one's money on the time share option like we did (lesson learned!), but we did enjoy a super fun time at Disney World. We went with some of our friends who have similar age kids. It was SUPER fun! Here are some pictures from our trip.

Day 1 - Animal Kingdom

They weren't really diggin' the Bug's Life 4D show. We left early after things started hitting them (I think it was just air!).

We rode this about four times because there was no line! Sweet!!!

At the end of a long and fun first day.

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

Good times with friends.

What a cute family! ;-)
What a great big brother!

Faces of FUN!

This car ride always seems faster when you're young! But it's still fun at my age! We got to go around twice because I had two drivers.

Like mother like daughter...cute!

More cuteness.
Hanging around. Waiting in line.
Bros before...never forget it guys! ;-)
Mom with her cute kids.

We got to have dinner that night with my Grandma and Great Aunt. We had a fun dinner at the T-Rex Restaurant. It took a while to wait in line, however (love that Mackay is asleep in this).
UPDATE: Unfortunately, my Aunt is no longer with us. She is missed.

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios

What a cute family! (Is Eme crying?) ;-)
Be honest, what boy doesn't love Star Wars? Show me one and I'll show you a neglectful parent! :-)
A little rain came just as we were calling it a day.

Day 4 - Chillin'
I asked the kids if they wanted to go to the Disney parks for a fourth day, but I think three was good for them. They were happy to swim at our hotel and go shopping.

At least the hotel had a nice pool...even if it was overpriced!

We stopped at the Lego Store before leaving Disney and picked up a few things. Legos = a slice of heaven for these boys!

Day 5 - Beach

Eme loves the beach!
Eme doesn't love sitting on alligators!

Note that I'm planning to make a home movie combining all of our clips, but haven't gotten around to it. I will finish it! In the mean time, enjoy these clips of Mackay and Beckett on their first roller coaster rides.

Mackay's First Roller Coaster Ride from Be Strong on Vimeo.

Beckett's First Roller Coaster Ride from Be Strong on Vimeo.

UPDATE: Since uploading the roller coaster video of Beckett, a Disney representative contacted me to include it in a video montage they showed on the side of Cinderella's Caste for part of the month of February 2011. It was part of some promotional they were doing. I'm still trying to get a copy of their final video, but I doubt they'll send it.

Water Fun

In mid-July we headed to my parents home for a little summer fun. The boys had a great time playing on the slip and slide, swimming in the hot tub, and riding on grandpa's boat. Nothing like a little water fun in the middle of summer to stay cool.



A little fun on the slip and slide.

A not-so-hot hot tub. Note Mackay's bruise on his hip from the water slide.


















Beckett loves his little sister!


















Mackay and Grandpa taking the helm.























Eme and Grandma enjoying the ride.























A fun trip.


















My great parents!

Celebrating 4 @ Gulfport

Although the beach at Gulfport was nothing like those we found in Maui, the kids didn't seem to notice. They had a great time playing in the sand, jumping in the pool, and playing at a near by kids museum. After all, everything is better when you can play with your cool cousins!

And although his birthday was not for a few more days, we celebrated Mackay's 4th birthday in style with his many cousins and a pinata before we headed home! These are the days we'll remember...

A Full Life

After going to Maui, we all headed down to Gulfport, Mississippi for a little shindig with my family to celebrate my parents 60th birthdays (they were born a day apart!). My sisters created an amazing book commemorating their entire lives. Check out Amy's blog for all the details. My contribution was this video of their lives...it's 35+ minutes of good times...called A Full Life!

A Full Life from Be Strong on Vimeo.

Maui is SWEET!

Andrea and I took a much deserved vacation to Maui without the kids (many thanks to Andrea's parents for watching them; one of the many benefits of living close to family)! It was a relaxing and short five days hanging out at the beach, snorkeling, hiking, and sleeping in. We still have more things we want to do there, so I guess we'll have to make a point of getting back there sooner rather than later.

New Year's Celebrations With Kids

So perhaps it's an excuse. Perhaps we just don't know how to have a good time in our "old age." Whatever it is, these pictures pretty much describe our party life with kids. We did go to a friends house on New Year's Eve, but Mackay actually fell asleep on my lap at 8:30 p.m. or so, making it difficult to actually celebrate with friends until the clock struck midnight. That's ok, we made it to midnight Europe time, right!

Mackay and Beckett...buddies...going to party.
Couldn't quite make it to midnight...

Chasing the Train

I made this movie of our trip today with Andrea's parents and her sister (and her boyfriend) and brother down to Kemah Boardwalk--the boys loved riding on the merry-go-round and the train. It's the first movie I've made with iMovie '08. Fun to make. Perhaps I missed my calling in life! :)

A Christmas Double-Hitter

After visiting Marc's sisters in North Texas for Christmas, we headed south to visit with Andrea's parents--it got a little warmer but still left us wishing for the 70s that we enjoyed just a week earlier. Andrea's sister, Julie, was visiting from out of state (which means that we don't see her as often as we'd like) as was her youngest brother, Adam. Julie's new found boyfriend also visited, which was an added bonus. It was great to see everyone, even if it was only for a short few days. Unfortunately Marc had to work on Monday (New Year's Eve) so we weren't able to stay for Andrea's parents' famous party with fireworks and good hometown country fun! Perhaps next year...

Beckett loves Cheetos...need any more proof than this?
Mackay and Beckett got to feed the longhorns...we're definitely in Texas!

The Boys First Rodeo

...and mine too! After our trip to the lake with Andrea's family, we headed up to a small town in North Texas for some family reunion and wedding festivities. The first night we were there, we went to a Rodeo. It was something else. It's the first time I've seen wild cow milking--several cowboys try to rope a wild cow and hold her down while one of them proceeds to get enough milk out of her that it will drip from a bottle when he show it to the judge. In my opinion, it was way more exciting than the bull riding!


Mackay riding his first pony at the rodeo.


Beckett too!


We stayed at a bed and breakfast the same night as the rodeo. It was an amazing place with some sweet old stuff in it. One of the rooms, pictured above, had a jungle theme. Mackay looks a bit out of it in the picture, but he's hanging in there. I do feel bad for the boys, however. We need to settle down soon!