Annual Disney Day

Good Wednesday morning!

In case you haven't noticed, it is AUTUMN outside!! I'm putting my new copper fire pit out on our patio tonight, and I'm going to surprise everyone with roasted hot dogs and marshmallows around the fire. (Yes. I am fortunate enough to own my own portable fire pit!) At least, I hope they're surprised... and pleased. (Talk about an easy dinner!)

A COUPLE OF REMINDERS - I've added a new blog for you to try on my Blog List. It is called BooMama. It's very good, so if you like new blogs, give it a try. (Not instead of mine... in addition to.)

Also, check out Sweet Celebrations under my Blog List and look at her Snickerdoodle recipe. (It's a couple of posts down.) I love making snickerdoodles, but her recipe is much more simple than mine, and it looks delicious. I'll be trying them soon, and I wanted you to have an opportunity to do the same.

If you ever go to the Galleria, stop by Godiva Chocolates and ask them if you can sign up for the Chocolate of the Month Club. You will fill out a short form, and then every time you go to the Galleria, you can stop by and receive a free piece of candy from their store (once a month). I usually go once every two or three months, but it's nice knowing there's a piece of chocolate waiting for me as soon as I arrive. No purchase necessary.

I had a bad day Monday "panic attack-wise," and although I was physically present for Mikie and the kids, emotionally I was a total disconnect. So Monday, there was no joy in my day. I was in survival mode.

Monday night before I went to sleep, I kept thinking about a verse Pastor Kevin used in his sermon Sunday morning. It wasn't the main verse, but one of the many other scriptures he used. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23-24. I needed that as I put my head to the pillow last night. I needed to be reminded that Tuesday, September 29, 2009 was going to be a new day and new mercies would be available to me yesterday morning (and this morning) when I awoke. It says so... right there in the Bible!

I've been singing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" this morning under my breath... especially the chorus. "Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

Maybe that will be a verse that will help you today or a day in the future. There are some verses I keep close to my heart, and I just wanted to share that one with you today. (IT'S A FREEBIE!)

Wednesday Wisdom

Here's a shocker. I'm going to use a quote from Mr. Walt Disney himself. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

Of course, I like that one. It's similar to the Nike ad... "Just do it." And whether it's about exercise, or reading a new book, or planning something to do (IN PEN) with your family, "quit talking and begin doing." I always feel better when I actually "do" rather than just "think" about doing, don't you?

Disney Week - Part Three

Epcot was beautiful. We spent a lot of time in Innoventions playing the computer games and Toon Tag. We were all going to ride Body Wars, but Josh was nervous and decided not to. Five minutes after Mike and Austin got off the ride, Josh decided to try it and we quickly rode it again.

Next, we tried Test Track. Austin and I rode together, and as we were going around the track 65 miles per hour, Austin plunged under the seat (don't ask me how he got down there) and held onto my knees for the remainder of the ride. When the pictures came back on the screen, I was the only one pictured in the car... Austin was nowhere in sight. He was mad and decided to ride with Mike, and although he stayed in an upright position, the picture showed a little boy screaming his head off!

Our favorite part of Epcot was definitely the Jamitors... a garbage can band. The kids loved them. Our biggest regret was not seeing ANY of the countries or the Living Seas. However, the kids were tired and we said anytime they started whining, we would go back to the hotel for a rest instead of fighting them, and that system really worked best for our family.

Our character dinner at Gulliver's (the Swan Hotel) was a mistake and was probably the worst experience we had at Disney if we wanted to name one. It took forever to arrive at Gulliver's by bus. It would have been a five minute drive or less in our van, and it wasn't a character meal like the others we had experienced. It was a very fancy restaurant and Timon and Rafiki came by our table for a few minutes. It was a quiet atmosphere and was much more adult than family- or kid-oriented. The bus ride back to the hotel took over an hour since the bus kept stopping for longer and longer periods of time at each stop.

Also, it was at this time I knew the scratchy throat that had been plaguing me all day was turning into something much worse. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought I was coming down with my annual strep throat! But that couldn't be. No one gets sick at Disney! Am I right?

Annual Disney Day

Once a year, pick a day to celebrate your favorite Disney movies. If you have little ones, you may have a day in your pajamas watching Nemo or Lilo & Stitch; pre-teens love Parent Trap and Swiss Family Robinson; and teenagers would love a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon. Not only make it a day of movies, but plan your meals around the movies you pick as well.

Nemo - Fish and chips
Lilo & Stitch - Hawaiian food
Parent Trap - Camping food
Swiss Family Robinson - Island food (coconuts and lots of fruit)
Pirates of the Caribbean - Turkey legs and rum (JUST KIDDING!!!)

You get the general idea. This can be planned for a long evening, or a lazy Saturday morning or a Sunday afternoon after church. Everyone has a favorite Disney movie, and making it an annual theme day will be a fun and easy and inexpensive way to spend some time together!

I remember the first time I saw Tom Sawyer... the old one with Jody Foster and the red-headed kid from Family Affair. We were at school and we had an assembly in the gym in 4th grade. We sat on the floor of the gym and they showed it on a big screen on the stage. It was WONDERFUL! I was totally absorbed. And they stopped the movie right as Jody Foster and the red-headed kid from Family Affair went into the cave where Injun Joe was hiding. Do you remember? I thought I would absolutely die before we were able to see the rest of the movie the next afternoon.

It was magical. I've always loved that movie. As parents, you could share your favorite OLD Disney movie with your kids. They may or may not have seen it yet.

Also, if you have the game Disney Scene It or if you know someone who would loan it to you, it would be fun to play sometime during your Annual Disney Day. It's a very enjoyable game, and kids usually do not need a lot of help from the adults... it's usually the other way around!

Have a lovely Wednesday. Make sure you get outside sometime to enjoy the cooler temps. Tomorrow we have a new farm to explore, Weekend Family Fun, a Disney date for you and your little ones and much, much more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda