A Magical Family Vacation

We had a great family vacation this year. My parents arranged for the whole family, all 3 kids and their spouses and the grandchildren, to spend a week at Disney World. Sheila, the kids and I left a couple days early, so we could go to Sea World too. Sea World was a hit last year when we took the kids there, and we all loved it again. The kids love Shamu! We got to feed the stingrays, watch several other aquatic shows, go on some rides and even had dinner backstage with Shamu! That was a really cool experience being poolside where they train the orcas. Julia was able to meet a Shamu trainer and learn what it takes to become one. For those of you who have not heard, Julia has been saying for the past year that she'd like to be a Shamu trainer. Another highlight was riding Journey to Atlantis three times. It's a combination roller coaster/water flume ride that Julia and I love.

Julia & Hutch watching SHAMU

Julia w/ a SHAMU trainer

The next four days were spent at Disney World. We stayed in the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, a beautiful property at Walt Disney World. We visited all of the Disney parks and had an amazing time. Highlights included lunch with the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle. Julia even received the royal treatment with an appointment at the Bippidi Boppidi Boutique. We also had dinner with Mickey and his friends at a backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness. We went on all of the famous children's rides at the Disney parks, such as It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Snow White, Finding Nemo, etc. Julia and I also went on most of the thrill rides. We rode Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Expedition Everest and Mission Space, among others. So far, she really enjoys all of these rides. She throws her hands in the air on the roller coasters, but makes sure to keep saying "keep your arm around me Daddy" for the whole ride. Disney World was just an incredible time, as always, and it was great for my parents to see the grandchildren enjoy the experience. Thank you again to Mom and Dad for planning and giving us this great vacation!

Winnie the Pooh signed autographs & posed for a picture

Julia & Hutch w/ Grandma & Papa Helton

Julia dressed as Belle

We departed Orlando on Friday and headed to Amelia Island to meet Sheila's parents for the weekend. We had a great time visiting with them. If you've never been to the Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach area, it is really beautiful and nice. Sheila, Julia and I headed to Jacksonville Saturday afternoon to go to the FSU-Colorado football game. Hutch spent some quality time with Grandma & Papa Strausser on Amelia Island. We really enjoyed the game. Our seats were only five rows off the field, and the FSU cheerleaders were right in front of us! That was a big hit with Julia, who also says she wants to be an FSU cheerleader. Since Julia was there, the Seminoles won again. We are 4 for 4 when Julia is in attendance, for those keeping score. If we could just get her to every game, we would win another national championship.

Julia & Grandma Strausser

Julia enjoyed watching the cheerleaders up close

We left Amelia Island and drove home Sunday. We all had a great time, but we were ready to get back to our own beds and a normal schedule again. Hutch was even wilder than normal after a week of extreme stimulation and fun. It was a magical family vacation that we will never forget.

John