Spring Break Staycation

My parents came to visit during Spring Break, and we had the best time! We hiked in the Smokies, scoped out future campsites, spent time in Pigeon Forge, and visited the Sunsphere. We can't wait for them to come back again...especially because next time, we will be in our new house!

Photo op during our hike at Ijams Nature Center. 

Momo and Papa with their tall grand boys. 

Ethan holding up the Sunsphere. 

Mini golfing was hilarious!

Snow Day(s)

Yes...snow dayssssss. We are on our second full week of no school thanks to three snow storms in two weeks. Don't forget we spent a week at Disney, so Ethan and Jackson are on their third week of having no school. Luckily (not according to them), Mom has been filling time with worksheets, reading, and piano. 

Don't worry, it hasn't been all work and no play....

Swinging at the park during brother's soccer practice. 

Ice skating! They are becoming really good at ice skating. 

And since we rock at ice skating, why not try roller skating? They figured it out pretty quickly. 

Keep on rollin.

And we took advantage of all the darn snow and built a snow fort!

School is closed again tomorrow so we'll see what kind of trouble we can get into. 

AquaScouts

The boys were superstar popcorn salesmen, which earned them the opportunity to attend the Cub Scout lodge trip. We went to Gatlinburg, TN with a fun group of scouts. We learned lots of neat facts at the aquarium, ate delicious food, and swam with our friends. All in all, a fun weekend!

There's a shark behind you!

Ethan was brave enough to hold the crabs. 

Jackson was content with just petting them. 

What a handsome diver. 

Hanging out with their new penguin friends. 

Use the Force, Padawans

Probably the coolest part of our vacation was watching the boys turn into Padawans and enroll in the Jedi Academy at Hollywood Studios. 

Enrolling into the Academy is no easy task. We arrived at the park 45 minutes before opening. Once the gates were opened, we sprinted to the registration line. Despite our well-thought out efforts, there were several candidates already in line. There are a limited number of spots for the Academy, and fortunately, we made the cut!!

The boys were given Jedi robes and light sabers. They were trained by a Jedi master, and then both boys had to battle Darth Vader!

Jackson was a little nervous being in front of a big crowd. Ethan made it very clear that his dad was a Star Wars nerd, and the two of them had practiced for this very battle!

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to upload the videos. 

What a handsome Padawan. 

A very cute (and very nervous) Padawan. 

Jackson's battle with Darth Vader. 

Ethan showing off. 

So much fun!

Legoland

On our last day in Orlando, we ventured to Legoland. The rides were less thrilling than Disney, but we were able to ride all the big rides and meet some characters. A fun park, but our boys were almost too old for it. 

We have arrived!

We had to visit the Star Wars area. A Vader made of Legos!

And Darth Mal too!

Ethan with the Chima lion after a very cold water ride. 

Meeting WyldStyle and Emmet. Everything is awesome!

Mom and Ethan-trapped in the dungeon. 

Thanks for a fun day Legoland!

Disney Delight!

This was THE month.  The month for Disney World!

We had an easy drive to Orlando and stayed at the military Disney resort, Shades of Green. 

It was A-mazing.

 This was Andrew's first time at Disney, and he was not disappointed.  

We spent four days hopping from Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.  We MASTERED the thrill rides.  Not to brag, but we are becoming quite the Disney connoisseurs.  We are already planning our trip back next year. 

And we are off!!  Our kids are rock star travelers.

We got to meet Chip & Dale.  Honestly, we had the opportunity to meet many more, but the children were only interested in rides.  Lots and lots of rides.

Third ones in line for The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!

We were pumped!

Waiting to ride The Barnstormer.

Magic Kingdom train.

 

 

 

 

 

Our amazing resort, Shades of Green.

More pictures to come!  The kids also got to battle Darth Vader so I'll do my best to upload the videos.

Ice Skating and Zoo Tripping

Before Christmas Break came to a close, the boys and I enjoyed trips to the zoo and the skating rink. 

Ethan was wobbly at first, but he never quit and was skating great by the second trip to the rink. 

This picture is very deceiving. Jackson took to skating like a fish to water. I struggled to keep up with him. 

Enjoying some hot chocolate while we watched the zamboni. Both boys want to take skating lessons and play hockey. Add it to the list!

Jackson is currently OBSESSED (understatement of the year) with Curious George. He was thrilled to find a monkey at the zoo who was named George, and who was the same age as him!

Cute, and giant, prairie dog sighting!

Cute birds at the zoo too (Jack's face cracks me up)!

Now we are back to the routine: school, basketball, piano, and soon...soccer and flag football!