January 2011

On Sunday, January 9, It started to snow.  It snowed more than I have ever seen here in Atlanta in the over 12 years we have lived here.  We usually get a dusting or a good sheet of ice, but not tonight.  We got about 4 inches of snow.  For most areas 4 inches is nothing, things still go on like normal, but not for the Atlanta area.  Everything was shut down on Monday.  No school, almost every office businesses were closed, and lots of retail stores were closed as well.  Ya know it was a tough 3 days back at school.  Yes we have been back to school for 3 days since Christmas break before getting off for the snow.  Since the weather for the rest of the week was below freezing and we don't have any snow plows probably in our whole state it meant that school was cancelled for the whole week.  Of course everyday by late afternoon we were all glued to the TV to see if school was cancelled for the next day.  Here are a few pictures of our first day out in the snow. 

Talmage

Brenton, Hayden, Kennedy

Hayden with spider man snow sculpture

Shrek (sand toy)

Talmage with icicle

Hayden and Talmage icicle

Kennedy sledding in our laundry basket since we don't have
any sleds this was the next best thing

Hayden and Talmage

Talmage



By the second day, the kids only went out like one time.  They were already getting sick of it.  Jon went back to work outside of the house that is on Wednesday.  Jon and his partner, Mike had to push a couple cars that were stuck on a patch of ice.  Jon told me Wednesday morning that there were still lots of patches of ice on the roads and was pretty sure school would be cancelled for the rest of the week.  So we did what everyone was thinking they wish they could do and we did it.  Once we heard school was cancelled for Thursday,we packed up the car followed the birds south down to Disney.  It took us a long time to get out of the city because it was dark which made it even harder to see the ice patches and everyone being extra cautious.  We drove half way to and stayed at a hotel.  The next morning we drove the rest of the way and Jon took a few kids to one of the Disney parks on Thursday while I stayed back with Payton because she was at the very last stages of being sick.  On Friday, we went to Hollywood Studios. 

Talmage and Hayden

Hayden

Kennedy and Payton

Saturday we went to Epcot.

Hayden

Talmage and Hayden

Hayden

Talmage

Kennedy

On Sunday, we went to Magic Kingdom. 

Hidden Mickey on top of the magic mirror Snow White ride

Hidden mickey outside of Mission to Mars

We thought the crowds would have been a little lighter than they were, but apparently Brazil has 2 months off in December and January (their summer) and 2 months off in July and August (their winter).  So there were lots of tour groups from Brazil there.  One of the days we had to wear coats, but the other days a jacket was just fine. 
On Monday, we drove home since it was Martin Luther King day and we didn't have any school.  When we got home all that was left of the snow was a melting snow man. 
So, I figured out that from Dec 23 (first day of Christmas Break) until January 17th (Martin Luther King Day off) 26 days in all my kids went to school 3 of those days.  Since we already took a snow day off earlier and then these 5 snow days, we have to make up 2 extra days.  So our kids have to go to school on the teacher work day in March and the day off they had in April on Good Friday. 

On Friday January 21, Brenton turned 14 years old.  He is now a teacher in the YM program at church. 
He picked Peachtree Diner for his birthday dinner place.  Jon made Brenton's cake.  After dinner, we had the Tady's and Bugee's over for cake and ice cream and presents.  Jon's parents came by on Saturday to drop off a present and to have some cake.  I can't believe I have a 14 year old.  Next year, he can get his learners permit and start to drive.  Time is going by way to fast.

Brenton

Brenton with his presents

December 26th-January 1st

On December 26th, Payton, Kennedy, and I went to Disney World with my parents and Morgan and Taylor.  I guess the company my dad works for had some extra Disney World tickets that they give to clients that were going to expire at the end of the year.  She sent out an email asking if anyone in the company would be able to use some of them.  So my dad jumped on it and asked for a few so they could go to a couple parks.  Apparently, no one else was going to use the tickets so they were given 16 one day tickets so they could go to all 4 main theme parks.  I of course jumped on board since we have year passes.  So I drove my big mother Yukon and paid for the gas for the car that way all of us could ride together in the same car and my dad would put us up in a hotel.  The first 4 nights we were at the Marriott Residence Inn.  That was nice to be able to be in the same room.  Mom and dad were in the loft room, Morgan and Payton shared a bed and Taylor and Kennedy shared a bed in the other room and I slept on the pull out sofa bed which was actually quiet comfy.  My kids don't get to stay in a hotel very often because we have such a big family it is cheaper for us to rent houses.  So Payton and Kennedy really enjoyed staying at a hotel and enjoying the complimentary breakfasts in the morning.  When we arrived Sunday late afternoon, it was very windy and cold.  We unpacked our things and went to dinner. 
On Monday morning, we went to Magic Kingdom.  Luckily for us, it was cold outside, and by cold I mean in the low 30's.  Not many people were out and about that early because of the cold.  We just made sure we had our coats, gloves, scarfs, and hats on.  We were able to walk right on Space Mountain and many other popular rides.  So we didn't mind the cold if it meant short lines.  This is also one of the the only times I have really felt like a kid again, because Payton was attached to Morgan and Kennedy with Taylor that my job as a mom was real easy (except getting them to go to bed earlier than the rest of us). 


Payton, Kennedy, Taylor, and Morgan
Magic Kingdom



parade

Parade

Parade



Parade



Kennedy and Taylor on Splash Mountain

in the freezing cold





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waiting for the Philharmagic show



On Tuesday, we went to Animal Kingdom.  Once again it was really cold out and once again the lines were very short in the morning



Dinosaur ride



Primevil Whirl



It's tough to be a bug 
Morgan, Payton, Taylor, Dad, Kennedy, and me

Safari ride

the only time we have seen the hippos not in the water and all I can say is Yuck please go back in the water

Jungle trek

Morgan, Taylor, and Grandma on Everest

Wednesday we went to Epcot.  Morgan has a friend who took a semester off to work at Disney.  She works at Test Trac.  She had Wednesday morning off so she hung out with us.  Well she hung out with us for a short while then her and Morgan took off together and we met back up with them when she had to go to work.  Payton wasn't too thrilled with this girl moving in on Morgan.  As a little bonus she gave us some fast passes to rides at Epcot.  As an added bonus around lunch time we were able to take off our coats.  A first since we have been here.  Dad put them in the car while we ate lunch. 

Taylor, Payton, Morgan, and Kennedy Finding Nemo





Me, Payton, Morgan, Taylor, Kennedy, and Dad
Epcot



Payton and Kennedy



Then on Thursday we checked out of our Marriott hotel and went to Hollywood Studios.  We even did an attraction that none of us have ever done before.  We went to the American Idol attraction.  I think I might be the only person who has never seen an American Idol episode, but with that being said I really enjoyed the show.  I think we will have to bring the others to this next time.  Very entertaining.  After Hollywood Studios, we checked in to our new hotel for the night.  The Bonnet Creek Hilton.  Boy was that place fancy.  We had to have 2 rooms but that's O.K. since we left the next day for home.  My girls wished we could have stayed there all week because the pool was heated and they even had a water slide.  The pool had two swimming areas connected by a lazy river.  If you want a great work out, try swimming against the current in the lazy river. 

Here are a few pictures of the area around our hotel.

The water slide at our hotel

Payton

Kennedy



Lazy river around our pool



Later that night, we went back to Hollywood Studios to check out the Osborne Family Christmas lights. 

Kennedy, Grandpa, Taylor, Morgan, Payton, and Me

Nativity

Below are all my new hidden Mickey finds

Philharmagic

philharmagic

Wreath at magic Kingdom

Finding Nemo Show

Mexico ride



Morocco

Osborne lights

Of course, wouldn't you know the day we left for home it was very warm outside in the morning.  But, I wouldn't have changed our weather for anything.  I know how crowded Disney gets between Christmas and New Years and this was not it thanks to the freezing cold.  After lunch, that is when the crowds would swarm in, still really cold out so I don't know why they just didn't come earlier. 

This was a fabulous trip.  I am very grateful for Jon for letting me go and take the girls with me while he stayed home and worked and took care of the boys.  I know he really wanted for us all to go but with our Disney get away last month and Christmas we just could justify spending that much money.  It was a great time.

We headed home after our yummy free buffet breakfast.  We got home just in time to eat Jon's dinner he made for us.  We got home on New Years Eve.  After dinner my parents and Morgan and Taylor left because the girls had plans.  We didn't stay up till midnight.  We just hung out as a family.