Last month we took a few days

to meet up with family and friends at the Happiest Place on Earth.

We LOVE Disney.
Of course, we had a date with the Main Mouse too!
 
We did the traditional 
ride-the -monorail-the-night before-going-into-the-parks
And while the Magic Kingdom was closed 
due to capacity crowds that day - 
The monorail was strangely empty...
And Craig timed it EXACTLY right so that we 
could see the fireworks as we went around Epcot.
Wonderful!!
 

And we had a great time being with our boys and their gals.

It is a great joy in life to see your children happy.

It's fun to have girls in my life! 
And they're always sweet to join in on my photo-op shenanigans!
[Craig picked up the Minnie Ears at Unclaimed before our trip -]

We also enjoyed meeting up with our sweet friends 

whom we’ve gone to Disney with MANY times throughout the years. 

 – odd to be there together and not have boys to herd. 

But still fun in a new way.

[AND WE MISSED THOSE WHO WEREN'T WITH US.]

There was LOTS of fun things about this trip 

– free rooms [due to all my points from work travel – yay!] 

– valet parking [YES.] 

and lots of good food: 

Artist Pointe, food & wine festival – Liberty Tree – France – 

and breakfast at the Polynesian 

[and I wonder why I’d not lost a pound despite all the walking?!?]   

A trip to Disney is just not complete until you've gone through 
It's a Small World [afterall] 
with one of your best friends - 
ha.
 
And taken a whirl in the teacups, of course!
[my favorite ride]
I'll admit Matt gave me a spin I won't soon forget ---
But the problem with Disney this year was 
THE HEAT… 

and THE CROWDS. 

Oh. My.
 

Even at the Not So Very Scary Halloween Party 

there seemed to be wall-to-wall people. 

[AND mosquitoes - truly.

I've been to Disney MANY MANY times 

and have NEVER come away 

with mosquito bites, 

even when we camped.]

Don’t get me wrong – 

we had a blast,

 as we always do, 

but, gracious… times have changed. 

Ha.

Even the boys noticed it.

Still, we had such a good time - 
the Halloween Party was awesome, despite the crowds.
- I'd hoped for a group photo, 

but these two were stuck on Pirates 
[almost had to walk off, how cool is that?!]
So I'll probably be 'shopping' the two together
 before I print it for the scrapbook - ha.
 
All in all, it was a great trip 
- and I'm sure we'll be back in a few years -
 in January, when the kids are all in school [no fall-breakers] 
and the weather is cool.

We can never stay away for more than a few years...