Our first Disney trip!

I can remember having conversations with Kyle about how we NEVER wanted to go to Disney. It just didn't seem like something we would ever want to do with our kids; a waste of time and money we thought.  Then somehow, after many late-night conversations about what trips we wanted to take with the kids, we decided we wanted to go. I think we had a change of heart after we discovered Avett's admission would be free because he is under three and because so many people told us how much fun we would have with them at their current ages.  I am so glad we made the decision! Our experience at Disney greatly exceeded any expectations we had. We did two days at Magic Kingdom; one full day and one half-day for Mickey's Christmas Party. After reading crowd predictions online, we ended up choosing the first week of December and it seriously was the best time to go! We got to experience all of the beautiful Christmas decorations without the extra Christmas crowd. The park was so clean, the parades were amazing, there were few to no lines, the rides were fun for all of us,  the cast members were friendly and helpful, and the fireworks were incredible. And we didn't tell the kids about the trip until the morning we left which added an extra level of excitement to the whole experience. Kyle and I enjoyed ourselves as much as the kids and are already thinking about our next trip.

We love the welcome center for Florida because they serve grapefruit and orange juice! 

Our hotel had bunk beds and that was very exciting. 

Trying to get the kids to sleep required a little bit of hallway hangout time for AP. 

Cambria decided to be Tinker Bell for our first day. 

By far Ezra's favorite ride was the Buzz Lightyear ride. Thanks to fast passes he was able to ride it 5 or 6 times! 

Taking the escalator up to the People Mover ride. Also another favorite. 

Dumbo! 

Riding the train was one of the highlights of the trip for Avett. He kept saying "choo-choo, choo-choo" over and over again the entire ride. 

The carousel was probably the worst ride. We had to wait for 20 minutes and it only did three revolutions, lame. 

This was meant to be a picture of just us, but Cambria decided to sneak in.

Family teacup time! 

Day 2 was Mickey's Christmas Party. We weren't able to get into the park until 4, so we had time to swim at the hotel pool and eat Moe's before heading into the park. We ended up getting to the gates a little early and they let us in early at 3:40! Score! haha 

We loved riding the Monorail. It was a scenic, comfortable ride. 

All of the workers had cute Christmas clothes on. 

Ready for another adventure!

Our children were thrilled to be at Disney, can't you tell!?

Astro Orbiter was awesome! 

Awesome shot Kyle got on the Astro Orbiter. I am in the front rocket with Avett and Cambria. 

BFF's

Cambria found her best friend's name. 

Two parents happy and actually enjoying themselves at Disney.

One of our favorite experiences at Disney World were the parades. They were incredible! One minute there would be 30 people parading down the road and the next second it was over and you would never even know it happened. Disney's ability to make things happen as if by magic was seriously awesome. The Christmas parade we saw at the Christmas Party was incredible. Kyle and I were blown away by the detail that went into it all. 

This was when Avett first spotted Olaf a.k.a. Bubble in the parade. 

Bubble! 

We thought the light show on the castle was going to be lame, but it was very impressive and fun to watch. 

AMAZING fireworks! 

Some people just couldn't hang. 

Two deliriously happy and exhausted kids having a blast at Disney World. 

The castle all lit up! 

Couldn't have done Disney with three kids 5 and under without the Ergo! 

This was at 12:30 a.m. Fake snow in the streets. Only place in the world no one thinks anything of little kids and babies out this late. 

Because Ezra took a quick nap earlier in the night he was the only one awake by the end of it. This was right before we went to get one more serving of free hot chocolate and cookies, a perk of the Christmas Party. 

Overall, we had a blast and will most certainly be back. I now know why people call it the happiest place on earth! Don't believe those sad looking faces.  :)

Hilton Head Island Adventure

Last weekend we made a trip to Hilton Head Island for the weekend. Kyle and I wanted to travel somewhere and our kids love to experience new places, so we (Kyle) began the hunt on vrbo.com. After finding a nice, cheap condo for a very reasonable price for our 3-night stay, we booked it! The trip turned out to be an amazing little getaway. It's only a short drive away and the atmosphere on the island is very relaxed and calm.  We enjoyed swimming in the pools on our resort, biking on the trails that cover the entire island, the beach, the boardwalk and the golf cart shuttle that we could take instead of walking, the local food and ice cream, the nature, and so much more. Our condo was so cozy and comfortable and it was decked out in IKEA everything; it certainly felt like our home away from home.

SO excited to be in Hilton Head and to have a pool right outside our door. 

The elevator was one of the most exciting parts of the trip I think. ;) 

  A little glimpse into our adorable little condo. 

My babies are little fish!

Our first night exploring the boardwalk. 

Love these dudes. 

Cambria could live at the beach. 

He was so ready to ride that boogie board. 

Kites! 

We LOVED riding our rental bikes. We will be purchasing bikes of our own ASAP!

Pure joy riding on the beautiful trails on the Island. 

 Harris Teeter has a dinosaur you can ride for just 1 cent. They each got to ride it twice and loved every second. I wish grocery stores around here had something like it! 

My Unshoes arrived in the mail just in time for the trip. I am loving them so far. 

I started p90x3 just two days before we left for the trip and so I had to squeeze that in each day. I know this picture is embarrassing, but I want to remember this part of the trip too. :) 

Everyone loved riding the bikes. 

This boy, always in the Ergo. 

Checking out some crabs in the marsh.  

The beach in the evening is magical. 

Avett on the beach <3

We struggle to get family pictures, but on this trip we took several! 

The next day was much cooler, so our cold-natured Ezra had to bundle up. 

"Mommy, will you take a picture of me and Daddy in the water?"
 

It was super chilly, but this tough girl still rode some waves on the boogie board. 

Both the boys had fevers and were very tired by our fourth day and they both took 3 hour long naps. 

One last bike ride before leaving the island. 

The ice cream at this place was delicious! 

Of course in true Finnegan fashion we got home way later than we had planned because of a Kroger trip that took about an hour longer than expected. It all worked out though because Cambria and Ezra got some Starbucks and everyone fell asleep on the way home. This trip was such a rejuvenating and inspiring experience and we can't wait to go back!