We woke up to a sunny Sunday morning and went down to the pool for a swim.
Then it was back to the Magic Kingdom for lunch, parades, lots of rides and of course some photo ops with our girls!
When we purchased our passes on Saturday, Miss A was given a "It's My Birthday" button to wear for the weekend. Everywhere we went, Disney employees (and occasionally even other guests) would wish her a Happy Birthday, a few even spontaneously belting out the Happy Birthday To You song as she grinned from ear to ear. She's so excited about being 4!
On May 7, 1988, a couple of months after being introduced by some matchmaking mutual friends, Hus-B and I held hands for the first time while on a school trip to the Magic Kingdom (being careful to let go if a chaprone or teacher approached so as not to face discipline for breaking our school's 6" rule!). Now here we were, exactly 22 years later, each of us pushing strollers, walking through the Magic Kingdom as a family! Who would have guessed?
Our little Disney weekend getaway was so much fun! Hus-B and I counted our many blessings as we drove home that night--all three of our girls tuckered out and fast asleep in their carseats. We are so thankful to have the opportunity to make such special memories with our children. We are so blessed that our children's innocent eyes see not only Disney World, but the whole world around them as a magical, wonderous, good place in which they are surrounded by love and security. That's how childhood should be.
She adds so much spark and spunk to our lives! Fearless, adventuresome, and just as cute as a bug's ear! Always testing her boundaries. And very independent-minded. As soon as she started talking, she started voicing her opinions--and she has one about everything. She loves to tease, make people laugh, push people's buttons and get dramatic reactions! Our biggest challenge with her is helping her understand when it's okay to be funny and quick with a comeback and when it's time to be serious and just listen and mind. She's so witty and clever that we often find ourselves struggling to keep a straight face even while disciplining her. She has an uncanny ability to remember one-liners, quotes, punch-lines and song lyrics and add them to conversations at the most appropriate times--doesn't miss a beat!
But what an absolute sweetheart she is! She admires her big sister and openly complements her. She adores Miss K and is always playful and affectionate with her (though sometimes we have to remind her that Miss K is a human and not a toy). "Bring K in here!" is the first thing she says when she wakes up in the morning. She enjoys cuddling, being held, being cozy and being tickled!
Last week after bedtime devotions, she announced that she was ready to ask Jesus into her heart. We prayed with her and she's been happily sharing the news with all of our friends and family.
Oh, how this child makes us smile and our hearts sing!
She relished her position as the baby of the family and we knew she would need a good three years in that spot before she was displaced. We wondered how she would adjust to the move from baby to middle sister. The transition has been surprisingly smooth. For the first few months, she wanted to try out all of the baby stuff--lay in the crib, sit in the high chair, ride around in the Ergo, drink her milk from a bottle, bounce around in the jumperoo. After each "baby experience", she seemed to conclude that she preferred being a "big goal".
And. . . a big goal she is. She turned four last week! 4!
Friday night, we had pizza, birthday cake and ice cream with the grandparents and on Saturday morning, we left home for the real celebration . . . a weekend at Disney World!
After renewing our Disney passes and checking into our room at the Contemporary, we gathered all of our princess-y gear and headed straight for Cinderella's castle for a primping and pampering session at the Bippity Boppity Boutique, followed by dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. Hus-B and I had as much fun as the girls did! We loved watching the big girls' little smirky faces as they had their hair and make-up done. They were both so excited they could hardly stand it but were trying to contain themselves and act as grown-up and princess-like as they could. They felt extra special and extra beautiful as they twirled around the park in their princess dresses to the "oohs and ahhs" of bystanders. They even used their best "Queen of England manners" while dining in the castle, making their Mama so proud! (please scroll down and pause (II) the background music before playing the video!)
As we strolled back to our resort Saturday evening--two princesses sleeping in strollers and one princess skipping along beside us--I thanked God for giving me my three little girls. I love them so much my heart just wants to explode! There is nothing in this life that I'm more thankful for, more in awe of, or that brings me more joy than the blessing and honor of being their mother.
The local children's theatre's spring performance was Beauty and the Beast and our Miss M was cast as Chip the Teacup! She did such a great job in The Lion King last year that the directors decided to give her speaking and singing parts in this year's production. She's still the youngest cast member, but this great group of kids has been wonderful about helping her along, making her feel special and looking out for her. The children have been working hard for months and have shown super endurance in the long rehearsals leading up to Friday night's big show. Everyone did so well! Mama and Daddy could hardly contain our pride as we watched our precious daughter on stage. She remembered all of her lines and all of the words and choreography to the songs. She poured her whole heart into her role, did her very best and just loved every minute of it! It's so amazing to watch as the gifts God has given each of our children are revealed!
Miss M wanted her solo song to be a surprise to her grandparents. They had no idea what to expect when she was led center stage and took the microphone in her hands. From the balcony, Miss K and I watched as they sat there teary-eyed and in awe while Miss M sang the Beauty and the Beast song to a packed auditorium, remembering every verse, hitting every note, even changing keys! For our family, her sweet surprise performance was the highlight of the show!
