Personal Post: When LiLi Ran a Disney Half Marathon {Feb 2015}

Blogging Turner and Tenley’s Disney session yesterday reminded me that I never blogged our personal photos from that trip. Mak and Clara Beth received annual passes for Christmas this year. See, we already had two trips planned within a 365 day window {this one when Mom ran the half marathon and another coming up celebrating the two babies of the family turning FIVE!}. Once you purchase those tickets it was only a little bit more to upgrade to an annual pass. And our kids needed NOTHING for Christmas. Disney is our happy/fun place and I would rather give experiences for Christmas than toys that will junk up my house, so that’s how we ended up with passes again this year. Hopefully on top of these trips we’ll be able to throw in a few weekend trips, so if you’re headed that way and would love a Disney session let us know! We might be able to make it happen this year!

But anyway, back to the trip. When your 63 year old mother makes up her mind that she is going to run a half marathon at Disney World, you have to go. Unless you’re my brothers. They didn’t go. #Iamthefavoritekidthisyear #totallykidding

We booked a few sessions, loaded up the Airstream, and headed down to Florida. We called it our Spring Break. Spring Break at Disney is my favorite.

We started taking the kids to Disney when Mak was two and Clara Beth was just a few months old. Back in those days they were so young that they were free and we had an awesome client who could get us into the parks for free and get us 40% off of our room. He got us hooked. When he quit his job with Disney I may have cried real tears. Anyway, I say that to say that I have truly enjoyed each stage of taking kids to Disney, but this one has to be the best. We can all ride all of the rides, have no worries of potty mishaps, no stroller, can stay out late without too many repercussions the next day…it’s just fun. But to those that ask if their three year old is truly capable of enjoying Disney? YES. And although they may not remember it, you will, and they will be great memories to keep in your parent memory bank.

Gracious, I love these two.

Daddy’s girl ALWAYS.

A little bit of learning…

And then Sunday was Half Marathon day!! It was the Princess half marathon, and y’all, it was INSANE. You have never seen so many grown women {and a few hilarious men} running through the parks in tutus. We saw proposals happen in front of the castle. People were NUTS.

CB wanted this guy’s shirt.

It was super early in the morning and super foggy.

We people watched for the longest time and tracked my mom on our phones, and then she was there! Running right past us on Main St. USA. She went with a Snow White ensemble.

I’m crazy proud of her for doing this. She was disappointed in her time, but I’ve figured out that Disney races are more about Disney and less about the actual race. Swarms of people will stop for no reason other than a picture with a character and the whole thing bottle necks as a result. She finished. I couldn’t do it!

Clara Beth surprised her LiLi with a little ode to Snow White in her outfit choice.

My dad sat on the Main St. firetruck. He looks like a seven year old boy here, right? I love it!

And then…DATE NIGHT. One of the biggest perks of bringing grandparents along to Disney. The World Showcase at Epcot is hands down my very very favorite date night spot in the entire world. Strolling around at sunset with a creme brûlée from France? Perfection.

And while I’m listing my favorite things I’ll go ahead and throw the campground in there. Fort Wilderness is our favorite place to stay for tons of reasons. We cook our own meals {saving lots of $$$}, the kids are free to ride bikes, play tetherball, find playmates. We aren’t all four stuck in a hotel room. We can put the kids to bed and sit outside with a glass of wine. I just love this place.

Animal Kingdom day!! The park was completely empty this morning. We bee-lined for Everest and rode it two times without waiting. Then our friends the Georges showed up and we rode again with them. Then Collin and I were done but Mak and CB weren’t so they rode it a fourth time with the Georges.

More learning…

He so funny.

She was scared of the skulls. Seriously.

Bongos helped. {Are those bongos? African drums??}

And then we did a first for us. Collin and I were still feeling the effects from three back to back rides on Everest that morning {OLD.} but we had fast passes and the kids wanted to ride. So we let them go. By themselves. TWICE. That was a pretty big step for this admittedly overly paranoid momma. But they did great.

My little chicken is old enough to braid her own hair. Funny the little things that remind you how fast they are growing up.

This boy. He has the craziest ideas and gets a kick out of grossing me out. He’s reckless. And stinkin’ HILARIOUS. I love him so much it hurts.

Somehow the kids convinced LiLi to get on Thunder Mountain. She HATES that ride because it’s so jerky. I guess she was still suffering from running brain. Anyway, she still hates it.

These next pics are the other really great reason to bring grandparents along. Memories.

Our favorite Disney treat! Dole Whips!

I tried to video these crazies on the teacups to send to their cousins who were requesting Disney videos. BIG mistake. Huge. These three people are insane and had that cup spinning so fast that I thought it would fly off. I felt sick from that ride for the rest of the day. Lesson learned.

Rain. Boo.

A little bit of campsite time while we waited out the rain. Mak whittled sticks while CB drew the cardinals in the tree beside us in her nature journal. How’s that for some Charlotte Mason schooling at Disney?

All in all it was the BEST. I just love this place!