Disney or Bust!

Ingredients for Cheesecake with Mouse Ears                    $10

Rockin’ condo 5 minutes from Disney World                   $350

4-day Magic Your Way Tickets                                        $900

     Look on your husband’s face when                                  Priceless

                                    you tell him you’re taking him to Disney World

                                    for his 40th birthday

A long overdue post.  I had planned this trip in my mind for several years on this momentous birthday.  L loves Disney because it brings back fond memories of childhood vacations with his family.  I resisted going until the kids were old enough to appreciate it and I *think* he was surprised (he said he was but I hope he’s not just protecting my obsessive desire to have kept it a secret and is just telling me what he knows would make me happy) 🙂

We had plans with his brother’s family the night of the reveal.  They came for a holiday visit and were in on the little secret.  I shared the plan with Lou that day because it became too obvious as I wrapped up preparations. I was so excited when I told her, just knowing she would flip out when she learned where we were headed.  My sweet daughter, who has never been keen on princesses and the world of Disney, barely raised her voice as she replied, “That’s good.  Can you play with me now?”  She was much more excited about surprising her Dad the rest of the day than she was about the trip!

He was a bit perplexed initially but a printed itinerary of the upcoming week finally answered the questions brewing in his mind and he knew we were headed to Disney!

The next day we packed and prepared, attended our neighbor’s New Year’s Eve party where Buddy promptly fell and busted his head open, requiring stitches.  Luckily I was able to get a key from the veterinary hospital where I work (thanks, Brian) and our incredible neighbor stitched him up (thanks, Jay) as the hospitalized animals looked on!

Buddy was sooooo brave getting stitched up

We broke the trip into two days and spent the night with my sister and her husband in Savannah (thanks Molly and Daniel :)) and then finally arrived in Orlando the next day.  Lego Land was first on the agenda (yes, Buddy was beside himself with excitement) and despite the cold temperatures, we had a great time and were all amazed with the Lego creations all over the park.  My favorite moment of the day was when Buddy and Lou were driving “Lego cars” in a mock city, complete with a roundabout, stop signs, and traffic lights.  They were debriefed before taking off about traffic rules such as stopping at red lights and stop signs, merging into the roundabout, etc.  I was literally doubled over laughing, tears streaming down my face, as Lou ignored every single traffic rule, barreling past her fellow drivers.  Buddy, on the other hand, was the ever so cautious driver and adhered to all the rules of the road.  I cringe when I think of Lou when she has a license in hand one day, but for now, it was hysterical to laugh at her complete oblivion!

If there’s any question if he enjoyed Lego Land 🙂

Legos AND Darth Vader–he was in Heaven!

Yep, she’s driving on the wrong side of the road

That night we found Orlando’s only Ethiopian restaurant, in honor of Jones, and feasted.  I wanted so desperately for him to be a part of this celebration but I silently vowed that we’d repeat the trip again one day with him in tow.

The next day was the big 4-0 for Larry and unfortunately it started out with the disturbing news that Jones’ case had been sent to another level of government because of the US embassy’s findings.  It was devastating to hear as it meant his investigation yielded questionable results about his orphan status.  That’s another post for another day, but suffice to say, it put a big damper on the day, unfortunately.  Thankfully, L is able to temporarily suppress his frustration in these types of situations and our day spent in the Magic Kingdom was still celebratory.

L convinced Buddy and Lou to ride Space Mountain and I’m not sure we’ll ever get Lou on another roller coaster in her life after that experience!  The ride has 2-seater “rockets” and I sat behind her.  I kept reaching up to make sure she was still in her seat (I know, ridiculous) because she was so silent.  I figured she’d be screaming her head off in fear but it had the opposite effect–she was paralyzed with it!  Buzz Lightyear and Astro Orbiters were her favorites and Buddy enjoyed Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and Astro Orbiters the most.

The following days were spent at Animal Kingdom, Epcot and we spent yet another day in the Magic Kingdom.  More bad news about Jones continued to plague us throughout the week.  Selfishly I was so disappointed that of all the weeks to have discovered what we did, it had to fall during this trip that was meant to be so carefree and fun.  Of course, in the next breath, I was chiding myself for being so selfish as the road that brought Jones into our lives is filled with tremendous heartache and sorrow and the story has only become more painful.  Our inconvenience of being shocked/sad/angry on our trip doesn’t hold a candle to the story of this beautiful child and his birth family.

We made the long trek home on Sunday, me knitting, L driving.  I hate to drive and he hates to ride so we’re a good match on road trips. We returned to real life Monday morning but with memories in our hearts of an unforgettable birthday celebration.  L deserved a kick ass vacation to celebrate the start of a new decade. Here’s to many, many more decades of making memories with the amazing 40-years-young man I’m so very fortunate to share my life with.