We're Home!!!

Happy Mickey Mouse and Bippity Boppity Boo to YOU, dear friends! We are back - alive and well - after one fun filled week of merriment and all things fabulous in Walt Disney World!!!

And boy-oh-boy, I'm tired.

I can't believe that the trip we saved and planned for well over a year has come and gone. This trip truly was all that I hoped it would be, and more. The fun started upon our arrival to Florida last Friday - and continued for 6 nights and 7 days, until we boarded the plane and came back to sweet home Chicago. Let me tell you - as a young 39 year old girl who has never been to Disney before, I was in awe of this empire that the great Mr. Walt himself built. I was moved to tears many many times through out the week, and I was thrilled to be able to bring my daughters here to enjoy it all.

Instead of boring you all week with posts about our trip, I thought I'd share just a few photos and highlight some of the very best moments right now. First and foremost, please allow me to introduce to you Princesses Snow White, Ella and Katie . . .

. . .  really . . . three of the prettiest ladies I've ever seen. We started the trip with breakfast with the Princesses in Cinderella Castle, and it really was as magical as I dreamed it would be. Arriving at Magic Kingdom on the very first day was so special, and walking down Main Street with Ella and Katie dressed as Snow White and finding the Disney employees (aka cast members) bow and greet Ella and Katie with "Good Morning, Princess!" as we slowly made our way to the castle made me melt. My eyes filled with tears to see my little girls as they responded with soft "Good Morning" in reply. The folks at Disney sure know how to make you feel like a true princess, and the sparkle in Ella's eye was all that I needed to see to know that it was going to be a special day!

However ... all good things must come to an end. On this particular day, it didn't take long for me to realize that I was not AT ALL a "roller coaster" kind of girl. Here is my face after riding a particularly easy roller coaster called Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

PG snatched the picture of us just as we were coming round the bend to exit the ride. As you can see . . . I was not happy. What cracks me up about this photo even more than my face, is ELLA right behind us. She just finished going on the same ride and she looks absolutely unfazed. Ah, well. Shortly after this ride I declared myself a "RIDE FREE" zone and (with the exception of a water ride here or there that I went on to simply relieve the hot weather) all was good for the rest of the trip. 

We got ourselves all fancied up one night for a lovely dinner . . .  

The girls got all dressed up in costume, once again, for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party where they tricked and treated for hours. It was SO MUCH FUN to go through the park and enjoy the fall decorations and see the spooky Halloween parade.

At the end of the evening of the Halloween Bash, the Disney folks again amazed me with an absolutely awesome parade and firework display. PG did an absolutely fantastic job of taking some really cool photos of the fireworks that I had to share with you. It was honestly the best fireworks display I have ever seen in my life (and I do think I've seen some pretty good ones before.) I will never forget it . . .  

Of course, any visit to Walt Disney World wouldn't be complete without a visit with Mickey and Minnie . . . 

I could go on and on with lots of other things . . . and I'll probably share a few more stories here or there this week of a few observations of our adventures. But for now, I just wanted to share a little piece of this wonderful vacation with you.

I hope you all are doing well . . . thanks again to my guest post bloggers this week. I can't wait to spend a few hours in front of the ol'computer and catch up on all of your blogs. How are YOU??? Leave me a comment and let me know how your week was and what is new in your life . . . I'd love to know!!!

And thanks, again, for sharing in our most recent adventure!  

It really is the most magical place on earth!