09 Florida Vacation

As you can tell by the date of my last post, I took a vacation from blogging. Now that we have been back from vacation for a week and a half and I'm getting all caught up, it is time to catch you up.

As many of you know, Angie, the kids and I took a 2 week vacation to Walt Disney World and Southeast Florida. It was the best vacation ever. I was so blessed by the way the three kids behaved and how God blessed us in so many ways in the short 2 week period of time. We will surely remember this vacation for a lifetime.

This vacation was extra special because there were many "firsts" for the kids. Let me explain...

1. This was the first time the kids have flown in an airplane. Prior to our flight, they had loads of questions. In fact, Grandma and Grandpa Johnson gave them all kinds of info about flying. Some true and some not so true. Thanks Dad! As we got on the plane, we met the pilot. Joel and Jared got to speak on the intercom and welcome everyone aboard. All three got to sit by the window at some point and loved looking outside. I think Jared said, "Look Dad, the cars and houses look like ants." Jenna was grinned ear to ear the entire time. Sitting next to her Mommy was extra special for her. And Joel, he loves anything fast. This was right up his alley. They were wide eyed and loved both flights.

2. It was the 3Js first time at Disney World. I could talk about this all day. There were so many special things, but I will just share one. We arrived at our resort, Port Orleans Riverside, late in the afternoon. We ate dinner at the resort and it was excellent. Following dinner, we headed for the Magic Kingdom. Angie, being the planner and tour director that she is, thought we should catch the parade and fireworks in front of the castle. Thankfully, we timed it perfect. We arrived at a very crowded Magic Kingdom and found a seat right in front of the castle. The kids were just beaming. I wish you could have seen them. The parade was awesome. The kids loved it. The fireworks followed. These had to be the best fireworks we have ever seen. I would even say they were better than Chicago's 3rd of July photos. Our time at all the parks was almost as wonderful. Ask me sometime and I will fill you in with all the details.

3. During our second week, we stayed at a condo on the beach in Surfside (Miami). This was the kids first time ever seeing the ocean. They loved playing in the surf. They jumped waves, searched for shells, played in the sand, and attempted to body surf. We all loved the beach/ocean and had the sun burns to prove it.

These are just a few firsts that I thought you might enjoy. There were several other highlights. Feel free to ask. We love talking about our great time.

I am so blessed to have the family that I do. We loved being together.