Disney 2011 (part 2)

On Tuesday, everyone got up early and headed to the Magic Kingdom.

We weren't as successful getting a good picture in front of the castle as we were in front of the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom.

Hazel's favorite ride was It's a Small World. Anytime the older kids wanted to go on anything scary, she convinced people to go on It's a Small World. I think final count was 4 or 5 time this day.

After a few other rides (Peter Pan, Pooh, etc.) we headed over to the spinning tea cups. Hazel and Jillian loved it!

Grandma Jellybean, however, might have spun a little too fast and needed a little break.

Our families split up for lunch. We went to the Plaza and, as is tradition, had some delicious ice cream for dessert.

And somehow, Hazel convinced Big Laura that she neeeeeeeeeeded a sucker. Laura was happy to provide...



On Wednesday morning, the whole gang went to Chef Mickeys for a breakfast buffet. As seen below, Lisey was no longer screaming at the characters, but still wasn't particularly interested.

After breakfast, we all headed over to the Hollywood Studios. After a morning of various rides, we all headed over to the Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show. Laura had pulled a few strings for us, and the McCain party was given VIP seating. However, that wasn't the end of the surprises. We learned during the show that a fancy driving stunt maneuver is known in the industry as the McCain Maneuver. And, finally, when called for a volunteer from the audience, Little Megan was selected!

Megan and Laura using a remote control to drive a stunt car.

Megan's victory pose on the big screen!

After the show, we all got to go back stage and talk to the stunt coordinator. He showed us all the cars and even let us sit in them. Pretty darn cool!


A picture of us back stage. In Mary's defense, it was pretty hot on the asphalt.

Disney 2011 (part 1)

So, as you may or may not know, we just got back from a fantastic trip to Disney World. On this trip, we met up with most of Glenn's family, including Grandma Jellybean, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Rob, Maddie, Jake, Jillian, Uncle Kenny, Megan, and Mary. It was quite the crew, and we all had a grand time. Everyone arrived at Disney on Sunday, and we all met for dinner. On Monday, we all went to Animal Kingdom in the morning, then split into two groups for dinner at Epcot.

Welcome to Walt Disney World! (at 50mph)

We had our first dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney. The cousins were very excited to see each other.

Hanging with Pooh and the gang while Megan and some of the older girls shopped in Little Miss Matched.

The kids found a fountain...I think we all know what happens next...

Monday morning, the various McCain girls show off their ears.

The animals on the safari were very active, some coming within mere feet of our truck.

The whole crew in front of the Tree of Life. How did we get a picture of 13 people all looking good at the same time?

For dinner, our family went to the Garden Grill where we met Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. Hazel was very excited. Elise wanted nothing to do with any of them.

And a quick kiss on the nose for Chip. A great end to a great first day in the parks!

A quick look at July

The summer is slipping by, and the girls have been very busy. Now, many of you know that we recently took a trip to Disney World, but we are still sorting through the pictures and have other things to share first. So, that being said, here is a quick look at our July...

First, to get ready for Disney, we decided to go to the local carnival to practice on their little rides.

Hazel driving a motorcycle while Lisey holds on tightly.

Lisey decided to exit the train a little early.

Fortunately, this car has two steering wheels.

Through the rest of July, it has been very hot and dry. So, what do you do with two little girls when it is hot and dry? Break out the sprinkler.

They figured it out pretty quick.

Hazel loves playing in the water!

"OH NO! Where are my pants?!?"

Our artistic photo.

And, in case you get thirsty, just take a drink.

The busy summer continues...

Our busy summer has yet to slow down, and there is no end in sight! This past weekend, Glenn's old college roommate Andrew stopped by for a day or two. We laughed, we cried, and the whole group made a trip to the Children's Museum...

Andrew's not afraid of giant robots...

And he is even willing to protect small children. (I know, Bumblebee is an Autobot and probably won't hurt them, but he is still very big!)

Hazel getting ready to share her favorite part of the museum: The Carousel

Everyone loves the Carousel!

Fun with Cousins

This summer is flying by like a marathon sprint! Hazel likes it this way, though. There's always something exciting to look forward to. We weren't home from our vacation for very long before a house-guest arrived to spend the week with us. Sarah Kate came to stay while her mom spent a long-weekend in Martha's Vineyard with Grammy. We gave Sarah Kate the luxury vacation in Indianapolis, and wore everyone out in the process!

We took a walking tour of downtown Indianapolis and explored the many parks and monuments.

Sarah Kate is so excited to be with her cousins!

On Monday night, we took SK to her first minor league baseball game. The little girls, who still had the memory of the Durham Bulls game fresh in their minds, had fun introducing SK to cracker jacks, strikes and home-runs, as well as teaching her the words to "Take me out to the Ballgame."

...Root, Root, Root for the home team....

On Tuesday, we spent all day at Conner Prairie. The girls and I had never been there, and we all thought it was a super neat place to spend the day.

Although the balloon had been damaged in the recent storms, the girls loved the balloon exhibit, nonetheless. And they loved posing for this photo opportunity!

Hazel and SK even dressed up in "old-fashioned" clothes to pose for a photo.

In the Lenape Village, Hazel and SK paddled a canoe, despite Lisey's best efforts to rock the boat.

We tried to be home in time for nap time most days, but even when we weren't able to (like on Tuesday), SK was great at keeping the girls occupied while I had a little quiet-time. We checked out some cupcake cookbooks from the library on Monday, and the girls had fun looking through them and picking out their favorites.

SK wants to be a cupcake baker when she grows up, and she did get a chance to bake us some cupcakes at the end of the week for Grammy's birthday.

On Wednesday, we spent the morning at the Children's Museum. The girls had a blast at the new "Treasures of the Earth" exhibit.

Hazel was pretty tired by this time; hence, the grumpy face.

Everybody had a pretty good time digging for terracotta warriors.

SK slept over at the Pattersons' house on Wednesday night and then everyone joined us for a trip to the zoo on Thursday.

We all wanted to see the new tiger exhibit, so we headed there first.

I think Laura was a little embarrassed to be at the zoo. She's at the age when she just wants to hang out with her friends and not her family, but she had fun, nonetheless.

SK enjoyed being a big sister for the week, and she was always happy to help me out pushing the stroller or reading bedtime stories or helping with bath-time.

The little girls rode the carousel at the zoo while the big kids rode the roller coaster. Elise was excited to find a 2-seater animal on the carousel that she could ride with Hazel.

And Hazel got some quality time with Auntie Anne and "Auggie" on the zoo train.

And of course, we had fun after Glenn got home from work too. SK brought "Just Dance" and "Just Dance 2" for the Wii, and we had some fun playing that. Glenn and Hazel are naturals. Just see for yourself....