Grandma Carol's Birthday--A Williams Family Celebration

What a day!  Grandma Carol’s 85^th Birthday and our anniversary.  Lots of reasons to celebrate.  And, the request was a picnic by a lake.  Got it!

We grabbed Hy-Vee chicken, coleslaw, and potato salad and added them to the cooler full of drinks and headed to Lake Wapello for the evening.  Uncle John brought cupcakes and ice cream.  We were blessed by a temperate day in the middle of a summer heat wave.

Grandma Carol got an Iowa Hawkeye scarf and a custom tote bag as gifts.

The boy brought along his remote control vehicle that can go on multiple surfaces including sand, water, and snow.  It got to run on two out of three.  The battery needed charging by the time we left the lake.

Everyone took a swim after our picnic meal.  And, given the lovely weather, it was almost chilly when we got out of the water shortly before 7:00 pm. 

Grandma Carol proclaimed that she prefers swimming in lakes as to pools.  When asked why it was because she grew up swimming in lakes.  Uncle John reminisced about how Lake Wapello had changed since his formative years.  All of us commented on the pebble and stone filled sand that was rough on the feet.  The husband suggested that the sand needed to be raked like they do on Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private island.  (You knew I would get Disney in there somewhere!)

It was a beautiful evening—the lake, the milestones, the company!  Well done, Williams Family, well done!

The Boy's 9th Birthday Party

To celebrate the boy’s 9^th birthday, we decided to rent one of the two cabins at Pioneer Ridge, part of our county’s Conservation Commission, located a few miles outside of town.  Due to a soccer tournament schedule—more about that later—the festivities began at 7:00 pm.

Guests of all ages arrived for arrived for the party, after finding their way down an unlit gravel road.  Hopefully, the lights of the cabin welcomed them, along with the husband who stationed himself outside to direct traffic.

While both girls and boys were invited to the party, it would be the boys who would spend the night in the cabin.  But everyone wanted to take a tour of the two story cabin.  Upstairs featured a loft with bunk beds and a queen size bed, including a set of dressers on each side!  Downstairs featured a living, dining, kitchen area, and a bathroom with a shower.

Once all the children arrived and had some pizza, they were each given flashlight as their party favor.  Then the husband and Jeremy, the dad of two of the guests, took the crew of 7 out into the night for a hike.  When they returned, they had 10 children as three more joined during the hike! 

The birthday cake was ready when they returned.  The wanted Lilo and Stitch to grace his birthday cake.  Yeah, Disney!  (You knew I would get it in here somewhere!)

After cake, came the opening of presents and there were cheers and ahs at the variety and generosity of the gifts!

Thanks to the husband, and again, Jeremy, a camp fire followed with the making of s’mores, as there is a fire pit located in the back of the cabin.  Guests can help themselves to an armful of pre-cut firewood for $3 per bundle.  It’s on the honor system, as guests put their payment in a small wooden box attached to the firewood shanty. 

After s’mores, the “day” guests began to leave and the husband prepared to tell a camp fire story.  This is where things got interesting.

We had said good-bye to everyone who was leaving and I began to tidy up the cabin while the boys were outside.  Within minutes, the boys began to make their way inside.  Seems that the story was a bit too scary!  Hmm. . . did that happen on purpose?

Soon all of the boys were inside the cabin and were getting ready to get into their sleeping bags, but not ready to call it a night.  Flashlight beams and “boy noises” continued until late into the night.  They were all awake by 6:30 am.

Breakfast was prepped and ready for the hungry brood.  After all were dressed, the husband hosted a morning hike through the woods. I got a text message from the trail “have water ready.”  Seems that the morning trail was a bit rough, but one boy sprinted back to the cabin.

We then paused to take some pictures of the group around the cabin.

We loaded the cars and continued to play outside while I cleaned the cabin as required—sweeping, wiping surfaces, etc.

The husband and I delivered the boys safely to their homes around 10:00 am.  As for our boy, he was showered and asleep by 6:15 pm that night and I followed at 7:00 pm.  We had a grand time and hope everyone else did too!

We were grateful for the star filled night—almost a full moon, beautiful weather, and great guests!

Guests included:

Braydon

Hannalee

Jeremy and Emily (parents of Braydon and Hannalee)

Friend and neighbor Ann

Grandma Carol

Sam

Abby

Moira (mother of Sam and Abby)

Nate

Jennifer and Rod (parents of Nate)

Taylor

Teri (mom of Taylor)

Jack

Brock

Conrad

Scott (parent of Jack, Brock, and Conrad)

More about the Cabins at Pioneer Ridge:

• There are two cabins that are similar in size, but different in layout to select from. (one has the queen size bed on the main floor for guests not wanting to use stairs.)
• The rental fee is $63 (includes tax) plus a $50 security deposit
• Pots, pans, dishware, silverware, and cleaning utensils are provided.
• A list of cleaning expectations is posted in the cabin, including removing all garbage.
• Rental guests are given a combination to the lock box containing the key to the cabin. (Note:  The lock box is located on the “porch” side of the cabin.  We arrived after dark and I was holding the flashlight in my mouth so I could manipulate the paddle lock to get the key.)
• Guest can occupy the cabin as early as 2:00 pm and must be out by 11:00 am the next day.
• Guests bring their own towels and bed linens. 
• Here’s the link to the Pioneer Ridge web-site for more information about the cabins.

The Boy is 9!

The boy is 9 today!  A birthday celebration is in the works and yet there have been multiple conversations about what he might rather be doing. . . And, some of them involve Disney!

Last night, he suggested that we take a trip to celebrate his birthday.  Granted, we have been to Walt Disney World two years in a row in November and he has worn a Birthday button while touring the parks, so I sort of understand where he got that idea.  We aren’t going this November.

I followed up with a question.  Where would you want to go?  Disneyland was the reply.  Not Disney World where he has been eight times, but Disneyland!  Then he asked, “How many planes does it take to get to California?”   This is one clue you can tell the boy is well traveled as he measures distances by how many planes it will take to get there.  Can you imagine him as he gets older?  (By the way, he measures car distances by how many “shows” it takes to get there.)

I told him that it would depend.  Most likely it would take one or two planes to fly to California.  I then reminded him that we have flown to California before and it took us one plane.  (Yeah for direct flights!)  He asked why we didn’t go to Disneyland while we were there.  Well, we just didn’t.  We priced it to see if was reasonable to add on to our 7 night Mexican Riviera Disney Cruise in 2008 and decided against it.

The trip conversation ended.  But it did get me thinking about how the boy turning 9 was going to eventually change our Disney travel.

Since he is 9 as of today, we have one more year of him being considered a “child” in Disney years.  Once he turns 10, the park tickets, dining plan, etc. will be more expensive.  We need to get the most out of this year.

Once he turns 10, he will be eligible to participate in the “Behind the Steam Trains” tour at the Magic Kingdom.  This is something we are all looking forward to. 

As a 9 year old on a Disney Cruise Line ship, he is still eligible for the kids’ club on board and is able, with our permission, to enter and exit himself from the club.  This actually starts at age 8.  As a 10 year old, he can authorize himself to enter and exit the kids club.  Eeek!  He will be 10 on our next cruise.  At 11, he’s in the Tween Club on all the ships and can have full run of the ship, except the adult only areas.  Whew!

 (2006)

It is a great joy to watch him grow up and browsing photos from our Disney trips brings back great memories.  His first trip to the World he was 4 years old, just turned 4, as it was a November trip.  He rode the Barnstormer, but nothing else that was adventurous.  Now, he takes on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion.  There are still more and bigger attractions for him to tackle as he gets older.

 (2008)

For now, we’ll enjoy him being 9.  And, taking him to Walt Disney World as a 9 year old!

Celebrating My Birthday

Yesterday was my 45th birthday. And, while we didn’t celebrate by attending a Disney Park, there were some Disney surprises sprinkled throughout my day.

The husband made Mickey waffles for breakfast. Nothing like saying good morning to and with the mouse and they tasted delicious. Of course, they were eaten with Mickey silverware!



The boy decided to give me a special gift. Inside the gift bag were a stuffed Mickey Mouse and Pluto. They were from his collection, but he was insistent that I keep them. We compromised on sharing them. He just knew I would love them. He has no idea how special it was that he was willing to give me something of his for my gift.



A special surprise arrived for me at my work, through an internal mail system. Inside the envelope was a box with a small note that read: “Smile. Disney Dreaming.” Inside the box was a pair of Mickey Mouse stud earrings. You know the ones with the three crystal circles that form the silhouette of Mickey Mouse. Wow, was I surprised. And, there was no indication of who sent them. What a wonderful mystery surprise just for me.

July 14, 2014 Note:  The secret of the earrings was revealed Saturday evening!  A friend and colleague confessed to sending the special earrings!  I replied with a happy hug!  

What was even more surprising was the husband’s reaction when I brought them home. He was a bit miffed by the mystery. I had no idea that he would react that way, but isn’t it sweet that he could be potentially jealous after all these years? When he realized that the mystery wasn’t bothering me, he was fine. I am overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the surprise.

We also added a new piece of furniture to our living room as a birthday gift. A chair that had outlived its usefulness went to the curb and a new leather rocker recliner is now in its place.



My day ended with the treat of a banana dream pie made especially for me by the husband. That and many birthday wishes from family and friends. It was a great day!

Celebrating The Boy's Birthday at Walt Disney World

Even thought the boy’s birthday was a few days prior, we still celebrated while on our November trip to Walt Disney World.



He received the requisite “It’s My Birthday” button upon check in at our resort—Port Orleans Riverside.



He wore the button daily and was wished a “Happy Birthday” too many times to count each day. One day, I forgot the button and we were steps outside our room and headed to the bus stop when I was reminded that he didn’t have his birthday button. Reverse. We went back to retrieve the button so he could wear it proudly. He was also concerned that on fast rides, the button might come off. We reassured him several times that the button would stay on. . . we were right.



So, what might happen when a young boy wears his birthday button at the Walt Disney World Resort?



Several things, and very similar to what happened when his dad wore his birthday button—click here to read more.



In addition to being wished a happy birthday a plethora of times, the boy was often selected to carry the black corded “timing” device from the beginning of a queue to the beginning of the attraction. That happened a lot this trip and I finally got it, when the Cast Member said, “we’ll let the birthday boy carry this.” Another comment we got when handed the timing device was “you look like you’ve been here before.” So true!

Then there are the grander birthday wishes, such as when Pluto joins you at Chef Mickey’s to help you blow out the candle on your birthday cupcake and gives you birthday wishes.

Or when the wait staff at Rose and Crown sing “Happy Birthday” to you and present you with a wonderful dessert.

Or when the wait staff at Chefs de France sing “Happy Birthday” in French and present you with a dessert.

Disney knows how to celebrate, that’s for sure!  Now, the husband and the boy have each celebrated a birthday at Disney twice! 

Disney has changed it's theme for 2011.  For two years, the theme was about celebrating. . . "Celebrate You" and "What will you celebrate?"  The new theme is "Let the Memories Begin."  For us, our memories, especially our Disney memories, have already begun!