On Friday, we flew to Florida to meet my parents, brother, sister-in-law and her dad for an amazing vacation! Mom promised the kids a trip to Disney World to celebrate her retirement this summer.

When I called in March and asked if it was alright if we had three kids instead of two, they rejoiced with us! It’s hard to believe that those dreams came true and we traveled with three to Florida. I am so thankful for a family willing to help and give extra hands.

My sister-in-law, Alyx, surprised us with shirts for the day. I cannot tell you how much this helped. I was able to look up and find the sea of yellow.

Traveling with my family is always interesting – mom is an oldest sibling, I’m the oldest, Brian is the oldest – lots of cooks in the kitchen. We always put my baby brother in charge. He can memorize maps with ease and it makes everyone happy just to follow him. I get to just push the stroller and hand out snacks. Life is good.

Do you trade pins? We love to! It is so fun to meet cast members and talk to them about what pins they have. Uncle BJ and Aunt Alyx gave Riley a Toy Story pin. He is all about Toy Story right now!

One of our traditions is eating at restaurants that we remember eating at when we were little. I can remember eating here, at the Coral Reef Restaurant, with my brother when I was about ten. I can remember throwing a fit because I didn’t want to eat seafood. And I remember being embarrassed when I was able to order a hot dog.

We took the kids in and they loved it. The entire wall is an aquarium. We saw giant sea turtles and beautiful fish. It entertained everyone while we ate and the portions were all big enough to share.

One of my favorite parts of Disney is the gardens. Every time we visit, I am amazed at how beautiful the grounds are.

Can I tell you about something amazing? BJ and Alyx went up to a Disney Cast member and asked a question about the Soarin’ ride. Before we knew it, she had our entire group walking behind the scenes and took us directly to the ride. We all just kept looking at each other asking what was happening. When we finally were brave enough to ask her what was going on – she told us that our group was selected for a Magical Moment. Tears.

This is our new friend, Heather. She made our trip to Disney World something so special and amazing. Heather, we love you and thank you! You are a gem and a true example of what I think of when I think of Walt Disney. You were warm and kind and made us feel like royalty! Our family wll always remember our Magical Moment! Thank you!