visiting the four kingdoms: day 1

I left my heart in Disney World. I am not saying this to be poetic or sweet or anything. It is just the truth! I was spoiled getting to spend every moment of every day with Tison. This morning I threw a pillow over my alarm clock to stifle the radio so I could keep sleeping. I have done more morning grumpy-grumbling than ever since our return. Who would have thought that coming back from an amazing vacation would have such negative effects on my work ethic! Don't get me wrong, I am extremely thankful to have a job, but I just want to play all day! Anyone else experiencing a bad case of senioritis this summer?

In an effort to relive the experience, I am going to walk you through our days spent at the four kingdoms at Walt Disney World, park by park. It is truly the happiest place on earth! Leaving bright and early (4:00 am) we drove from Shreveport, Louisiana to Sandestin Beach Resort, Florida - then left Sandestin the next morning for Orlando. We arrived around 3:00 pm, just as it was beginning to rain. A quick stop in a gift shop for ponchos began our first evening which we spent at Downtown Disney. I highly recommend Downtown Disney for adults as an evening activity. There are tons of restaurants and live outdoor music to choose from.

This is how we spent our first full day at Walt Disney World:

{Hitting the ground running, Tison and I started the day at the educational ride, Spaceship Earth. This is the ride in the Epcot dome. It cracked me up when the computer screen in front of us displayed our future if we keep recycling. I didn't even know they had snapped our picture- Tison's face so hilarious.}

 {I thought I was going to pass out after this ride. The G-force from this ride creates a pressure in your head that made me feel like my head might explode if it didn't release "into space." Why I thought I could handle the "More Intense" version of the ride is beyond me! It literally took us about 4 hours afterwards to feel normal again.}

{Tequila shots in Mexico are a must do!}

 {We enjoyed Bratwurst and Oktoberfest beer for lunch in Germany.}

{I absolutely loved visiting all of the countries! Everything was done with so much attention to detail. Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom were also visited, but I guess I was still feeling the effects of the Mission: Space ride and didn't take any pictures!}

{Captain EO aka Michael Jackson was amazing. It is a 1986 3D film that follows Captain EO and his crew on a mission to rescue the planet through the gift of music, dance, and light. Need I say more?}

{I was more than impressed with the way Disney grows their own vegetables and distributes it to the resort restaurants. That Tomato "tree" right there produces 36,000 tomatoes a year!}

{After our fun at Epcot, Tison and I rode the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. We really squeezed every minute out of this day!}

{We walked around the Magic Kingdom beginning in the area called Adventureland where I wanted to ride The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Ali, Matt, Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim met up with us there for the Disney classics, It's a Small World and Mad Tea Party; as well as riding Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and race cars! The fireworks display began while we were on the racetrack and it gave us a perfect view of the show. What a happy accident!}

{My favorite things from day 1: The World Showcase at Epcot, seeing Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom for the first time since I was 9, the Space Mountain ride, and the fireworks of course!}

everyone has a story...

...and here is mine!

 Tison's mom and dad took us on a family vacation to Disney World last week. It was such an incredible trip. I was excited about going, but had no idea how magical it would actually be! I haven't been since I was 9 and although I had some memories of the trip with my family, the memories have grown a little fuzzy. Tison and I hit the ground running, spending a full day in each of the four Walt Disney World parks: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. On Sunday (Father's Day) we had just left Hollywood Studios to go back to the hotel so I could change and get ready for a night out to see fireworks. I am powdering my nose and putting on my new orange tunic when I look over and see Tison has his head buried in a pillow. "Oh no," I think. "He must be getting sick." I push and prod him, saying "We aren't going anywhere if you are feeling bad. You should sleep. We have one more day at Disney and we're not going out if you are sick!" Little did I know he had special places picked out at all the parks and was carrying the ring around in his pocket the whole trip looking for the right moment to propose. He had decided that tonight was the night and it would be under the fireworks. He was so nervous I thought he was sick! I said, "Why are you letting out all this nervous energy, WHAT is the matter?!" The second those words rolled off my tongue, I knew.... He said, " I can't hide anything from you, come here" and right in the hotel room he took my hand and got down on one knee. Looking up at me nervously shaking with love pouring out of his eyes, he said, "I love you so much. Will you marry me?!"

Tison and I have been dating now for a little over 3 years, although we met 8 years ago. It has been a long road for us, dating off and on since I was 21.  I was so terrified of the word marriage- thinking it meant I would have to change not only my name, but who I was to be with someone. When I met Tison he scared me because we were so compatible - that it could get serious. As the years went on I realized that whether we were dating or not, he was the person I wanted to talk to. I missed him and wondered what was happening in his life when we weren't together. I contemplated what this meant. I realized over all this time that I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. I have found someone that doesn't try to change me, in fact he gets my weirdness, he encourages my crazy ideas, he motivates me when I need encouragement, he comforts me when I need to cry, we laugh and sing all the time, he makes me feel good about being me. With Tison I have never been more myself and I have never felt more loved. We have grown to love each other more than I ever knew was possible. He is my best friend. He is my true companion and partner in life. When he asked me to marry him I was in complete shock- stunned even. Those ugly little emotions and insecurities tried to rear their ugly head and Tison could see it on my face. He said, "Are you scared?" and I answered, "Yes." and he said "me too." That's when I knew. I knew that it was all going to be okay. We are going to walk down this path together- scared - but believing in our love for each other.

 Thank you for a wonderful, magical, and most memorable trip Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim, Ali and Matt. 

We love y'all.

A little romantic music to go along with the post: