Highs and More Highs and a Low for the Week

Our family regularly sits around the dinner table and shares what has been a high for the day and a low for the day. The rule is that you have to have a high (there is always something to be thankful for in a day), but you don't have to have a low.

So here are the things that have made my heart soar and given me a chuckle and smile this week:

**Ashlyn is an official Clovis North High badminton player. She was so cute this week, or was it last week, when she jumped in the car after school and said, "Mom, you are going to die, I am going to play badminton as a sport." I can't wait for her first game! I think it will be "great fun" to watch.

**Julianne sat in bed with me last night and we watched "Super Nanny", which is a show about children who need a little and at times a lot of love and discipline. She said, "Mom, you and Dad are the perfect parents...you discipline us, but aren't too strict and you let us have fun." Now, I am sure I don't have to break it to you...we are so far from perfect, but to hear my 13 year old daughter share that with me did give me warm fuzzies and thankful that we have a sweet relationship with her. Shall I remind her that she told me that when she doesn't like something I have asked her to do?

**Brian challenged me today! I love when he does that. Definitely a high! I am teaching in a little over a week on "covenant" and I bounced downstairs and shared with him how much I am learning and-- how in the world am I going to fit it all in 45 minutes. He wisely said, "Keep it simple. Give me one sentence on what you are trying to get across." He sharpens me...I think I have my sentence...is it ok to use three semi-colons in a sentence? I haven't told him the sentence yet.

**I loved hearing Kylen play with Legos in his room today and yesterday. Can you picture his hand filing through his Lego bin trying to find the right piece? I love his creative mind. It still blows me away that he will make an elaborate Lego masterpiece only to break it apart when he is satisfied that it is complete.

**Melody shopped for "Taco Tuesday on Thursday". What a blessing!

**I am thankful the Lord was so evident in how He orchestrated some time with a neighbor this week and witnessed her hunger for the Word.

I am trying to think of a low...the only thing that comes to mind is that Charlie, our outside cat, has a permanant kitty cold that has lasted three months. This week he sneezed on me more than once and yellow boogies sprayed.

It has been a great week...I have a lot more highs than I stated, but would love to hear some of your highs and lows...Will you share them with the Downs clan?

Winding Down

10 days at Disneyworld is quite a bit to take in. In fact our son awoke to discover the ill effects of several days of lack of sleep, walking half marathons, subjecting one's body to countless motion simulations, and a diet compliled with any food item with a sugar content greater than 50%.

It's 4PM and we're just getting to the park today - Happiest place on earth!

The entire Downs party. If you count them there is 16. But if you asked us, there was 17...? 15 needed tickets but we bought 16 non-refundable...?

Yvonne always felt safer holding on with one hand. Of course she couldn't hold on with two - one you have to wave at everyone with...

That's my bride... she's been craving a turkey leg all day. I just backed away after taking this picture.

Disneyworld fireworks. 15 mintues of eye wonder for 60 minutes of feeling like cattle trying to get out of the park...moo.

Mid-Trip Maddness

Just for a clarification (again) I (Brian) have been writing these posts. (seems Yvonne would like to see this disclaimer each time I use her account) However now that I finally remembered my login info - I can post them under my own name and can disregard all the loopholes and preapprovement that has been going on... (OK, sorry, that isn't true - I love you honey!)

Ok here is the condensed versions of the days I have missed.

Each day we seem to be getting up later and later. In fact I'm not sure that Ashlyn ever woke up until about her 2nd time on Space Mountain...

We spent another day at Animal Kingdom (now with the entire Downs posse) It was finally warmer and finally feeling more like Florida. I always find it fun to go to some sort of animal reserve and "observe" natural settings... Like this Hippo being surrounded by vultures... each of them telling the other one, "No, you poke it and see if it's dead."


We also had another Walmart experience... According to the check out gal, they do open all 31 lanes on Sundays. We'll have to keep that in mind. I've also decided stores which install "self checkout" lanes need to be required by law to require an IQ check before allowing anyone to use these machines...I'll leave it at that.

Yep, I have these 3 women in my house... continue to pray for me.

The three cousins practicing their sobriety test, I think.

Ashyln gets her looks from her mom and her stubbornness from me - go figure.

Hey Charlotte - can you spot the "spy dogs"

I was debating getting the "Aerosmith" tattoo but we can only have one person in our house with a tattoo...(it's in the lease)


Speaking of which, if you look closely you can figure out who this Florida greeting is to.

Hopefully you can wish for something awful or painful will happen to the Downs family so that I can post something else to fill your time tomorrow. If not, why don't you watch the televised debate over the spending bill - it's very exciting!

Get Over It....

For those of you freaking out that there hasn't been a post in a couple of days...get real. I'm tired, my feet hurt, and frankly nothing really funny (at least to me) has happened. I promised Yvonne I would write something tomorrow morning. Until then, you'll have to curl up in a corner, cry, and wait.

Disney on Ice

OK, so we all thought that today would be a bit warmer...no, try 19 degrees with the wind chill this morning. But hey, it should keep the other guests away, right... yeah, right.

We hit Magic Kingdom today... And frankly I am tired of making stuff up for the day - so you'll have to get by on captions only.

The Happiest Place on Earth turned into The Coldest Place on Earth

PBJ's in the park - Hey, we haven't gotten our bail out from Obama yet.

Half of the Downs Tribe joined us for part of the day

Sure they "look" cute now...

Why yes, that is the Holy Spirit blessing from Heaven on me

For Sarah (again) Hey, go on your own vacation will ya!

BUUUURRRRRR....

Welcome to sunny, warm Florida... tell that to the 53 degree high temp and a wind chill to send even those living in Chicago indoors. So what did we decide to do? Stay indoors, watch a movie, visit a shopping mall.... let's spend the morning out in the cold geocaching! If you ask what is geocaching, you'll have to ask Yvonne since she gets so animated when she talks about it.

We headed out to 5 spots - but only found 3 (the other two we chickened out after either making a spectacle of tearing up some landscaping or causing some neighbors to come out and investigate our "suspicious teenagers.

We decided to hit Disney's Animal Kingdom for a few hours.

The kids really wanted to ride the new roller coaster they put in from the time we had been here before. Afterwards, they found a "spinning" roller coaster as well - I sat that one out. My excuse was because it only had room for four people...

We also got to experience some of Disney's finest wildlife... "Why is the monkey sitting hanging over the water?" my children ask... Only to be followed up with...(plop) "Ohhhhh" They'll have to journal that one for their school work...

We ended up in Downtown Disney to meet up with another part of the Downs' clan who arrived late last night. No, they are not in this picture.

At the end of the day, Yvonne headed back to the hotel with our oldest two while I got to spend the rest of the evening with Julianne at Hollywood Studios trying to finish off what equilibrium I had left... glad I bought some Tums earlier in the day.

Yep, she's still stuck with me... just no one tell her she still has 8 more days here at Disneyworld... with more of the Downs arriving each day!

Day Two...ish

Based on the comments and the fact that all of the previous posts have been done by Yvonne and the kids... I should explain.

These "wacky" posts will not be the typical day in the life posts - if you want those this will have to hold you over - WE ARE HAVING FUN, MISS YOU.

Now, if for some reason you would like a short visit into the "brain of Brian" - these chronological events will be reported through the eyes of one "not typical" :)

For the first time in my life - my children wanted to sleep in - all except for my youngest (I'm thinking now maybe we should have stopped at two!) DISCLAIMER if that statement bothered you-you'd better just close this blog and walk away...it ain't gonna get any prettier.

I voiced that since today is supposed to be cold - we should spend it at Epcot since many of the attractions are inside. Off we go...

We pass a place called DisneyQuest - must be the building they use to map this maze of roadways. Our hotel "just outside the gate of Disneyworld" proves to be about as close as Bakersfield is to.... Hume Lake.

We get to use some nifty passes we got from AAA to park in a special parking area. (translation: drive past where everyone else parks to the farthest area from the entrance)

Rather than talk about all we did - here are some photos: you make up your own stories (I would have).

This one's for Sarah - WHATEVER!

Traveling....

BTW - this is Brian (I can't remember my login info...)

So the only flight out of Fresno we could book leaves at 5:55am....why, well let's just say that Fresno isn't on many people's itinerary. So we get up at some ridiculous hour and head off to the airport, at least the traffic isn't bad - good thing since I just about ran that stop sign. We go through the boarding gate just to be met by a long line (I think this is an omen for this trip)waiting to enter a very small plane. Oops, we have to turn around and head back - seems some of the emergency lighting is not working. Emergency lighting on this plane? Come on - if we crash I hardly think we will have a hard time finding our way out of this coke can. Besides, it's a day flight - I think I'll just head to the "light at the end of the tunnel." So we get to sit in Fresno for an extra hour - oh joy.

Finally off to LA then Orlando (with more lines.) As we board our plane, here's one - something's moving in the carry-on baggage of the person in front of us - we get to fly with a "doggy princess"! And our movie for the flight??? Beverly Hills Chihuahua!

In Orlando, we wait in line to exit, wait in line to get our bags, wait in line to get our rental car, wait in line to get our rental car keys, wait in line to drive our rental car out of the airport....

We arrive at our hotel and check in - everyone's tired - It's about 8pm but it should be about 5 in CA, doesn't matter we're done.

I get the pleasure of heading out to get some things we need - Florida Walmart... 33 checkout lanes (that's a bit optimistic in today's economy don't you think) But wait...no actually I waited. 39 minutes in the checkout lane... I'm starting to think there's a pattern brewing here.