Well... it was our turn to visit Sanibel with my mom! Yippeee!! and since it was Jenna's birthday too we decided to add a two day stop in Orlando to see and do all things Mickey and Minnie. We spent the first night in South Carolina, which made for an easy second day to Orlando. We arrived in time to get ready for a special dinner reservation I had made. Our reservation was at the fancy Dolphin and Swan hotel on the Disney property. We had dinner with Pluto and Goofy. Jenna was leary at first, but warmed up totally, even interfering in other families visits with the characters. Ava and Amelia loved the fancy food and their hugs from the characters. Drew was happy with the food! We then walked around the beautiful hotel site and took lots of pictures. For anyone counting that's two fancy Disney hotels we've "walked" around and not stayed at. We made our way back to our measley hotel... Residence Inn about 10 miles away (but free!!). We rested for our next day. We, along with everyone else from the US spent the entire day in Disney. We spent 9-5 there. (Which is a lot for us!) We saw two parades, waved to lots of characters, went on the "horses go round", It's a Small World, Jungle Book Cruise, and while Dave took the girls to the tea cups, and the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, Drew and I chilled at the First Aid Station. I don't know which group was happier.... We then waited in line to see Mickey, and surpise there was Minnie too! Even Drew perked up for that!
We spent the next morning in Downtown Disney...more rides, pictures, shopping and even a breakfast ice cream sundae. We left there and made our way to Sanibel!
We arrived in our usual fashion...windows down, excited whoot whooots and lots and lots of wind and sea air blowing! We celebrated Jenna's birthday on Monday per her request..party hats, presents (a swimming doll and Mickey book), a chocolate cake with candles. We had lots of fun.. swimming, beach walking, swimming, shelling, cousin time, swimming, biking, swimming, hot tubbing, swimming, Easter egg coloring, swimming, Easter Egg hunt, swimming, fishing.. you get the point.. the hightlight was swimming - day or night. The last day brought a morning storm, and and extremely low late day tide. We saw so much.. starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, large shells, small shells, hermit crabs. The older girls learned a lot about the different shells and how they were living. Jenna was happy to tell anyone and everyone, "I found another clam shell!!, mama, I found another clam shell!!" She even found a "clapping clam shell!" We saw birds carrying fish, birds hunting fish, birds talking in cages, birds to chase on the beach, and even a pair of woodpeckers. We saw lizards, dolphins, manatees twice! We had a great time! Jenna on her third birthday week seemed to be more chit chatty about everything, constantly talking, singing "This Old Man" and "One, Two Buckle my Stinky Shoe" in the pool no matter who was there. Amelia, Ava and Drew always at their best traveling. Loving the road.... Last night in our hotel.. Jenna wasn't cooperating with bed time. Dave told her to get in bed, she said "Stop it Daddy you're bothering me!" We all laughed, but yep.. we all need a little time apart..
We traveled over 2300 miles and I took close to 400 pictures... (It was hard to decide what to post). Awww.. nice to be home! And Happy Easter!
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