Neverending Celebrations

The past several weeks have felt like neverending celebrations in our household. We started at Thanksgiving weekend, where we celebrated Christmas with my family before my parents headed south for the winter. The following weekend we celebrated Maia's birthday with Jackie's family. The week after the following weekend was Maia's birthday, and we of course had a small "party" with just Jackie, Maia, and me. On that day, Maia opened up our wristband/tickets to Walt Disney World, which we left for a couple days after that. Following five days at Disney World (where it seemed like everyday was a celebration of Maia's birthday), we came back home and celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day at home, before heading out of town once again to celebrate with Jackie's family. That brings us up to this week, where, while things are settling down, we still leave again over the weekend to celebrate Christmas once again with more family.

These are obviously all very good times, and we are very fortunate to be able to experience them, and share these various moments with family. That said, its felt like our celebrations of Christmas and Maia's birthday has been ongoing for 6 weeks, and the dullness and mundaneness that awaits in January seems particularly appealing.

In any event, as mentioned above, the week before Christmas day we went to Disney World for Maia's birthday (and were joined by Jackie's parents). Disney World is a special place for Jackie and me; we took our honeymoon there 11 years ago, and went back for another trip 2 years after that; we always hoped we'd be able to take trips there every couple years. Fast forward with life expenses (from house purchases and repairs, infertility and then adoption), and it has been 9 years since we took a trip. However, we knew shortly after Maia was born that we wanted to take her to Disney World, and believed that just after she turned 4 would be a perfect time - she would be young enough where much of everything there was still magical.

It was also the first time in our eleven years of marriage that we took a vacation type trip with Jackie's parents. My family's annual trip to Pentwater has given many opportunities for those shared family vacation memories on that side of the family, but this was a bit of a first on the other side for me. As it is with the Pentwater trip, sharing the trip with family makes it all that much better; there's just something special about sharing those great and exciting moments with loved ones. And similar to Pentwater, when the parents/grandparents left before us (both times usually a half day or day before we do), it felt weird to be at Disney (Pentwater) without them. That's how you know its meaningful time.

To say the least, the trip didn't disappoint. In fact, in spite of the high hopes and expectations we had, the trip was everything we wanted it to be for Maia. On the day where we had an appointment for her at the "Princess" boutique, she was ecstatic to pick out her own dress and pretend to be a princess for the day (which, considering how easily she pretends pretty much anything, wasn't all that hard). Seeing her smiles that day, and simply how much fun she was having with the experience, is something I will always remember. Truly, she ate it up. It also helped that Disney employees constantly addressed her all week as "princess," and as they knew we were there celebrating her birthday (asked during the reservation process), she consistently received "Happy Birthday Princess" greetings, as well as cupcakes with candles at almost every restaurant we went to (January, after this coming weekend's Christmas may be a bit of a buzzkill for her).

Over the top excited to be a princess for the day.

And to meet her favorite, Princess Elena.

Getting into the role.

Also pretty excited to meet fellow Princess, Anna.

Pretty tickled to meet Mickey as well.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoAYhDnxnyQ&w=320&h=266]

Similarly, seeing how much fun she ended up having on the various rides, particularly the thrill-seeking roller coasters, was a hoot. She never got enough of certain rides, riding some like the Barnstormer and Splash Mountain (incredible thing about Splash Mountain, everytime she rode it, a total of 6 times I believe, she was in the front seat) upwards of 5 times or more. Each time, laughing and smiling throughout the rides. She always wanted to go higher and faster, higher and faster. We always had a sense that Maia was a bit of a thrill seeker; but seeing it manifest itself in a such a big way for the first time was something special - it's fun to learn and see your child as their own independent spirit and persona.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAS1EdVGffg&w=320&h=266]

Her favorite ride of the week, Splash Mountain!

The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride, which
everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

And Splash Mountain again, namaste.

Jackie and I always talk about how Disney World is an interesting vacation - you "go, go, go" throughout, as there is always something exciting and fun to do, to the point where it feels exhausting at the end of each day (seeing Maia, the child who never, never, wants to sleep, actually nod off on the bus rides back to our hotel the last couple nights is something else I won't soon forget). Yet, its also relaxing, because it is all-consuming as a vacation - there is no time to think about what still needs to be done at the office, or what project is left undone at home, and so on.

My forever and always princesses.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lYLl3svEhU&w=320&h=266]

In the end, Disney World was a trip, and celebration that I almost wish was truly neverending. But, since its not, at least we will always have reasons to work hard so we can go back again sometime sooner than another 9 years. Until next time...