Say Cheers!

Happy New Year! We have hit the ground running this year in the best way possible. We spent last week in Orlando with Dustin's side of the family where we took the boys to Disney World for the first time. There was very little sleep happening, but the boys had so much fun! The weather was perfect and crowds were minimal- which was a great change from previous trips to Disney where the parks are usually maxed out by 10am. For those occasions, please check out my post from a couple years back about how to beat the crowds during those super busy times. Here is how we spent our week:

Our resort had a putt-putt course, so for our little golfers this was a dream.

 Also, worth mentioning that our Clemson Tigers won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game on Monday night!!! We may have lost about 5 years of our lives watching the game and only gotten a couple hours of sleep, but it was totally worth it. Tuesday morning while running on adrenaline and coffee, we left bright and early for Magic Kingdom.

 Don't let their "the sun is in my eyes" frowns fool you. These boys loved everything Disney just like their mama!

 

I tried to take a family selfie, but had my phone on video instead. I am so glad I did! Here is Ryder's response to seeing Mickey for the first time.

 His reaction to his first ride wasn't quite the same. By the time it was finished, he didn't want to get off.

I got to ride a big kid ride with my favorite big girls.

All the excitement wore this one out by 11AM.

And he slept through the line to see Mickey.

And woke up just in time to say cheese!

I am so proud of how this big boy wanted to ride his very first roller coaster. The only one he was tall enough for was the Barnstormer, which is pretty fast but only lasts about 30 seconds. While waiting for it, he looked at me and said "I'm not so sure about this. I'm really nervous". By the end, he wanted to do it again and again!

On Wednesday, we relaxed at the condo with our cousins and the ate lunch at a really fun spot for littles called T-Rex located in Disney Springs.

Too much fun.

"Hold my hand by the road, Ryder"

On Thursday, we headed back to Magic Kingdom since that is where our crew can get the most bang for our buck. These boys were so excited!

 

 Finn is still a bit unsure about all mascots, so this was a big step for him.

 We got stuck on the Buzz Lightyear ride for a few extra minutes and this is what our pic ended up looking like at the end of the ride.

 

 We finally got a couple pics by the castle. Tip: later afternoon provides for the best lighting.

 "Finn, give Ryder a hug"

 See ya real soon, Mickey! Thanks for the memories!