ok.. so I've gotton behind...

Ok... I have been busy having fun and not updating like I should! I will try to catch you up on our trip...

Wednesday... We went out to lunch again with Grandma and then drove out as a trial run to see where the shuttle was taking off from at the Cape. We spent about 2 hours at the beach and then headed home. That night my cousin Brian took us out to a wonderful (and super expensive) dinner. I only mention the expense because Mr. D. and I do not usually spend a lot of $$$ on fancy dinners... so for my cousin to spend almost $300 on dinner was way over the top!!! I mean we had a cheese course, wine, salads, a $38 entree and dessert! It was wonderful but it is strange to let someone spend that much on you. But we had a lovely 3 hour dinner and awesome conversation! I really enjoy my cousin and his wife!

Thursday - A day at Disney. Now... I have to say this Disney is great... I love it... we go every year... BUT... we also have generous friends who work there and get us tickets... plus we have been there so many times we honestly don't care what we ride... or if we ride anything... we just like hanging out and enjoying the atmosphere. I say all of that to tell you... If you have never been to Disney World... Go! BUT do not go anytime in the summer!!!! It was so crowded there was no way a family could enjoy enjoy a trip. There were so many frustrated parents dragging their kids around waiting in 75 minute lines for every ride. I feel so sorry for the parents who save and save for years for this dream vacation just to find that about a million other people want the same perfect vacation! If you want the perfect Disney experience just make the decision to take the kids out of school and do it sometime between October and March (minus any school holiday breaks!). You will have your dream trip... and you will be able to do everything in 4 or 5 days... but trying to do it in the summer... well... I'll just say the people looked so disappointed. (But... all that said... had a great time flitting through the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom... riding a total of 4 rides, seeing 1 show, 2 parades and the fireworks... all that in a 13 hour day. Yes... I have the blisters to prove it!

Friday - Whew we needed a day off. Another lunch with Grandma, then to Oceans 13 (very fun... very hot men!), and then off to the shuttle launch! We we across the cape from the shuttle (probably about a mile away) but you could see everything!!! We took our beach towels and sat with a ton of other people who came out to watch. Then it was time! I was so nervous... I really prayed for those astronauts! But the launch was beautiful! It was spectacular to see it go up and the the whole sky fill up will billowy while smoke! If you didn't see it you should go to the NASA site and watch it. I have heard there was some damage that they are repairing at the space station... so I am still praying that they make it home safe and sound. I am really glad that we went.

Saturday - We spent the day at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park. This day was very pleasant... it didn't seem overly crowed like the theme parks. We rode everything and the longest we waited way about 15 minutes. We came home early and spent our last evening at home with Grandma... she was in a storytelling mood which is rare and told me all about when she was a girl in the 1920's... no electricity... the great depression... the war... I could go on and on about her... but I will save those stories for another day... but the evening was so special and I will always remember the time we spent together that night.

whew...

Sunday... (today... finally...) We said goodbye to Grandma and Orlando and drove to Seaside. The drive took most of the day. We arrived at about 5:30, unpacked, did some grocery shopping, made a wonderful dinner of wine, bread, and cheese, and now we are sitting with the doors open watching both the sunset and the Tony Awards... (yes.. we are theatre geeks...) Tomorrow we will spend the day... (and the next 6 days) lounging on the beach eating popsicles!

I am attaching a few pictures... we really haven't taken that many... I will try to do better here in SeaSide!

The reason we don't stay at a hotel in Orlando... the gorgeous lake view from my Grandmothers back porch... We call it our 5 star hotel!

Two nerdy tourists at Universal Studios!

Me and the Grinch at Universal!

The condo.. home sweet home!