Last month we took our FIRST real family of four vacation, by real I mean it involved extensive travel to get to our destination!
Every year my mother in law takes her dance group to Walt Disney World for their show case performance. Kenny and I have tagged along on nearly all of them since we have been together, only missing 2014 because I had just had Pierson.  Traveling with a one and three year old was definitely not for the faint of heart! I am a self professed type AA personality with a need for control and because of this tend to stress out over things that haven’t happened yet. Maybe I dream up ridiculous situations and plan for those in turn stressing out my husband? Totally hypothetically of course 😉
Well this trip went GREAT! We stayed Monday through Friday, the perfect amount of time for little ones in my opinion. Any longer and they would’ve been OVER the whole thing. It is hard all staying together in one room when we are used to space, staying in a stroller most of the day(Pierson definitely) and the constant go go. Kenny and I promised each other since we have been so much that we would see this entire trip through kid goggles and I am THRILLED we did!!! We didn’t rush one ride to the next, we let Maverick mostly pick what we did. We mozied around and really took in everything.

I will say packing for a family of four was ….fun/stressful/organized/brain challenge! Since we stay at a value resort (the Pop Century) the rooms really lack alot of storage which means we were picky with what we took! Knowing it would be cold at night we had to bring heavier coats for each of us, along with blankets for the boys while they were in the stroller. So we packed in two large suitcases(thanks to Southwest for the free bags!) and I packed a carry on size one of food! Yes, that’s right I packed a suitcase of food. Dining is super expensive in Disney and the boys don’t really eat enough to justify the dining plan. So, I packed tons of snack food along with pop tarts and breakfast oatmeal so we could save some money on breakfast and splurge on lunch and dinner knowing we would be in the parks for those meals. I highly recommend this!! Disney lets you bring in food and drinks which was a money and life saver, especially in longer lines! I also took some of the Skinnygirl water flavors and that made it easy for me to drink since there are water fountains everywhere!

This trip really made me realize how fortunate Kenny and I are. We have adult friends who have NEVER been to WDW and this was Maverick’s third time! Yes, people commented that they “wouldn’t remember it” but honestly most of the things we do now is for Kenny and I to remember!! This is what I have always dreamed of, having a family to take to Disney and do fun adventures with! It’s so important to me my babes get to see alot of the world. Oh and Maverick definitely remembers. Pierson of course not but there are pictures. Oh, and a blog 😉

Last thing, all we took was our iPhones and a point and shoot. Twice I have lugged my big camera down there. When I got back and looked at the images, I realized I was in nearly none of them. I had been SO busy trying to get a perfect picture and capture the memory that I wasn’t IN the memory. So this time we left it at home and I am THRILLED we did!! One, I wasn’t worried about carrying $5000+ worth of gear in a diaper bag. Two, once the sun goes down my camera was relatively useless anyways without a flash! Three, I am in pictures! And have already made a Chatbook out of them! Is the quality amazing? Nope, but I am there! In pictures, in memories, IN the moment and that’s what counts to me!
Phew okay onto the pictures!!!