Disney World - Part 2

On our second day at Animal Kingdom, we were fortunate to know someone on the "Lion King" show.....he is one of the monkeys!!! For anyone that has been, you know this is a "must-see"! I think we went to it 3 times during our visits!!! Anyways, we were able to get VIP treatment and sit frontrow, girls got to help with the show and we got to go backstage and meet the cast! They were very friendly and it was an experience we will not forget!!!



Oh, and I need not forget the 2 trips that we took on "Kali River Rapids"..........I was the lucky winner of 2 COMPLETE SOAKINGS!!!! Yup, I was the only one on the trip to get soaked twice!!!! LOL Gotta love family vacations!! LOL And I should also mention that Cierra (our youngest) ended up being our brave girl and riding Expedition Everest over and over and over and over.......Wes and I had such a great time taking her and hearing her laughter!!!


Magic Kingdom does have some magical moments as well. One that I will never forget is the night parade and fireworks! We were all packed in with 10,000+ other people (like sardines). The kids were tired and hungry......but when the parade started, we were all mezmerized by the electiricty and energy that exuded from each "float". Then, the fireworks and music kicked off. I looked down at Cierra's face and she was awestruck! It was so sweet!

We also had fun meeting some of the princesses and going to Tom Sawyer's island! Splash Mountain was something that we all enjoyed and Mickey's PhilharMagic was great! Oh, and I can't forget the "cars" that the kids got to drive on Tomorrowland Speedway. And the teacups that they MADE me ride several times (still not sure how Wes got out of that one!!)

Our trip was ended driving back through Destin and staying on the beach, enjoying every second! The waves were HUGE this time and we body surfed ALL day!!! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! (plus our bodies were being tortured!!) It was a memory to treasure.

Our time together was wonderful and fun. There were moments of thrill, laughter, peace, fun, joy and more!!! I will never forget the memories we made!!!

Bitter-sweet

We have recently turned in our resignation to our gymnastics facitily. It was a hard thing to do. But the harder part was a week prior when we sat down and told the girls. With tear-filled eyes, we explained to them that we had been praying about this decision for a long time. We told them to pray for us, because we are just a Mommy and Daddy and we really have no clue what we are doing…..just seeking Him and trying our hardest to listen. Cheyenne took it in stride…but Cierra was the harder sell. She said, “But can’t we just wait until my competition season. ‘Cause I have worked really hard and want to compete.” And she has worked so hard. That’s when the tears kicked in for me! It made me wonder if that’s how God feels sometimes. Taking something from His children that He knows will hurt…..hurt deeply: “But I love them; But I need that; But I have worked hard for that; But I deserve that; But that was good for me; etc”. All the while, He see and know what is best. He is doing what He has planned for our lives and we can choose to trust Him, like Wes and I are asking our girls to do, OR fight with Him and let our flesh win. The crummy part is…..the flesh only feels good for so long. So with that, we are stepping away for a bit. We are asking our precious, innocent, sweet girls to trust us again, as their parents. The ones who love them most on this earth. We are asking them to step away from a life that we have lived every single week for the last 2 ½ years. Even as I write, I am filled with emotions and could let fear set in. Yet I know that Wes and I feel peace with our decision and can trust the heavenly Father who ALWAYS has our best in mind.

Disney World

We ventured out to our first-ever Walt Disney World trip. The bags were packed and the alarm was set for a 3:am departure time. BUT, the trip actually started months ago.

Anyone who has been to WDW knows that it takes quite a while to plan and organize and pack and.......WHEW! I was tired of planning and so excited to begin our adventure!!!

Off we set for destination: Pensacola Beach, then 4 days at WDW, finally a restful ending at Pensacola Beach.

First day at Pensacola Beach!!! The girls LOVED the white sands and pristine waters. They couldn't imagine waters where you could see clearly, and they enjoyed every second! We built sand castles, waded deep, collected shells and relished in every moment of God's creation and all 5 of us spending time together! (can you tell I am in love with the beach? My fav!)














Then it was off on another journey to WDW!!! Here we come, Mickey and friends! Our days were spent enjoying the thrills of Holleywood studios, magical moments at Magic Kingdom and the lush "gardens" of Animal Kingdom.

First day: Hollywood Studios. We had a great first day, rode lots of fun rides and enjoyed the time together. Toy Story Mania, Muppet 3D and Voyage of the Little Mermaid were some of our favs! Wes and Callie even braved the "Tower of Terror"!!! Ahhhhh......


Next we spent 2 days at Animal Kingdom. This ended up being our favorite park. It is lushous, beautiful, calm, peaceful, relaxing, fun, on and on!!! We saw so many animal on the safari and spent a lot of time in the dino area. We loved the demonstrations there and the people we met.



On our second day at Animal Kingdom, we were fortunate to know someone on the "Lion King" show.....he is one of the monkeys!!! For anyone that has been, you know this is a "must-see"! I think we went to it 3 times during our visits!!! Anyways, we were able to get VIP treatment and sit front row, girls got to help with the show AND we got to go backstage and meet the cast! They were very friendly and it was an experience we will not forget!!!



Oh, and I need not forget the 2 trips that we took on "Kali River Rapids"..........I was the lucky winner of 2 COMPLETE SOAKINGS!!!! Yup, I was the only one on the trip to get soaked twice!!!! LOL Gotta love family vacations!!


And I should also mention that Cierra (our youngest) ended up being our brave girl and riding Expedition Everest over and over and over and over.......Wes and I had such a great time taking her and hearing her laughter!!!



Magic Kingdom does have some magical moments as well. One that I will never forget is the night parade and fireworks! We were all packed in with 10,000+ other people (like sardines). The kids were tired and hungry......but when the parade started, we were all mezmerized by the electiricty and energy that exuded from each "float". Then, the fireworks and music kicked off. I looked down at Cierra's face and she was awestruck! It was so sweet!



We also had fun meeting some of the princesses and going to Tom Sawyer's island! Splash Mountain was something that we all enjoyed and Mickey's PhilharMagic was great! Oh, and I can't forget the "cars" that the kids got to drive on Tomorrowland Speedway. And the teacups that they MADE me ride several times (still not sure how Wes got out of that one!!)













Our trip was ended driving back through Destin and staying on the beach, enjoying every second! The waves were HUGE this time and we body surfed ALL day!!! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! (plus our bodies were being tortured and beaten by the waves!!) It was a memory to treasure.




Our time together was wonderful and fun. There were moments of thrill, laughter, peace, fun, joy and more!!! I will never forget the memories we made!!!

Great Historical Book

Those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE to read. Now, I should clarify....I LOVE to read Christian-fiction. My favorite Christian author is Karen Kingsbury. If you haven't read any of her books, STOP reading this blog right now and RUN to the library (or my house) and get one of her books!! LOL I have ready Every....Single.....ONE!!! I have never been disappointed!

But recently, I had the opportunity, through Bethany House publisher, to review a book by Mary Connealy. (they send me the book for free and I get to read/review it....not bad, huh?!) I haven't read any of her books, but this one caught my eye. It was historical fiction and it had a little suspense, a little romance, and some fun history. It was a GREAT book and the first in a series. I love how she brought God into it and some creation history from the Bible.

So you KNOW what I am doing tomorrow??? Looking for more Mary Connealy books!!!! Once again, if you enjoy reading fiction, add this one to your bucket list!

Smile

This isn't a long post....just something to make you smile! This is Callie at VBS/VBX!!!!!

God's gifts

I feel so blessed with many gifts in my life, and sometimes I feel God so closely I can reach out and touch it.
Last night was one of those times. I know if He cares about the lilies and sparrows, He cares about me!!! What a gift it is to know that we can rest in His shelter!

And sometimes a little surprise is just what you need to lift your sails. Are we looking for those gifts? Are we looking for the ways His blessings are all around us?

I had the opportunity to "see" Him yesterday. It came in the form of a song, a sunset and a table. I know you are laughing at me now, huh!!! But I know that He was looking out for me!

Song: We drove all the way to Kemah (in LOTS, Lots, lots of traffic) to see the Boomin' by the Bay concert put on my KSBJ and NGEN. There was one song that we REALLY came to hear, and after walking a long way from the parking lot to the concert, we arrived just in time to hear that song (by Jamie Grace)!!! That was the last song she was singing before the next group came up! I counted it a gift!

Sunset: I love a beautiful sunset....who doesn't? We decided as a family to ride the farris wheel together (not my top pick!!! A little scary for me! LOL). It went around several times and we could see the bay and the moon and the water! Then I spotted the sun setting......just as we were stopped at the top of the farris wheel. We were stopped long enough to see it set all the way!!! What a gift!

Table: We ended the night with a hearty meal at Joe's Crab Shack! We asked for outdoor seating so we could watch the water. But as the hostess was taking us, she said the tables were mostly full and we wouldn't have a water view. But wouldn't you know, as we walked out - there was a table in the CORNER with a HUGE view of the bay and the boats passing by! Thank you LORD!

It is sometimes the small things that we forget to look at. We get so consumed with the bad in life or the next errand we have to stop for.

There are "gifts" all around you. What have you seen lately?

Easter = Grace

Easter....today is Easter, but what does that mean? We go buy new dresses? Decorate eggs? Make cute baskets for our kids? Paint our nails and try to look our best? Attend church?

Not us....not this year.

I took a new approach. Something nontraditional for the Wheeler family! (Those who know me well, know that I LIKE tradition.....I don't like surprises!! So this was a stretch! )

I like buying new clothes. I love buying the girls new, matching dresses with pretty sandals. I like looking nice. I love taking the "Easter picture" with all 5 of us dressed up....it brings joy to my soul!

But this year I took a step back from that. What does Easter mean to us? What are we representing as we talk about Easter with the girls?

We did a devotion every night this week (thanks to our wonderful church who provided a devotion/plastic egg for every night). We stopped and talked about what the vinegar tasted like that Jesus was given. How the cross bridged the gap for us. That HE is our life saver. What is is like to have darkness in your life? We turned the lights off and talked about it. What does God's mercy and grace look like in our lives.....daily. We talked about it this week.

This was my approach this year....something different. We woke early for the 8:am service (no easy feat for a family of 5). We wore plain clothes. No fancy hair. No new clothes. BUT, a day at the beach as a family.....sharing about grace..........sharing about HIM..........sharing about how the tomb is empty.


Definitions of GRACE I found:

a. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.
b. Mercy; clemency.
5. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.
6. A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.
a. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.
b. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.
c. An excellence or power granted by God.

It was a good Easter and tonight as I prayed with the girls, I was reminded once again that His victorious life is shown to us every day. I am so thankful for His grace. Especially because I am so undeserving. Thank you Father.