Our Disney Vacation Continued...

Hollywood Studios

On Wednesday, August 5, we woke up really early to head to Hollywood Studios for our 8:30 am reservation at Hollywood's Play 'n Dine Character Breakfast. We left really early because we didn't know how long it would take. Well, we were the ONLY ones on the bus ride over to Hollywood Studios! That was fun for Ethan & Evan! We also didn't realize that the entire park wasn't even open yet, but we got to go in because we made breakfast reservations!

The breakfast buffet was DELICIOUS! I think Ethan was pretty tired (we really ran him ragged all week) but he really enjoyed meeting the characters from Little Einsteins and from JoJo's Circus. Because it was so early and not crowded at all, the characters came around to our tables quite a bit. Every once in a while, they would stop and sing a song from their shows. Ethan didn't really want to dance with them...he just wanted to watch from a distance.

June & Ethan

Leo the Lion and Evan & Ethan

Leo & Ethan

JoJo & Ethan (Ethan LOVED meeting all of the characters--wherever we went. It was so cute to see him give them HUGE hugs and he was always so proud when they would sign his book!)

After breakfast, the crowds were already piling in the park! It was a hot, muggy, rainy day, but we had a blast anyway!

One of the first things we found was the American Idol Experience. They had 3 park visitors that tried out and 3 judges that had similar personalities to the real judges (Paula, Simon, & Randy) that critiqued them. Then, the audience got to vote on the best one. There were several tryouts throughout the day and each winner came back for the final tryout at night. The winner for the day won a pass to the real tryouts for American Idol. We thought it was really neat to see the tv simulation and be a part of the audience. It was really neat! Ethan even enjoyed getting to vote on the arm panels!

We discovered a meet 'n greet for the characters in an air-conditioned building! That was great and not really crowded! We had just seen the movie "Up," so it was fun to meet the characters!

Doug, Carl, & Russell were very friendly--Doug, the dog, was teasing Eric the whole time. Do you notice the space between Russell & us? I think he could smell Ethan! When it was our turn to meet them, Ethan kept backing up and saying he didn't want to. When I bent down to pick him up, I could tell why! He was not smelling to pretty! I noticed Russell talking to the photographer, and then he stood way far away from us...so what else could it have been? :) What we won't do for a picture! :)

One of our favorite places was the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground. Ethan really enjoyed playing there while Eric & Evan rode the Tower of Terror. When they got back to us, it started raining and we had to leave. They closed down the slides because of the rain and Ethan started throwing a fit!

Evan & Eric loved the Tower of Terror...someone even gave them some fast passes, so they got to ride it twice...right in a row!

We enjoyed the backlot tour and the "Lights, Motors, & Action" stunt show. It was neat to learn the tricks they do to make movie magic!

One of the rides that we all enjoyed was Toy Story Mania. Then, we waited in line to meet Buzz LightYear & Woody.

We planned to go to Downtown Disney for the evening but it ended up being a disappointment. We had reservations for Planet Hollywood and that was a mistake! It was LOUD! I would NOT recommend that to anyone! We didn't get to shop around because we got there so late (we got really confused about which bus to get on to get down there & that wasted about an hour!). But we did find the Lego store...a major highlight for Evan! We were there until it closed picking out just the right Lego pieces!

Look at all of these Legos!!!! Evan was in Lego Heaven! :)

Because we got home SO late that night (I think most nights that it was around midnight or later), we decided to let the boys sleep in and Eric would go to Epcot to enjoy a little time alone and we'd meet up with him at noon. When Evan got up, he couldn't wait to put his new Lego Miner kit together! It only took him a little over an hour!

Oh, one more highlight of the day...we went to see the Beauty & the Beast show around 2 pm and got to the huge pavilion just in time for the rain! It wasn't just a little rainstorm that afternoon--it was a lightning storm! We were thankful for the shelter! They even had to postpone the show for a little while.

OK, more to come soon...

Our Day at the Magic Kingdom

This was a long, magical day! We started out by heading toward the TomorrowLand because we knew that ToonTown was close by. Evan found a Stitch ride that he wanted to ride, so he and Eric stood in line while Ethan and I walked around. We quickly found Buzz Light Year signing autographs and there wasn’t even a long line! Ethan LOVED meeting the characters and getting their autographs! He would run up to them and give them a big hug. He kept saying, “He signed my book!” We also found Stitch, so he got another autograph! Then, we found some air-conditioned shops to hang out in while we waited on Eric & Evan. Ethan had a blast just playing with all the toys in the shops!

We soon found the Tea Cups and just had to ride it! Can you tell Ethan enjoys being dizzy! I started feeling a little woozy because I kept trying to take pictures while we were spinning out of control!

We spent most of our day in Mickey’s ToonTown Fair! This was Ethan’s absolute favorite! They had a kiddy roller coaster called Goofy’s Barnstormer. Ethan would have ridden that over and over had the line not been long!

Then, we discovered Mickey’s & Minnie’s houses! I almost didn’t get Ethan out of Minnie’s kitchen! She had an oven that has a birthday cake that rises and falls and plays music…the place was SO CROWDED but Ethan had his nose plastered to that oven for at least 10 minutes! I had to pry him away and he started BAWLING! He still talks about Minnie’s birthday cake! Luckily, Evan videotaped it, so we have watched that over and over since we’ve been home!

We also found a store there that had a build-your-own Mr. Potato Head…kinda like Build-A-Bear. You could fill your box with as many pieces for a set price…so Daddy helped the boys stuff those boxes until they were overflowing…this was serious business! Ethan didn’t really care about much except the umbrella piece! I guess he’s pretty easy to please! Evan wanted all of the Star Wars pieces. After we made our purchase, we met Chip & Dale and then took a ride on the train around the entire park (a few times). It was nice to sit and ride for a while.

When we got off the train, Eric decided we better find those ponchos because the afternoon rain was coming! He was on a mission! So we found a shop and sure enough, the rain came! We bought the ponchos but not before we tried on every hat in the store!

We then headed to FrontierLand and took the boat over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. The boys enjoyed playing on the fort and walking through the caves. We stayed there for quite awhile until the afternoon rain caused them to close the island for a little while. So we headed back to the mainland.

Next, we rode the monorail over to the Contemporary Hotel to eat at Chef Mickey’s for a late dinner—the only reservations I could get were for 8:45 pm! We got there a little early and enjoyed walking around the hotel. It was so cool—they had their own little beach and a huge dock to walk out to the water. Dinner at Chef Mickey’s was one of our many highlights of the week! Besides a fabulous dinner buffet, we got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto. Each one of them came by our table and took pictures with us. This was a perfect ending to a magical day!

Mickey helped Ethan put his straw in his apple juice and then he tried to drink it himself!

I think Minnie was flirting with my husband!

Don't these desserts look delightful?

Ethan was so excited to see Donald!

The boys loved playing with Goofy & Pluto!

Memory Verses #15-16

Verse #15

Beth Moore chose this verse last time and I have tried to memorize it in the past because I know my big mouth needs it! So I decided to go ahead and put it in my long-term memory this time. And hopefully I'll apply it to my life as well! :)

Psalm 141:3-4

Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;

keep watch over the door of my lips.

Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,

to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;

let me not eat of their delicacies.

Verse #16

Evan told me they learned this verse at Kidz Kamp a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be good for us to memorize it together. He's at a pretty sensitive age and gets upset sometimes when we won't let him do, say, or watch certain things because of the worldly messages they portray. Maybe by understanding this verse a little more, he'll see that he needs to be the Christian example for others to see instead of just blending in with the world.

1 Timothy 4:12

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Our Fourth E-Man in the Family

The biggest surprise/change in our family came on July 7 when we adopted our new puppy, Eli, into our family! We had no idea that morning that we would have a new puppy that evening! It was a strange turn of events.

I took Evan to swimming lessons at the Cain Center that evening and went to Weight Watchers while he was in his lessons. One of the ladies from our Monday night Bible study, Anna, was at WW that evening. After the meeting, she was telling me how Mandy Hancock, a mutual friend, teacher at Malakoff, and member of our church, was trying to get her to take one of their little puppies. She kept telling me how this puppy would be perfect for our family. I told her how we lost Jake a few months ago, but that we weren't quite ready for a new puppy yet. Before I knew it, she called Mandy and told her she had someone to take one of her puppies! I told her that I would have to talk to Eric. Then, Evan came up the stairs from swimming and she started telling him all about the puppies...they are half dachshund and half rat terrier. He was so excited but we knew it would be Daddy that we would have to convince. When we got home and talked to him about it, he said we could go to the Hancock's and look but we would NOT be bringing a puppy home!

Well, needless to say, that did not last! As soon as we got there, we all picked up a puppy. They were so cuddly and cute! Eric was "whooped!" We told Mandy that we were going on vacation at the end of the month, so we couldn't get a puppy until after that. She said if we'd take him that night, they would babysit while we were on vacation! Eric and Evan were thrilled! I wasn't quite ready for the challenge, but I was outvoted! A puppy is a lot of work! So...now I'm trying to potty train two boys...Ethan AND Eli!

All the way home, we were trying to think of names. Evan wanted to name him, E-man, but Eric would not hear of that! He said there was no way he was going to take him to the vet and say, "Here's E-man!" So we started brainstorming more E-names...we couldn't break the cycle of E-names for the boys in our family. Someone thought of Eli and it was perfect! So our little rascal Eli is now a Beechem! He really is quite cuddly and cute, but I'm ready for the puppy stage to be over already!

Eli loves to chase Ethan around the backyard while Ethan pushes the spreader.

Caleb took to Eli very quickly!

And Eli took to Mauri even quicker!

Ethan doesn't really like Eli to chase him...but Eli doesn't really care!

Evan is a great "big brother!" He is really good about feeding Eli, taking him out, and cleaning up his messes! He gripes a little, but he does it! I guess that's the way it goes for a 10-year old!

So...the Beechem house is full of life and quite a few messes right now. That's ok. We wouldn't know life any other way!

Memory Verses #13 - #14

OK, I haven't posted anything in a few weeks...I think about it often but don't take the time to sit down and write. I get so distracted when I start working on this blog...I start reading other blogs for inspiration and then look at the clock and realize I've sat at the computer for over an hour! Then I start feeling guilty for wasting so much time...so then I start boycotting the internet...Oh well. I better get this typed before I waste another hour. :)

My memory verses for July...

Colossians 3:12-14
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

I'm so thankful for Beth Moore giving us the challenge of memorizing 2 verses per month for the year! It holds me accountable. And I've enjoyed finding verses that apply to my life every few weeks. It's amazing what God has brought to my attention when I need to work on something!

Last week, I drove to Texarkana with Ethan and practiced all 14 verses all the way there and back (except when I was on the phone)! I love Beth Moore's idea of the notecard spiral because I can take it wherever I go. I just glanced at the verse "address" and then said the verse out loud and would glance at my notecard if I needed help. This was a great way to pass the time on the 3-hour drive all by myself. (Yes, I know Ethan was in the back seat but he wasn't much conversation. Actually, he took a long nap both ways!)

Our Week in Texarkana

Last week, Evan, Ethan, and I drove (well, I drove...they rode) to Texarkana on Father's Day afternoon. We decided to split our time between both fathers...we spent the morning with Eric (Daddy), went to church, and made lunch for him. Then, we left about 2:30 and drove straight to Texarkana to go to night church with PawPaw and Grammy! It was only the 2nd time I've driven the whole way by myself, and we made it just fine! We were planning to stay until Wednesday, but both of the boys were having such a great time at VBS at Nash FBC that we decided to stay an extra day. I was also enjoying visiting and scrapbooking, so I didn't mind either! And Eric really didn't mind being alone...I think he enjoyed the break.

So...here are the top 3 things that Evan and Ethan enjoyed doing throughout the week:

1. Going to VBS at Nash.
Each morning, Dad and I loaded up the van with my boys, Kevin & Ami's foster child, Lilliana, and 4-6 kids from Mom's daycare. I had 4 car seats in my van for the week! (I was thinking this is what it would be like to have quadruplets! I think it might be fun for a few days, but every single day would probably get really stressful!) It was fun taking the little kids to Bible School...I'm sure some of them never get to go to church. Although Ethan won't be 3 for a few more months, his teacher, Vicki, said it would be fine for him to go! He had a blast (as you can see from the pictures).

It was nice visiting with everyone at Nash! It's hard to believe it's already been a year since we moved! We felt very welcome! Evan enjoyed seeing his buddies too! We had our VBS at Malakoff just a few weeks before, but Evan didn't care. He LOVES going to Bible School!

Ethan and Lilliana...I was trying to get them to make a cute pose, but you can see by the smirk on Ethan's face, it was not going to happen!

This is one of the huge decorations that they had in the church! Lilliana loved walking up and down the train tracks!

Ethan enjoyed playing with the net more than he did playing the soccer game.

Snack time is always fun!Ethan loves singing and doing all the motions. He really pays attention and tries to mimick Mrs. Vicki!

This is my favorite picture! They were praying for their snack! How cute is he???

2. Going to Game Xchange...several times! Evan LOVES this store and says that is his dream job--to work at Game Xchange! He never buys much...he just loves to look and talk to the workers. And PawPaw doesn't mind taking him. He and Ethan have fun looking around too.

3. Going to McDonald's...almost every day! McDonald's is PawPaw's FAVORITE place to eat and he has passed that down to all of the men in the family! My 34-year-old brother still loves it too! And now Ethan and Evan think PawPaw should take them there every day we go to visit! (And he usually does.) Ethan now calls it "Mac-A-Donald's." It's so cute!

Now, here's how I spent a great portion of the week...SCRAPBOOKING! I was determined to start and finish Ethan's 7x7 ABC Album. I made one for Evan when he was little, so I had to make one for Ethan. I spent ALL day on Monday with my friend, Sandy Olson. She invited me to come to her house and have a scrapbooking marathon. I haven't gotten to do that in well over a year! It was so much fun to create this book! I finally finished it right before we left on Thursday! I have some pictures of a few pages here:

Well, that about sums up the week. We had such a great time relaxing and visiting with Mom and Dad...eating out some and shopping a little. We had a good time visiting with the rest of the family too! It was nice just to not have to rush so much too. I just love summer time (well, except for the heat).