Disney is good, Family is better

Getting to Disney was a huge cluster (insert expletive here).  I booked the plane tickets for the wrong week.  Not even the right month.  How does one do that you might ask... I have no flippin clue.  Never again will I book a trip after working a night shift.  So after multiple trips to the airport, sobbing at the check in desk, hugely raising the cost of my air fare, and about wanting to die because I had not slept in over 24 hours...I made it to Disney.  And I was one frickin hot mess.  I felt very loved by my family who put up even more money for me to come so that I could afford the new plane ticket.  Was it the most responsible thing we have ever done, maybe not, but I do feel that God has a plan for everything and I wonder if I booked the wrong flight because otherwise I would have never been able to justify the money to go.  Maybe I was meant to be there, to take in those moments with my family, to see my little sister who has moved across the country, and to appreciate the family I was blessed with.  The first two days at Disney were overwhelming but great.  I've decided that I am an off season vacationer.  I would rather have cold weather and less hoards of people surrounding me.  While my mom is in love with Disney World itself, I think I was much more in love with the time I got to spend with people.  I like the mouse and all, but it was the continuous time with everyone that was precious.
It was crazy to see the difference a year made in the boys' experiences.  No longer is there much thrill to the Peter Pan ride.  Bigger is better...and comes with longer lines.  I totally agree with them though, I would love to ride the Tower of Terror all the day long.  I still love when G looks for hidden Mickeys around the park.  He shrieks like he struck gold whenever he finds one.  I tried to soak up the smiles and the love.
And then I soaked up an illness.  I woke up Wednesday morning feverish and sick.  Awesome.  Doped up on Dayquill we made it through another day.  While the rest of the trip was still fun, I about died on the ride home when I felt like my eardrum would surely burst with the decent of the plane.
So was it the perfect trip, not quite.  But I got to see my family and share an experience with people I love.  I got to watch my mom be in her element (she believes in Disney magic).  So I'll take the good with the bad, and I'll try to work some extra shifts to recoup my losses.  I've learned a lot about myself from this little trip, and I'll try to hold on to and remember the good.

Message in the sky

 So grateful for her

 Whole family

 Sisters

 Cheesy smiles

I had limited photos on my camera, but wanted to put up a few in case I don't get around to uploading the pictures from the others.
I also want to remember how grateful I am for how my husband responded as I called from the airport sobbing about my mistake.  He was a voice of reason and support and someone I was so excited to come home to, even after only a couple of days.