Ordinary Life

There's just something special about Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. It is my favorite park for several reasons, and it seems to me one of the most fitting monuments to the man behind Mickey Mouse. At its inception, Walt said of EPCOT:  "EPCOT will be an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." Ingenuity. Imagination. America.  I think that's all of it in a nutshell.  Walking through the park makes me nostalgic. Not only for past visits and childhood adventures, but also for the strong broth of a certain philosophy, spooned to me steadily f...

On our recent anniversary/family birthday, we were able to catch up with Snow White. She was a lot of fun.  

After Riley's first visit to Disney , the weather forecast a dreary next few days, so we headed home until the weather was to improve. Using the bleak days to clear certain business matters from our plate, we were free to return when the weather was nice... and just in time to celebrate our family's seventeenth birthday (anniversary). We chose Epcot park this time- my personal favorite. Aurora was scheduled to make one appearance so we made a bee line for her pavilion once we had checked in.  We were not disappointed.

We turned 17 riding down the highway, looking for a room. Things may have been a teensy little bit testy just that moment...we had been riding for several hours with zero luck finding 'room @ the inn' ...any inn... When midnight o'one found us on the morning of the 28th, it had already become clear that we were looking at another decent stint back in the direction we had already come from when all we really wanted to do was lie down and grab a few winks... So, we may have been slightly more interested in exactly who was to blame for our bed-less condition than is provided for in that infamous 13th Chapter of Love.  We had the whole crew with us - most every year we now celebrate our anniversary as a 'family birthday' because it sorta is, ya know? We used to go away for the weekend, just the two of us, but we often missed the kids and wanted them to experience whatever new place or experience we had chosen. So, they were along for the ride...this really long ride. S...

She said "I NEED A PARTY HAT!"  We sometimes call our anniversary a "Family Birthday". Especially during seasons where sitters are scarce and we will be celebrating with the entire family. This was one of those celebrations. We have been very busy with baseball & the business and our family's 'birthday' fell during a particularly Extra Busy Weekend. On Wednesday night, as everyone was busy with Duck Dynasty (I tuned in from my dish washing station in the kitchen) I secretly concocted one of Clay's preferred treats: Jello Cake. (He's forever in the debt of his mother in law for the passing down of this recipe :)  One thing about Jell-O cake is that it calls for Whipped topping- an element that always makes for a decorating challenge... a blank, white, slippery canvas to be improved upon.  I began to rifle through Riley's small plastic toys for something quirky when I came to these two finger puppets. I was quickly inspired to dress them up...

Happy BrewCrew Birthday. (a.k.a. An Anniversary Celebrated W/Children :)  Today we are 15 .  (Yes, he sm oo shed me with the cake.)