Aars 5: Best. Trip. Ever.

Joshua here...

Guess where we just got back from????? DISNEY WORLD!!!! It was the best trip ever. Everyone keeps asking me what my favorite ride was, who my favorite character was, and so on...and I just keep telling them...everything was my favorite. I loved every ride (except one scary one on the first day at Epcot) and every character. I loved every theme park, every parade and every moment in our hotel and pool. I think we all would have stayed another week if we could have. It was so much fun. We went to Magic Kingdom three days and then each of the other 3 Disney theme parks one day apiece.

Here're some pictures to show you our adventures... And you can go to youtube to see the nighttime show where they light up the castle to music with pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGWnND034bA. It was preceded by the electrical parade and followed by fireworks. A-ma-zing.

We met Mickey the first day at Epcot.

Our first day at Magic Kingdom.

William and Joshua getting ready to spin daddy!

Mommy, Joshua and Ellie on Dumbo. A family favorite!

William (Goofy), Joshua (Pluto) and Ellie (Princess Minnie) sporting their new hats at Animal Kingdom.

Cinderella's castle lit up before the nighttime entertainment.

Ellie here...

I loved Disney World so much. I've never been so excited in my whole life and I've never had so much fun in my whole life. I did have a few favorites, though. I loved all the princesses, especially Ariel (I led a princess promenade with her and she blew me a kiss at the parade!), and my favorite ride was "It's a Small World." I did get worried about some of the mean characters sometimes. They seem far away on tv, but they're too big and real in person. I loved swimming in the resort pool--I even did cannonballs for the first time! :-) I laughed when I splashed mama a lot. Everyone called me princess the entire week; I miss Disney World!

Leading the Royal Promenade with Ariel at lunch with the princesses at Epcot.

Waiting patiently in a 60-minute line to get Tiana's autograph.

At the hotel pool, contemplating my next cannonball.

Ellie and Chip out for a stroll.

William here...

My favorites at Disney World were driving the cars and seeing a stunt show and my favorite characters, Lightning McQueen and Mater. Mom and Dad said they were so proud of us this week. Even though we're only 4 years old, we walked and walked and walked and walked--we spent 5-9 hours in the parks for 6 days in a row and we only had a stroller with us one day! We were pretty tired, but it was so much fun. It was quite hot, though--but the good thing about that was we got to eat ice cream almost every day.

Joshua takes his turn driving on the speedway with daddy and William.

Joshua and William look at their first real live elephants on safari at Animal Kingdom.

William shoots a cannon on Tom Sawyer's Island--a favorite of his.

Meeting Snow White.

William's kiss from Snow White--he liked it :-)

Meeting Lightning McQueen and Mater at Hollywood Studios.

Our only family photo while there; the crane over the castle is holding workers who are placing on the Christmas lights.

We haven't written in a while cuz we've been really busy. We drove to Texas to meet our little cousin in August (it was hot there, too, actually it was like an oven hot). We started preschool in September and we also took some family pictures at a place that had old cars, like Sheriff on "Cars 2." It was easy to smile for pictures at that place!

Celebrating Grandma and Grandpa Aars' birthday in Texas.

Swimming in Uncle Christian and Aunt Heather's pool in Texas (baby Isaiah is in background--our Grandpa Aars has all the pictures of him from the trip so we'll post more when we get those later!)

William heading out for first day of preschool.

Joshua's first day of preschool.

Ellie--after her first day of preschool (copied a friend's idea and am baking a special dessert each year to commemorate their "year" in school--"P" is for Preschool).