Super Thanksgiving / Christmas

This year we tried something new. We celebrated Christmas with mom on Thanksgiving. Our Disney Christmas cruise is a long cruise this year and leaves a week before Christmas. So we followed an Engelage tradition and celebrated Christmas with family on Thanksgiving. Worked our pretty well. Mom came up and we watched it sleet and rain all morning while eating.. :-)



Amy went out with Aunt Mel and shopped at midnight. They really went out just to have fun, nothing really either one needed. Although they did get great buys and saw lots of friends out in Wentzville.



Phil came out and moved the last leaves off the yard. Yard looks outstanding.. Dad would be happy with it.



Vika got to see Santa for the first time. She thought it was fun.

Justin had a couple friends spend the night for an early bday party.

We are almost packed for the cruise.

Great weekend...

Worked around the house... we cleaned the basement!!! Wow.. what a job... ugh

Vika's favorite movies are the Toy Story series.. she will not watch TV but if Buzz Lightyear is on she is there. :-) I uploaded Toy Story 3 to my iphone and it started playing on the computer.. Vika went and got her chair and sat down to watch.. too cute.

Vika and Justin got Thanksgiving Day cards from Gma Fridley. Vika got "moneys" Doesn't really understand it yet... but knows we use them to "pay".

We are a little more then 3 weeks til we do our annual Christmas Cruise with Mickey Mouse.. cant wait!! We got out our stocking for the cruise and added Vika's name... Yeah!

One year ago today... we were in Moscow!!

Wow... talk about a long time ago... geeesh..

http://fridleysjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/having-pepsi-light-cheese-pizza-in.html

Had a great weekend. Worked around the house all weekend. Got the leaves blown over the hill and worked more on the lil shed.

Packing is under way BIG time for Mickey Cruise at Christmas. We are at 6 suitcases... UGH!!

Justin & I went flying... Went down to Jefferson City for the heck of it... Beautiful Day. Bumped into these nice fellas flying a Cessna CJ2...

Some WDW pics...

Leaving STL via SWA.... mommy & Vika... notice the matching flip flops via Aunt KK..

At our home away from home.. The Grand Floridian.. I wish I could just bottle the smell of the lobby. This is the platform the monorail stops at on the second floor of the hotel. Lesson for all the WDW travelers out there. Never stay at a Disney Property without having a monorail stop.

Gma even made the trip with us... In the early morning.. the ducks were taking a swim. They swam right up to Vika.. Not sure if she had ever been that close to a duck...

Yes.. that is my 4yo drving... Im pretty sure,, she could see where she was going..

Big brother.. enough said..

Yep.. thats papa & Vika.. playing a little Foreigner - Juke Box Hero... gotta love the classic rosk! The Contemporary has a huge aracade compared to the Grand Floridain.... so we travel there for food & fun sometimes..

Daddy's princess...

The princess and prince charming.

All the cast members were SUPER... Vika"s english is not quite up to par yet... and she LOVES to ask questions... It is all so new to her... and she loves everything. At least I didn't cry while taking pictures... :-)

Cast members with masks... were a little scarry.... but we did the Fab 5 ( Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, & Pluto). Again all the cast members were awesome..

Perfect weather...

A huge learning experience for for mom & dad... (first time with two children)...

All in all.. Vika LOVED it...

Vika's first visit to Walt Disney World..

More pics to come..