Disney 2021: Ice Storm, Traveling, and Pop Century

Our most recent February Walt Disney World vacation had an interesting start to say the least! With a ridiculous ice storm set to cross our area, we had to make a last minute decision that included several changes. In the end, my idea of adding a little extra magic to the beginning of our trip was the option that topped the rest and I wasn't even mad about it! 

Our original plans included: Flying out of Houston, TX on Wednesday (day 3 of the ice storm), staying 3 nights at Pop and 3 nights at Copper Creek, then flying back home the following Tuesday. 

We were also traveling with a few friends and had a couple of options. We reviewed all of the dates/times to possibly change our flights at the last minute and there was no way anything would work with our tight schedule. Jason worked that Sunday and we had a very small window to work with since the ice storm was set to hit that Monday.

Ultimately, our friends decided to keep their flights, drive up to Houston on Sunday evening (prior to the ice storm), stay three nights at a hotel near the airport, then chance their flight on Wednesday. We debated this option but I knew being cooped up in a hotel with a 4 year old for three days likely wouldn't be the best option. I also didn't like the idea of driving towards the ice storm because I had a feeling we would get stuck. (Not to mention the fact that I would be a nervous wreck the ENTIRE time!)

After a bit of arm twisting, I finally convinced Jason that our best option was to cancel our flights to take the flight credit for a future trip, then leave Sunday night after he got home from work and begin the drive to Florida. It's about a 12-13 hour drive without stops and I knew we could do it. The instagram poll I put out there also had an overwhelming response to drive, so that's what we decided to do!

Despite the chaos, we still took a little bit of time to celebrate Valentines Day ahead of our departure. 

A Valentines Day tradition of ours is chocolate covered strawberries. We've had these every Valentines Day since we began dating so I knew it had to happen this year, too! (circa 2006)

We packed all day Saturday and Saturday evening and on Sunday morning, Brayden and I went to church before returning home to pack some more!

I despise last minute anything, but we got it done! 

One perk to driving was the fact that we could bring our own food and not have to worry about a click-list or insta-cart once we arrived!

Thankfully, my parents were able to keep our dogs for a few days at their house. With the roads projected to be non-drivable, I was worried my dogs would be home alone for days (and they would have been if not for my parents)!

With pipes wrapped and faucets dripping, we crossed our fingers, hoped for the best, and began our drive to Florida.

Since Jason worked all day on Sunday and didn't get home until 7 p.m., we got a late start and decided to stop at a hotel in Pensacola on our way. Pensacola is half way and this plan worked out perfectly for us!

That Monday morning, we woke up and checked our cameras back at home. What's all of that white stuff? It's not supposed to be there! 

If you guys remember, just 6 months ago, we were hard hit with two hurricanes and now this ice storm. My heart went out to those living in campers while fixing up their homes. Our area had power outages and water outages and we couldn't treat our patients for an entire week. Needless to say, it sounded like a hot mess.

Back in Florida, we made it to Walt Disney World around 6 p.m. that evening. I added two nights on at Pop Century and stopped by the front desk to make sure we could keep the same room for the entire 5 nights we would be at Pop. Thankfully, someone behind the scenes had already made it happen! 

Our room was ready upon arrival and we were on the second floor which meant Brayden got to ride the elevators! He was thrilled!!

We absolutely love these renovated rooms at Pop! You also can't beat the Skyliner!

Brayden's favorite part was "his" Pluto bed!

So fun!

After getting settled, Jason and Brayden hit up the pool while I attempted to find dinner. Several friends back at home asked why I wasn't sending pictures and I felt bad about sending pictures of us in the beautiful Florida sunshine while they were freezing away at home!

For dinner, we chose the pizza combo from the Pop food court and it was delicious! It also came with a salad and breadsticks. With no dining plan, we ate on this thing for a couple of days and it was perfect!

The following day was Fat Tuesday and a "play day" for us since we weren't originally planning on being at Disney that early anyway! I love extra and unexpected relaxing days at Disney so I was all for it! 

Up next: Disney Springs and a little surprise!

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020!

Gosh, it's hard for me to believe that the year 2000 was literally 20 years ago. There's a tweet floating around out there that says something along the lines of 20 years ago being 1980 and YES, that's exactly how I feel! I graduated high school in 2000 - our 20 year reunion is this year! All I can say is HOW? Mind. Blown, literally.

Well, since we are saying goodbye to 2019 and we are already two days into the new year (I'm a slacker, sorry), I figured it was time for a recap of all the fun/interesting/crazy moments of the previous year.

Side note: I had every intention of putting up this blog post yesterday, but I spent the majority of my day taking down the Christmas decor. Oh yes, and eating black eyed peas with cabbage at my mom's house and you know what? I didn't hate it as much as I did as a kid! I'm not a bean or pea person at all, but this was a delicious one!

Ok, now on with the year...

I know I say this all the time, but I'm so very grateful (and it's true). There may have been a few rough patches in 2019, but it overall turned out to be a great year!

 

Health

Most recently, I am grateful for the status of clear lungs. I shared in one of my vlogidays videos this year about having a possible diagnosis of asthma. Thankfully, after a full PFT and Methacholine testing (along with blood work), it was determined that I do not have asthma! Yay! I have had issues with breathing for several years now, so we just have to figure out the culprit. (Getting my heart checked again is next.)

In the same category comes my hamstring. Y'all, this thing is a doozy. It feels fine one day then doesn't the next. I'm so nervous about overdoing it or tweaking it in the wrong way. I know for certain that dead lifts right now are absolutely out of the question as are running on inclines at Orangetheory. It's a funny feeling when you're halfway between an injury and an improvement. You notice every little stitch and movement. I spent several months this year with physical therapy and have had VAST improvements since July. Hopefully things will just keep looking up from here.

I'm also insanely grateful for a healthy child. Twenty nineteen brought so many new experiences, words, knowledge, and growth for Brayden. I also realized that I never posted a three and a half year update so I'll do that very soon. (I know, I'm a slacker!) Also, how is my child already three and a half?!

Travel

This year, we were so blessed to be able to take several trips and we loved each and every one of the experiences we shared!

In February, we visited Disney World with my parents and had our very first Vacation Club stay! We checked into Boulder Ridge and loved it! This trip also doubled as the Princess Half Marathon Weekend where I ran both the 10K and the Half and Jason completed the 10K. We all had a great time!

In June, we traveled to Alaska with Jason's family for a 7 night cruise out of Vancouver. This was Brayden's first cruise and I'm not kidding when I tell you that he's just as hooked as we are on cruising. For this trip, we decided to take different experiences than ones we'd taken on a previous cruise, so we went whale watching and dog sledding. By far, dog sledding was my favorite excursion of them all! Brayden loved it, too! At the end of our trip, we even had a chance to visit the Alaska Zoo which was super neat to see as the animals there aren't your typical "lower 48 zoo animals". Also, a lot of the animals they've come to take care of were either abandoned or in a hazardous situation and were rescued. I thought it was a very neat experience.

In August, my little family took a super quick 3 day trip to Walt Disney World. We already had AP's, extra DVC points, and we found super cheap flights! (Score!) We stayed at Old Key West and had a blast! I also ran the Beignet Dash and although I was in the middle of my hamstring injury, I still enjoyed the fun run!

Last but not least, in November we visited Walt Disney World again but this time with our friends. We ran the Wine & Dine Half Marathon/Two Course Challenge, rode the Skyliner a billion times per Brayden's request, took a cruise on the Disney Dream (a first for most in our party), and we took part in the first Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party of the year! It was a fabulous trip and one I didn't want to see come to an end.

Racing

This year was a interesting one as far as running goes - with several highs and several lows. After the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, I knew I wanted a better shot at higher corrals for Wine & Dine. So, I trained hard in the spring and somehow managed to PR in both the 5K and the 10K distances in the same weekend!

After all that hard work though, came an injury. Sad times. Thankfully as I mentioned before, things are now looking up!

Something good that came out of it, though? I managed to land in corral A for the Wine & Dine 10K and corral B for the Wine & Dine Half! Woohooo!

Getting Good

There's a new single by Lauren Alaina that really hits home for me every time I hear it and it brings me to tears. It's called "Getting Good" and if you haven't heard it, you need to go listen to it. Trust me on this one.

This song is an excellent reminder for me that even though things may not be just as I want them to be, my life is as it SHOULD be right now. I'm learning to live in the moment and enjoy it instead of worrying about what the future holds or even the inevitable.

This is one of the reasons that my blog has sadly fallen to the side a little this year. I love love love to blog and share with you guys, but I only have Brayden as a three year old once and I don't want to miss out on time with him. Although I love my job, working as a full time mom takes a lot of that time away from him. I also love spending time with my family, so I'm doing that as much as possible, too. Working as an oncology nurse has taught me a lot of things, but one of the most important is that time is precious and oh so short. Enjoy your loved ones as much as you can while you can.

So, my goals for this year are just a few and can be taken from the lyrics of this song:

• Learn to grow where I'm planted
• Soak up every moment 

Last but not least, although it's not a part of this song, I'm also looking forward to spiritual growth through the Fire Bible initiative that our church is participating in right now.

I hope that 2020 is a year of fresh starts, new adventures, health, and amazing opportunities for all of you!  Happy New Year!

 "Once I learn to soak up every moment, I'll realize my life's already good."

Alaskan Cruise: At Sea Day & Ketchikan [Part 2]

On our last Alaskan cruise recap, I left off with our first evening on the ship and sailing away from Vancouver. Thankfully, our first full day on board was an "at sea day", so we ordered room service for breakfast. On Royal Caribbean, a continental breakfast is complimentary in the mornings (if you choose to do so), but any other type of room service throughout the day comes with a fee. We ordered coffee, fruit, and bagels and it was all nice and fresh (and yummy, too)!

After reading through the day's schedule, Jason and I decided we wanted to hear the Canadian Mountie speak. Coming from a law enforcement family (and as someone who loves history), the idea behind their troop fascinated me.

We also dropped Brayden off at the kids club for about an hour while we listened to the Mountie and he really enjoyed "circle time"...whatever that was! Hah!

After lunch, we took naps then went for a swim in the indoor solarium pool. This is normally an adult only area, but they were kind enough to open up hours in the morning and afternoon for the kids to swim.

Brayden LOVED the pool!

To get back to our room, we had to walk outside (which was rather chilly). Royal Caribbean does this silly thing with their pool towels, so you can't really use them for very long because you're paranoid about forgetting to return them. Basically, you check the pool towel out with your room key, and if you don't return it by checking it back in, your room is charged $25 per towel. Anyway, we used my sweatshirt to cover Brayden up with, so he turned into a little penguin while walking back to the room. It was SO funny and we heard so many giggles from people as they passed us by in the hallways!

That evening was formal night, so we got dressed and headed to dinner! I know I mentioned this in my previous post, but I truly loved our wait staff! They were so kind and generous and helpful. All 12 of us were also seated at one giant table which was nice!

We had a lovely towel creature waiting for us when we returned to our room! :)

We also enjoyed another gorgeous sunset as we sailed to our first port of all, Ketchikan!

By the time we woke up the following morning, we were docked in Ketchikan. We didn't plan any formal excursions here, so we took our time eating breakfast, getting off the ship, and shopping around town.

I just love the landscape of the port in Ketchikan. It's so colorful and welcoming!

We also had a chance to finally SEE our ship from the outside for the first time! With the way it was docked in Vancouver, we couldn't even see it before boarding!

My main goal in Ketchikan was to purchase an Alaska Pandora charm which I did! Some of our crew also walked to Starbucks which was about a mile away. If you're interested in Starbucks at all at any of these Alaskan ports of call, Ketchikan is your place. Unless you plan on taking an Uber, no other port has them within walking distance.

I loved being able to walk around slowly, take our time, and simply enjoy the clean and fresh air! It was a great day for sure!

While Brayden and Jason napped, I had the chance to do something I never get to do on a cruise - I spent about 2 hours on the balcony, drinking coffee and reading a book! It. Was. Heavenly!!!

Once Brayden woke up from his nap, he snuggled with me for a little while, then we got him dressed to go swimming in the pool!

Once leaving Ketchikan, I stood out on our balcony to snap a few pictures of the gorgeous landscape. Alaska truly is a magnificent place.

Back to the Solarium pool we went!

He truly loves the water!

For dinner that evening, we had a rip roaring good time while chanting our waiter's name during the parade and waving our napkins in the air. This truly was a wonderful time with Jason's family!!

Up next: Juneau and Skagway!

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For recaps from our 7 night Alaskan cruise on board the Radiance of the Seas, check out these links below:
Alaskan Cruise: Travel Day & Boarding the Ship [Part 1] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: At Sea Day & Ketchikan [Part 2] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Icy Straight Point [Part 3] & VLOG (Icy Straight Point & Juneau)
Alaskan Cruise: Juneau & Whale Watching [Part 4]
Alaskan Cruise: Skagway & A Musher's Camp [Part 5] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Hubbard Glacier [Part 6] & VLOG
Alaskan Cruise: Seward and Anchorage [Part 7] & VLOG

Fitness Friday - 8/10

This week seriously flew by. Since I was off work on Monday, I was thrown off all week and couldn't remember which day it was! There were several really stressful days at work too, which led to a really bad headache that didn't let up. An extra unplanned rest day took place because of it but oh well. This week hasn't been the best in terms of working out but that's ok. I'm not technically training for anything anyway, so keeping a base is what's most important to me right now.

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA 
• Contraband Days 5 Miler 
• 4 on the 4th
• Rock n Roll San Antonino Half 

Saturday - Walked 6 miles at the San Marcos outlet malls
Sunday - 2.5 mile hill run plus 7 miles of walking at Sea World
Monday - Orangetheory Endurance Day
Tuesday - Rest Day
Wednesday - Unplanned Rest Day
Thursday - Another Unplanned Rest Day
Friday - Orangetheory

 As mentioned in yesterday's post, we traveled to Texas to visit my brother and sister in law this past weekend. I wasn't sure how many times I would get to lace up my running shoes while there, but it just so happens that it worked out twice for me!

On Sunday morning, my brother asked if I wanted to go for a run with him and I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity! He literally lives in "hill country" and I was kind of worried about elevation and inclines.

Again, Orangetheory proved to be paying off because I didn't feel near as fatigued or worn out as I expected to feel!

We also saw all kinds of deer that morning. It was so neat to see them out and about as that's not something I'm used to seeing super often around here.

In total, we made it 2.5 miles in the run. I felt great afterwards and was ready to begin our day at Sea World. By the end of the day, I calculated that we walked 7 miles at the park (not including the morning run). Needless to say, our feet and legs were tired by the time it was all said and done!

After discovering that New Braunfels has an Orangetheory, I signed up for a Monday morning workout. This was my first time visiting a different OTF gym and it was really a cool experience! The coach was AMAZING and helped me out a lot with my form and suggestions on ways to tweak things. The class was also super small (only 7 people), so that was pretty cool too.

This workout was an endurance workout and after logging so many miles at Sea World the day before, my legs did NOT want to move on the treadmill. It really was a great workout, though and I left feeling refreshed!

The remainder of the week was a huge bust. Between stressful days at work, headaches that wouldn't let up, and rain, I didn't even manage to step outside for a walk. I'm making up for it this morning with my second Orangetheory workout for the week.

There's no major plans for the weekend here which I'm looking forward to. Our cruise is just around the corner, so I might pull out my suitcase and begin the packing process. Other than that, I plan on keeping it pretty low key and I'm 100% ok with that!

How was your week? Any weekend plans?

Three Things Thursday...Again!

Today is Thursday and that means another day of rambling thoughts, because that's just how my life seems to be going here lately.

Have I mentioned before how much I hate hurricane season? Everyone here in the south is always on edge and on their toes, just in case. It makes the traveling process tricky, because you seriously never know. Some years might bring along zero hurricanes and others might bring along several back to back hurricanes.

 Hurricane Irma

Thanks to Hurricane Irma, my cruise has officially been cancelled by Disney Cruise Line. Yes, we were scheduled to be on one of the three sailings that were cancelled. When we received the news on Tuesday night, we immediately began looking online for another cruise date and spent several hours doing so, trying to work with work schedules and off time. I'm not mad that the cruise has been cancelled AT ALL as I appreciate Disney looking out for everyone's safety. Our cruise was supposed to be an Eastern itinerary and have you seen the devastation on some of those islands after Irma passed through? It's insane. On top of everything, we have received a full refund from everyone and everything we booked (except airfare) and are receiving a 25% credit off a future cruise booking with Disney. Since I'm fully packed and honestly would like to stay that way, we are looking at an October or November cruise date instead. The devastation that Irma is causing on these islands is mind blowing. I feel so bad for everyone because I know a huge chunk of their income is travel related. Definitely keeping them and Florida in my prayers.

Southwest Airlines

So I mentioned that I was able to receive a full refund on everything except airfare, but I have a cool story with this one, too. As we sorted through possible dates and plans, I also searched for the price of airfare on our projected dates. A lot of families on our sailing received a credit from Southwest which is what I was anticipating as well. After choosing the October date, I realized that with a credit, we would still have had to pay an additional $300 to fly the October dates (due to the higher price of these specific October flights). Southwest has been great through this whole ordeal and online, I was actually able to choose my current flight and change my round trip flight from September to the October dates without any extra penalty. They honored my original booking price for September! I've always enjoyed flying with Southwest and will definitely continue to do so every time I'm able!

Madalynn

If you've been following my Madalynn saga, you know that she gave us a big scare last week when her vet discovered a lesion on her hard palate. The lesion was removed and sent off for biopsy to determine exactly what was going on. Her vet and I then discussed possible treatment options if it was cancer which ranged from another surgery to radiation, both of which were probably impossible due to the location. Well as of yesterday, I hadn't heard back from the vet and since I'd already had some bad news, I figured why not. Within a few minutes, the vet returned my call and I seriously couldn't believe my ears. Y'all. It's NOT CANCER! Somehow, she must have chewed on something which caused a foreign body to get stuck in her palate and her body had an inflammatory response which caused the ulcerated like lesion to form! OMG. I could NOT believe my ears. I had to get her to repeat herself because I was floored.

So as you can see, it's been a roller coaster of a week. I also haven't had a chance to read and commend on blogs as much as I'd like this week due to our serious scramble to change plans last minute, but I'll get back to that today and tomorrow for sure!  Oddly enough, I am grateful for the ups and downs of life as it causes us to be more grateful for the things we have and the relationships we have in our lives!

Have you ever had to change travel plans due to the weather or a storm of some sort?

Working Out On Vacation

School is out over most of the country and that means one thing - summer break is in session! For many families with school aged children, out of town travel and summer vacations tend to take place.

If you're like me when you travel, you like to keep up with some sort of running schedule while away. Most of the time for me, that doesn't necessarily involve a super long run but instead, several shorter runs throughout the week. In my mind, some running is better than none, right? Yep. :)

Before traveling, I tend to do a few things to prepare for the new area and new scenery I'm about to see - running some place new is always exciting!

#1: If staying at a hotel or resort, I always check to make sure a workout facility is available before I even confirm the booking. Running on a treadmill isn't my favorite thing in the world (I don't like it one bit), but I'll do it if I have to. Also, if a gym or workout facility is available, are classes offered? You could even try something new like yoga or spin!

#2: A little research of the area usually takes place - is the area around the resort/hotel safe for an outdoor run? Is there a special running path or set route already at the resort? Are sidewalks available?

#3: Does the area have a running group that meets at a set time/location? Meeting new runners is always fun and most of the time (in my experience at least), running groups are welcoming to new people! These groups will also have a set route available, that way you don't have to worry too much about where you're going!

#4: Is there a local race taking place during your vacation week? Running a new race in a new area is always fun, you don't have to worry about water or a route, and you usually get some sort of swag (a tshirt, medal, etc) for your efforts!

#5: This may sound silly, but packing my running shoes and running clothes usually gives me that little extra boost to get out the door and go for a run. I mean, if I took the trouble to bring the items with me, I might as well use them, right?

Whats your best tip for getting a run/workout in while on vacation?

It’s FRIDAY!
Link up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup!