Getting Ready for Fall Break at Disney

In 2019, we went to Disney for our Fall Break and went to the Halloween party. It was the girls' second trip, and they were still so little, only 17 months old. We loved it, but we knew we wanted to go again! Five short months later, it felt like the world shut down suddenly, and even Disney World closed. Everything at Disney isn't fully back to pre-pandemic, but it is much closer. 

The first time we could go back after they reopened was Thanksgiving week 2020. Everything was decorated for Christmas. There were giant, beautiful trees themed for each park. We had to wear masks everywhere unless we were sitting to eat. It was hard with the girls so little, but we made it work! We loved the magic of Christmas at Disney. We knew we had to go to one when Christmas parties came back!

Well, last year, the parties weren't back just yet. They had after-hours events, but they were different. When we went last October, we had the two littlest ones with us that trip and knew the after-hours event just wouldn't be what we wanted it to be, so we decided not to do the extra event. We were ecstatic when they announced that Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) were coming back this year! 

Our current plan is Fall Break this year with MNSSHP, and then next year, skip Fall Break and go for Thanksgiving again and attend MVMCP. 

So this year, it's off to Disney for Fall Break! 

My parents and cousin Jessica are joining us for this trip. Jessica went with us this summer for her first trip. Mom went with us in June and October last year. But Dad hasn't been since our very first trip in 2016. The girls are beyond excited that he's coming along! I think he's most excited that I'm finally riding the roller coasters (well, most of them), so he knows we'll make it a point to ride them more than he got on his first trip. I think he only got to ride one or two. 

We're also really excited the girls' are finally tall enough to ride almost everything in the parks! There's only a handful of things they can't ride across all four parks combined. And we're even more excited to attend MNSSHP again this year! We are looking forward to a full week in the parks and sharing all about it, but first we've got to pack...

Ready for Fall & Halloween

So we established that I love the Fall. I love that I can wear long sleeves and sweaters and the cooler weather. I love the smells in the air, the color of the changing leaves, and Halloween.

When I say I love Halloween, I really mean I love cute, spooky Halloween. I don't do the fright and gore. But I love cutesy Halloween. I love the kids getting excited about dressing up and going trick or treating. I love doing the Truck or Treats around town. 

This year, I'm excited to decorate. We've had some small decorations we've always put out, but we've gotten more. Last year, we didn't decorate because it didn't make sense since we were packing to move. We've also talked about trick-or-treating around our neighborhood this year and taking turns passing out our own candy. We've never had trick-or-treaters. Our old apartment complex was mostly college students and young adults without families, and our old house was on a hectic highway. Now that we're in a subdivision, we're excited to see what it's like here. Apparently, one of the houses puts on a tiny little carnival with games and treats. 

The kiddos picked out their costumes this past weekend. Joey wasn't sure that he wanted to dress up this year. He's growing up on us. He did end up getting something to dress up a little, though. The girls are super excited about their picks. But you'll have to wait and find out what they picked in the coming weeks! Any guesses? 

The Last Quarter and Random Thoughts

I don't know what it is about the cool weather, but I absolutely love it. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons...the smells, the colors, the clothes, the weather...everything! But I don't like freezing cold temps unless there's snow. I LOVE the feel of Fall though. 

Don't get me wrong, I love summer. I love there we're out of school, and we can have many adventures. And this summer, we did just that...We were literally out of town every other week this summer. We went to Disney for a week, spent a week in Athens while Joey had camp, spent a week at the beach and exploring Charleston, and then we spent a long weekend at the beach in Carrabelle. 

But now it's Fall and I'm here for it. I love the last quarter of the year. As the weather changes, we're headed into my favorite time of year...the holidays. I honestly have a love-hate relationship with holidays. I don't necessarily love all of the expectations that come with each holiday, but I love spending time with Manda and the kiddos and enjoying traditions for each holiday.  

Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas, New Years...What's your favorite? Is it just one? What do you look forward to each year? What are traditions you and your family share?