April 5
Carlsbad, CA-Running Springs, CA
After driving all night, we ended up in Carlsbad, CA to have lunch with my Uncle Jim & Aunt Tempe. I haven't seen them since Jeremy's wedding in 2006, so it was really great to see them again and catch up. We had a great lunch of sandwiches and caught up a bit and then went to the ocean so the boys could see the Pacific (after having swum in the Atlantic in FL). We then left to drive to Dave & Mende's house in the San Bernadino Mountains, a place called Running Springs. It was fantastic to be there and catch up with them...and of course the boys loved seeing Levi again. The Kitzmans lived in Lima when we were living in Peru, they have recently been accepted with SIM and are now raising support so they can go back to Lima. I am super thankful that we are going to be in Lima with them eventually, Mende & I have always enjoyed hanging out, and now that they are with SIM, we'll get to see them much more often!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Days 29-32
April 1-4
Albuquerque, NM
While our first impression of NM wasn't that great (huge tower full of black buzzards was next to our breakfast stop), overall, our time in NM was fantastic!! We first stopped at Carlsbad Caverns, and they were amazing! We arrived in the morning and it was SOOO windy out! Once we entered the caves, it was eerily quiet inside. The Ranger had told us that we are only allowed to whisper, so during the entire 2-3 hours that we were inside the caves, it was so great to see how well the boys did at whispering! Sophia started getting tired and antsy towards the last hour of our hike, but she finally fell asleep until the end. We would have loved to see the bats exiting the caves in the evening, but since they mostly do that in the summer, they hadn't yet arrived from Mexico (or Brazil?).
After seeing the caves, we traveled a few more hours to Albuquerque to stay with my brother and Amy. It was sooo great to see them, they had come to Peru in October to visit, but we haven't seen them since then. I love my brother; he was so hospitable and just spoiled us during our visit. We went to the Albuquerque Children's Museum on one day, and then the next day we enjoyed Amy having a day off and went to the Aquarium & Botanical Gardens. Saturday night Jeremy & Amy watched the kids and sent us our to dinner at a fabulous Greek restaurant....it was delicious and we really enjoyed our time out together!
Easter Sunday we enjoyed going to the Mars Hill Albuquerque campus for Easter service. It was a good service where the video was a tour through some important historical parts of Israel, the parts where Jesus had carried the cross, and even to the hill where He was crucified, and then the supposed empty tomb. It was neat to see that in Easter Sunday. After church, the boys found Easter eggs and Jeremy grilled chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. As much as we hated to leave, we ended up leaving that night to drive all night and arrive in CA on Monday morning.
Albuquerque, NM
After seeing the caves, we traveled a few more hours to Albuquerque to stay with my brother and Amy. It was sooo great to see them, they had come to Peru in October to visit, but we haven't seen them since then. I love my brother; he was so hospitable and just spoiled us during our visit. We went to the Albuquerque Children's Museum on one day, and then the next day we enjoyed Amy having a day off and went to the Aquarium & Botanical Gardens. Saturday night Jeremy & Amy watched the kids and sent us our to dinner at a fabulous Greek restaurant....it was delicious and we really enjoyed our time out together!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 28
March 31
Waco, TX-Pecos, TX
Today I took the kids to the Waco zoo to meet up with Jen & Katelyn Surdoval! Jen is another mom on my March Mommies board, and she lives between Austin & Dallas, so we planned this fun meet up. It was great, Jen's mom also came along and I feel like Jen & I clicked right away and just had a super fun time. Katelyn is a little peanut like Sophia, but she is walking and so she appears much older than Sophia. Nathan LOVED playing with Katelyn and now considers her his BFF..he even ran across the parkig lot trying to get Jen to stop so he could get a picture with her! Great, great day!!
After we left the zoo, we started a big drive towards Albuquerque, NM and Carlsbad Caverns. We were going to drive all night long, but realized that we would arrive at Carlsbad Caverns too early, so we stayed the night in Pecos, TX.
Waco, TX-Pecos, TX
Today I took the kids to the Waco zoo to meet up with Jen & Katelyn Surdoval! Jen is another mom on my March Mommies board, and she lives between Austin & Dallas, so we planned this fun meet up. It was great, Jen's mom also came along and I feel like Jen & I clicked right away and just had a super fun time. Katelyn is a little peanut like Sophia, but she is walking and so she appears much older than Sophia. Nathan LOVED playing with Katelyn and now considers her his BFF..he even ran across the parkig lot trying to get Jen to stop so he could get a picture with her! Great, great day!!
After we left the zoo, we started a big drive towards Albuquerque, NM and Carlsbad Caverns. We were going to drive all night long, but realized that we would arrive at Carlsbad Caverns too early, so we stayed the night in Pecos, TX.
Krohn 2010 road trip...Day 27
March 30
Dallax, TX
We had the privilege of meeting Patti Cartwright in Dallas, she's a good friend of Jeff's parents and her and her husband have been supporting us during our time in Peru. She arranged a great (and relaxing) place for us to stay, and then we enjoyed a super fun dinner out with her and some of her friends at the Rainforest Cafe near the hotel. The boys had so much fun at dinner, Sophia just stared at the gorillas and the fish, and Jeff and I really enjoyed talking about our ministry and learning a bit about their church and the ministries they are involved in. What a blessing to meet new friends!
Dallax, TX
We had the privilege of meeting Patti Cartwright in Dallas, she's a good friend of Jeff's parents and her and her husband have been supporting us during our time in Peru. She arranged a great (and relaxing) place for us to stay, and then we enjoyed a super fun dinner out with her and some of her friends at the Rainforest Cafe near the hotel. The boys had so much fun at dinner, Sophia just stared at the gorillas and the fish, and Jeff and I really enjoyed talking about our ministry and learning a bit about their church and the ministries they are involved in. What a blessing to meet new friends!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 26
March 29
West Monroe, Louisiana
We left super early to travel all the way from Atlanta across Alabama & Mississippi to Louisiana. Jeff has a friend that he knew from his time in Winter Park, CO and they have kept in touch all these years, so we stayed at their house. I had never met Tonya, but it was fun to meet her and stay with her family (her husband was on a mission trip to Bulgaria); the boys had a blast jumping on the trampoline, spilling bubbles all over it and slipping and sliding all around. They were pretty messy, but had a super fun time. Tonya served us a delicious Southern meal of beans, rice, ham, Jambalaya, bread, and fruit...even Sophia loved it!
West Monroe, Louisiana
We left super early to travel all the way from Atlanta across Alabama & Mississippi to Louisiana. Jeff has a friend that he knew from his time in Winter Park, CO and they have kept in touch all these years, so we stayed at their house. I had never met Tonya, but it was fun to meet her and stay with her family (her husband was on a mission trip to Bulgaria); the boys had a blast jumping on the trampoline, spilling bubbles all over it and slipping and sliding all around. They were pretty messy, but had a super fun time. Tonya served us a delicious Southern meal of beans, rice, ham, Jambalaya, bread, and fruit...even Sophia loved it!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 23-25
March 26-28
Atlanta, GA
We had a really fun few days with our friends, the Ripleys, in Atlanta. Dana & Jeff are long time friends, and we had a great time visiting them and getting to know their kids (who we hadn’t seen for about 5 years). Rob played a few Lacrosse games that the boys enjoyed watching, and I enjoyed going shopping with Ked. We also celebrated Nathan's 6th birthday...again! He loved being the center of attention, and I was lazy and just picked up a bakery cake for him which I thought was the best part of his birthday! 
One highlight of my time in Atlanta, was that I got to meet up with one of the moms on my March Mommies board. Amanda & Danny met up with Sophia and I and we were going to play at an indoor play area, but they were closed for a party. We ended up going to Chili’s for lunch and just hanging out, it was so much fun to see that gorgeous boy and get to know Amanda a bit better.
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 20-22
March 23-25
Spring Hill, TN-Brighton, TN
We spent a few days with our good friends, the Keiters, catching up after many years of not seeing them. I think the last time we saw them was when I was pregnant with Brandon and we were driving to Charlotte from Denver. It was sooo special to be with them, and I enjoyed getting out of the house a bit to get a pedicure with Kathy & Angie, have lunch together, and also going shopping with Angie. The boys had a blast playing with Jackson, Angie’s son, and they wore themselves out each day playing the Wii, playing Transformers, and playing whatever else boys play.
Even though it wasn’t Nathan’s birthday yet, Kathy wanted Jackson and the boys to be able to celebrate together, so we went to Chuck E. Cheese! They had such a blast together, playing games, winning tickets, and then picking out their prizes. It really is a fun place for boys! Sophia did great, she sat in the high chair most of the time, but she loved looking around and watching all the people and seeing the lights of the games. Nathan got a couple Monster Trucks for his birthday and was very pleased!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 19
March 22
Pigeon Forge, TN-Spring Hill, TN
It was snowing when we left PF today with very cold winds. Besides the kids being able to swim, and Sophia having a hay day with the toilet paper, we were glad to say goodbye to PF.
We drove to see our good friend, Nancy Keeth in Spring Hill, TN. Nancy and I worked together at the Jim Elliot School in Denver, she was our Administrator and started the same day I did. I haven’t seen her since we left Denver, so it was such a fun time to catch up on what’s been going on in her life in TN. We stayed the night with her and the kids really enjoyed playing the Cootie game at her house.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 16, 17, 18
March 19-21
Pigeon Forge, TN
We arrived in Pigeon Forge, TN today for a weekend of visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and relaxing after being on the road for a few weeks. The south is an interesting place, and Pigeon Forge is full of neon lights and things calling our attention to play mini golf, see shows, eat with Elvis and other crazy things. It wouldn't be the place we would choose for a vacation spot, but we are hoping to have a couple days to explore the Smokies which is why we are here.
On Saturday we went into the park and were able to climb to a very pretty waterfall. There were a TON of people, and Jeff was shocked at the number of girls in flip flops climbing up to the waterfall. I tried to explain that most of the "clientele" who were climbing to the waterfall probably weren't people who typically hike in the National Parks, they are just people who are traveling through and just want a taste of the Smokies. lol
We had a picnic on the trail, being careful not to leave even a crumb of food in case the bears were to come follow us and eat us. It was a great time together as a family, and we are so thankful to be out in nature!!
The next day, Sunday, we went to church and enjoyed worshiping with the people of TN. The boys had a nice time in Sunday school, and Sophia did great in the nursery. At the end of the service, one of the little old ladies slipped me a $20 bill and told us to "go have lunch"!! So cute!
Unfortunately on Sunday, the weather turned sooo cold that we decided not to head back into the park. I was able to get away for a couple hours and go to Starbucks to just read, and then do a bit of shopping while Jeff had the kids. Great day overall!
Pigeon Forge, TN
We arrived in Pigeon Forge, TN today for a weekend of visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and relaxing after being on the road for a few weeks. The south is an interesting place, and Pigeon Forge is full of neon lights and things calling our attention to play mini golf, see shows, eat with Elvis and other crazy things. It wouldn't be the place we would choose for a vacation spot, but we are hoping to have a couple days to explore the Smokies which is why we are here.
On Saturday we went into the park and were able to climb to a very pretty waterfall. There were a TON of people, and Jeff was shocked at the number of girls in flip flops climbing up to the waterfall. I tried to explain that most of the "clientele" who were climbing to the waterfall probably weren't people who typically hike in the National Parks, they are just people who are traveling through and just want a taste of the Smokies. lol
We had a picnic on the trail, being careful not to leave even a crumb of food in case the bears were to come follow us and eat us. It was a great time together as a family, and we are so thankful to be out in nature!!
The next day, Sunday, we went to church and enjoyed worshiping with the people of TN. The boys had a nice time in Sunday school, and Sophia did great in the nursery. At the end of the service, one of the little old ladies slipped me a $20 bill and told us to "go have lunch"!! So cute!Unfortunately on Sunday, the weather turned sooo cold that we decided not to head back into the park. I was able to get away for a couple hours and go to Starbucks to just read, and then do a bit of shopping while Jeff had the kids. Great day overall!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 14 & 15
March 17-18
Charlotte, NC
Jeff spoke a few minutes at the SIM prayer meeting this morning...it was fun to see people in the home office and for the boys meet people there. We had a great interview/debriefing and then I was fortunate to be asked out to coffee by a wonderful lady that I had just met. Her questions and true concern for what we are going through during this transitional part of our lives was very encouraging and very needed. Thanks Ruth!!
On the 18th I finally got to meet Erin, gal who works for International and with whom I have been skyping for almost 2 years!! She just had a baby girl about 6 months ago and so we wanted to meet and have our girls meet. It was a nice lunch with the kids and hubbies...fun to meet you Erin!!!
It's nice to just hang out at SIM and for the boys to play games and not have to be anywhere at any certain time. One thing they have discovered is Monopoly!! They are Monopoly fools and it's funny to see them buying up houses and hotels like fools!! What fun they are having!
Charlotte, NC
Jeff spoke a few minutes at the SIM prayer meeting this morning...it was fun to see people in the home office and for the boys meet people there. We had a great interview/debriefing and then I was fortunate to be asked out to coffee by a wonderful lady that I had just met. Her questions and true concern for what we are going through during this transitional part of our lives was very encouraging and very needed. Thanks Ruth!!
On the 18th I finally got to meet Erin, gal who works for International and with whom I have been skyping for almost 2 years!! She just had a baby girl about 6 months ago and so we wanted to meet and have our girls meet. It was a nice lunch with the kids and hubbies...fun to meet you Erin!!!
It's nice to just hang out at SIM and for the boys to play games and not have to be anywhere at any certain time. One thing they have discovered is Monopoly!! They are Monopoly fools and it's funny to see them buying up houses and hotels like fools!! What fun they are having!
Krohn Road Trip...Day 12
March 15
Coral Springs/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
We stayed the night in a nice hotel and then the next day went to the beach for a few hours. It was super windy but the boys loved playing in the ocean and sand.
After the beach, we went and had dinner with a friend of Jeff's and his family. We had a nice time and our kids really enjoyed playing with the Cooper kids. After leaving their house, we drove all night to get to Charlotte, NC.
Coral Springs/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
We stayed the night in a nice hotel and then the next day went to the beach for a few hours. It was super windy but the boys loved playing in the ocean and sand.
After the beach, we went and had dinner with a friend of Jeff's and his family. We had a nice time and our kids really enjoyed playing with the Cooper kids. After leaving their house, we drove all night to get to Charlotte, NC.
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...Day 13
March16
Charlotte, NC
We spent all night driving so that the kids could sleep, and arrived in Charlotte mid-morning. We got all settled into the residences at SIM and then got some rest. It was great for the boys to see SIM USA and meet some of the people there as well.
Charlotte, NC
We spent all night driving so that the kids could sleep, and arrived in Charlotte mid-morning. We got all settled into the residences at SIM and then got some rest. It was great for the boys to see SIM USA and meet some of the people there as well.
Krohn Road Trip...Day 11
Islamorada, FL-Coral Springs, FL
Today we got to experience Everglades National Park with James and Jennifer! It was so amazing! I will admit I was a bit nervous about seeing alligators out in the open, close enough that they could gobble up my kids if they were hungry enough! The scariest/most exhilarating part was when Nathan was running up ahead of us and all of a sudden came running back saying there was a HUGE alligator on the path! Sure enough, we walked up a bit and there was this humongous alligator sitting right in the middle of the path!! We were going to walk around it and hope to find another way out, but then it just up and walked off the path, over the bank and into the water.
After spending a few hours in the park, we said goodbye to James & Jennifer and took off for the Ft. Lauderdale area where Jeff was going to meet up with some friends and the kids and I would just chill and hang out together. We were stuck without a car so we decided to embark on a little adventure and walk to the nearest shopping area to find some dinner. We debated between Thai food (which I wanted) and pizza (what the boys wanted)...and of course concluded that pizza would more likely be enjoyed by all. We had fun, just the kids and I, but by the time we finished and walked back it was getting late and Jeff was on his way to the hotel.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sophia's ear infection...and first ER experience
March13
My baby is sick!! Somehow the fact that she is a super itty bitty peanut, makes it hard for me to see her sick! I finally relented and took her in to the doctor since she has been running a fever for almost 10 days and had a runny nose and cough.
Jennifer and I decided that our only option was to take her to Mariner's Hospital in Tavernier (the next Key between Islamorada and Key Largo). We arrived around 3pm and waited and waited and waited. Sophia was super fussy and cried most of the time we were in the lobby..there ended up being 4 other people behind us when we were finally given a room inside the ER. I had given Sophia some tylenol and so when they took her temp, it was normal...but the longer she sat there, the more agitated she became and her fever finally spiked again at 101.6. The nurses gave her some tylenol, and explained that the doctor had encountered some serious problems with other patients and they were sorry that we were having to wait so long. We finally saw the doctor close to 6:45pm and he looked at her ears and saw liquid and knew that's what was causing her fever and irritation (and cough). He prescribed some Amoxicilin and she is currently taking that now and is much, much better!!!
We were in the ER for 4 hours, and while it was not ideal, I had the best time with Jennifer just yakking it up in there!! To me, besides Sophia being sick, it was one of the highlights of our trip so far!!! I love you Jen!!!!
My baby is sick!! Somehow the fact that she is a super itty bitty peanut, makes it hard for me to see her sick! I finally relented and took her in to the doctor since she has been running a fever for almost 10 days and had a runny nose and cough.
Jennifer and I decided that our only option was to take her to Mariner's Hospital in Tavernier (the next Key between Islamorada and Key Largo). We arrived around 3pm and waited and waited and waited. Sophia was super fussy and cried most of the time we were in the lobby..there ended up being 4 other people behind us when we were finally given a room inside the ER. I had given Sophia some tylenol and so when they took her temp, it was normal...but the longer she sat there, the more agitated she became and her fever finally spiked again at 101.6. The nurses gave her some tylenol, and explained that the doctor had encountered some serious problems with other patients and they were sorry that we were having to wait so long. We finally saw the doctor close to 6:45pm and he looked at her ears and saw liquid and knew that's what was causing her fever and irritation (and cough). He prescribed some Amoxicilin and she is currently taking that now and is much, much better!!!
We were in the ER for 4 hours, and while it was not ideal, I had the best time with Jennifer just yakking it up in there!! To me, besides Sophia being sick, it was one of the highlights of our trip so far!!! I love you Jen!!!!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...day 10
March 12, 2010
Orlando, FL-Islamorada, FL
I had such a fun morning meeting up with Crystal and Bella at Cracker Barrel!! Crystal is a mommy I know from an internet forum that I have been a part of for almost 2 years. She recently moved to Orlando and we took advantage of a free morning to get together...it was so much fun!! I loved meeting her and getting to know Bella in person...thanks Crystal for making time to get together with us!!
After meeting up with Crystal, I went back to the house to pack up our things and get ready to head to the Florida Keys. Our final destination for the day was to Islamorada, one of the Keys between Key Largo and Key West to stay with our good friends, James and Jennifer Johnson. It was completely rainy the entire drive to the Keys, and not a pretty, light rain...but a really heavy rain from the time we left Orlando until we arrived in Islamorada.
James & Jennifer had hot chili waiting for us in their super cozy home...it was sooo good to arrive and see them again!! We were tired, but it was fun to just hang out with them. Sophia was fussy and didn't sleep well...once again she was running a fever for like the 10th night!! I knew I probably just needed to take her to the doctor, but it was Friday night and nothing was open.
Saturday morning we went to breakfast at Mangrove Mike's, and then over to Cheeca Lodge to see where James works. It is sooo gorgeous, and while it wasn't that warm (and it was SUPER windy), we still got some great pictures of the lodge and the ocean. The Keys are (obviously) surrounded by water..the Gulf side and the Ocean side...Cheeca is on the ocean side and is a very exclusive lodge. We toured the grounds and then headed back to the house for lunch...on the way we stopped to feed the Tarpon. This was quite the experience...Tarpon are HUGE fish and we wanted to feed them smaller fish. The problem was that even though they are enclosed within a white fence, the pelicans were doing all they could to snatch the small fish out of the boys' hands. Jonathon & Brandon both got "pelican bites", but thankfully it didn't draw blood! I was sure the pelicans were going to bite off their fingers...or arms!!! lol
After lunch I decided that enough was enough and I needed to take Sophia in to the doctor...she had still been running a fever and had started pulling at her ears. (see next posting about the experience)
We met up with the guys and kids at Lazy Days, a great little place on the ocean with FANTASTIC seafood!! I had Yellowtail Baja, which was a delicious fish that was encrusted and fried with a white sauce and served with cilantro...it was SOOO yummy!! It ended up being a late night as we stayed up talking with James and Jennifer...what great friends they are!!!
Orlando, FL-Islamorada, FL
I had such a fun morning meeting up with Crystal and Bella at Cracker Barrel!! Crystal is a mommy I know from an internet forum that I have been a part of for almost 2 years. She recently moved to Orlando and we took advantage of a free morning to get together...it was so much fun!! I loved meeting her and getting to know Bella in person...thanks Crystal for making time to get together with us!!
After meeting up with Crystal, I went back to the house to pack up our things and get ready to head to the Florida Keys. Our final destination for the day was to Islamorada, one of the Keys between Key Largo and Key West to stay with our good friends, James and Jennifer Johnson. It was completely rainy the entire drive to the Keys, and not a pretty, light rain...but a really heavy rain from the time we left Orlando until we arrived in Islamorada.
James & Jennifer had hot chili waiting for us in their super cozy home...it was sooo good to arrive and see them again!! We were tired, but it was fun to just hang out with them. Sophia was fussy and didn't sleep well...once again she was running a fever for like the 10th night!! I knew I probably just needed to take her to the doctor, but it was Friday night and nothing was open.
Saturday morning we went to breakfast at Mangrove Mike's, and then over to Cheeca Lodge to see where James works. It is sooo gorgeous, and while it wasn't that warm (and it was SUPER windy), we still got some great pictures of the lodge and the ocean. The Keys are (obviously) surrounded by water..the Gulf side and the Ocean side...Cheeca is on the ocean side and is a very exclusive lodge. We toured the grounds and then headed back to the house for lunch...on the way we stopped to feed the Tarpon. This was quite the experience...Tarpon are HUGE fish and we wanted to feed them smaller fish. The problem was that even though they are enclosed within a white fence, the pelicans were doing all they could to snatch the small fish out of the boys' hands. Jonathon & Brandon both got "pelican bites", but thankfully it didn't draw blood! I was sure the pelicans were going to bite off their fingers...or arms!!! lol
After lunch I decided that enough was enough and I needed to take Sophia in to the doctor...she had still been running a fever and had started pulling at her ears. (see next posting about the experience)
We met up with the guys and kids at Lazy Days, a great little place on the ocean with FANTASTIC seafood!! I had Yellowtail Baja, which was a delicious fish that was encrusted and fried with a white sauce and served with cilantro...it was SOOO yummy!! It ended up being a late night as we stayed up talking with James and Jennifer...what great friends they are!!!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...day 9
March 11, 2010
Animal Kingdom--Orlando, FL
Oh the rain!! After 2 absolutely gorgeous days at Disney, we arrived to the Animal Kingdom and were literally soaked before we even got from our car to the entrance! We got on the tram and rode to the entrance in a huge deluge...Jeff had forgotten his camera, so he helped us take cover and took the tram back to get it. While he was gone I noticed that one of the workers was from Venezuela, so I struck up a conversation in Spanish and he ended up giving us a free Disney poncho--for which we were super greatful!
To our surprise, the rain stopped for the rest of the morning...allowing us to do all the rides we wanted to do without getting soaking wet! We did the Safari, which Sophia loved, and then headed off to Asia to do Expedition Everest. Oh my goodness, I think this ride trumps Space Mountain in my book...it was a BLAST!!! We ended up riding it twice because there was such a little wait--it was one of our highlights of the day! Then we went to Dinoland and walked around a bit, letting the kids use their allowance to shop. We really wanted to see the afternoon show of The Lion King, so we headed in that direction...and wouldn't you know it...it started raining right as we were going into the show. Sophia clapped ALL through the show and bounced up and down...she LOVED it!! It really was impressive, and by the time it ended, we were ready to call it quits and head home. It worked out great that we were done because it was raining cats and dogs when we left the show and it didn't let up, not even a little. Most people were headed out of the park anyhow since the park closes at 5pm and it was pouring.
I think we had a GREAT 3 days at Disney, it was such a blessing to have been able to do this, and we are SOO thankful for Bob & Carol's generosity in getting us passes to take the kids. Sophia won't remember her time here, but we were able to get a few pictures with the characters and get some autographs in her pink Disney Princess book.
That night when we got home, we showered to warm up, dried off, and had a great dinner with Bob, Carol, Nikki and Camdyn. Camdyn had a blast with the boys, and we really enjoyed kicking back with a glass of wine and chatting with everyone else. Thank you Bob & Carol, we love you!!!!!
Animal Kingdom--Orlando, FL
Oh the rain!! After 2 absolutely gorgeous days at Disney, we arrived to the Animal Kingdom and were literally soaked before we even got from our car to the entrance! We got on the tram and rode to the entrance in a huge deluge...Jeff had forgotten his camera, so he helped us take cover and took the tram back to get it. While he was gone I noticed that one of the workers was from Venezuela, so I struck up a conversation in Spanish and he ended up giving us a free Disney poncho--for which we were super greatful!
To our surprise, the rain stopped for the rest of the morning...allowing us to do all the rides we wanted to do without getting soaking wet! We did the Safari, which Sophia loved, and then headed off to Asia to do Expedition Everest. Oh my goodness, I think this ride trumps Space Mountain in my book...it was a BLAST!!! We ended up riding it twice because there was such a little wait--it was one of our highlights of the day! Then we went to Dinoland and walked around a bit, letting the kids use their allowance to shop. We really wanted to see the afternoon show of The Lion King, so we headed in that direction...and wouldn't you know it...it started raining right as we were going into the show. Sophia clapped ALL through the show and bounced up and down...she LOVED it!! It really was impressive, and by the time it ended, we were ready to call it quits and head home. It worked out great that we were done because it was raining cats and dogs when we left the show and it didn't let up, not even a little. Most people were headed out of the park anyhow since the park closes at 5pm and it was pouring.
I think we had a GREAT 3 days at Disney, it was such a blessing to have been able to do this, and we are SOO thankful for Bob & Carol's generosity in getting us passes to take the kids. Sophia won't remember her time here, but we were able to get a few pictures with the characters and get some autographs in her pink Disney Princess book.
That night when we got home, we showered to warm up, dried off, and had a great dinner with Bob, Carol, Nikki and Camdyn. Camdyn had a blast with the boys, and we really enjoyed kicking back with a glass of wine and chatting with everyone else. Thank you Bob & Carol, we love you!!!!!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...day 8
March 10, 2010
Epcot--Orlando, FL
We started out by arriving to Epcot (a bit sore, I might add) on this beautiful Wednesday morning with Carol and her friend who used their comp passes to once again get us into this Disney park. We had intended to do Epcot in the morning and then park hop and do Animal Kingdom in the afternoon...however, as we saw all there was to do at Epcot, we ended up changing our minds and staying at Epcot all day long!! I didn't think there would be much for the boys to do, but they loved it there!! Especially the hands on stuff at Innoventions and the 3D Mickey's PhilharMagic show that actually sprays you with real water and smells like apple pie!
We traveled from Orlando to space to Germany all in one day!! :o) The Mission: Space ride (I think that's what it was called) was super intense...the boys loved it and got to ride it twice each since the wait was super short one time and then we got FP for another ride. Jeff insisted we go to Germany for lunch...it was funny to be walking along all the countries and Jonathon kept asking me when we were going to stop for lunch...I just kept saying, "When we get to Germany". We enjoyed brats and kraut and just hung out for awhile before heading back to the main part for more fun.
We stayed until the park closed for another wonderful firework and water show, and once again dragged the kids to the car where they promptly fell asleep in the car. Once again it was great weather and we were so blessed to have been able to do this!!
Epcot--Orlando, FL
We started out by arriving to Epcot (a bit sore, I might add) on this beautiful Wednesday morning with Carol and her friend who used their comp passes to once again get us into this Disney park. We had intended to do Epcot in the morning and then park hop and do Animal Kingdom in the afternoon...however, as we saw all there was to do at Epcot, we ended up changing our minds and staying at Epcot all day long!! I didn't think there would be much for the boys to do, but they loved it there!! Especially the hands on stuff at Innoventions and the 3D Mickey's PhilharMagic show that actually sprays you with real water and smells like apple pie!
We traveled from Orlando to space to Germany all in one day!! :o) The Mission: Space ride (I think that's what it was called) was super intense...the boys loved it and got to ride it twice each since the wait was super short one time and then we got FP for another ride. Jeff insisted we go to Germany for lunch...it was funny to be walking along all the countries and Jonathon kept asking me when we were going to stop for lunch...I just kept saying, "When we get to Germany". We enjoyed brats and kraut and just hung out for awhile before heading back to the main part for more fun.
We stayed until the park closed for another wonderful firework and water show, and once again dragged the kids to the car where they promptly fell asleep in the car. Once again it was great weather and we were so blessed to have been able to do this!!
Krohn 2010 Road Trip...day 7
March 9, 2010
The Magic Kingdom--Orlando, FL
Oh my goodness, the boys' eyes were soooo wide as we took the Ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom! Jeff's Uncle Bob works for Disney and so he was able to get us passes into the park...we were SOO blessed by this! It was amazing, and to use a cliche, a very magical experience! It was our first time as a family to go to Disney, to try our hand at the "Fast Pass" system, and to have a small child in tow in this sea of strollers!
We went to Space Mountain first to get our fast passes...this was our first mistake because the FP return was for a couple hours down the road and so we couldn't get another FP for a couple of hrs...we should have gone to another ride and did a FP that would have yielded us a quicker FP. If you have been to Disney, you'll know what I'm talking about...if you haven't been, you won't understand the system at all! :o)
So after Space Mountain FPs were taken care of, we went over to the Buzz Lightyear ride, of which the standby line was only a 20 minute wait. Sophia actually loved this ride, full of lasers and bright lights! Then we proceeded over to Frontierland to see if we could ride any of the big rides there. We lucked out and the wait for Splash Mountain was only 10 minutes!!! Jeff took 2 of the boys and got in line while we did a child swap and Jonathon and I waited with Sophia. We saw them come down and the pictures were hilarious!! Once they came out, Jonathon and I got to go through the FP line and so we didn't have to wait at all...it was sooo great to see Jonathon's face as we went along the ride and then finally down the water slide. What a joy to be a parent and get to do this with our kids! Next we were able to get a FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then return to Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. Jeff had been worried that the boys would be scared on SP...but if you know the Krohn boys at all, you'll probably agree that they aren't scared of much...so they LOVED this ride!!
We then returned to Frontierland, eating our sandwiches along the way and trying to stop for a character autograph/picture with the princesses...but everytime we went to get in line, they were closing the line until a later time...would you believe we didn't get a SINGLE picture or signature at the Magic Kingdom???!! I was soooo bummed, I really wanted to get Sophia with the princesses to document her first time at Disney, since she won't remember it. Oh well.
The day really was fantastic, we were able to do the major rides, all with minimum waiting, that we wanted to. It seems the day flew by, and we stayed to watch the fireworks at the end of the day which Sophia LOVED!! She was so excited to see these bright lights and the sound didn't scare her at all. The kids fell asleep on the way home, and Jeff and I wondered if we would have the energy for another day at Epcot/Animal Kingdom the next day. It was a gorgeous day (weather-wise) also, so we were very thankful.
The Magic Kingdom--Orlando, FL
Oh my goodness, the boys' eyes were soooo wide as we took the Ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom! Jeff's Uncle Bob works for Disney and so he was able to get us passes into the park...we were SOO blessed by this! It was amazing, and to use a cliche, a very magical experience! It was our first time as a family to go to Disney, to try our hand at the "Fast Pass" system, and to have a small child in tow in this sea of strollers!
We went to Space Mountain first to get our fast passes...this was our first mistake because the FP return was for a couple hours down the road and so we couldn't get another FP for a couple of hrs...we should have gone to another ride and did a FP that would have yielded us a quicker FP. If you have been to Disney, you'll know what I'm talking about...if you haven't been, you won't understand the system at all! :o)
So after Space Mountain FPs were taken care of, we went over to the Buzz Lightyear ride, of which the standby line was only a 20 minute wait. Sophia actually loved this ride, full of lasers and bright lights! Then we proceeded over to Frontierland to see if we could ride any of the big rides there. We lucked out and the wait for Splash Mountain was only 10 minutes!!! Jeff took 2 of the boys and got in line while we did a child swap and Jonathon and I waited with Sophia. We saw them come down and the pictures were hilarious!! Once they came out, Jonathon and I got to go through the FP line and so we didn't have to wait at all...it was sooo great to see Jonathon's face as we went along the ride and then finally down the water slide. What a joy to be a parent and get to do this with our kids! Next we were able to get a FP for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then return to Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. Jeff had been worried that the boys would be scared on SP...but if you know the Krohn boys at all, you'll probably agree that they aren't scared of much...so they LOVED this ride!!
We then returned to Frontierland, eating our sandwiches along the way and trying to stop for a character autograph/picture with the princesses...but everytime we went to get in line, they were closing the line until a later time...would you believe we didn't get a SINGLE picture or signature at the Magic Kingdom???!! I was soooo bummed, I really wanted to get Sophia with the princesses to document her first time at Disney, since she won't remember it. Oh well.
The day really was fantastic, we were able to do the major rides, all with minimum waiting, that we wanted to. It seems the day flew by, and we stayed to watch the fireworks at the end of the day which Sophia LOVED!! She was so excited to see these bright lights and the sound didn't scare her at all. The kids fell asleep on the way home, and Jeff and I wondered if we would have the energy for another day at Epcot/Animal Kingdom the next day. It was a gorgeous day (weather-wise) also, so we were very thankful.
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