Greatest place on earth Disney world

 It was finally here a vacation that was one year in the making if you know me I had made list after list of all the great places to eat , all the rides the kids were tall enough for ( saves some heartache at the front of the shamu line) the best campspot. This trip was going to be awesome. The best part the kids had no idea that we were about to wake them up put them in the camper and head to Disney for the entire week!

To start off ( well after months of planning and calling multiple times to make sure we got the best dinner show seats and reservations). We bought each kid a small Disney toy and new pjs and a special new cup.. We woke them gave them there gifts and then opened up the bedroom blinds so they could see the camper out front packed up and ready to go!

We were on our way well we did have to stop at the first rest stop (5 miles south) for a potty break but after that we were off.

We finally arrived and got to our spot not the greatest spot I was expecting but nice we started to set up we are pretty fast with our camper now 20 mins and we are sitting in our lawn chairs with our feet up. Not five minutes later Jacob comes screaming bloody murder and emily is crying behind him. Jacob was being attacked by bees and Lu calm and cool had been bit by a few already. We got the kids into the truck and drove up to the out post ( now remember this is Disney) they immediately got the kids some ice and a tv show and offered medical assistance. After our children saying they were not going back out there the manager of course made an amazing RV spot magically appear and now we were in the middle of the Disney magic but first things first we had to repack and move the camper to the new location. The next surprise our family golf cart was delivered the highlight of the kids and David's trip.

After we were settled the second time we were ready for the magic to begin. We hopped on the boat that carried us right to Disney World. A reminder it was September and a Thursday it was slightly sprinkling in the first 30 mins we saw every princess and met Mickey and Minnie talk about no lines! Our first very exciting plan for our trip dinner at 7 pm in Cinderellas castle with her and all her friends. Emily was dressed in her very beautiful Cinderella dress for the meeting. They whisked us away like we were the only ones there made our children feel so very special with magic wands and pirate swords waiting at our table. Every princess came around and greeted us the food was exquisite and the dessert phenomenal! The happiness in the eyes made it truly a special evening because it's all about there imagination flowing.

Staying at Fort Wilderness was amazing the campground was beautiful, trees, beach, night time campfire with chip n dale, roasting marshmallows and dancing, beautiful weather, and not many people. We took in all that they had to offer.
Day two we visited Animal Kingdom saw the amazing show The Lion King, Jacob was finally tall enough to go on Kali Rapids there was a chance to get soaked and I think God looked out for him because we were the only dry people on that boat at the end. I think Lu's favorite was the train ride taking us to the kids area.

Eating the fixins:)

                           We were dining on the dining pass and I made reservations months in advance (six months to be exact) so Friday night we had reservations for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue a musical dinner show at the campground. We got there and the waitress took us to our table and she kept walking closer and closer and closer are seats were so close you could touch the stage the kids loved it. There was good music hootin and howling the food was family style so they bring out the chicken and potatoes and veggies in big old style cooking pots. And there favorite actor was a nerdy comedian that got Jacob giggling so loud and continous it was awesome at the end you take your spoons and beat on an old wash board as a drum everytable gets one and boy do our kids know how to beat on something. It was a hootin good time!

Playing the Washboard

Day three was off to the Grand Floridian for a breakfast buffet with Mary poppins (which was the movie that was playing continous at our home at the time) saw tigger,














                                                                                                   alice and wonderland and the mad hatter

 and winnie the pooh.

 It was not our favorite restraunt by all means but we enjoyed it. Next stop was Magic Kingdom and the day they got to spend the surprise money Nina had left in the camper for them. Emily of course bought a Cinderella doll and Jacob bought a pirate get up:) We rode Emilys favorite ride of the Carousel and Jacobs new favorite Splash mountain I still can not believe my four year old is tall enough to ride that. After heading back to the camper for naps (yes we get nice long naps at Disney World). We headed back to Magic Kingdom for race cars, winnie the pooh, peter pan, dumbo, and fireworks  and a little bit of grease for dinner and popcorn and ice
 cream to follow.

Gifts from Nina

Day four we had to map out because what we were planning were some very popular things. We arrived at Hollywood Studios before they opened the plan was david and Lu would go to get fast passes for Toy Story and Jacob and I would run (and I mean we had to run) to sign him up to be a Padawan and fight Darth Vader at the 9 am show. David ended up ditching the stroller and carrying Lu on his shoulders to make it through the crowd and Jacob and I arrived and were the first to sign up I will never forget running full speed with him to the sign up booth it was so exciting to see his excitment. After signing him up we meet up with Lu and David and they got Jacob in costume and the show started. It was FREE and a little boys dream the pictures will tell it all!

Padawan

Practicing for Darth

Defeating Darth Vader

And then there was the race for the Toy Story ride you know the one you wait in line for for 90 minutes because it is the best ride there?

Awesome ride I don't care what anyone says about the wait it is amazing  technology!

Day five we spent park hopping to take in all the rides we had missed along the way. For the evening we had dinner reservations at the Polynesian for a luau! We had heard about such great things about this dinner attraction so we had very high expectations. We arrived at the Polynesian running a little late so we missed getting our picture taken and I don't know how we made reservations 6 months in advance and our table was awful there was a huge pole right in our way and the kids could not see anything the food was not at all kid friendly and you were very rushed with the whole thing all in all a bad experience. But the Couch family never lets anything go by with out a memory so as we were leaving there was this amazing sunset over the lake where we took the kids to play and ended up with some amazing pictures!

Day six we had some very special guests join us at Magic Kingdom and dinner at the restaurant at the campground The Antepara's. Stephanie who was a trooper very pregnant with baby Sophia and sweet Isa, and JP. 

JP trying his first rice krispy treat!

Jacob and Isa

The kids

Chip n Dale singalong

Chip or Dale don't remember something about there nose makes them different I think color?

What an amazing vacation! Had so much fun and created awesome memories we were planning our next trip on our way home!

2012 Family Photo Shoot

         Wow! It's really 2012? Here we are married almost 9 years Jacob almost 5 Emily almost 3. We just cannot wrap our heads around the blessings our family has received just already this year.

      Half way through our second year of homeschooling we are apart of an amazing co-op Fellowship of Homeschool Companions .We meet one day a week for classes Jacob is taking a science class where he is learning things I know I did not learn until at least late Elemantary school and Lu is studying her alphabet with her "friends". She always asks " are we going to see my friends?" she has progressed so much in the past month with everything she has learned. Not only are these families class mates but they are there for support and guidance as we all go down this amazing path God has blessed us with of homeschooling our children. I really cannot see doing this schooling thing any other way.

     Jacob has been given a wealth of knowledge this year from the beginning learning his sounds to putting them together and now reading words and beginning sentences. His handwriting from last year to this year is awesome and the science that we get to dive into together is so much fun ( daddy likes to get his hands in on that too) . Jacob loves to " get it right" he strives for excellence and when I get to share that joy of him "getting it right" it makes it all worth it.

    We have been pondering putting the kids in extra activities but when I see the joy when they are playing in the backyard together or we get to go on lots of field trips and we have no agenda no schedule I know that those things will come and for right now we are just going to enjoy each other.

David has now been with JSO for 6 years now and I am working PRN at Mayo Clinic which gives me a lot more time at home with the kids doing what I love. David and I will be married 9 years this year our love has grown tremendously from just a couple who knew each other 40 days before they were engaged I knew right away he was the one for me and there has not been one day of our marriage which made me think any diffrent. The kids yearn for there father when he is not around they enjoy jumping on the beds, tickling, and ruff housing until someone gets hurt ! We are truly blessed with an amazing 50-50 marriage! 

Jacob's First four years

I wanted to write a few things that I would want Jacob to know about his early years.........You have your favorite blanket and you call it RETE. We are not sure where you came up with the name we called it blankie to you so some how you got RETE from that.

You love to help us with chores, cooking, and cleaning. You like to unload the dishwasher on to the counter and then I put them in the cabinets.

 You are a very sensitive boy. Feelings mean a lot to you. You  always want to please us and have our approval.

You are so silly, always giggling. Making funny faces in the mirror or just watching your self talk in the mirror.
You eat everything in sight for breakfast, but like a bird for dinner. You will say you don't like something but when we are not looking you will take a bite. And if you do not finish your dinner you say "Well I guess no dessert for me."

You play with Lego's all day long well accept when you are playing outside but then you come right back in and pick up where you left off.

When we do school time you are usually fidgety and silly but that's why we home school so that we can get up and jump around whenever we want and I don't have to duct tape you to the chair which you need some days. We do school in front of the fire during the winter and both of us just end up in a trance staring at the fire but its nice quality time even if we get nothing done:)

Our Lu turned 2

Where do the times go?

Our baby is now TWO! Lu is a sweet strong hearted little girl. She will do whatever she can to get you to say yes. We mostly call you Lu now. You always sleep with your bean bean, aka blanket. You dont know how to walk you insist on running everywhere. You give the sweetest tightest hugs and our in love with your baby dolls. I see you everyday watching and learning how to be motherly. Daddy and I love you so much. And as for daddy you have him wrapped apround that little finger:)

More Preschool Time

We have been homeschooling now 4 months it is going better than ever. Jacob has accomplished everything we had scheduled for him to learn this year. We have learned all of our ABC's visually and sounds, Counting to 20, and he has developed a love for books.