Happy Thanksgiving week, from tropical south Florida!

When I saw this beautiful palm full of rusty orange seeds just dangling from it's core...I knew that had to be my Happy Thanksgiving photo for you all. Isn't it just gorgeous?...and they were hanging all around the whole tree. It stopped me in my tracks to photograph it.

Regarding my previous photos about where we had been...you were right...we had been to Disney World (you saw the castle all aglow at night)...absolutely stunning to see...We went for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. A fun event from 7pm-12 midnight. We like riding roller coasters after dark! (I say "WE" in the most lose way...I only ride one...Thunder Mountain Railroad).

The pic of Emily in the rock (previous photo #2)was taken from the base of Hogwarts Castle while we were waiting for a few folks to get off of that ride. And speaking of the castle, here it is in all it's glory with sunbeams cascading down on it:

Here is a pic of a very sweet wizard holding Hedwig over at Harry Potter World.

And one in front of the combined owlry, wand and broom shop.

We did get to eat at The Three Broomsticks there in Hogsmeade...and it was delicious. We had smoked turkey legs, mac n cheese (the kids), and fish and chips. We drank Butter Beer (non alcoholic) and Pumpkin Juice, which was delicious I thought. The pumpkin juice tasted very refreshing and like pumpkin pie in a glass! The ingredients are simple...I would say it was half and half pumpkin puree and apple juice, and also a portion of pineapple juice, and some pumpkin pie spice. I will try it in the Vita Mix and see how it comes out on Thanksgiving day...for a bit of fun.

The more exacting recipe is HERE.

The last photo of the kids in front of the buffalo topiaries (previous photo #3), was from out front at the Wilderness Lodge, my favorite Disney Hotel (although we still haven't stayed there due to price, but we hang there to eat at Whispering Canyon, and observe the geyser that shoots up randomly out back.

The third day there, Emily got to ride a pony over at the campground area in Disney, with her 2 mothers by her side (my daughter and DIL).

Here are a few shots from Universal Studios...first Thing 1 and Thing 2 (and their daughters,Things 3 and 4 were there too)! We were in line right in front of this really neat family and the Mom and Dad had their wigs on too...and we shared our car with them through the ride.

And Emily June by her favorite car...the big shiny pink one outside the diner!


Here are two pics of a couple of birds just hanging out during my work day last week...one was by a front door to a building, and one was next to my car as I was getting off I95.


Have a happy Thanksgiving week! xoxo- Julie

My daughter, DIL, and the grands drove 3 hours to go to Disney World yesterday (Saturday). We had a wonderful time...the weather was PERFECT, with a high of 66, and it was clear...not a cloud in the sky! How do you like this topiary we found of Mickey??? We decided NOT to take them to a park since they are so young, but to have an enjoyable, and slow paced day shopping at Downtown Disney, then riding the bus to the Wilderness Lodge to have lunch in the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Then we took a boat to the Contemporary Hotel and got a coffee and watched some of the older Mickey movies (some even in black and white) in a special little tucked away area in the lobby just for kids with couches and soft hassocks to sit and lay upon to watch the large screen. We then took a ride on the monorail and got back to the placed we had parked and allowed Donovan to go back into a LEGO shop to build 3 little Lego people and package them to purchase. It was his souvenir.
Well..... his Mom had gotten him pennies smashed down in a machine that imprints different Disney images onto them (pressed pennies), so... Grandma Julie HAD TO BUY him the special book to store them in, so he would be able to take it back with him on future trips to further his collection! Of course she did!!! :)