The Making of a Princess

While we we re at Walt Disney World, Joanne had made arrangements for Taisie to visit the Bibbidi-Bobbidi- Boutique, where little girls are transformed in Princesses. It includes hairdo, makeup, nail polish, gown, shoes, and of course the sceptre. Taisie's transformation was worked by her Fairy Godmother at the boutique.

She started with a combing, then selected the colors for her nails and makeup.

Her Fairy Godmother put Taisie's hair up in a top knot.

Then they selected the hairpiece.

The selection of the hairpiece was perfect, it couldn't have matched better if it was her own.

The final touch, enough lacquer to hold her hair through a Florida hurricane.

Taisie's Fairy Godmother with her complete Princess, as she sees herself in the mirror for the first time.

Yeah, that's our Princess Taisie!

Taisie registers as a Princess of the Kingdom and now its official, Princess Taisie.

With sceptre in hand she is ready to rule, heaven help her brothers.

The Princess receives the Queen Mother.

She was greeted throughout the day by her enthusiastic subjects. It wasn't just the characters either. The Disney workers would call out, "Hello Princess", and bow. It didn't take Taisie long to begin returning the bow with a curtsy.

The Princess being escorted by the Queen Grandmother. It was fun watching people do double takes as Taisie walked by.

The meeting of the Princesses; they talked about the Kingdom and walked holding hands. Princess Aurora and Princess Taisie, the bond was immediate.

But, even a Princess gets tired by the end of a long day at the Magic Kingdom. That's when a Queen Grandmother's lap or shoulder come in particularly handy.

We ended the day, outside the Princess's castle watching the fireworks and a parade in her honor. It's not often that you get to see the inner princess come out, much less have anything to do with it, or to see the imagination light up with a host of possibilities. It was an incredible thing to watch.

The Passing of a Tradition (addiction)

Several years ago on a trip to Walt Disney World, I started collected Disney Pins. Joanne now refers to it as my addiction and she's not far off the mark. I not only enjoy collecting them, but I also enjoy trading them in the parks and at Disney stores.
So, I decided it was time to share this fun with my grandchildren. Joanne says I just want someone else hooked on the pins, just like I am. Either way, I figured I could get some pin bonding time with Thomas, Taisie, and Levi.

First I got them each a lanyard for pin display and some starter pins for trading. I also got each of them a small pin bag for storing their keepers, the pins they don't want to trade. I explained to them how the Disney Cast Members will trade, the ones with a green lanyard only trade with children, while those with a blue lanyard will trade with adults and children.

They asked about what to do when they had traded all their pins. I told them I would give them 8 new pins to trade each day. It was up to them to decide which ones they wanted to keep.

After all the explanations, they were off. These kids weren't shy. They would chase down a Cast Member with a lanyard on to trade with them.

Levi concentrated his trading on getting any Villain he could.

Thomas focused on collected the Villains in a globe series and got them all.

Taisie narrowed in on the Baby Princess series and got all the ones in that series.

They pursued their quarry with military like precision, trying to be the first one to trade so they would get their choice.

What was nice was how they would trade one of their pins with a Cast Member for a particular pin they knew their brother or sister was looking and then go trade it with them.

I still did my own share of trading pins, but it was watching Thomas, Taisie, and Levi trading and getting excited about starting their own collections that was the most fun this trip.

At Christmas they'll be getting some keepers from us. I asked them each day what they enjoyed the most that day, whether a ride or an attraction, and then go and find new pins to purchase that are from what they enjoyed. Hopefully they will continue to find the joy of pin collecting and trading that I've found, maybe not the addiction though.

It's the Hat!

When we last went to Walt Disney World with Courtney Dave and the grandchildren, Levi was only 2 years old. We had given Thomas and Taisie a WDW hat of their choice, but Levi being only two was left out of that. Well, now he's five and he made his hat choice made known as soon as we arrived.
Now, no one can make a production out of giving a hat to a little boy like a grandmother. We had just finished watching the Nemo show in Animal Kingdom. We were still in the auditorium and the crowd was slowing filing out. Joanne had Levi come up front, close hos eyes and put his hands out.

While he stood there with eyes closed and hands out, she slipped the hat on and put the string under his chin.

He was a happy camper, he finally had his Mickey Ears on and he was excited.

When I asked him later, as I do with all the grandchildren, what was his favorite thing that day, he didn't say a ride or attraction. It was the hat that was the high point of that day in Animal kingdom.

And to be sure that no one could mistakenly claim his hat as their own, we added his name to the back. Oh yeah, that day it was all about the hat.

Off to see Mickey!!

Well, we're leaving today to go to Walt Disney World with Courtney, Dave, and our 4 grandchildren. Actually they're flying and we're driving. So, get ready for some WDW overload when I get back. I've been looking forward to this for over a year, this is going to be fun!

Siloam UMC Homecoming 2008

On November the 9th, Joanne and I went to Siloam UMC for the Homecoming Sunday. The pastor, George Schaeffer, had been kind enough to speak for the Homecoming at Saint Andrews UMC for me and I got to return the favor.
Joanne played the piano, much to the joy of their regular piano player. She also sang a song that reflected the scripture passage to be used. While she said she was nervous singing and playing at the same time she sang like an angel. She did get a bit caught off guard when George put the microphone in front of her, but not for long.

The message was from Psalm 84. I shared how badly the psalmist wanted to be in church and how each Sunday is like a homecoming for us.

Siloam UMC was started in 1832. I'll save you the brain drain, that's 176 years. The original building burned in 1959 and the present building was built then.

The church is up on a knoll and you could see the beautiful Fall foliage around the countryside.

George and Kathy Schaeffer have become dear friends. George and I attended Lay Supply Pastor school and Licensing School together. In our long drives riding together we've had a lot of time to talk and find that we both have a passion for Jesus and His church. We've both had a rather interesting paths that have led us to where we are now. Therefore, we both have an acute sense of God's Grace. When you know what God pulled you out of, its hard to take your self too seriously.