Landon and my weekend in Orlando! Without Daddy :o(

Landon and I had the opportunity to go to Orlando/Kissimmee this weekend with the Williams, Johnsons and Carters (friends from our church back home). Unfortunately Josh had to work so he couldn’t go. Then while we were gone he got a really bad cold, poor guy. Friday morning Josh dropped me and Landon of with the caravan headed to Central Florida. Our first stop was getting our stuff settled at the house the Johnson’s rent for the weekend. It was a great house, 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, a living room, TV room, eat-in kitchen and dining room, and a pool out back.



The boys and girls bathroom, this one was my favorite

Landon in our room

Our beautiful room


Celebrating Carter's birthday!!


His mom made an awesome scrapbook for him



Outside Wal-mart pick up some last minute birthday dinner items


After figuring out all the rooms we loaded up in the vans and went to The Holy Land Experience. I had never been to it or anything like it. It was pretty cool. When you enter you pass beneath a stone arch modeled after the Damascus and Jaffa Gates of Jerusalem. Once you are inside you can see Dead Sea Quran Caves (where the Dead Sea scrolls were found) and the wilderness Tabernacle. They had some authentic and ancient artifacts from the Can Kampen Collection, like the Esther scrolls, in the Scriptorium. You go through the artifact from Babylon to Egypt, from Germany to America. Unfortunately, Dad and I didn’t get to see everything on the tour of Scriptorium. Landon got hungry so we waited in one of the rooms after everyone had left and when we went to catch up to them the fireplace “door” had shut so we had to backtrack to the front. Apparently we could have just pushed the fireplace wall and the door would have opened but we didn’t know that and though that was the end of the tour. It actually was only the first 3rd of it so we waited outside for about 40 mins. They had a reenactment of Jesus Christ last days and resurrection that was really great. The acting, I thought, was done very well. Landon loved it, except when the big band went off when Jesus had risen. That apparently was VERY scary and afterward he was a little wary of the show. They had recreated the temple that once stood on Mount Mariah. There was also a diorama created of Bethlehem and Jerusalem (A.D. 66). Once at back home we had a birthday dinner and cake for Carter. He turned 18 on Saturday. Mrs. Shelia made a home made cake for him, oh, it was the yummiest chocolate cake!!








































































Universal Studios was on the list for Saturday. Landon slept some of it but seemed to really enjoy people watching and the few ride/experience shows he went too. I think he liked the Shrek show the best. The Carters (Mrs. Shelia’s parents) were nice enough to watch Landon so Mommy could ride the roller coasters and other rides. It was a lot of fun. There were some cool costumes, too. Universal is celebrating Mardi Gras so they had people dressed up.
Sunday, we went to church. Landon had fun in nursery watching the other babies and children. After church, we went over to Florida Christian College to check out the campus. I think Carter is considering going there or UF. They gave us a tour. For such a small campus they really have a lot to offer. We went back to the house ate lunch and packed up.





























































We meet up with Josh, Jessica, and Sally (Jeremiah’s girlfriend) at Joe’s Place (our favorite Williams family restaurant). It was a great weekend.

Landon, my crazy husband and me




Sally and Jeremiah

Jessica and Jamiie Jo

Mom and Dad



Sunday night I got sick so even though Jamiie Jo came down for a week so I could get lots done around the house it turnied out that she watched Landon so I could sleep. Jamiie Jo did a great job keeping up the house work. Unfortunately she also got sick. Even with all the sickness I did manage to finish painting our dining room

Landon updates and our week

Landon started rice cereal last week. I found a recipe so I can freeze the rice cereal. It is great because it takes less than 1 minute to put together. He seems to really enjoy it most of the time. I bought some very bright colors spoons which he loves. He wants to take them and try to feed himself. Josh and I have learned that remembering to feed him every night will be something we need to get use too. We have always been a family who typically ate dinner about 5:30-6:30 and unless one of us had to work we would eat together. If we still did that it would be easy to feed Landon. But being first time parents and still trying to finish moving into a house and still wanting to share dinner time together, sometimes we don’t eat until 9 or later. Hopefully feeding Landon will help us to focus on getting an earlier dinner time where we all sit together.

His first bowl of rice cereal

He looks very mad at the spoon.

Such a boy

Trying how to figure out how to use the spoon

Mom, I am ready for some food!

This Sunday was great day. I had been not in the best of moods on Friday and Saturday, just feeling overwhelmed at trying to get everything done that needs to be done. I love Landon and our house but taking care of both don’t always seem to go well. Plus Josh picked up another job to help with the bills so I have less help around the house. So on Sunday we when to church (the day had started off bad because I over slept an hour and half, the one morning Landon also decided to sleep in!) which always makes me feel better. It did this Sunday too after I forgot about the morning stresses. Afterwards the Looks invited us out to lunch. They are a great family. We went with Jeff and Victoria plus their daughter, Desiree, Son-in-law and grandson and Ms. Marsha. We went to Kasboro’s. We all enjoyed the lunch, everyone but me got their wings. When lunch and the conversations were finished Josh, Landon, and Ms. Marsha and I went to go see Mrs. Vera. This past week Landon and I (Josh when he isn’t busy) have been visiting Vera in the hospital and rehab center. I have been telling Vera that I would like to spend more time with her, just invite me over. Well, now she is in a public place and we can visit her whenever we feel like it. She is such a sweet lady. At church she always looks so classy and pretty. She is in no way vain but it is obvious she wants to be presentable. While she has been in the hospital and Rehab the soap that they offer has alcohol in the soap which has done a job on her nails. So Sunday after lunch with the Look family we went to see her. Josh had made her some food, a steak and potato dinner. We also brought her communion. We sat and talked, Josh read the Bible and summarized the communion message and sermon, Ms Marsha and I helped do Mrs. Vera’s nails.

Vera is just a great person to be around. This Wednesday night we meet with Chad from our small group and all had dinner with Mrs. Vera. Josh made fish. We also got a chance to talk to Mrs. Vera’s roommate, Mary. Mary hasn’t been very happy since she was told she as going to be released this week and then they changed it. She didn’t join us for dinner but she did enjoy a cookie that Chad had brought for dessert. We have been visiting Vera to make her stay more pleasant. But we really have gotten a lot out of it. It can be inconvenient to go visit her for about an hour and a half everyday, chores around the house get done late at night or skipped but this past week and half has really made me realize that chores and task that seem so important really aren’t very important at all when you compare them to the company of a friend. It is a good reminder just how well Jesus Christ knows us. He said how important it was to love our neighbor, not complete all your chore.

Landon went to his second birthday party this past week too. Rosemary turned 3 and had a Curious George party. Brandi with Brandi’s Dandies (Brandi you like my plug for your business?!?!) did a great job with the cake. Landon got to play with Ben, Rosemary’s little brother and had fun watching all kids. My favorite was watching the kids make home made ice cream!! When I was teaching, I had my science class use the same recipe. Oh, it is so good! That evening Landon was very tucked out and enjoyed hang out with his fluffy buddy, Bourbon.





Happy Birthday Rosemary!!!!


Dynah making ice cream


It looks like Ben took a really good joke and Landon is cracking up






Here were a couple of picture I had of Ben and Landon playing at church.

Watching Rosemary


Best buds