Doug arrived late last night more than thrilled to be home. He had spent the week in Dallas at a sales meeting. It was very beneficial to him to be there and he also enjoyed the hockey game that they attended while there, but after three days of greeting people, giving speeches and sitting in on meetings he was anxious to get back home. For awhile this afternoon he wasn't sure that we would see him at all tonight. His plane was delayed due to problems with the seals on the landing gear. Passengers were first informed that the pilot would not fly until they got a new plane. Doug started looking for other options when it was announced that upon further investigation it wasn't that bad and that they would just be delayed a half hour. I would have been extremely nervous after that information, but it didn't bother Doug. He was just glad to be on his way to Indiana.
It was close to midnight when Doug arrived, but he was still up and ready for basketball at 6 a.m. this morning. He took Cameron to school for me afterward which I really appreciated. Doug worked until 4:30 this afternoon and then took me to Kelley Jae's while Cam was handing out pizza for SGA at the basketball game. I really enjoyed spending time with Doug. He travels a lot, but not usually as long as he did this week. He had a lot to share about his time in Dallas. I definitely would love to go back and see the sites. He was within three miles of Dealey Plaza and almost that close to George W. Bush's presidential library.
We picked Cameron up at 8:45. The boys had won which made his second consequetive night of basketball even more fun. My parents stopped by once we got home. They had seen the movie 1917. Although they liked it, they enjoyed "Just Mercy" from Tuesday night a little bit more. The five of us spent the rest of the evening playing Oh Hell. It was a fun way to end a long week.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Throwback Thursday
Cameron was invited to play in the pep band at tonight's girls' basketball game. Grandma, Grandpa and I were excited to see him participate. It had been seven years since we had attended a ball game just to watch the band. They weren't quite the group that Brett played with in high school, but then again they didn't have as much time to practice. We were still pleased with how they sounded and I greatly enjoyed their version of the Batman theme song. Most importantly, Cam had a lot of fun tonight and appreciated the pizza that Aaron provided for them beforehand.
Tonight was also the first time that I had been in the Bethany gym to watch a basketball game since Meg played in her senior night a year ago. That was a memorable day for her as she had gotten her braces in the morning and then had to play at night. As we walked by the Bethany students I noticed the senior boys with numbers painted on their chests, ready to cheer on their classmates. Instantly my mind flashed back to a year ago. I realized that it was the last time I had heard "Mama Heidi" from the crowd or watched Shawn cheer for Meg and make faces at her when she was stuck on the bench. I started to tear up immediately. Meg hadn't felt much support from her coach that season, so she really appreciated Shawn's antics at the games, especially that day. He had texted her a dozen times while she was at the orthodontist hoping to get the first glimpse of her new smiled. He was also a loud part of the cheer block that night. He even waited for her afterward so that I could take a picture of the two of them. That day was a memory that she cherished after he died and one that made me cry tonight. Thankfully, I got it together quickly and then spent the rest of the night enjoying just being a band Mom.
Tonight was also the first time that I had been in the Bethany gym to watch a basketball game since Meg played in her senior night a year ago. That was a memorable day for her as she had gotten her braces in the morning and then had to play at night. As we walked by the Bethany students I noticed the senior boys with numbers painted on their chests, ready to cheer on their classmates. Instantly my mind flashed back to a year ago. I realized that it was the last time I had heard "Mama Heidi" from the crowd or watched Shawn cheer for Meg and make faces at her when she was stuck on the bench. I started to tear up immediately. Meg hadn't felt much support from her coach that season, so she really appreciated Shawn's antics at the games, especially that day. He had texted her a dozen times while she was at the orthodontist hoping to get the first glimpse of her new smiled. He was also a loud part of the cheer block that night. He even waited for her afterward so that I could take a picture of the two of them. That day was a memory that she cherished after he died and one that made me cry tonight. Thankfully, I got it together quickly and then spent the rest of the night enjoying just being a band Mom.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
IUopoly
I knew it would be a long week with Doug in Dallas, so I made it my goal to keep Cam and I busy, especially at night. Yesterday was easy as he was busy with Snow Club and I found a movie for my parents and I to watch. Tomorrow night Cameron was invited to play in the pep band at the girls basketball game, so that evening was taken care of as well. Thus, we only had to worry about plans for tonight.
Part of the evening plans were easy as IU played Penn State at 8:30 tonight. Cam filled in the rest of our time when he suggested playing IUopoly after our weekend in Bloomington. My parents weren't busy this evening, so they agreed to join us. My Mom brought pot roast and mashed potatoes for dinner and the games began shortly after we ate. I hadn't played Monopoly in years, but enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as we hurried to buy our favorite stops in Bloomington - Mother Bear's, Village Deli, Memorial Stadium, just to name a few. Fortunately for me I was able to secure Bryan Hall and Indianan Memorial Union, IUopoly's version of Park Place and Boardwalk, right away. A few diplomas later and it was pretty tough for anyone to beat me. Even though I eventually took possession of everyone else's assets, we all still had a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, IU basketball wasn't quite as fun as the board game. The first half was rough, but at least the Hoosiers stayed close to Penn State and tied the game at halftime. The second half was just awful filled with 3 of 29 shooting from the guards and foul trouble for our defense. Cameron finally turned it off with five minutes to go as he found it too boring to watch. IU went on to lose by 15 and the Archie haters were once again all over Twitter. Hopefully, they rebound with a victory over Ohio State on Saturday. Either way, we did stay busy tonight.
Part of the evening plans were easy as IU played Penn State at 8:30 tonight. Cam filled in the rest of our time when he suggested playing IUopoly after our weekend in Bloomington. My parents weren't busy this evening, so they agreed to join us. My Mom brought pot roast and mashed potatoes for dinner and the games began shortly after we ate. I hadn't played Monopoly in years, but enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as we hurried to buy our favorite stops in Bloomington - Mother Bear's, Village Deli, Memorial Stadium, just to name a few. Fortunately for me I was able to secure Bryan Hall and Indianan Memorial Union, IUopoly's version of Park Place and Boardwalk, right away. A few diplomas later and it was pretty tough for anyone to beat me. Even though I eventually took possession of everyone else's assets, we all still had a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, IU basketball wasn't quite as fun as the board game. The first half was rough, but at least the Hoosiers stayed close to Penn State and tied the game at halftime. The second half was just awful filled with 3 of 29 shooting from the guards and foul trouble for our defense. Cameron finally turned it off with five minutes to go as he found it too boring to watch. IU went on to lose by 15 and the Archie haters were once again all over Twitter. Hopefully, they rebound with a victory over Ohio State on Saturday. Either way, we did stay busy tonight.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Just Mercy
Since Doug was busy with work and Cameron had Snow Club, I decided that I would go to a movie tonight. My parents weren't busy this evening either so they decided to go with me. There were several movies that I was interested in seeing, but the timing that worked the best for us was Just Mercy. Brett had also strongly encouraged me to see it as it had gotten great reviews and had a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie revolved around a Harvard lawyer that started a not-for -profit group to provide legal counsel for the underprivileged in Alabama. Michael B. Jordan played the lawyer and Jamie Foxx was the man on death row who was charged with a murder. As the story unfolded it was apparent that Fox had been framed by a racist sheriff and sentenced by a biased judge, but that wasn't easy for Jordan to prove. The movie also highlighted the difficulties of the death penalty and the percentage of wrongful convictions that have been overturned throughout the last three decades.
Mom, Dad and I all really liked the movie. I definitely shed some tears throughout the two hours we were in the theater. We walked out of the theater glad that we had decided to see it and thankful that it ended just as Cam was returning to Goshen. We pulled into Bethany just as he got off of the bus. We were all happy to hear that he had had a great time at Swiss Valley. He even tried some jumps tonight and only fell twice. Overall, it was a fun night for all.
The movie revolved around a Harvard lawyer that started a not-for -profit group to provide legal counsel for the underprivileged in Alabama. Michael B. Jordan played the lawyer and Jamie Foxx was the man on death row who was charged with a murder. As the story unfolded it was apparent that Fox had been framed by a racist sheriff and sentenced by a biased judge, but that wasn't easy for Jordan to prove. The movie also highlighted the difficulties of the death penalty and the percentage of wrongful convictions that have been overturned throughout the last three decades.
Mom, Dad and I all really liked the movie. I definitely shed some tears throughout the two hours we were in the theater. We walked out of the theater glad that we had decided to see it and thankful that it ended just as Cam was returning to Goshen. We pulled into Bethany just as he got off of the bus. We were all happy to hear that he had had a great time at Swiss Valley. He even tried some jumps tonight and only fell twice. Overall, it was a fun night for all.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Sad News for the Basketball World
While I was waiting to pick up Cameron and Doug after the game yesterday, I received a text from Cal telling me that Kobe Bryant had died. I had to read it several times before it sunk in completely. I quickly searched my phone for the news and found out immediately that it was a helicopter crash that claimed his life. I couldn't believe it.
Kobe Bryant had never been on of my favorite professional athletes. He seemed arrogant to me and I never quite forgot the rape allegations fifteen years ago against him. In recent years, however, my opinion of him had changed. He had retired three years ago and since that time had written several children's books, produced an Oscar winning short film and had become a strong advocate of female sports. In every talk show interview that I watched last year, his close relationship with his wife and daughters was continually highlighted. Retirement seemed to suit him well which made the news of his death even more sad.
Cal, on the other hand, had been a Bryant fan since he first started to follow the NBA in early elementary school. He bought a Kobe biography when he was in third grade and read it cover to cover. His generation had grown up watching Kobe, impressed with his skill at basketball. Cal remarked that the timing was almost unreal as he had just witnessed Lebron pass Kobe on the all time scoring list last night.
As the evening wore on and more information was released, it was announced that Kobe was flying to his daughter's travel basketball game when the crash occurred. She was killed with him as well as two of her teammates, their family members and a coach. The sadness of it all was almost overwhelming. As with most tragedies it seemed completely unfair and definitely hard to comprehend. By the time I went to bed tonight I realized that most importantly it was a good reminder for all of us that life can change in a moment and a tough basketball loss yesterday didn't seem all that big of a deal anymore.
Kobe Bryant had never been on of my favorite professional athletes. He seemed arrogant to me and I never quite forgot the rape allegations fifteen years ago against him. In recent years, however, my opinion of him had changed. He had retired three years ago and since that time had written several children's books, produced an Oscar winning short film and had become a strong advocate of female sports. In every talk show interview that I watched last year, his close relationship with his wife and daughters was continually highlighted. Retirement seemed to suit him well which made the news of his death even more sad.
Cal, on the other hand, had been a Bryant fan since he first started to follow the NBA in early elementary school. He bought a Kobe biography when he was in third grade and read it cover to cover. His generation had grown up watching Kobe, impressed with his skill at basketball. Cal remarked that the timing was almost unreal as he had just witnessed Lebron pass Kobe on the all time scoring list last night.
As the evening wore on and more information was released, it was announced that Kobe was flying to his daughter's travel basketball game when the crash occurred. She was killed with him as well as two of her teammates, their family members and a coach. The sadness of it all was almost overwhelming. As with most tragedies it seemed completely unfair and definitely hard to comprehend. By the time I went to bed tonight I realized that most importantly it was a good reminder for all of us that life can change in a moment and a tough basketball loss yesterday didn't seem all that big of a deal anymore.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Game Day
Cameron's big birthday gift this year was tickets to today's IU vs. Maryland game. He hadn't seen a game in Assembly Hall in almost ten years and was excited for the chance. I was a little hesitant about today's game. Although IU had beaten a tough Michigan State on Thursday, Maryland had destroyed them earlier in the year. I was afraid that today would be a repeat of that disappointing loss and that Cameron would be witness to it all.
Cameron was a lot more optimistic about IU's chances when I dropped them off at the stadium. Assembly Hall had changed quite a bit since we had attended a game many years ago. Not only did it have a new name, the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, but it also had new interactive exhibits to try before the game. Doug's favorites were the ones devoted to the IU players in the College Basketball Hall of Fame, especially since Calbert Cheaney was recently inducted.
While Cam and Doug were at the basketball game, Meg and I spent our time shopping. She needed a few things from Kroger and I wanted to stop at Yankee Candle. We also had time to grab her lunch at Chipotle and put away her supplies at her dorm room. It was nice to spend some time with her and catch up on all that she had been doing since this semester started. So far she likes her schedule this semester a lot better than last fall, even though she has one more class to attend.
I kept checking the score on my phone as Meg and I were together. The game started slow for the Hoosiers and they were down by nine at the half. Cameron was still positive that IU would make a comeback. He was spot on and soon the fans in attendance were cheering on a seven point lead. I was thrilled to see what I began to believe would be a Hoosier victory. In the end, however, it wasn't meant to be and a five point lead with a minute to go quickly slipped away. Doug said that they were witness to some angry fans shouting at the refs at the end of the game and 17,000 long faces when Trace Jackson-Davis missed a last second shot. No matter the outcome, the outspoken fans or the missed shot, nothing could take away the fun that he and Cameron had had today.
Cameron was a lot more optimistic about IU's chances when I dropped them off at the stadium. Assembly Hall had changed quite a bit since we had attended a game many years ago. Not only did it have a new name, the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, but it also had new interactive exhibits to try before the game. Doug's favorites were the ones devoted to the IU players in the College Basketball Hall of Fame, especially since Calbert Cheaney was recently inducted.
While Cam and Doug were at the basketball game, Meg and I spent our time shopping. She needed a few things from Kroger and I wanted to stop at Yankee Candle. We also had time to grab her lunch at Chipotle and put away her supplies at her dorm room. It was nice to spend some time with her and catch up on all that she had been doing since this semester started. So far she likes her schedule this semester a lot better than last fall, even though she has one more class to attend.
I kept checking the score on my phone as Meg and I were together. The game started slow for the Hoosiers and they were down by nine at the half. Cameron was still positive that IU would make a comeback. He was spot on and soon the fans in attendance were cheering on a seven point lead. I was thrilled to see what I began to believe would be a Hoosier victory. In the end, however, it wasn't meant to be and a five point lead with a minute to go quickly slipped away. Doug said that they were witness to some angry fans shouting at the refs at the end of the game and 17,000 long faces when Trace Jackson-Davis missed a last second shot. No matter the outcome, the outspoken fans or the missed shot, nothing could take away the fun that he and Cameron had had today.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
A Great Day with All of the Heinisch Children
Brett didn't have to work until noon today so we got to spend the morning with him. Fortunately, he was feeling a lot better. He gave Cam the game Unstable Unicorns for his birthday, which we had a lot of fun learning to play. We even had time for a round of Ticket to Ride Germany before he had to leave. With only the three of us available for lunch we let Cam chose the restaurant. He decided to try Yogi's as we hadn't been there since it opened. It was busy, but we were able to get a table. We enjoyed trying it and even brought a cheeseburger back for Meg. She almost lost her coke, however, as Cam didn't realize that the to-go cup that the waitress brought at the end of the meal was hers. Thankfully, we were able to get another before we left.
Meg joined our group after she ate and the four of us spent the afternoon shopping at the various IU varsity shops and walking down Kirkwood. Cameron wanted to go bowling and we decided to give the Union a try as it had been years since we had visited their alleys. Thankfully, they had a lane open among all of the construction in the building. We did not set any bowling records, but we had a lot of fun, and Cam was the big winner on the day.
Cam and Meg wanted to take a break after bowling, so she went back to her dorm and Cam hung out at Brett's to watch basketball. Cal texted to see what we were up to so Doug and I invited him to go to Mother Bear's with us. He brought along Mark and Jayce. We were glad to catch up with everyone. They had a lot of suggestions of shows that we should watch and teams that we should
like.
Cam was ready for dinner when we got back. Meg and her friend, Yatsiri, joined us at Mother Bear's. Meg was able to give Cam his birthday gift, an IU lunchbox. He was proud of all of the IU items that he received for his fifteenth birthday as well as the new Memorial Stadium poster that he bought today along with an IU hoodie. We had a nice meal and really enjoyed meeting Meg's friend. They met at Hoosier Awakening in November and have been hanging out together ever since that time. They walked back to Read together afterward to study and the three of us picked up breadsticks and drove back to Brett's. Doug and I had had a wonderful day spending time with all four of the Heinisch children. We have really appreciated their willingness to hang out with us this year.
Meg joined our group after she ate and the four of us spent the afternoon shopping at the various IU varsity shops and walking down Kirkwood. Cameron wanted to go bowling and we decided to give the Union a try as it had been years since we had visited their alleys. Thankfully, they had a lane open among all of the construction in the building. We did not set any bowling records, but we had a lot of fun, and Cam was the big winner on the day.
Cam and Meg wanted to take a break after bowling, so she went back to her dorm and Cam hung out at Brett's to watch basketball. Cal texted to see what we were up to so Doug and I invited him to go to Mother Bear's with us. He brought along Mark and Jayce. We were glad to catch up with everyone. They had a lot of suggestions of shows that we should watch and teams that we should
like.
Cam was ready for dinner when we got back. Meg and her friend, Yatsiri, joined us at Mother Bear's. Meg was able to give Cam his birthday gift, an IU lunchbox. He was proud of all of the IU items that he received for his fifteenth birthday as well as the new Memorial Stadium poster that he bought today along with an IU hoodie. We had a nice meal and really enjoyed meeting Meg's friend. They met at Hoosier Awakening in November and have been hanging out together ever since that time. They walked back to Read together afterward to study and the three of us picked up breadsticks and drove back to Brett's. Doug and I had had a wonderful day spending time with all four of the Heinisch children. We have really appreciated their willingness to hang out with us this year.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Bloomington Bound
I spent the day packing so that we could leave for Bloomington as soon as Cam got out of school. As many times as we have visited our favorite town this past year, I still haven't come up with a quick way to pack, pick up and get everything in the Pilot without feeling rushed or short of time. Today was no different, but I did manage to finish just in time to pick my Mom up so that she could bring the van back for us and get to Bethany by 3:45 p.m.
Thankfully, we had an easy trip to Bloomington and were at Brett's apartment by 7:30. Meg was busy tonight, but Cal and HM were available to go to dinner with us. This also gave Cal a chance to give Cam his birthday gift, an IU pillow which Cam really appreciated. The guys chose Upland Brewery for our meal and we had a great time visiting with everyone. Cal and HM talked a lot about the History of Rock and Roll class that they were taking together. They had just finished a two week unit on the Beatles which they thoroughly enjoyed. We spent the evening discussing our favorite Beatles, their songs, and the ultimate demise of the group. Next on their class agenda was the Rolling Stones. II can't wait to hear what they think about them.
We dropped Cal and HM at her place after dinner. I was pleased that Cal was feeling a lot better. He was diagnosed with Influenza A on Wednesday and had had a long week. We saw Meg briefly on our way back to Brett's. She had a suitcase to give us and we had a bag of items from home that she needed. Meg was having a movie night with her friends. I heard from her later that everyone loved Hope Floats. Brett was home when we arrived. He was scheduled until ten, but had to leave early. At first he thought that maybe he also had the flu, but in the end he decided that it was a migraine. Ibuprofen and rest had really helped. We were bummed that he wasn't feeling the best, but we were happy to have gotten to visit with him.
Thankfully, we had an easy trip to Bloomington and were at Brett's apartment by 7:30. Meg was busy tonight, but Cal and HM were available to go to dinner with us. This also gave Cal a chance to give Cam his birthday gift, an IU pillow which Cam really appreciated. The guys chose Upland Brewery for our meal and we had a great time visiting with everyone. Cal and HM talked a lot about the History of Rock and Roll class that they were taking together. They had just finished a two week unit on the Beatles which they thoroughly enjoyed. We spent the evening discussing our favorite Beatles, their songs, and the ultimate demise of the group. Next on their class agenda was the Rolling Stones. II can't wait to hear what they think about them.
We dropped Cal and HM at her place after dinner. I was pleased that Cal was feeling a lot better. He was diagnosed with Influenza A on Wednesday and had had a long week. We saw Meg briefly on our way back to Brett's. She had a suitcase to give us and we had a bag of items from home that she needed. Meg was having a movie night with her friends. I heard from her later that everyone loved Hope Floats. Brett was home when we arrived. He was scheduled until ten, but had to leave early. At first he thought that maybe he also had the flu, but in the end he decided that it was a migraine. Ibuprofen and rest had really helped. We were bummed that he wasn't feeling the best, but we were happy to have gotten to visit with him.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Lots to Watch on Television Today
I was never a huge watcher of television. I had a couple of shows that I liked, but other than that I really used to just turn it on to have background noise while I was working on something. I noticed that has changed quite a bit since we dropped DirectTv and added several streaming services. Disney+ has definitely become one of my favorites and YouTube TV has provided a lot of sports options for Cam and Doug. Today was a special treat as I was able to watch several movies on HBO Now. Meg needed to watch a show on the app, so I helped her get the week long free trial. While she was watching a movie for a class, I enjoyed several of my favorites from long ago - Hope Floats, Ever After and Dangerous Liaisons. I also had time to try one that I hadn't watched before, Hemingway and Gellhorn. All provided a lot of entertainment during this quiet winter week.
Tonight's online streaming was devoted solely to Big Ten Basketball. Thanks to our YouTube TV subscription service the three of us were able to watch Minnesota beat Ohio State at home. That was not an easy feat as the Big Ten home team wining percentage this year was at an all-time high of 80%. Although the first game was fun to watch, it was the second one that we were most interest in - Michigan State vs. Indiana in Bloomington. IU had beaten MSU twice last year and Tom Izzo wanted "revenge." IU wasn't having that, and the first half was completely owned by the Hoosiers. We knew that it would be tough for them to hold a lead against the number one team in the Big Ten. We were right in our assumption as soon the game was tied. The lead changed back in forth until the very end when IU took a two point lead with just seconds left on the clock. An awesome defensive play against one of the top players in the league brought the Hoosiers the victory and a smile on Cameron's face.
Tonight's online streaming was devoted solely to Big Ten Basketball. Thanks to our YouTube TV subscription service the three of us were able to watch Minnesota beat Ohio State at home. That was not an easy feat as the Big Ten home team wining percentage this year was at an all-time high of 80%. Although the first game was fun to watch, it was the second one that we were most interest in - Michigan State vs. Indiana in Bloomington. IU had beaten MSU twice last year and Tom Izzo wanted "revenge." IU wasn't having that, and the first half was completely owned by the Hoosiers. We knew that it would be tough for them to hold a lead against the number one team in the Big Ten. We were right in our assumption as soon the game was tied. The lead changed back in forth until the very end when IU took a two point lead with just seconds left on the clock. An awesome defensive play against one of the top players in the league brought the Hoosiers the victory and a smile on Cameron's face.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
A Day of Rest
Yesterday I had my yearly checkup with Dr. Cook. Due to my family history of cancer and some symptoms that I had been experiencing, he decided to do an endometrial biopsy. I have had two of these performed in the past, and although they were nothing compared to childbirth or a c-section, they weren't my favorite procedure. It hurt just as it did in the past and the doctor remarked several times how impressed he was that I didn't even flinch. All I kept thinking was that it was important to find out if I had uterine cancer, so there was no reason to complain. Fortunately, I didn't have much on my agenda the rest of the day and I was very thankful for that. I did make it to the store, my haircut appointment and to Bethany to get Cam his ski clothes. I had thought about doing the elliptical, but read that I should not exercise or lift anything heavy for two days. That made sense as the doctor said to take it easy for a couple of days. As I didn't feel the greatest, I decided to take his advice.
Unless I got up and moved around a lot, today was a lot better. I used the down time to order pictures from our trip to add to my new photo album. I also did some work on the computer and watched the movie "Ever After" on HBO Now. It had been years since I had first watched it and I liked it just as much, especially the part that features Leonardo DaVinci as Cinderella's "fairy godmother." I picked Cam up as usual. He had a good day, but was ready for a break. He had been busy the last two days and just wanted to play some Madden and catch up on Big Ten basketball news. I did not see him until 6 p.m. when Doug got home.
I was glad that Doug didn't have to work tonight and was interested in going out to dinner. We ate at the Sleepy Owl and enjoyed it even though the restaurant was packed. My parents came up once we got back to play Oh Hell. Cam even joined us. Doug was finally dethroned as champion. He had won the past three games. While we were playing, Cam also kept us updated on the ball game scores. He was glad to see Michigan lose to Penn State and was hopeful that Rutgers would be able to upset Iowa. It was the first time that the New Jersey school had been ranked in over forty years.
Unless I got up and moved around a lot, today was a lot better. I used the down time to order pictures from our trip to add to my new photo album. I also did some work on the computer and watched the movie "Ever After" on HBO Now. It had been years since I had first watched it and I liked it just as much, especially the part that features Leonardo DaVinci as Cinderella's "fairy godmother." I picked Cam up as usual. He had a good day, but was ready for a break. He had been busy the last two days and just wanted to play some Madden and catch up on Big Ten basketball news. I did not see him until 6 p.m. when Doug got home.
I was glad that Doug didn't have to work tonight and was interested in going out to dinner. We ate at the Sleepy Owl and enjoyed it even though the restaurant was packed. My parents came up once we got back to play Oh Hell. Cam even joined us. Doug was finally dethroned as champion. He had won the past three games. While we were playing, Cam also kept us updated on the ball game scores. He was glad to see Michigan lose to Penn State and was hopeful that Rutgers would be able to upset Iowa. It was the first time that the New Jersey school had been ranked in over forty years.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Happy 15th Birthday Cameron!!
I was very glad that we spent a lot of time celebrating Cameron's birthday over the weekend as this was an atypical January 21st for us. Normally, we would take Cam out to eat, open presents, play games and eat cake. We definitely wouldn't have had anytime for that as Cam left at 6:40 a.m. this morning and didn't return until 9:40 as his day started with jazz band and ended with snow club. I was extremely thankful for our iPhones as we could all reach out to him with birthday messages and posts today. Meg even encouraged her friends from Bethany to give him a birthday hug. Cameron enjoyed his birthday away from the Heinisch home, maybe not the hugging, but definitely the skiing with his friends. He reported as soon as he got home that he only fell once and that was because he tripped at the lodge. Other than that, he had had a fantastic time.
With Cam busy and Doug in Chicago for a meeting I had a lot of time to think about this past year. When Cameron was still in middle school I had a hard time thinking of him as a teenager. Glimpses of the fifth grader that started at Bethany so many years ago would pop into my head. With all of his siblings out of the home this fall and the start of high school, I realized that I no longer thought of him as that comical young boy. He has definitely changed over the past few years and not just in looks. He has adopted his father's personality and I have really enjoyed spending time with him as a young adult. His passion for IU football was such a huge part of our time together and I know that I watched more of that sport this fall than I had in my entire lifetime (and actually enjoyed it.) I've never been one to lament over the years gone by, but to enjoy the moment. This year with Cameron has been one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.
With Cam busy and Doug in Chicago for a meeting I had a lot of time to think about this past year. When Cameron was still in middle school I had a hard time thinking of him as a teenager. Glimpses of the fifth grader that started at Bethany so many years ago would pop into my head. With all of his siblings out of the home this fall and the start of high school, I realized that I no longer thought of him as that comical young boy. He has definitely changed over the past few years and not just in looks. He has adopted his father's personality and I have really enjoyed spending time with him as a young adult. His passion for IU football was such a huge part of our time together and I know that I watched more of that sport this fall than I had in my entire lifetime (and actually enjoyed it.) I've never been one to lament over the years gone by, but to enjoy the moment. This year with Cameron has been one of my favorites and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Martin Luther King Jr Day
As today was Martin Luther King Jr Day, Cameron did not have school. We made the most of our three day weekend by sleeping in, going to Moe's for lunch, and playing Euchre with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a lot of fun and it gave Cameron and I time for some great conversations. On our drive to Warsaw we talked about everything from IU football, to basketball, to the future.
One topic that we discussed in length was today's holiday. I told Cam that although I absolutely loved spending the day with him, as a teacher I always thought that this was the one day that students should be in school. Honoring Dr. King by teaching each and every generation about pacifism, following one's dream, volunteering, and activism would mean so much more than just giving students the day off. Although many larger communities have Martin Luther King Jr celebrations much as IU did today with guest speaker, Viola Davis, not all have the resources to provide such activities. Therefore I believe that even showing a movie such as Remember the Titans, Glory or Mississippi Burning would make the youth of today aware of the struggles of the past. Although we are well beyond "colored only" drinking fountains, racism has not been completely eliminated in the past sixty years. I truly believe that education is the key to enlightenment. Today would be perfect for that.
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education." - Martin Luther King Jr
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Happy Early Birthday
We decided to celebrate Cameron's birthday today as he will be at Snow Club on Tuesday night, Doug will be in Chicago and Grandpa Cutes has a town council meeting. He was ok with the early celebration and picked Mad Anthony's for dinner. As I had not been out of house for the past forty-eight hours, I was definitely on board for an evening out. We almost thought that we'd have to cancel because of the predicted lake effect snow. We kind of expected it as each time in the past month that we had decided on dinner at Cam and Doug's favorite brewery, the weather had changed our plans. Thankfully, today's precipitation was light and mostly stayed west of us.
Mad Anthony's was delicious as always and as a bonus tonight we had excellent service. That had not always been the case in the past. Grandma and Grandpa joined us when we got back. Cameron decided to open his gifts first. Uncle Phil had given him an IU blanket and Doug added IU pajamas to his ensemble. He laughed that he was the only Freshmen to get Laffy Taffy, gum, popcorn and tea as part of his birthday presents. Then again he admitted that they were perfect for him. It took him quite awhile to find his birthday money as Grandma had cleverly taped it inside his new Sudoko book. He appreciated it along with the card from Grandpa Heinisch.
Grandma had made him his new favorite cake for dessert, pumpkin, which he enjoyed after blowing out the candles. The rest of us opted for Friday's night's cake instead. Nick arrived shortly after we cut the cake and stayed for dessert. He had brought Cam the perfect gift, a Purdue football from the "football school." We all laughed when he opened it. It will make for great conversations at next fall's tailgate season. We ended the night by playing Oh Hell! Nick joined us and even though he was the loser on the night I believe that he still had some fun. No matter what, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the life of our fifteen year old.
Mad Anthony's was delicious as always and as a bonus tonight we had excellent service. That had not always been the case in the past. Grandma and Grandpa joined us when we got back. Cameron decided to open his gifts first. Uncle Phil had given him an IU blanket and Doug added IU pajamas to his ensemble. He laughed that he was the only Freshmen to get Laffy Taffy, gum, popcorn and tea as part of his birthday presents. Then again he admitted that they were perfect for him. It took him quite awhile to find his birthday money as Grandma had cleverly taped it inside his new Sudoko book. He appreciated it along with the card from Grandpa Heinisch.
Grandma had made him his new favorite cake for dessert, pumpkin, which he enjoyed after blowing out the candles. The rest of us opted for Friday's night's cake instead. Nick arrived shortly after we cut the cake and stayed for dessert. He had brought Cam the perfect gift, a Purdue football from the "football school." We all laughed when he opened it. It will make for great conversations at next fall's tailgate season. We ended the night by playing Oh Hell! Nick joined us and even though he was the loser on the night I believe that he still had some fun. No matter what, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the life of our fifteen year old.
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Perfect Weekend for a Puzzle
We thought that the boys from Cam's party would be snowed in at our house today, but last night's snowstorm was well short of the 5-8 inches that was predicted. I had made sure that we had food for lunch, but in the end we didn't need it as everyone was on their way home by 11 a.m. The snow did make ghost in the graveyard more fun yesterday and Cam said that he had an awesome time. We were glad that we were able to host the event. The forecast did make think of the time in 2013 when we received nine inches of snow in one night and Cal, Sam, Jayce and Alex actually were snowed in here for the weekend. Cal and Jayce burying Alex's car in snow and then trying to convince him that the snowplow and/or wind had done it was one of the funniest things that I had ever seen.
Doug made it out of the house several times today, but I never did. I used the day at home to work on my Blog and wash all of the extra bedding that we had used these past few weeks. Late in the day my parents came up to play Oh Hell and watch IU defeat Nebraska. Doug and I had started his Michigan Beer puzzle last night and had made pretty good headway. The puzzle was a lot easier than the last three that we had completed. With the crummy weather and the game on television tonight, it was the perfect evening to finish it. Next on Doug's to-do list was to visit each of the breweries featured in the puzzle. He was already able to check off five of them from previous trips to Michigan.
Doug made it out of the house several times today, but I never did. I used the day at home to work on my Blog and wash all of the extra bedding that we had used these past few weeks. Late in the day my parents came up to play Oh Hell and watch IU defeat Nebraska. Doug and I had started his Michigan Beer puzzle last night and had made pretty good headway. The puzzle was a lot easier than the last three that we had completed. With the crummy weather and the game on television tonight, it was the perfect evening to finish it. Next on Doug's to-do list was to visit each of the breweries featured in the puzzle. He was already able to check off five of them from previous trips to Michigan.
Friday, January 17, 2020
One Fun Birthday Party
Several weeks ago Cam and Avery decided to have a joint birthday party as they both turned 15 this week. I thought it was a great idea and quickly offered our house as the venue for the activities. At first they talked about inviting all of the Freshmen class: then they thought about asking just the boys. In the end they scaled it down to six boys total. Both Joey and Conner were busy, so in the end it was a party of four - Samuel, Avery, Cameron and Richard. I thought that was perfect as the four of them were close and enjoyed hanging out together.
Avery's family brought the three boys over around 6:30. Cam had used the time after school to rest as he didn't sleep very well last night. Once the guys got here the festivities began with games in the basement. We then ordered pizza for everyone and later in the evening sang Happy Birthday to Cam and Avery and ate cake. The boys enjoyed Ghost in the Graveyard outside in the snow for quite some time and then had a Nerf gun fight in the basement. They ended the evening by playing video games on the XBOX. I could still hear everyone at 1:00 a.m. when I went to bed. I was glad that they were all having fun. They have been great friends to Cameron and I was happy that they were all able to celebrate Cam and Avery's 15th birthday together.
Avery's family brought the three boys over around 6:30. Cam had used the time after school to rest as he didn't sleep very well last night. Once the guys got here the festivities began with games in the basement. We then ordered pizza for everyone and later in the evening sang Happy Birthday to Cam and Avery and ate cake. The boys enjoyed Ghost in the Graveyard outside in the snow for quite some time and then had a Nerf gun fight in the basement. They ended the evening by playing video games on the XBOX. I could still hear everyone at 1:00 a.m. when I went to bed. I was glad that they were all having fun. They have been great friends to Cameron and I was happy that they were all able to celebrate Cam and Avery's 15th birthday together.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
A Good Night for Oh Hell!!
My parents and I spent the afternoon shopping in Goshen for Cameron's birthday. We first stopped at Wendy's for lunch. I never eat fast food, so I forgot how much I liked their chili. Mom and I then ran into Aldi's. I needed supplies for Cam's birthday party tomorrow night. I then stopped to buy DayQuil at Target, but my parents didn't need anything there. They spent their time looking for jeans at Kohls. I joined them to see if I could find any gifts for Cam. I was pleased with what I found. His big gift this year will be tickets to the IU vs. Maryland game next Sunday. He knew about that, so I tried to get him a few smaller items presents that he wasn't expecting. We picked Cam up on the way home. He said that his day went pretty well all things considered. He had changed his hairdo and was happy with how it was received.
Doug and I went to dinner tonight. We called my parents on the way back to see if they wanted to play Oh Hell! They were ready for a match and much to our surprise Cam joined us. He doesn't always play during the week, but there weren't any Big Ten basketball games on television and he had finished all of his homework. It was a close game all around. Doug was the big winner on the evening and Dad took the bird home as the last place finisher. I thought for awhile that it would be me, but I skated on thin ice and stayed out of the basement. It was a good night to play cards and I was glad that everyone had a fun time.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
A Tough Day
Today was probably not one of Cameron's favorites. First, he and his girlfriend, Bailee, broke up and then IU lost to Rutgers. He handled both well. The break-up more so because he expected it to happen, and the IU loss was at least to his second favorite Big Ten basketball team. Life can be tough for a teenager, but it does give you experience. I told Meg several times in high school that whatever she just went through only prepared her for a bigger disappointment later. I thought of that tonight as we watched the game with Cam and secretly hoped that these sad situations would be it for awhile or at least for his freshmen year.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
A Quiet Evening
Cameron was supposed to have Snow Club tonight, but due to warm temperatures Swiss Valley was closed. Thus, he had a quiet night to spend at home. He was disappointed, but happy that the next one was on his birthday. He spent his time watching basketball and working on his science poster. Doug was busy this evening working at home. That will be the norm for the next few weeks. We had gotten used to him working a lot when he was with Renegade, so it has been no problem at all. Plus, I was still tired from our trip and finishing all of the unpacking today. Therefore, I was more than happy to spend the night relaxing by the fireplace catching up on Law and Order. Hopefully, by the weekend we will be able to start Doug's Michigan Beer puzzle. I did put it on the puzzle table as an incentive to get everything done this week so that we can have a relaxing weekend at home working on it.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Back to the Routine
I took Cameron and Jacob to school this morning and spent the rest of the day unpacking, doing laundry and grocery shopping. I would have started yesterday, but was too tired from our trip to Chicago. I got a lot more done than I thought that I would and ended the day with 12,000 steps.
Cameron had a tiring day at school, but thankfully did not have much homework. I thought he'd have a lot more, but I forgot that their homework was not for a grade, only to prepare them for the tests and quizzes ahead. He did have a science poster to work on about the Terrapin. Doug did have quite a bit of work to do tonight, which he started on right after dinner. He has an extremely busy month ahead with several days of travel scheduled. He said that the trip was planned at the perfect time as there was a slight lull in his workload last week.
I checked in with Cal, Brett and Meg. Brett had to work yesterday, but only for five hours. He said that he made himself go to 9 p.m. mass afterward last night even though he was wiped out. I appreciated that he helped Meg take everything up to her room yesterday. I had planned on helping her before the plane cancellation situation. She got the majority of everything unpacked last night and even had time to rest and go to dinner with her friends. Cal slept until noon yesterday and then watched football. He spent tonight cheering on LSU in the college football championship game. He was tired too, but ready to get back to a routine. Sounds like a good plan for all of us.
Cameron had a tiring day at school, but thankfully did not have much homework. I thought he'd have a lot more, but I forgot that their homework was not for a grade, only to prepare them for the tests and quizzes ahead. He did have a science poster to work on about the Terrapin. Doug did have quite a bit of work to do tonight, which he started on right after dinner. He has an extremely busy month ahead with several days of travel scheduled. He said that the trip was planned at the perfect time as there was a slight lull in his workload last week.
I checked in with Cal, Brett and Meg. Brett had to work yesterday, but only for five hours. He said that he made himself go to 9 p.m. mass afterward last night even though he was wiped out. I appreciated that he helped Meg take everything up to her room yesterday. I had planned on helping her before the plane cancellation situation. She got the majority of everything unpacked last night and even had time to rest and go to dinner with her friends. Cal slept until noon yesterday and then watched football. He spent tonight cheering on LSU in the college football championship game. He was tired too, but ready to get back to a routine. Sounds like a good plan for all of us.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
We Made It
Even thought it was midnight by the time we reached our vehicles. Doug decided last night that he wanted to try and drive home from Indy. We had talked about staying at Brett's and leaving tomorrow, but in the end we were happy that we made the decision that we did. Cal and Meg said that there was quite a bit of sleet on their trip. Cal felt better once they got to 67 as he knew the road and the weather was a little better. They were all back in their apartments by 1:15 a.m. more than ready for bed.
We were thankful that weather did not affect our drive as it was long enough late at night. We stopped once to get something to drink and made it home by 3 a.m. Doug said that there was only one time that he got tired enough that he thought about getting out to walk around, but overall it wasn't too bad. Cam and I stayed up talking to him and we listened to ESPN's report on the football games. We were all definitely glad to be home and headed straight to bed once we arrived.
One last item to take care of today was still in Chicago. At some point we knew that we had to go get the Pilot and check for the missing luggage. Doug talked about taking the South Shore train to Midway, but once I woke up this morning I felt that I could take him to the airport. We made sure that Cam was taken care of for lunch and left by 11 a.m. I didn't mind the trip as it gave me time to fill in receipts and complete our budget for the trip. By the time I dropped Doug off at Midway and stopped at Target to use the bathroom and get a drink, he had already found our missing luggage and was on the tram to get the car. Both of us had easy trips back to Indiana. I stay occupied by checking in with Brett and Meg and watching the newest episode of Blue Bloods. I did not really get tired until I got to Nappanee.
The rest of the day was a quiet one. Cam played cards and ate lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's. Between our trip to Chicago and dinner out with Doug tonight we had a lot of time to talk about the trip and reflect on how much fun that we had had. Even yesterday's travel delays and cancellations didn't change our feelings. On Saturday we still had plenty of time to enjoy Animal Kingdom with the Heinisch children. Brett and Cal rode Flight of Avatar for the first time ever, enjoying it just as much as we knew that they would. The African animals were in clear view and very active on our safari tour and we all liked the walk along Gorilla Falls. Afterward each of the four Heinisch children let us know how much they had enjoyed our vacation together and would definitely travel with us again. Nothing could have been better than hearing that.
We were thankful that weather did not affect our drive as it was long enough late at night. We stopped once to get something to drink and made it home by 3 a.m. Doug said that there was only one time that he got tired enough that he thought about getting out to walk around, but overall it wasn't too bad. Cam and I stayed up talking to him and we listened to ESPN's report on the football games. We were all definitely glad to be home and headed straight to bed once we arrived.
One last item to take care of today was still in Chicago. At some point we knew that we had to go get the Pilot and check for the missing luggage. Doug talked about taking the South Shore train to Midway, but once I woke up this morning I felt that I could take him to the airport. We made sure that Cam was taken care of for lunch and left by 11 a.m. I didn't mind the trip as it gave me time to fill in receipts and complete our budget for the trip. By the time I dropped Doug off at Midway and stopped at Target to use the bathroom and get a drink, he had already found our missing luggage and was on the tram to get the car. Both of us had easy trips back to Indiana. I stay occupied by checking in with Brett and Meg and watching the newest episode of Blue Bloods. I did not really get tired until I got to Nappanee.
The rest of the day was a quiet one. Cam played cards and ate lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's. Between our trip to Chicago and dinner out with Doug tonight we had a lot of time to talk about the trip and reflect on how much fun that we had had. Even yesterday's travel delays and cancellations didn't change our feelings. On Saturday we still had plenty of time to enjoy Animal Kingdom with the Heinisch children. Brett and Cal rode Flight of Avatar for the first time ever, enjoying it just as much as we knew that they would. The African animals were in clear view and very active on our safari tour and we all liked the walk along Gorilla Falls. Afterward each of the four Heinisch children let us know how much they had enjoyed our vacation together and would definitely travel with us again. Nothing could have been better than hearing that.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Incredibly Thankful
Last night Doug was advised by Southwest to change his flight for tomorrow night due to a predicted ice storm heading toward Chicago. After looking at his options we decided that it was best for he and Cam to take the 4:15 flight to Midway. I booked the flight for them on the app and the concierge helped us change their Magical Express times and print off their boarding passes. We felt good about the decision and didn't think about it again until this morning when Doug got a text at 11 a.m. informing him that his flight for this afternoon had been cancelled.
I was with the Heinisch children on the Flight of Avatar when he heard from Southwest, so I wasn't much help to him at first. Once he told us what had happened I instantly got on the app to change his flight. Unfortunately, we had already checked our luggage in with the Magical Express service so we could not change his flight online. At that point we realized that it would take some time to solve our problem, so the boys decided to go to Expedition Everest and Meg went shopping. I called Disney while Doug was on hold with Southwest. It took awhile, but we finally got their bags released. The only flight to Chicago was for Sunday night at 7 p.m. Doug went ahead and booked that just so he and Cam had someway home this weekend. There were several flights open to Indy, but the agent on the phone said that it would cost $1100 to change airports. At that point we realized that the next best step would be to get Doug and Cam to the Orlando airport to see if there were any other options there. I felt bad that Cam missed Tough to Be a Bug and Figment, but I knew he had ridden those dozens of times in past trips. It was more important that they made it home than it was for them to go to anymore attractions.
The bus was not at the station when we left so we ordered an Uber. Our driver arrived within minutes and we were quickly back at the Boardwalk. Cal had gone with us, while Brett and Meg decided to stay at Animal Kingdom to watch It's Tough to Be a Bug. Bell services was quick with their travel bags and soon they had another Uber ride to the Orlando International Airport. Since we had already checked out of our room, Cal and I hung out in the lounge. There were sandwiches, trail mix, candy and cookies to enjoy while we waited for Brett and Meg to get back.
We heard from Doug about a half hour after he left. Southwest had switched him to a 4:50 flight today that would get him back to Indy a couple of hours ahead of us. Doug and I were incredibly relieved by this news. I tried to put the four of us on that flight as well, but it was too expensive. None of us minded the difference in time. Cam used his afternoon at the airport to watch IU beat Ohio State while Doug worked. The rest of us walked over to EPCOT for a few last minute rides before our Magical Express arrived. Our time at the airport was spent eating dinner, getting through security and waiting for our boarding time which was delayed by an hour due to the storm affecting flights in Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City and Dallas. I was a little worried as I knew we were the last plane scheduled to Indy for today. Fortunately, we took off right at 9 p.m. The flight was relatively turbulent free as the plane flew toward the Carolinas to avoid the storms. We were all exhausted, so the downtime was appreciated. I watched Downton Abbey through Southwest's free movie app. Cal used it to catch the Titans victory over the Ravens. Meg enjoyed Little Mermaid on the iPad and Brett tried to sleep. We were happy to see Doug and Cam when we landed. We found out that their luggage did not arrive with them, but Doug was hopeful that it would be in Chicago tomorrow when we picked up the Pilot. Although it was sad to see the end to such an awesome vacation, all in all, the six of us were extremely happy to have made it back safely to the Hoosier state tonight. For awhile we weren't sure that that was possible.
I was with the Heinisch children on the Flight of Avatar when he heard from Southwest, so I wasn't much help to him at first. Once he told us what had happened I instantly got on the app to change his flight. Unfortunately, we had already checked our luggage in with the Magical Express service so we could not change his flight online. At that point we realized that it would take some time to solve our problem, so the boys decided to go to Expedition Everest and Meg went shopping. I called Disney while Doug was on hold with Southwest. It took awhile, but we finally got their bags released. The only flight to Chicago was for Sunday night at 7 p.m. Doug went ahead and booked that just so he and Cam had someway home this weekend. There were several flights open to Indy, but the agent on the phone said that it would cost $1100 to change airports. At that point we realized that the next best step would be to get Doug and Cam to the Orlando airport to see if there were any other options there. I felt bad that Cam missed Tough to Be a Bug and Figment, but I knew he had ridden those dozens of times in past trips. It was more important that they made it home than it was for them to go to anymore attractions.
The bus was not at the station when we left so we ordered an Uber. Our driver arrived within minutes and we were quickly back at the Boardwalk. Cal had gone with us, while Brett and Meg decided to stay at Animal Kingdom to watch It's Tough to Be a Bug. Bell services was quick with their travel bags and soon they had another Uber ride to the Orlando International Airport. Since we had already checked out of our room, Cal and I hung out in the lounge. There were sandwiches, trail mix, candy and cookies to enjoy while we waited for Brett and Meg to get back.
We heard from Doug about a half hour after he left. Southwest had switched him to a 4:50 flight today that would get him back to Indy a couple of hours ahead of us. Doug and I were incredibly relieved by this news. I tried to put the four of us on that flight as well, but it was too expensive. None of us minded the difference in time. Cam used his afternoon at the airport to watch IU beat Ohio State while Doug worked. The rest of us walked over to EPCOT for a few last minute rides before our Magical Express arrived. Our time at the airport was spent eating dinner, getting through security and waiting for our boarding time which was delayed by an hour due to the storm affecting flights in Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City and Dallas. I was a little worried as I knew we were the last plane scheduled to Indy for today. Fortunately, we took off right at 9 p.m. The flight was relatively turbulent free as the plane flew toward the Carolinas to avoid the storms. We were all exhausted, so the downtime was appreciated. I watched Downton Abbey through Southwest's free movie app. Cal used it to catch the Titans victory over the Ravens. Meg enjoyed Little Mermaid on the iPad and Brett tried to sleep. We were happy to see Doug and Cam when we landed. We found out that their luggage did not arrive with them, but Doug was hopeful that it would be in Chicago tomorrow when we picked up the Pilot. Although it was sad to see the end to such an awesome vacation, all in all, the six of us were extremely happy to have made it back safely to the Hoosier state tonight. For awhile we weren't sure that that was possible.
Friday, January 10, 2020
A Day of Favorites
We were up by 6:30 a.m. this morning to get to Magic Kingdom for early morning magic hours. We arrived at rope drop so that the Heinisch children could ride Space Mountain. It was the only of the top tier attractions that they couldn't get Fast Passes for during our stay. Doug and I watched them in line while we took a turn on Tomorrowland Transit Authority which was much more our speed. By arriving early we were also able to ride Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean before it was time for our first Fast Pass of the day at Big Thunder Mountain. It was a great way to start the day and I don't know if I had more fun on the Jungle Cruise listening to the "skipper's" jokes or watching Doug laugh at them.
We finished the morning using the rest of our Fast Passes for Peter Pan and the Seven Dwarf Mine Ride. We took a break from riding to eat at everyone's favorite lunch stop - Cosmic Rays featuring our number one singing comedian, Sonny Eclipse. The food and the jokes were just as we remembered and the Heinisch children enjoyed getting a picture for Grandpa Cutes. As we walked out of lunch we were extremely glad that we arrived early this morning as the crowds had really picked up. We had saved Philharmagic and the Hall of Presidents for the busy time of the day. The boys couldn't wait to see Trump in animatronic person. Once the shows ended Cal and Doug decided to travel to EPCOT for a couple of beers and then back to the Boardwalk to rest. My legs were officially done by the time they left, but I opted to stay with Meg, Brett, and Cam. I knew that I'd be disappointed if I didn't finish out our time at Magic Kingdom.
While the parade was going on, we were able to walk right on a couple of rides. The four of us then did some shopping at the Emporium and picked up our new phone cases at the front of the park. We were also able to get Fast Passes for Rock N Roller Coaster. Cal was too tired to join them, but the other three were more than eager to go back to Hollywood Studios one last time. I thought about heading back to the Boardwalk, but went with the three of them instead. Thankfully, the bus arrived right as we got into line. Once we got to Hollywood Studios they went on ahead as it took me awhile to get through the park. I met them at Alien Swirl. I loved that ride from our trip a year ago, but hadn't had time to take a whirl on it this time. The line was short which I appreciated plus the attraction was just as fun as I remembered.
We were all ready for dinner once we finished, so the four of us walked back to the Boardwalk to meet Cal and Doug. I told the boys to go ahead of us as I knew it would take me awhile. Meg stayed back with me talking about her favorite parts of the trip. Dinner was delicious once again with meatball marinara. We packed afterward and then enjoyed our last night of desserts. We finished in time to get to EPCOT before the fireworks started. We even had time for our favorite drink of the trip, Grey Goose slushies. I couldn't think of a better way to end a fabulous day.
While the parade was going on, we were able to walk right on a couple of rides. The four of us then did some shopping at the Emporium and picked up our new phone cases at the front of the park. We were also able to get Fast Passes for Rock N Roller Coaster. Cal was too tired to join them, but the other three were more than eager to go back to Hollywood Studios one last time. I thought about heading back to the Boardwalk, but went with the three of them instead. Thankfully, the bus arrived right as we got into line. Once we got to Hollywood Studios they went on ahead as it took me awhile to get through the park. I met them at Alien Swirl. I loved that ride from our trip a year ago, but hadn't had time to take a whirl on it this time. The line was short which I appreciated plus the attraction was just as fun as I remembered.
We were all ready for dinner once we finished, so the four of us walked back to the Boardwalk to meet Cal and Doug. I told the boys to go ahead of us as I knew it would take me awhile. Meg stayed back with me talking about her favorite parts of the trip. Dinner was delicious once again with meatball marinara. We packed afterward and then enjoyed our last night of desserts. We finished in time to get to EPCOT before the fireworks started. We even had time for our favorite drink of the trip, Grey Goose slushies. I couldn't think of a better way to end a fabulous day.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
So Much Fun for All
We decided to sleep in this morning as we were all still exhausted from yesterday. We still made it to Hollywood Studios before our reservations for Oga's Cantina. We didn't know exactly what to expect when we arrived. We waited in line until we were taken to our spot inside. The cantina was pure Star Wars with a droid DJ, little room to move, loud bartenders and plenty of drinks to try. We'd tried ones called Jedi Mind Tricks and ate Batuu Bites as a snack. It was a lot of fun and one of the highlights of our trip.
We rode the Skyliners from Hollywood Studios to the International gateway between EPCOT and the Boardwalk. I thought that it would be extremely scary, but it actually was a lot of fun. It was also a quick way to get back and a great way to rest our feet. The afternoon was spent playing miniature golf at Fantasia Mini-Golf. It was a tight match with Cam beating me by one and Brett and Cal losing by two. Doug had a tough day on the course, but he didn't mind. Meg had fun and tried to stay out of the competitiveness of the match. Afterward we toured the countries of EPCOT once again where Cal tried poutine and Cam had a turkey leg. Brett stuck with his usual fish and chips and Meg ate Mexico's chips with queso.
Our night was spent back at Hollywood Studios as we had Fast Passes for Slinky Dog Dash. Cal, Cam and Brett left early to catch Twilight Tower of Terror. I agreed with Cal that the anticipation of the ride was much worse than the actual drop. All of the Heinisch children tried to get on Rock N Roller Coaster tonight, but it was stopped for awhile, so we road Toy Story Mania instead. While Meg and Brett went to Fantasmic, Cal, Cam and I rode Millennium Falcon. The line was much shorter than yesterday morning and the ride was just as fun. We all met back at the Boardwalk afterward for an evening of desserts and drinks. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic day!
We rode the Skyliners from Hollywood Studios to the International gateway between EPCOT and the Boardwalk. I thought that it would be extremely scary, but it actually was a lot of fun. It was also a quick way to get back and a great way to rest our feet. The afternoon was spent playing miniature golf at Fantasia Mini-Golf. It was a tight match with Cam beating me by one and Brett and Cal losing by two. Doug had a tough day on the course, but he didn't mind. Meg had fun and tried to stay out of the competitiveness of the match. Afterward we toured the countries of EPCOT once again where Cal tried poutine and Cam had a turkey leg. Brett stuck with his usual fish and chips and Meg ate Mexico's chips with queso.
Our night was spent back at Hollywood Studios as we had Fast Passes for Slinky Dog Dash. Cal, Cam and Brett left early to catch Twilight Tower of Terror. I agreed with Cal that the anticipation of the ride was much worse than the actual drop. All of the Heinisch children tried to get on Rock N Roller Coaster tonight, but it was stopped for awhile, so we road Toy Story Mania instead. While Meg and Brett went to Fantasmic, Cal, Cam and I rode Millennium Falcon. The line was much shorter than yesterday morning and the ride was just as fun. We all met back at the Boardwalk afterward for an evening of desserts and drinks. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic day!
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