Moved in..mostly and FOOD!

It's been just about a week now, and we're almost there with the unpacking. Last Tuesday was our move-in date, and the Bacon's were awesome to help us out. Michael helped Darius with the heavy lifting, and Patti watched the boys for us while we unpacked the first day and a half. I started running out of steam after about the third day, and those final few pesky boxes are still lingering, and I'm still avoiding them! I guess I kind of got sidetracked by some post-birthday fun the last couple of days.

Patti, Michael, and Dylan gifted me with a visit to Epcot for their annual Food & Wine Festival. Michael, Dylan, and Honey watched the boys while Patti took me to spend the afternoon sampling world cuisine and drink. It was SO much fun! They know me well, and the route to my heart is much like the way it is to a man's...through the stomach!

We started out with a stop to the Craft Beers tent where I sampled the Full Sail IPA. We killed some time at a couple of shops while we waited for an afternoon rain shower to pass, and by the time we finished our sampling from Greece (Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki...YUM) and Moosehead Beer from Canada, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed perfect weather the rest of the day. We moved on and tried a cheese plate from Ireland, (Yes Carrie....Ireland does have delightful dairy!) a 16th Anniversary Festival Beer from Samuel Adams, a Harissa Chicken Roll and Baklava from Morocco.

We perused the shops at the different countries to give our food time to settle before moving on to Schofferhofer Weizen beer from Germany's Brewer's Collection, to warm caramel popcorn from the Werther's Original sweet shop, to a Strawberry Lime Margarita from Mexico, to a Beef Empanada from Argentina, to a Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito from the Caribbean (RIDICULOUS!), to Mahi Mahi with Coconut-Lime Sauce from Brazil, to a Lamington from Australia, and finally one last stop to the Craft Beers tent before we called it a day. Note: My sweet friend is carrying some precious cargo and was unable to indulge in the drink with me. I think she wishes she could have though...especially that insane mojito! Next year Patti....

So I know what you're thinking now...."Wow! What a lush little piggy you are Ruth!" Hmm...yes a little, but in my defense I was drinking 6 oz pours, eating small samples, and doing a lot of walking inbetween, so it's not nearly as bad as it sounds!

It was such a fun outing with my dear friend Patti....thank you, thank you, thank you! My belly and I thank you (and all the other Bacon's too)!

As if that wasn't enough culinary fun to last me for a year, I got another treat today. Darius took the boys and I into the restaurant he's working at for a nice belated birthday dinner. I'm embarrased to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to our meal tonight....and not because I didn't want to try the food, but because I was a little freaked out by taking the boys into a really nice restaurant. I should have just relaxed and enjoyed myself more...it was dinner, the boys were fine, and the restaurant was still standing when we left.

Darius works at a really nice place! Ocean Prime has some unbelievably good food, and I can see why Darius was anxious to take us in to try it. We had Ahi Tuna Tartar for an appetizer. Darius had Chilean Sea Bass with Whipped Potatoes and Champagne Truffle Sauce, and I devoured the Blackened Snapper with Wilted Spinach & Jalapeno Corn Tartar. The boys had their fill of Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese with glazed carrots, and Mini Sliders with shoestring french fries. They also got to try OP's homemade strawberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream. There wasn't room for dessert, but I knew they had this ridiculous 10 layer carrot cake, and I was happy to take it home after a few bites.

Yup, I think I'm good and full for the next few days...or maybe at least until the carrot cake in the fridge starts calling my name. It's been fun to indulge and enjoy some really awesome food the past couple of days (and weeks)! Time to get back to getting those last few boxes unpacked, and time to add a solid workout to my daily routine!

Have I mentioned yet how good it is to be back?!

Disney

We've enjoyed a fun-packed weekend! Saturday we got an early start and drove to Orlando to hit a couple of the Disney parks. We ended up visiting Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The boys were excited that we were going to see Mickey, and Mickey they saw. We made our way through a little character meet and greet at Epcot, and the boys got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald (my favorite). Zach was very social and went right up to all of them after doing his little happy dance. Ben was excited too but preferred to keep his distance.

We enjoyed eating and drinking our way through the countries of Epcot's World Showcase, and the boys really enjoyed The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion. They even helped out with dolphin impersonations at the Turtle Talk with Crush show.

In Hollywood Studios we heard all about Buzz Lightyear from the boys. There was definitely a lot going on with Toy Story 3, and the boys were going a little nuts. They waited "patiently" in line to meet Buzz and Woody (in their Buzz & Woody shirts no less) and then I completely missed my photo op once it came.

Another favorite was the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. It was a massive play area for the kids to explore, or get lost. It really was like stepping into a bug's shoes. It was a good thing we had Dylan with us to keep up with the boys. With all the kids playing and with the size of the play area, I was surprised anyone could keep tabs on their kids.

Even with all the fun in the parks alone, there was also the additional treat of riding on the parking lot tram, monorail, boat, and bus. All high quality entertainment in Ben and Zach's eyes'.

Another great Disney experience! Thank you so much Michael, Patti, and Dylan for making it happen!

Just a Sprinkle

Living in an area where it rains a lot, we don't usually consider rain to be much of a hindrance, But then again we usually have the gear on hand to combat it too. This definitely wasn't the case when we got caught in a downpour in Epcot this past Sunday. Even if we did have the proper gear, I don't think it would have kept us dry.

We were in Epcot with the Bacon family to celebrate Honey's birthday. I guess the rain gods were extra generous in their gift to her. I think we were all disappointed that we missed out on seeing more of the park, but looking back on it now it was definitely a memorable day and good for a laugh. The only person in our party who genuinely loved getting soaked was Ben. He preferred sticking his head out from under the canopy and was delighted to get wet. Zach was the complete opposite. Patti was clever enough to use Disney plastic shopping bags as substitute ponchos for the boys. She's such a smart thinker!

After everyone made it back to the condo and dried off we figured out dinner and picked up to-go-food from Carrabba's. We stuffed our bellies full and ended the evening with a slice of lime cake with raspberry filling. If you're in or going to Florida and need a fantastic cake Patti's your woman!

Oh how we love the Bacon family! We were thrilled to be able to spend Honey's birthday with her and the rest of the family. Extra special thanks to all of them for their generosity. We're looking forward to our chance to return the favor!