Okay so it's December..

2011 has not been a great blogging year for the Parker family.  So much to catch up on since my "summer part one." I know one of my friends said she was waiting for the second part.  So, yeah, that will probably never be happening.  And, Chad thinks it is fairly pathetic that my blog book this year will be all of ten pages.
To catch you up on our lives a little since the summer...
In early July, we went to the shores of southern Virginia with my family.  My parents rented a gorgeous house, and we had a great week relaxing in perfectly summer weather!

In August we went with almost the whole Parker family to the New Jersey shore.  It was a fantastic time.  24 or so of all the Parkers were there, and we had an amazing time creating so many lasting memories!  It was perfect!

Cade started his four day four class back in September. By the end of September, he and a little girl in his class had a wedding ceremony on the playground.  The mom of the little girl came up to me at the Halloween party in October and said "I think our children got married!".  I think I am a little worried for the things to come.  He is a popular little guy,and was invited by one of his friends for an afternoon play date, alone without any moms! My little guy is definitely growing up. His favorite things are transformers, super heros, and star wars.  Although, he does entertain other things, these by far are his favorites. He is still our subdued (when he doesn't know you), high energy, goofy, lovable, kind-hearted, dramatic (at times), tenacious, ambitious little boy.

In September, we went kid-less (thanks to my in-laws!) for the weekend to NYC with one of my best friends Christina. Two times in a year, we have a record.  It was an incredible feeling, if only for a fleeting moment, to be back in the city I love, with people I love.  We (meaning, mostly I) even had a chance to almost be on Betty White's new hidden camera show, highlighting young people's gullibility and stupidity.  Um, thank you Chad for being so perceptive and not gullible, like your wife!  We even took the train to Coney Island for some good 'ol fashion New York fun. And, enjoyed every New York minute!

Beckett turned two in October. We had a little monster party.  He is still our little-laid back, yet engineer minded little guy.  He loves cars, trains, and batman!  His favorite is "cha-chow".  He is still proving to be very well coordinated, and physically can do anything his brother can do.  Words and sentences he is still working on.  He still thinks that a good shriek will get his brother off of him, and help him move forward in the things he wants.  So..we are still working on that! The upside is he almost has all of his teeth, he is working on last four.

Also in October, we took a trip to visits Chad's brother and his wife down in Charlotte.  I love Charlotte!  I also love Chris and Angie!  So, thank you for letting us invade your personal space for a weekend.  We had a blast going to the fall festival and eating good food with them!  We are thankful for you both!

November was filled with thankfulness, as we spent Thanksgiving with my parents, my sisters and their families.  After Thanksgiving we headed down to Disney World on the boys' first trip to the magical place.  I, for one, was reminded how much I love it.  Chad and I were contemplating, uprooting, so he could try out for Prince Charming. Personally, I think he'd be pretty good at it!

Disney World was a whirlwind.  We stayed right on the monorail, at the Polynesian.  It was a great resort, because of all the close transportation to all of the parks.  That is why in five days, we managed, the Magical Kingdom about six times, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.  Most all of those days, we even squeezed in an afternoon nap for everyone.  The naps helped, because the boys were able to stay up much longer at night to enjoy all the festivities.
Of course there are many attractions at Disney World, but the characters were their favorites. The boys got to meet all their favorite characters; McQueen, Mater, the Incredibles, Buzz, Woody and Jessie (from afar), Jake, and Handy Manny, along with loads of others.  Since the time of year is not as popular, we were able to whizz in and out of rides very quickly.  We had all of Fantasyland done one morning in two hours!  We even spent an evening in Cinderella's castle.  Although, the boys had no clue who all the princesses were, they took it in stride dressed as pirates, and even were knighted good pirates and given swords (like I needed any more weapons at my house...).  We did take our swords over to the Pirates of the Caribbean, where Cade was in pirate heaven. We even squeezed in a parade at Hollywood Studios, another one at Magical Kingdom (which included some dancing on streets),and a night Very Merry Christmas Party parade.   Overall, it was a fantastic trip, and am so thankful that my parents were gracious to invite us with them on a magical experience!