Capturing our adventures one photo at a time...
Nothing better than the photos from the rides! You can see how much fun we were having!!
Well, maybe not so much fun for Samantha here on Hulk! ha!
My face shows how much I did not like this Harry Potter ride – it was cool but just too much VR for my stomach to take!
Of course we were all happy on VelociCoaster! The BEST!
Thankfully we didn’t get too wet on the river…
and we were very focused on shooting those aliens!
I love spending the day with my favorite thrill seekers!
The most fun day!
Day 2 at Universal we picked up another passenger!
Robert flew in Friday night and joined us for the very best day at Universal. We had a VIP guide and got to literally walk onto all of the rides as many times as we wanted! So, so fun! We rode them all and rode them again. We had lunch in Simpson’s land and went to gate 9 3/4 to ride the train to Hogwarts and got more butter beer. Can’t beat it!
See that giant coaster in the back? We rode that! Plus Hagrid’s and Velcicoaster and Hulk! Yes, I got Samantha on Hulk. She might have had some tins of mints in her shoes and she might have set off the metal detector you have to go through to make sure you aren’t taking your phone on the ride, but we didn’t get caught and she made it on!
A fantastic, full day!
We ended up having the very best Fall break but we weren’t sure if it was going to happen at all the week before! GJ and I had been planning a surprise trip to Universal and Disney for the kids in honor of Spencer’s birthday! He’s always wanted to go to Universal and we thought this was the perfect time. Well, it was the perfect time…but Hurricane Milton had some other ideas! It was a stressful week watching Milton’s expected path wobble all over the coast – we didn’t want it to hit Naples or Orlando! Thankfully it all worked out. Milton moved on through by Thursday and we were able to make our flight to Orlando Friday morning! On the plane by 7:30am…
In GJ’s car by 10:30am…
and at Universal by 11:30am!
Can’t beat that! We had the best time using the fast passes we got because we stayed at a Universal hotel. We really never waited in lines and got to do many of the rides over and over. Our favorite was definitely the Jurassic Park VelociCoaster! The most fun roller coaster I’ve ever ridden! Samantha made it on all the rides the first day except for Hulk – she wasn’t quite tall enough. We loved walking through Simpsons land…
and Harry Potter world!
Butter beer got a thumbs up!
All the Despicable Me stuff was fun too!
After a full day we had dinner at Margaritaville at City Walk and walked away with some good headpieces!!
The most fun day with lots more fun to come!
Spencer had a little more birthday celebrating to do on Saturday! He had some buddies come over around halftime of the AL v. TN game (we will not speak of the outcome of that). Roll Tide anyway!
Samantha also got to have a friend tag along.
We then we headed to the jump park during the 4th quarter of the game.
After the jump park we went to eat at – where else? – Tecate!
And if that wasn’t enough, we finished off the night with ice cream.
A perfect celebration for my favorite 12 year old!!
My sweet middle child is TWELVE!! I cannot believe this easy going, blue eyed baby is twelve years old.
Newborn…
One year old…
Two years old…
Three years old…
Four years old…
Five years old…
Six years old…
Seven…
Eight…
nine years old…
ten…
eleven…
and now TWELVE!
Same shirt! haha!
I am such a big fan of this kid. As I say every year, he’s a happy kid who plays hard, tries hard, and loves hard. He’s so easy going and keeps the peace. His laid back nature is a good balance to his siblings and is just what our family needs. He’s not a pushover though – he definitely knows what he wants – and what he doesn’t want. He’s opinionated but agreeable. Strong and lovable. Determined and doesn’t care too much what other people think. I love it and I love him. He could also survive on cinnamon bread and nutella alone – throw in some Doritos and cheese dip and he’s set for life.
He and Maxwell will fight like cats and dogs but can also be good buddies discussing fantasy football and throwing whatever ball is around. He can pick and pick and pick and push Samantha’s buttons, but they can also be two peas in a pod. He’s such a good brother to them both and I cannot imagine where any of us would all be without our happy glue in the middle! Spencer is pretty much always the calm in the storm. In sports he can battle harder than every kid out there but can somehow maintain his composure when things get tough and shake it all off after the game. That doesn’t mean the losses don’t sting, he just knows how to take them in stride.
Spencer is definitely my biggest homebody. Home is where he wants to be most – surrounded by his Xbox! ha! He’s a snuggler and is constantly loving on me and rubbing my back. He has always been my best sleeper – he gets all snuggled into the very middle of his bed and would stay there all day if I let him.
Spencer is an excellent student. He comes home and does all of his homework immediately. I never have to worry about following up on assignments – he stays on top of everything. Math comes very naturally to him and reading..is not his favorite. 🙂 Spencey is a likable guy and has good friends but is also friends with everyone. He stays out of the drama and is a friend to those that really need a friend. He’s loyal to his besties but can hang with anyone.
Spencer continues to bring the hustle and the heart to whatever game he’s playing – even if it’s College Football on the Xbox or his Fantasy Football league! ha! For real, he’s not afraid to put in the work and rarely complains about going to practice or having to work hard. He loves whatever sport he’s playing at the time and gives it his all. He’s QB of his football team this season and it’s been a rough season to say the least. Spencer keeps trying to motivate his team regardless and is serving as a poised leader on the field – even when they are down. I’m so proud of how he’s handled this difficult season. Whatever sport he’s playing, I love to watch him play!
A little interview with Spencer:
Favorite book? The One and Only Ivan
Favorite TV show? Garfield
Favorite movie? The Garfield movie
Favorite color? Green
Favorite song? Double Life
Favorite number? 7
Favorite restaurant? Tecate
Favorite thing to eat? Cinnamon bread with Nutella
Favorite friend? Henry
Favorite toy? Xbox
Favorite animal? Elephant
Favorite dessert? Brownies
Favorite sport? Football
What do you want to be when you grow up? Sports analyst
I’m so proud of Spencer. He’s a good, good kid and I’m so thankful he’s mine.
Happy 12th birthday, Spencey!! We love you!!