The last few days have been pretty rough! McKinley has had a fever since Monday. She's been pretty lethargic, and very needy! Monday we spent the day at Blizzard Beach. We did not like this park as much as the Typhoon Lagoon. McKinley was not feeling great, and felt like she had a fever, so I took her up to first aid to have her temperature taken. It was 104.1. We took her clothes off, put an ice pack on and left the park right away. She became less responsive and in a daze on the bus, so we called the paramedics when we got back to the resort. They checked her vitals, took her temperature and fortunately her fever went down to 102.5. We decided to begin giving her Motrin and Tylenol for the fever and discomfort. We've been doing this since Monday.

We finished getting all of the stamps in Devlin's passport at Epcot, and spent time at The Magic Kingdom. Since McKinley hasn't been feeling great we've tried to take it easy. She's been in my arms for days. I'm a little disappointed because was only able to go to one day of AAU for 16's. She's just not been herself.

We made it to Tallahassee last night, and we are on our way to New Orleans now. We had dinner at a cute place called Cabo's Bar and Grill. It was really good!

We took McKinley to urgent care last night and they checked her ears, throat and listened to her vitals. They think she has a bad case of the flu. If she doesn't improve, we have to take her to the emergency room to have more tests done. We've got a bigger drive than we wanted today. It's 386 miles to the resort. I made reservations at Emeril's Creole restaurant for tonight. I hope we can make it but it will all depend on when we arrive and how the baby is doing.

Not a lot of pictures now, I've got my hands full with the baby and work. Hopefully we will do better in New Orleans!

We are all having an awesome time in Walt Disney World, and none of us want it to end. We have had a fun filled past few days full of adventure. At Typhoon Lagoon, we experienced a crazy storm. Not long after we arrived, we were cruising along the lazy river, when the lifeguards and security began telling everyone to get out of the water. So we get out, and head over to our towels and stroller. We could see thunder, lightning, and it began to get closer. Our family was out on the beach. As I am looking around, I am noticing families hustling out of where we were and taking shelter. I asked Marty if he thought we should move, since we are out in the open. He thought we were okay, but then it started pouring down rain! We have never been in weather like this before. It was intense. Devlin started to get nervous, McKinley was getting cold, I looked like I was going to cry. It was so loud! We started moving very quickly to the food court area where everyone who knew what they were doing were circled around each other under shelter. I am sure they could tell we were not from there!

We had to stand under shelter for a good 30 minutes until the storm lightened up a bit. Then we were able to make our way to the bus to leave. We left the park, and headed back to the trailer. That night we had dinner at the Bongo's Cuban Cafe in Downtown Disney. The ceviche was amazing. This may be our favorite thing we have eaten so far. My drink slipped out of my hand at the restaurant and spilled all over me, so I had to purchase another shirt while out. This makes 2 this trip. McKinley exploded all over me (while wearing white) and this drink incident.

We were invited to a private lounge to watch fireworks with a very nice family we met here in Walt Disney World. After dinner, we headed to the Contemporary Resort to grab dessert, drinks and enjoy the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. It was a spectacular view!

Yesterday was Father's Day! Marty caught a fish while fishing, and we went to Hollywood Studios after I finished at the tournament. We had a terrible time with the buses yesterday but it all worked out in the end. Hollywood Studios was fun. We didn't see everything, but we caught the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, Star Tours, the Frozen Show with Olaf, and a play area where Devlin and McKinley could play. We ended the night at the Animal Kingdom Lodge where we had dinner at Jiko. The food was pretty good. To be honest, we haven't had the greatest food throughout Walt Disney World. It's good but not great. This was the last fine dining restaurant we are planning to eat here. 

Today we are off to Blizzard Beach! There is something here for all of us, and the water makes me happy. We have not been able to finish Devlin's passport at Epcot yet, so that is also part of the game plan. Tomorrow is our last day at the parks, and we will go to the Magic Kingdom all day.

Wow, the last few days have been amazing! I'm already trying to figure out when we can come back to Walt Disney World! We have had so much packed into these last few days but it has been truly enjoyable.

Derek and I did the dolphin interaction at Epcot yesterday which we both liked a lot. I've swam with dolphins in Hawaii, but this was better. We actually spent more time with the Dolphins at Epcot. We took a tour, watched a research project they were working on with one of the dolphins, and then we actually spent about an hour in the water with them. We didn't get to swim with them, but we did get to touch and play with them. We of course got a photo, and we wrapped up around lunch time. I don't think I would do this again, but it was worth the money. The only thing we didn't like was when they am started preaching about not feeding them in the wild, how it changes there behavior and then they went on and on about cleaning up the beaches. While I appreciate them bringing it to our attention, I didn't appreciate being talked to like an elementary student who is getting scolded for acting out in the classroom. This was my only complaint.

Marty, Devlin and McKinley did not do the dolphin tour. Dev and McKinley are actually too young. So we met up with them and went to Restaurant Marrakesh in the World Showcase. I thought Dev would like the belly dancing but he didn't really get into it. McKinley clapped and smiled at the dancer. She probably liked it more than any of us. The food was pretty good, but the atmosphere was very cool.

Derek's stomach has been off the last few days so he's been taking breaks and resting at the trailer. He finally feels better tonight. Thank God!

Marty, Dev, McKinley and I had the best time at Typhoon Lagoon this afternoon. This may be my favorite water park ever. I love there lazy river. It actually made me miss my mom quite a bit because that is one of her favorite things at water parks! The boys and McKinley are planning to go back tomorrow while I work at the AAU tournament. I'm planning to meet up with them once I become available.

What I love most about Disney is there creativity in capturing your memories with your family. There are people with cameras all throughout the parks, including the water parks. While McKinley and I were floating down the lazy river, one of the photographers got our picture, and then they were able to load it onto our account through our magic band. It was really awesome! Tonight we got another family picture in front of the big ball at Epcot while it was lit up. I hope it turns out good. I decided to wait until the end of the trip to go through the pictures and pick out the ones we want.

Since I am behind on the blog, the days are all getting jumbled together. Tonight we spent our evening at Epcot. We had reservations for the dessert party, made new friends, and watched the Illuminations show. It was fantastic! Seriously, I think this may be the best of the Disney shows. We love Fantasmic and the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, but Illuminations was in your face and just really cool. Our new friends have a travel agency and specialize in Disney. (I'll never book Disney again without them by the way ( #Magicyourway ) They had special glasses to see the fireworks and you could see all of these Mickey ears throughout the show. It was really neat! They invited us to watch the fireworks at a different place tomorrow. So we will catch up with them tomorrow night! (Thanks Jennifer)

The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland at home but bigger and in my opinion better. We loved the Monsters University laugh show. It's an interactive show which changes in each experience because it is all about the participation in the audience. Derek texted a joke into the show and they read it. He was pretty thrilled with himself.

The Pirates of the Carribean ride is down for refurbishment, so unfortunately we didn't get to ride it. This is one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. Dev began to cry. He was looking forward to seeing the Pirates.

We rode the Jungle Cruise which is similar to the ride at home, but a little longer. The jokes are pretty similar if not the same, but our Captain Adam was awesome. McKinley kept smiling and jumping up and down throughout the ride. She really liked it!

We haven't hit up any of the other rides at Magic Kingdom yet. We will be going back to experience a bit on Monday and Tuesday!

As for tomorrow, it's Epcot in the morning and then Typhoon Lagoon the remainder of the day, before meeting up for fireworks with the new family we met tonight. We did make dinner reservations at a restaurant Jennifer suggested at the Kidani Village. She said the food is excellent, and then after dinner you can watch the animals at sunset out on the savannah. She said it's incredible!

We bought Devlin a passport at The World Showcase at Epcot, and in each country you get a stamp and signature from the people who are from the country. Devlin has really loved this passport activity. We bought it after we had toured a few of the countries, so now he has to go back to get those stamps. This is why they are going there tomorrow morning.

I feel like I'm missing some stuff that we have seen and done. I'm hoping to be more diligent the rest of the time. It's kind of difficult when you e got everything stored up in your brain.

Yesterday we got up bright and early to head to the Animal Kingdom. It takes about an hour to get to any of the parks with all the Disney Transportation because the resorts are so large and it's a bit of a distance to the parks.

We arrived and we were overwhelmed by the heat and humidity. It was really hot! We were limited to what we could do because of the baby, so we walked around, saw the gorillas, birds, a hippo, had lunch in the air conditioned restaurant and left. We feel pretty fortunate because we have seen zoo's, and we have Disneyland at home. We just don't feel the pressure that so many of the other families seem to feel while visiting here.

Devlin has been wanting to rent a canoe, so Marty took him yesterday. We all got a nap, went to the pool and I worked.

This morning I am at the AAU tournament, and then I will head back and we will head to one of the parks. Marty would like to go to Epcot since we don't have anything like it at home. We are supposed to be spending the next 2 days there, so we will see how it goes. I'm going to bring our swim suits in case we decide to go to the water park.

It's been a whirlwind in the last few days. I promised myself I wouldn't get behind in our family blog. The truth is I wrote this posting before going to Universal today, and I lost the damn posting when I hit publish. There was a glitch in the software. It was and is very frustrating!

So, here we go again! On Friday, we left Madison Florida and drove to Crystal River. When we checked in to the RV Park, I asked the lady if there was anything we should be concerned or aware of since we have two small children. She asked what I meant. I said, are there alligators, snakes or any other wildlife we should be on the look out for?! She said snakes yes occasionally, but definitely no gators!

So, we pull into our site which is on a stagnant pond. Pretty place! We look out in the water, and what do we see? An alligator staring right at us! I wanted to march right back up to the office. It seems that this is what you should expect throughout Florida!

After we set up camp, we headed to a restaurant that was highly recommended called Pecks. We drove down a 2 lane highway into a swamp. It was so surreal. It felt like we were in a movie. We weren't even sure if we were on the right road, until all of a sudden we were out of the swamp and in the parking lot to a restaurant on a dock. It was really cute!

The food was pretty good at Peck's! We ordered alligator for everyone to try. I've had it on previous trips but everyone else needed to try it. Even McKinley ate the gator. It tasted like fishy chicken nuggets with a garlic butter. Devlin seems to be getting pickier and pickier. He had clam chowder and salad for dinner. Derek and I had all you can eat blue crab legs. It was good but so much work! Derek and I could have ordered 10 bowls! We ordered two each and then left. I had appointments I needed to get to, so we hustled out of there.

Marty dropped McKinley, Derek and I off at the trailer, while he ran off to Home Depot. Our pantry door fell off the hinges while we drove. Marty needed screws to hang the door back up.

Derek took McKinley to the pool so I could work. Thank God for Derek! He's been such a huge help this entire trip.

By the time I finished working, and Marty fixed the door, the whole camp ground came alive! It was a party everywhere. It was so strange. The best way to describe it is like Newport Dunes the week of 4th of July! Everyone had golf carts they were driving up and down the streets. We went out by the pond and watched the alligator for a while. It so cool to watch these predators. There eyes are so spooky when they watch you!

We went to bed fairly early because we had to get up super early to swim with the manatees. We got up at 6:00 am and I made bacon, eggs and hash browns. We wanted the kids to have a heavier meal because we knew we were going to be on the boat for a few hours.

We arrived at the dive shop at 8:00 am. We all had to suit up in wet suits, and watch a movie about how to treat the animals. After the movie we drove to the dock and got on the boat. We spent over 3 hours snorkeling and hanging out in the water. The manatees hung out in mirkier water which kind of sucked. We couldn't watch them at the bottom. In fact, as I was snorkeling a manatee came up within inches of my face, and I couldn't see it until the cute face was in mine. I squealed and the poor guy got scared and swam away. I didn't mean to scare it but you have to understand how scary and exhilarating it is. Your head is in the water and the visibility is awful! All of a sudden, a giant animal appears and you can't help but freak out.

Unfortunately, this was as close as anyone in our boat got to the animals. We saw them swimming and swam beside them but none of them were interested in interacting. Our captain said sometimes that happens. They are beautiful animals! We really enjoyed this experience.

After swimming with the manatees, we ordered pizza, ate, picked up the trailer and headed to Orlando. We arrived at Walt Disney World later than expected, so we didn't go to Hollywood Studios as planned. We settled at the Fort Wilderness Resort which is fantastic! This is a beautiful RV park! We had dinner reservations at TRex in Downtown Disney at 7 pm which we all really enjoyed!

TRex is exactly like Rainforest Cafe except there are dinosaurs. It was so cool! There was a couple fish tanks, an octopus hanging from the ceiling, cool colored lighting throughout the restaurant. The food was okay, but the atmosphere was incredibly fun!

After dinner we got the lay of the land in the Fort Wilderness Resort! We came back to the trailer and decided on a game plan.

This morning we woke up, had breakfast and headed to Universal. Derek and I are pretty big Harry Potter fans, and we wanted to explore both of the parks. When we got to Islands of Adventure, we headed straight to Hogsmeade. The books came alive! Everything was so well done! We had butter beer, got a wand from Ollivanders, went on the ride through Hogwarts. We took the Hogwarts Express to the other park and went through Diagon Alley. It was so much fun! Marty and I got to ride a big roller coaster while Derek kept the kids, we caught a SpongeBob parade. It was great!

We grabbed dinner and rested for a bit before heading back to the camp ground! We are now going to head over to the pool to play for a few hours. I need to work for a few hours tonight and we need to come up with tomorrow's game plan! So far so good in Orlando! We are having a great time and the weather has been pretty good to us!

We arrived at Jellystone Park yesterday around 5:30 pm. They have a water park here for the kids, as well as jumpers, and a large play ground. This is also home to more bugs than I have ever seen in my life. We haven't seen a Walmart to get the OFF fans yet, and the little nats attack your eyes. It's awful! We have decided not to stay this morning to play. We are headed to a Walmart in Perry and then we will drive to Crystal River!

Tomorrow morning we snorkel with manatees. I am so excited! The rest of the crew will be excited once they see them. It should be really fun! After we snorkel with the manatees we drive to Orlando. In the afternoon we are going to Hollywood Studios for the last Star Wars day. We have reservations for dinner at TRex tomorrow night. I'm sure this will be a favorite for Dev! It's going to be an action pack day!

No pictures in the last 24 hours! But I'm sure we will have a lot to share soon!

Yesterday was a full day for the kids. I woke up early and worked out of the trailer all day, while the kids went to Stone Mountain to explore. They had a great time, and really enjoyed the top of the mountain. It's a busy time of year for recruiting, and as we approach these end of season tournaments, emotions run high and work becomes more intense. I spent my day on the computer and on the phone working.

Last night, our old neighbor and friend Donna Lee came to the trailer for dinner and the Laser Show. It was great catching up, and having her see my kids. Derek has grown up so much since the last time she saw him, so I think she was a bit surprised with how big he has become. We chatted about all the mutual friends and family. We reviewed our road trip, and since Donna has done this trip several times we discussed re-routing our trip on the way back. We are going to really look things over when we are in New Orleans to figure out the best way to return home. We have been on the road for a little over 2 weeks now, and we are enjoying it immensely. At some point, I think we are really going to want to get home. We are supposed to hit up the Carlsbad Caverns, but since we saw Ruby Falls, we are questioning whether it's really that important. We may take a northern route back. We would love to see Denver, but there are some concerns about pulling our trailer through the mountains, so we are going to do some research to figure out what would be best. 

After dinner, we caught the shuttle to the Laser Show. Donna was perfectly prepared with a blanket for us to sit on and a OFF to keep the bugs away. We are going to Walmart to pick up one of the portable OFF spray for Florida. It's like a little fan that has a constant release of bug deterrent, but it doesn't smell and you can't feel it.  Donna said the bugs will get worse as we continue to head south. We are not enjoying the bugs people deal with out here.  Everyone loved the laser show, and it was nice because although we sat on the grass, no one got bit! Haha, thanks Donna!

Devlin made lots of friends throughout the camp ground, so he was really disappointed we were leaving today. Derek and I visited Georgia Tech this morning which we absolutely loved. Then we packed up and got on the road. Our neighbors at the camp ground are from Florida, and they told us about a place to camp that they love right off the 75. We are on our way there now. It's in Madison Florida.

We made it safely to Atlanta yesterday around noon. We settled in our camp site quickly, so we could make the most of our day. Marty and I decided we needed to cut a day short in Atlanta, because he's been sick, and the drive to Crystal River was going to be too much in one day. From Stone Mountain, the drive is 402 miles. The most we have driven in one day is around 360. Since we cut our time here short, we knew we needed to get a jumpstart on the site seeing upon our arrival.

We left the campground, and headed to the city. Marty finally gave in to go to Urgent Care, since he continued to get worse. Derek spotted an urgent care on our way to the Coca Cola Tour. We pulled over, there was no wait, and Marty just walked inside and got treatment. The doctor thinks Marty got an ear infection from the pool in New Mexico. Remember, it smelled like a lobster tank? Yes, this is not normal, and he got an infection. (Sarcasm) He had a fever, tested negative for the flu, but he got his antibiotics, so we were all relieved!

We headed over to Rite Aid to drop off the prescription, and headed to downtown in Olympic Park. The first stop was the Coca Cola Tour. They closed at 5:00, and we arrived at 3:45. This was really cool! It was fun to learn the history, see all of the memorabilia over the years, and taste all of the flavors. It was really interesting. The tasting area was of course the kids favorite! They had so much fun. We let McKinley taste too, and she didn't want to leave. She has a sweet tooth like her momma! 

After the Coca Cola Tour, we walked right over to the Aquarium. Since we arrived at 5, we saved $50.00 which was great! The Aquarium was nice. They had 4 whale sharks in the tank! They were gorgeous. We all enjoyed walking through. By this time everyone was getting hungry, and I wasn't about to buy food, because I had pot roast in our crock pot at the trailer. So we completed the walk through and headed back.

Marty got his medication on the way back, we had dinner, and Devlin went outside to play. We love this campground! It is a little close together, but there are kids everywhere, and there are a lot of activities. Today, I am working all morning while they go out and explore. Our old neighbor Donna Lee is coming over for dinner and we will watch the laser show this evening. 

Marty and I need to figure out our next stop. Somewhere between here and Crystal River. We want to travel between 200 and 250 miles. So we will scope out the map this afternoon and make some decisions.

Yesterday we arrived in Chattanooga, and a storm hit not long after we set up. It was perfect timing! We had a crazy thunder and lightning storm. The kids really enjoyed it.

We are staying at the KOA not far from Lookout Mountain. Our old neighbor Donna Lee highly recommended we visit Ruby Falls and Rock City. We had the best time today! Ruby Falls is this incredible cave 260 feet into Lookout Mountain. It's over 1,120 feet underground. The waterfall is 145 feet, and it's absolutely magnificent! The pictures we took will hardly do it justice.

After seeing Ruby Falls, we headed over to Rock CIty. The views allow you to see seven states at 1700 feet above sea level. There is an amazing garden, and we enjoyed lunch at Cafe 7. The food was pretty good. Better than the food at most museums. Devlin told every soul around us every detail of our life, minus the social security numbers. Derek begged him to be quiet.

Marty is pretty sick, and went out to the car after lunch while the kids and I explored Rock City. We hiked the Enchanted Trail, and Fairyland. It was fun. Marty said he enjoyed the peace and quiet in the parking lot.

We finished Rock City, hit up the Starbucks for an iced coffee and then went to the Battlegrounds. We saw a 30 minute video on the Civil War, and then explored the Battlegrounds where the war occurred. My dad would have really loved this stop. It was really interesting. There was a lot of hiking here but we kept it to a minimum. By this time we had been on our feet for 6 hours and Marty felt awful.

Tonight I am working, Marty is resting, and the kids are playing. The campsite tonight is gorgeous. We are surrounded by fireflies! Tomorrow morning we leave for Atlanta. We are staying at Stone Mountain for the next 3 days. We are hopeful Marty feels better in the morning.

We all had a very nice time in Memphis! Yesterday was a relaxing day for Marty who had a fever, and Devlin who wanted to fish. I was able to get some work done in the morning, before heading to the University of Memphis. Derek, McKinley and I walked around the campus to get a feel for it. The campus is beautiful. The surrounding community is pretty nice as well. It looks like a great place to send some of my athletes.

Marty and Devlin hung out at the trailer yesterday. Marty felt like he needed some rest before our big drive today. We both have been battling allergies while we've been gone. Devlin wanted to fish in the ponds at the RV park. They didn't catch anything, but Devlin got better at casting. Derek and I thought standing out in the sun was a horrible idea. It was 100 degrees outside and really humid. Yesterday was the most miserable day of weather we have experienced thus far on the trip.

We saw the ducks at the Peabody Hotel last night at 5:00. They were very cute. McKinley sat on Derek's shoulders to get a good view. She really enjoyed it! There were tons of people who came to watch. You would have thought the President of United States was in the pond with all the security standing around. They literally had ear pieces on and wore suits to watch over the ducks.

After watching the ducks march at the Peabody Hotel, we went to a restaurant called Flight. The food here was excellent. The menu is organized in a way where you can choose three entree's in small plates. There were so many excellent choices on the menu that it was hard to narrow to three.The wine was served the same way. It was a unique experience, and definitely worth the money.  

After dinner we headed back to the trailer so I could do our laundry before packing up and going to bed. We wanted to get an early start this morning. It's 7:30 am and we are on our way to Chattanooga. Our old neighbor Donna Lee highly recommended Ruby Falls and Rock City. We were originally headed to Birmingham, but we decided to re-route our trip because it looks so cool. So the next two days we will be hiking off all of the calories we ate in Memphis. The kids are not excited about hiking, but they loved the pictures of the caves! We have 315 miles to drive today.