Monday, May 12, 2014

Home Away From Home



We are lucky enough to be Disney Vacation Club members and that is now what we consider our home away from home. We get to go back again and again to the most magical place on earth and because we own a piece of it... it's like our 2nd home.

I was asked by DogVacay to share what I consider our home away from home to be...

And for us... we bought into this recently to share memories with our children. To create magic in their life... once a year. And in doing so we are also creating memories as parents... that I will cherish the rest of my life.

I will never forget the first time we took our son to Disney. he was about 2 weeks shy of 3 years old.... A lot of people warned us that this was too young. He would never remember this... and because he wouldn't remember it, they considered it a waste of money.

For me it was just the opposite. Going there... was not just for him. It was also for us. It was a family vacation, and even though he may not remember it... I will never forget his eyes LIGHTING up when he met Mickey and Minnie. How he danced in the streets with his Uncle Dave. How he shamelessly flirted with Minnie Mouse. Falling asleep on Nana and Papa on the ride back to our hotel every night.  And how he could not stop talking about meeting Woody and Buzz for weeks after we returned. It was absolute magic. He believed with all of his heart in everything he saw and he was in complete amazement at everything around him. Even though he may not remember it... I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. I will always remember those moments. To give my kid a week filled with magic... was such an incredible feeling. To see Disney through his eyes for a week... was unforgettable.

The second time we went back he just turned 4. And this time was a complete new experience. This time he battled Darth Vader... He was a daredevil that wanted to do all the fast rides... he still shamelessly flirted with Minnie... but not just Minnie... We had to meet every princess in the park where my son asked them to feel his muscles and kiss him on the cheek. He was shameless. and adorable. (and scary) He still loved meeting all the characters... but this time he wanted their autographs. He talked to Crush. He did the parades with the character... and again Disney delivered Magic. Pure Magic.

To consider Disney our home away from home is a blessing. And I am so grateful for this experience I get to share with my son.

My favorite thing about our home away from home are the memories we leave there with. That for one week I get to experience life through my child's eyes. I get to see his eyes dance with excitement... and his imagination runs wild. Everything he has ever dreamed of comes to life... and he passes out every single night with a grin plastered to his face. It's the one week where we get to all be kids again... and run around like crazy and be silly and carefree... and I leave with my heart filled with amazing memories that I will cherish for all of time.

The best thing about our home away from home is that each time we go back it will be a new experience. There is so much for us to do and it will grow with our son. Each year there will be new things that he will want to try and each year will be new memories... It is always changing...

We get to escape the real world for a week and concentrate on just having fun... taking our time... taking everything in and making memories. There is something for everyone there and we have a blast together. There is nothing better than seeing your child so happy he can't stop smiling for a week straight.... and begging to go back the day after you get home. We always know what to expect when we go there and Disney always delivers. It's such a great experience filled with memories... smiles... laughter... and magic.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is our home away from home. I am so grateful to give this opportunity to my  kid... and I look forward to years and years of memories ahead of us.

Take a few moments and check out www.dogvacay.com

 








 What an escape from real life :) Being surrounded by such a beautiful setting. Truly amazing.

 Home away from home... should be somewhere familiar. Where you feel like you can be yourself... kick back... relax... and do what makes you happy. Whether that be watching your child have the time of his life... a night out with amazing food and drinks... a relaxing day at the pool... or the thrills of an amusement park. Your home away from home should be a place that you look forward to ... a place that you lose yourself in. And Disney just so happens to have a little bit of everything for each and every one of us. :)









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