Brian and Corey were up and around quite early so they would make it over to Titusville in plenty of time to do way too much fishing! They were meeting Brian's friend from Michigan Tech, Ken. Ken was our best man for our wedding:
He's the blonde standing next to Brian. Heathersue was my maid of honor and is in the maroon dress next to me. Isn't she cute! Brian was also the best man in Ken's first wedding.....
Brian tries to see Ken every year when we go to Flordia. Sometimes they go somewhere that I can come along, but many times they just go in a canoe, and I'm just not going to go in a canoe in alligator infested waters!
Ken works in this building:
He drives that blue truck with the canoe rack on the roof. See it?
Me either.
He does something with the external tank on the shuttle.
I Brian and Corey good-bye and waved them a fond farewell
and then went back into the timeshare to figure out what I was going to do with the girls all day with no car.
Then, the phone rang.
It was my Mom, asking what I'd like to do today. She said they'd come and pick me up and we could go wherever I wanted.
So, I thought about it for a minute and then said I'd really like to go to the Outlet Mall on International Drive.
Mom said that sounded good to her, and said she'd pick us up in a little while.
So, I went and got the girls up and fed them some breakfast.
Mom had also said that she wanted us to go swimming at their house later that night, so I gathered around all of our swimsuits. Except, I couldn't find Arminda's.
Mom, Heather, and Dad then came and I gave them a little tour or the timeshare. Mom and Dad had been there before, but Heather had never seen it. I think she thought it was pretty.
We loaded up the girls in Mom and Dad's van (in their carseats of course) and we were on our way. Mom and Dad asked me for directions to the mall, and I started out doing quite well. I have been there many times, and tell Brian how to get there all the time. I told my Dad to get onto I-4. Mom wanted to know what exit we get off at, so I told her that we always got off at Sand Lake Rd, because when we try to go up to the Universal exit, we always get confused somehow. Mom then handed me the map and asked me to show her where the exit was. I didn't see it on the map, so I told her that if we took the Sand Lake exit, we would have to drive further on I-Drive, than with the Universal exit. So, Dad decided to take the Universal exit, which made me nervous, because as I said we somehow always get confused taking that one! But, it went ok, and soon we were on I-Drive heading to the mall.
Mom, Dad and Heather hadn't been there since they tore down the old Belz and put up the new mall, so they were surprised at how "different" (and here different means "nothing at ALL like it use to look!") the mall looked. I then directed everyone through the food court and out the doors to the
DISNEY STORE!!!
We shopped for awhile, and I bought a pink Marie t-shirt and was going to buy a flowered Epcot shirt, because Heather had told me she had gotten one cheap at the other outlet store. But, when I took the shirt to the checkout, it was a lot more than Heather had paid. I told the CMs it was cheaper at the other store, and they said they'd look into it. Just not when I was there.
I looked longingly at a very cool looking Mary Poppins watch. I really wanted that watch! But, it wasn't very cheap, and I am, so I didn't get it. I still think maybe I should have. I still had part of the gift card from Mom left.
Arminda and Lydia both decided to buy a few presents for people. Arminda bought a picture frame for Grandma and Grandpa and a few other things. Which reminds me, she hasn't given them their frame yet.
Lydia bought some overpriced necklaces. They were $7.99, but I think they should have been more like $2. They were quite cute, but not made very well. But, it was her money, and she really wanted to buy those for us. It made her very happy to be able to give out some presents.
While we were leaving, Arminda came over to me and handed me a bag that I had not seen her get. In it was an Eeyore light up necklace. She was so proud of herself for buying it without me noticing. It was so sweet.
After we were done shopping, we walked around the mall awhile. Then, we all decided that if we weren't shopping at a Disney Store, we really didn't want to shop. So, we decided to go to the Disney Outlet in the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet Center. Not my favorite Disney Outlet, but they had been to the other Outlet by the Catholic Church the day before.
Mom and Dad weren't sure how to get there, so I gave them two options. Dad missed the exits for I-4, and started asking which way we wanted him to go, so I told him to just go straight down International Drive, and we could get there that way. I don't think anyone though I had a clue what I was talking about at this point. Mom asked a few times for street names and exits, but I don't know them, I just know how to get there.
We got to the store without too much fuss, and did some more shopping. As I said, this is not my favorite Disney outlet, it isn't the same as the other two, but I do like to go there at least once on a vacation because they sometimes have different items. They have some good deals, and then there are a lot of things that look like they got them from the dollar store and are now trying to sell them for $5. It's more of a hunt than the other two stores!
I wasn't seeing much of anything I wanted in here today though. The kids did find a few things, and Mom said she'd pay for them. Heather bought Lydia a pair of Sally from Cars sunglasses and Arminda a pair of Hannah Montana sunglasses. Mom got me an Ariel pen that I thought was pretty cool, and a magnet for Corey.
We were getting hungry and tired, so we decided to head on over to the Golden Corral. Henry was meeting us there with Sawyer.
A little back-story:
My Grandpa
use to LOVE buffets! I mean he REALLY loved buffets! We use to go to a place called Duffs on 19 over in Holiday, then we started going to Stacy's, still on 19, but further south I believe. Grandpa would always tell us "Take as much as you want, but eat what you take!" He didn't like to see anyone waisting food! After awhile, the Golden Corral became Grandpa's favorite, and we always went there with him when we went to Florida. He loved a good buffet! Oh how I miss him.
Anyway, since there was a Golden Corral right next to my timeshare, we thought we'd try it out. I had been in here once in the 10 years we've been staying here. But, I'd never eaten there. I was a little leery about how good it would be. Mom was treating, so she told them how many we had and how old they were, and the guy rang up the order. When we sat at our table, we started looking at it and the total did not seem right. We finally figured out that they had charged Mom for more people than we had. So, she had to find a manager and have the bill corrected.
The food was really really good here! And, the restaurant was quite clean. We all had a very nice time, and it seems like we were in there for quite awhile! So, I'm sure we got Mom's money's worth! When we were done eating, the kids got some toys out of the "bubble gum" machine. I think Heather gave them the money for it.
Heather, Henry and the kids took off, and I went over to get the kid's bathing suits. I still couldn't find Arminda's suit, so I asked if we could stop at
Walmart to get her one. She had needed a new suit anyway. I grabbed the girls' pajamas too, in case they fell asleep on the drive back from Heather's.
It took awhile, but I found a bathing suit for Arminda that fit and wasn't too revealing for a 10 year old! Why is that so hard???
When we finally made it to Heather's, Tessa was ready and waiting for us! We all got on our suits and swam around for awhile until it was time for bed.
Dad took me back to our timeshare, and the girls and I made some popcorn, watched a little TV. We were planning on going to Kennedy Space Center the next day, so I didn't keep them up too late.
Brian and Corey got back pretty late, and told me all about the fun they had fishing. I don't remember if they caught anything but they had a nice time.
Here are a few pictures:
This is Ken throwing a net into alligator infested waters
along some deserted dirt road
Throw:
Brian looking for something, probably alligators
I think they found some
They also told me that the GPS had taken them way out of their way and it had taken them twice as long as it should have to get over there. I think they just didn't follow directions very well, myself.
Big day tomorrow, so we all went to bed.
Next: Lydia's Happy Place
Great Update! Wow it was long !
(she works SOOOO hard and it takes her so much LONGER than her classmates to finish it and dealing with everything else she has to deal with) I guess she (and her family) really need a trip like that...with relatively little hassle. Since everything else in their world can certainly be a major hassle!
I'm scared of trout, (well, only if I'm swimming, not in the canoe) let alone alligators! Arminda is so sweet to buy you that eeyore necklace! My dad also LOVED buffets! Especially in Las Vegas 
You have to do that. You really do!
