The countdown to Disney has begun...again...

For those of you who know Trey and I, there is one thing for sure...we love Disney, in particular, Disney World.

Sometime we will meet people that know us through other people (friends of friends) and they will say "Oh you are the Disney people!" Haha.

Trey's love of Disney World is from a life time of memories going all the way back from when he was a very young child. Disney World was(and still is) their family vacation spot. They went a lot growing up and he has a lot of great family memories there.

My love of Disney World began on a non-assuming band trip there in late May of 1999. I had never been and honestly wasn't really looking forward to that trip. I was at a point in my life where I didn't have any good CLOSE friends and definitely didn't have any boys in my life. But that trip changed everything. My friend Jessica (she is now my dear, great friend, but at the time we were really just acquaintances) was dating one of my other friends Dawson. Long before, we had to sign up with who we were sitting with on the long drive to FL from TX, and since this was before J and D were dating, D had signed up to sit with his friend Trey Bowen. I was suppose to sit with J. Well, J asked me if I wouldn't mind switching seats with D so they could sit together. This means I would be sitting with Trey for a 24+ hour drive. I knew Trey through D, but never really talked to him alone before. Me being an agreeable friend I said ok and sat with Trey. That moment, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship :) That trip I found my husband and my best friend.

So, that alone would make Disney World a special place to us, but it doesn't end there...in September of 2004 Trey "surprised" me with a trip to Disney World, just the two of us. I say "surprised" because obviously we weren't married at the time so both sets of parents needed to be aware of this trip so I had heard discussions of it. Plus Trey Bowen is the WORST secret keeper in the world, at least to me anyways. I figured he was going to propose, but I just wasn't sure when or how. Trey told me later that he had big plans on how he was going to do it, but hurricane Frances came through and ruined everything. So, on September 6, 2004 they re-opened the parks after they had cleaned up after the storm. It was pouring rain on and off the whole morning. There was almost NO ONE in the park with us. I look back now and think, man I really should have enjoyed that because I didn't realize at the time how empty the parks really were, this was only my 2nd time being there. Anyways, we rode Space Mountain over and over until the rain stopped. We walked to a path just to the right of the castle and Trey pulled out a box, but not a ring box, a big blue box. He opened it up and there was a glass slipper. Engraved on it, it said "To my Cinderella, Keep on Believing" This was our special saying. We had been through a lot in the time from May 1999 to Sept. 2004. We had dated throughout high school mostly long distance and were currently at separate colleges, also long distance. He then pulled out the ring box and got on his knee. He said: "Dana I love you so much, will you marry me?" I think I said something about..."Oh look at that duck over there" (I'm not the best with awkward moments :) and then said "Oh, of course, yes!" That moment is so "us".

Since then we have been to Disney World an additional 10-12 times. I've been for our honeymoon, for at least once per each year of marriage (even if we couldn't afford it), I've been when I was 15 weeks pregnant, I've been privileged enough to share it with my family (Dickensons) who had never been, I've been numerous times with my in-laws getting to stay at all different resorts and do a lot of fun things, and I've been for my son's first birthday where he got his first haircut at the Magic Kingdom. It's amazing how many memories we have in this place. So, you could see why we are the "Disney people". It feels like home to us. No matter where we travel, we always say...it would be better to be in Disney World.

So, we are going back in a couple weeks...again. Yes, we are crazy. Yes, you might call us obsessed. But, it is just "our" place. And I can't WAIT to go back!!

Engagement trip. Beautiful skies after the hurricane left :)

One of the "married" trips.

Christmas at Disney with the Bowens.

The Bowen "kids"...before kids :)
Technically Charlie's first trip...15 weeks pregnant.

Charlie's actual first trip...which was also my family's (Dickenson) first trip.

Our customary photo at our engagement spot.

First flight.
Another reason we love this place. At one of the resturants the manager brought all of us hats and brought in characters to celebrate with us. We were celebrating: my parent's 30th anniversary, Amy/Shane's birthday, Kristin's graduation and everyone (except Trey, me, and Melaina's) first trip. It was awesome!!
Charlie's first haircut, on his 2nd trip.

Our customary photo at our engagement spot.

Obviously I don't have pictures of EVERY trip, but that is what I could find :)

PS - If you happen to be planning a trip, let me know, we have lots of info./spreadsheets, etc. to help planning :)