Chris and I have spent the last week in Florida... Leaving tomorrow (Wednesday, August 18, 2010) for much cooler weather in Chicago! We keep saying we are not going to travel to FL in the Summer but it seems like the past few years we HAD no choice... Brittany's Wedding in 2008, Fourth of July Weekend in 2009, and Star Wars Celebration 5 in 2010. NOTHING IN 2011... LOL!
Our first day here we were able to spend time with our Nephew Caleb, Brittany, and his parents. It was so great to play with him. We haven't seen him since our Wedding and he has gotten so BIG! Running around now and starting to talk! Babies sure do grow up so fast! Below is a photo of Chris and our Nephew Caleb... He was getting ready to eat a snack!
Our stay there was short... We headed to my Dad's the next day to stay there for a night. He lives about half way in-between Chris' parents in Clearwater and our main destination in Orlando. He grilled out for us... We had steaks, salad, and broccoli. It was delicious. We wish we had more time to visit family on this trip but we are planning to come back in November or December for our Baby Shower! That trip will be dedicated just to our family.
STAR WARS CELEBRATION 5
WOW... It is really hard to explain the experience of volunteering for such an incredible celebration. Over the years, Chris has been volunteering for Official Pix, which is a company that brings in the Star Wars Celebrities. He has worked his way up to Floor Manager. I had the opportunity to meet everyone in April and they asked me to volunteer. I was excited and felt blessed that Chris and I were able to experience this together.
Chris is a HUGE Star Wars FAN! I have to admit... I never watched Star Wars until after I met Chris. I enjoyed it very much and now I am a fan. It is fun for us to get excited about things together. It is the little things in life that are the most amazing. Below, I tried to re-cap the 4-Day Celebration. And, of course, added some photos! Enjoy!
DAY ONE: Thursday, August 12, 2010 was the FIRST DAY of Star Wars Celebration 5. Chris was like a kid in a candy store. To see him so happy, excited, and passionate about Star Wars brought joy to me. The first time we walked into the Convention Center, I was like, "WOW!" I had never seen so much Star Wars stuff in my life. The place was filled with everything Star Wars you could think of. It was pretty cool! We both volunteered on Thursday. I got to sit with Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and collect tickets. It was great to be able to sit down since I am pregnant and being on my feet all day wasn't the idea of fun to me. Chris was around the same area as me, managing everything. He did such a wonderful job. The day went by very fast... We were in bed early that night!
DAY TWO: Friday, August 13, 2010 was the SECOND DAY of Star Wars Celebration 5. Chris volunteered on Friday and I did not. It was a busy day for Chris... Being on your feet for that many hours is exhausting, even when you are not pregnant! I ended up going to the Convention Center early because our hotel room was a bad area for Internet and cell phone service. I got some work done that day and the most important part was seeing Chris in-action. It made me smile to see Chris working with all the Star Wars Celebrities. There was definitely A LOT more people there on Friday. Great day! We ended up in bed early again!
DAY THREE: Saturday, August 14, 2010 was the THIRD DAY of Star Wars Celebration 5. And, a very important one. We got up at 6 AM to get tickets for the George Lucas and Jon Stewart Event. We got into the digital room, which is not the main hall BUT it was still an experience of a lifetime.
The best part about the MAIN EVENT was Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) coming out on stage! It actually gave me goosebumps! Being there with my Husband was more than I could ever ask for... It is so hard to explain but an amazing moment. This is something we will cherish for a lifetime... Maybe next time we will be able to meet George Lucas in-person!
The rest of Saturday, Chris spent touring all the exhibitors at the Convention Center. I decided it was time for me and Baby to take a nap. I went back Saturday evening to pick up Chris. His feet definitely were hurting after spending a full day since 6 AM on his feet. OMG! I almost forgot... We got a photo with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). That was a present from my Dad for Chris' birthday. Chris wore a long-sleeve shirt that his parents got him for his birthday... He said World's Best Dad with Darth Vader. I wore a shirt that said Future Jedi Coming Soon! It is an awesome photo! I am hoping we will be able to get a digital copy so that we can post it for friends and family to see! Below are some more photos of Saturday. I will post most of them on FaceBook.
Chris and Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars
Me and Ohsaka from The Clone Wars
Chris and I with Jabba the Hut
Chris and I with R2D2 in One of the Many Exhibits
Chris with a Storm Trooper and Darth Vader (His Shirt Says World's Best Dad with Darth Vader)
Chris and I with the Carrie Fisher Poster
The rest of our time in FL is going to be spent with Chris' family... His birthday is Friday, August 20, 2010 so we are taking him to dinner tonight. It was a GREAT VACATION but looking forward to heading back to Chicago. We get to hear our Baby's Heart Beat on Thursday, August 19, 2010. BE SURE TO CHECK BACK FOR ANOTHER UPDATE!
