I went to Orlando the week before Easter for a conference for work and planned ahead for a long weekend for Sean, Harrison and Daniela to come down. We rented a townhouse off Disney property (so affordable by comparison) that had a beautiful patio with hot tub and lake views, and a big pool, waterslides, etc. on the property. A relaxing Florida weekend in the spring and an opportunity to see our Florida friends and family. Of course, it rained the first night and was too cold to swim the next day (ugh), but the weather was still great for getting out and about. A few pics of the Boardwalk Inn I stayed at during the week that was walking distance to the conference. Everything at Disney is contrived so while it definitely in no way feels authentic, it’s still very pretty and well done.

Our townhome – it was so nice! 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, big patio with lots of furniture, nice kitchen, hot tub – perfect for our family and to have our friends come visit. The first night Sean’s mom and John came in from Melbourne, and Sean’s beat friend Steve drove down from the north part of Orlando. We all played with Harrison and then had dinner together after he went to sleep. It was really nice for us all to be together.  <3

I had really, really wanted to have a weekend being lazy by the pool and enjoying that aspect of Florida but the high the next day was only 73 degrees and with the strong breeze it was almost chilly in the morning. We decided to head out to Disney Springs and walk around. It was way more commercial than I was expecting – a bit outdoor mall area rather than the shady streets, cafes, outdoor musical performances I had envisioned. We had fun all the same and had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe – a total throwback to my childhood as we had one in our mall and we loved going.

Harrison was a dream baby the whole day. He even took a little nap during lunch. We took some photo ops with various Disney things and around the area before heading back to the townhome to give Harrison a proper nap. We got in the hot tub while he slept and then got ready for our date night!

Daniela had the whole weekend off except Saturday night when she worked from 6pm until 11pm so we could go out. We went for dinner at a favorite sushi spot called Amura (you may remember I had a birthday at the one in Atlanta years ago before it closed) and enjoyed the unique and delicious Rolls Royce roll and a sushi boat with some sake.

We then went to dualing piano bar Howl at the Moon. It was busy and loud, and took me a few minutes to adjust (I just don’t go to places like that anymore) but I got into it and Sean and I were singing along while sipping our various “punch bowls.” All in all, a very fun and very “Orlando” night out!

Easter Sunday, Harrison woke up earlier than normal and was very fussy. Sean and I were pretty tired from our night out and bedtime after midnight. We knew Harrison was also likely tired from a busy day the day before and not much napping. Luckily, he was ready early for his first nap and when he woke up almost two hours later, was his normal, pleasant self again. Whew! 

Kathy came over from Melbourne around 11am and after we fed Harrison, we all walked to Old Towne, as little area with old-timey buildings, touristy shops, and restaurants. We had sandwiches at the A&W, Sean went in a magic shop, and we poked around the General Store for awhile. Near Old Towne was a small amusement park with a pay-per-ride system so Kathy watched Harrison while Sean and I rode the wooden roller coaster together – our first roller coaster together.

In the afternoon, we went to the pool. Kathy stayed with Harrison while he napped so Sean and I could swim and go on the waterslides (SO FUN!), then she and Steve brought Harrison over and he got in the water. He was perfectly chill and seemed to really like it. 

Sean’s stepmom Barb drove over from Dade City and then John arrived later from Melbourne and we all had Easter dinner together. It was so, so nice. Barb and Kathy got gifts for Daniela which was so sweet. And Daniela had a couple of friends come meet her in Orlando so she was gone most of the time exploring – which we loved for her!

After everyone left (which I hated and wish we all lived closer to one another), Sean and I relaxed and watched Game of Thrones. 

The next morning, we decided to go home a different way so we could visit my grandma in Zephyrhills for a bit. We spent about an hour or so there and she was SO happy to see us and Harrison. My aunt Mary was there too and I absolutely loved that we made the time to see them on this visit. Harrison was super happy, giving them lots of smiles, laughs and coos – and letting grandma feed him his bottle. Priceless memories, truly.

All in all, a great way to end a work week in Orlando! Can’t wait to see these guys again soon.