John

• Director of Wealth Management at Principal Financial Group
• First trip to the Rose Bowl
• Played softball league for church
• Led church league in homeruns
• Played softball in coed Ed league
• High ankle sprain sliding into third base, sad realization he’s not young anymore

Audra

• Crandell Family President
• First trip to the Rose Bowl and California
• Wine trip to Traverse City with friends
• Finished 2 year term on MAPS board
• 1st grade Catechist at St. Sebastian
• Girl Scout Troop 4663 Daisy Leader
• Volunteer (kindergarten and 3rd grade, Hand2hand, Reading Counts)

Cooper

• Resident Noise Engineer
• Played Upward basketball
• Eye surgery at Helen DeVos
• Lost his FIRST (and second) tooth
• Received his First Eucharist
• Turned 8!
• Played AYSO soccer
• Played Coach pitch minor for Byron Township
• Ran a mile for Dynamite Dawgs
• Started piano lessons (Has been practicing Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger and We Wish You a Merry Christmas)
• A summer of sleepovers
• Started 3rd grade
• Loves math!
• Saw the ocean for the 1st time

Bella

• Director of Coloring
• Turned 5!
• Read 1,000 books before Kindergarten
• Saw her first ballet, Snow White
• Peppa Pig Live!
• Performed on stage at her dance recital without any tears
• Became a Girl Scout Daisy
• Played T-ball
• Got ears pierced
• Jumped off the diving board
• Started kindergarten
• Learning to read
• Saw the ocean for the 1st time!!

Family

• First trip to Science and Industry Museum in Chicago
• Camp Fort Hill trip
• Strawberry picking
• Blueberry picking
• Honey Creek Resort in Lake Rathbun, IA
• Adventureland
• Tons of swimming at the Thornton’s pool
• Whitecaps game
• Fredrick Miejer Garden
• Discovery center
• Jester’s Court
• Hiking
• Beach days
• Bike rides
• Boulder Ridge Zoo
• Started the Harry Potter series
• Enjoyed the Summer Olympics
• Disney World
• Disney cruise to Bahamas and Castaway Cay
• 5+ trips to Iowa to visit our family

Looking forward to the adventures that await us in 2017!!

*Side note- I wrote this when we were Disney over a month ago and it never got published. Better late than never!

Eating breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table might just be the best thing at Disney! You arrive at the park early to beat the crowds in but most importantly, you get to meet Cinderella and many of her friends. Bella twirled in her dress for Cinderella and got her autograph of course.

   
 
The pastries and food were fantastic, but that was not the focus. The castle is breathtaking. 

   
    
    
    
    
    
 
Aurora had Cooper giggling and hiding under his chair- he will remember this breakfast for sure. 

Character meet and greets at Magic Kingdom. Bella had three different outfit changes throughout the day, she would have brought every princess dress she owned but we limited it to two (Mom or Dad had to carry the oversized backpack all day). 

John was unimpressed with the character meet and greets but this little one- LOVED THEM!!! 

Elsa and Anna are only at Epcot 😔

   
    
   
What happens when you wear princess costumes at Disney? Disney employees will tell you as they are walking by, “Hi, princess!” The BEST was when we were at Disney Springs and a garbage man stopped his cart, and bowed to Bella. He said, “your majesty.” Then Bella curtsied, she will never forget it. Disney knows excellent costumer service! I am secretly wishing I could work here 😉

  
Bella’s reaction to seeing the castle for the first time. 💗 

Family and friends- if you haven’t gone to Disney yet and have been wanting to- BOOK IT NOW!!  John and I booked this trip 13 months ago because we knew it would be something that we would continue to say, we need to go. Yes, it is expensive but book early and make a payment plan. These looks, smiles, head on your shoulder at the end of the night on the bus ride home because you are so exhausted moments are ones that will never be forgotten. 😢