My Review of "The Shack" -- Part 2

PLEASE READ PART 1 BELOW FIRST. I just couldn't go to bed without posting Part 2 tonight also.

Now to take each member of the Trinity separately, I must give you another description of "Elousia" (a.k.a. "Papa", God) from the book.

Mack followed her soft humming down a short hallway and into an open kitchen-dining area, complete with a small four-seat table and wicker-backed chairs. The inside of the cabin was roomier than he had expected. Papa was working on something with her back to him, flour flying as she swayed to the music of whatever she was listening to. The song obviously came to an end, marked by a couple of last shoulder and hip shakes. Turning to face him, she took off the earphones (pg. 90).

Let me first say, GOD IS NOT A WOMAN!!! We do not know the face of God but the Bible clearly refers to God with the male pronoun and so it seems sacrilegious to envision God as a woman while reading this book. Also, no where in the Bible does God appear to anyone in such cavalier a manner.

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." (Exodus 3:4-5)

In the year that King Ussiah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs (angels), each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me! I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 6:1-5)

God is holy. We should be fearful if we allow our perception of Him to be anything other.

Now, I shall discuss Young's portrayal of Jesus. Young has Jesus stumbling around in his humanness, just hanging around this shack drying dishes with Mack (pg. 108) after creating a mess in the kitchen.

Mack was shocked at the scene in front of him. It appeared that Jesus had dropped a large bowl of some sort of batter or sauce on the floor, and it was everywhere. It must have landed close to Papa (God) because the lower portion of her (!!!) skirt and bare feet were covered in the gooey mess (pg. 104). (My God does not have gooey mess on HIS feet!)

At one point in the book, Mack and Jesus are laying on a dock, looking up at the stars. Mack says he feels closer to Jesus than to Elousia or Sarayu.

Jesus chuckled in the dark. "Since I am human we have much in common to begin with" (pg. 110).

Jesus was born to Mary in the stable, being fully man and fully God. However after fulfilling His Father's plan to die as our redemptive sacrifice, He rose again and ascended to Heaven, being fully reinstated in His glorious preincarnate state. Jesus is no longer human.

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

Jesus is my Savior and Lord. I cannot wait to meet Him face to face one day and see Him in all of His radiance.

Finally, the Holy Spirit character Sarayu did or said nothing of which I will quote, but the disturbing part comes from Young's own comments during another interview. He was looking for a name for this character and was on a business phonecall with a woman from India. Here's what he said.

"I was looking for a name for the Holy Spirit so I asked her, Can you give me words in Hindi for the wind? And you know by the way, this is why I'm a closet Hindu now."

I'm not sure if he was joking or not, but it disturbed me either way. He also made a side joke about "another kind of wind", refering to passing gas. So juvenile and uncalled for during an interview to promote a book "starring" the Trinity.

Our pastor did a great study on world religions this past summer. He said to determine the validity of something, you should examine its creator. Young did not impress me during that video and I'm still shocked how so many people are buying into this book.

I pray my comments will cause you to think twice before reading this book. It honestly began to get in my head and I would think about things in a way as to how "The Shack" would lead my decision over the wisdom of the Bible. I only was reading this book for four days, but during that time, I had no desire to pick up my Bible. Scary, very scary. For someone like me who deeply desires to study the Word of God to get to that point, it terrifies me to think of the people who have only surface knowledge of the Bible (or none at all!!) and are living their lives based on teachings from "The Shack".

Click here to read a likeminded review by Chuck Colson.

My Review of "The Shack" by William P. Young -- Part 1

This book should be wrapped in yellow caution tape reading "KEEP OUT". I rarely feel led to write a negative review of something. However, this is not just a case in which I disliked a book, but I truly believe this book to be deceptive and dangerous. Let me give you the premise of "The Shack" before I give you my reasoning for classifying it as such.

"The Shack", marketed as a Christian novel, is the story of Mack. He takes his three children on a camping trip and on the morning they are to leave to head home, his 6-year-old daughter is abducted. After searching for days, his daughter's bloody, torn dress is found in an abandoned shack deep in the woods of Oregon (maybe Washington, I can't remember). Four years later, Mack receives a note in his mailbox reading, "Mackenzie, It's been a while. I've missed you. I'll be at the shack next weekend if you want to get together. Papa" (pg. 16). "Papa" is his wife's affectionate name for God so he wonders if it is really God inviting him back to the shack. Mack does go and is greeted by three "people". Elousia is "a large beaming African-American woman" (pg. 82), otherwise known as God. Jesus is a man "dressed like a laborer, complete with tool belt and gloves. ...wearing jeans covered in wood dust and a plaid shirt with sleeves rolled just above the elbows" (pg. 84). Sarayu is "a small, distinctively Asian woman ... [who] seemed almost to shimmer in the light and her hair blew in all directions even though there was hardly a breeze" (pg. 84), otherwise known as the Holy Spirit. The next few chapters cover the conversations between these four "characters".

This is all I know about the book because that's where I closed it. With humility, I say I do have a good amount of Biblical knowledge as I've been attending Bible studies for 10 years and even more importantly I recognize the Bible as God's Holy Word which He speaks to us through and provides direction and insight. "The Shack" very clearly contradicts the Bible on many points and therefore it must be seen as blasphemous.

Just to clarify, "The Shack" may appear to be a metaphorical story as the author states in an interview, but the man has chosen God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to be main characters in his book. No one can write a book about another person without risking slander charges, and in this case, it is not just random people but Almighty God. Here is the line from the book when you clearly see that it is God he is writing about and not just comparing his characters to God.

He knew his mind was rambling, so he focused on the question he most wanted answered. 'Then,' Mack struggled to ask, 'which one of you is God?' 'I am,' said all three in unison (pg. 87).

That statement is as close as "The Shack" comes to quoting Scripture. There is not one Bible verse included in this book. The answer, "I am", refers to the way God revealed Himself to people in the Bible.

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:13-14)

Another thing that puzzled me is how Young's Foreword leads the reader to believe Mack's encounter with God to be a true story. And the concluding After Words section does likewise. In the interview, Young clearly says "The Shack" was a story he wrote for his children, but the typed word appears differently.

...I would not be too suprised, in spite of our concerted effort toward accuracy, if some factual errors and faulty remembrances are reflected in these pages. They are not intentional. I can promise you that the conversations and events are recorded as truthfully as Mack can remember them, so please try and cut him a little slack (pg. 13).

I'm posting this review in chunks as I didn't meant to write a dissertation but it's starting to look that way.

The book just has so greatly troubled me mainly because mainstream Christianity is embracing it whole-heartedly!! Our local Christian book store devoted an entire wall to promoting it.

When thinking of writing this review, God brought these verses to me which honestly ran a chill down my spine.

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with their stories they have made up. ... Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. (2 Peter 2:2-3,10-12)

No Surgery for Jessie!!

Jessie's x-ray this morning showed some signs of improvement in her intestines. She is not having surgery today. Thank you, Jesus, for answering our prayers!! I just spoke to her and she said they put some kind of fluid in her stomach and are doing a CAT scan soon to see what's going on in there. She couldn't talk long as she was awaiting more morphine and the tube down her throat makes it uncomfortable to talk. Just keep praying for a fast recovery and renewed strength.

Update about Jessie

I visited Jessie and her mom this evening in the hospital. Jessie really looks good for all she's going through. She is in a good bit of pain still and very nauseous from the air building up in her stomach and intestines. Please pray especially now for her x-ray tomorrow which will be around 8:00am. If the blockage doesn't look like it's beginning to pass, her surgeon said he would like to do exploratory surgery tomorrow afternoon. Jessie's mom said she really hopes that they will reconsider and give her body a few more days as she has had several blockages over the years and all have gone away without surgery in five days or so. Thanks on behalf of her family for all the prayers. She did say her husband is doing a really good job keeping the kids on a normal schedule. Her daughter Jaina is a little worried but her son Jayce just keeps saying, "Mommy is at the doctor."

Please Pray for Jessie

My friend Jessie is in the hospital with intestinal blockages. She and I became friends several years ago when she lived across the street. She and her family moved across town but we still stay in touch (mainly through commenting on each other's blogs; she's listed on my side bar, Keeping It Together).

Jessie was born with twisted intestines and so occasionally it will cause a blockage. She went to the ER on Sunday with severe abdominal pain. She is still experiencing nauseaus and pain (they're giving her morphine). Please pray that the blockage will work itself out as she is not eating anything right now. Her mom said Jessie will not be leaving the hospital until all pain is gone, she can handle liquids first and then solid food, and goes to the bathroom.

My heart breaks for her as she is in the same shape my Mom was after having surgery to remove her colon cancer. And Jessie has her two young kids to worry about on top of all that. I know her family will appreciate any prayers, especially that God will clear the blockage so her hospital stay will not be very long.

A Day at the Fair

Saturday, Oct. 11, we headed down to Columbia for the SC State Fair. I have always loved fairs, but had only heard stories of how great the State Fair was from Matthew's cousins. We decided to go this year knowing Philip would love the rides and plus we'd get to see Matthew's cousin Paul and his wife Kellie who live out of town from us. We caravaned down following Matthew's Aunt Elise, cousin Mollie and her husband Michael. We met Paul and Kellie just before getting to the fairgrounds. Matthew's Uncle Arden actually works at the fair every year (takes his two week vacation from his "day" job to work his "dream" job) and we met his as he showed us to our parking spot in the workers' lot (i.e. free parking and free admission!!). He's been working the fair for 50 years and is good friends with the man in charge of all food vendors for the fair (i.e. free food for us!!).

It was really a wonderful day and the kids held up really well for being there from 10:30am until 5:30pm. We rode at least a dozen things (some might think rides are expensive but since everything else was free, we splurged!!), ate yummy food to our heart's content, enjoyed the exhibit hall, and spent really good quality time with our loving family. We might just have to think about doing this every year. And I also believe I might just have broken my addiction to tacky fair games and prizes. With the kids, there is already WAY too much just in this house as it is!!

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What's up with us!

October has been a good month for us. Here's the rundown on how we are doing...

Braewyn is now 17 months (18 months on Nov. 2) and so much fun. She is running around, smiling, chasing Philip and always looking for her baby doll and blankie (it's big like the kid Linus had in the Charlie Brown cartoon so always dirty from dragging on the ground). She is not talking much yet (we'll discuss that at her next check-up) but is the queen of gestures so she is fully able to get her point across. I guess if I didn't get her what she wanted so much after following her grunting and handpointing, she might be speaking more by now. The kid has a smart, smart brain so I'm not really worried about her. For instance, she mastered sign language for "please" (wiping her hand across her chest) and tries to use it to get more candy, out of her bed, and to go outside. Well, I asked her to say please with her mouth and she WIPES HER HAND ACROSS HER TONGUE!!! Smartie pants! Also she's working on getting her fangs. Braewyn cut the top and bottom front four teeth and then her one-year molars came in leaving a gap on each side (here's a pic). Finally her gaps are filling in as the "fangs" are finally cutting through!



Philip is closing in on turning 4 (his birthday is Jan. 22) and is a superhero through and through. He has the best imagination and always wants to play Batman, Spiderman or Iron Man. He has Batman toys (two figures that ride a Batmobile and some smaller ones from Happy Meals) which me play make-believe with his Fisher Price barn and animals. Some how Batman picked up a side kid in the little calf which came with our F.P. Nativity set; his name is Pup Cow. Batman and Pup Cow are always off to save the day as someone is often trapped in a castle somewhere. Then there's the Spiderman suit which is still worn at least everyother day with various accessories. The newest superhero we're focusing on is Buzz Lightyear! He had Buzz shoes a while back which started the attraction. I'm still not sure if he's seen "Toy Story" (the Disney movie in which Buzz appears) because he said he watched part of it at Hayden's house. I think I'll rent it this week as Friday Philip becomes Buzz for Halloween. When we went to Disney World, I told him he could get one gift. A Buzz suit is what he chose. For $42, it seems like a lot, but my money is banked on it being worn at least every other day for the next year. Here he is with a playdough mask made by Daddy. It's Incredible Kid (i.e. he looks like Dash from "The Incredibles".)



Matthew is continuing to enjoy his job as a Lotus Notes computer programmer. He's been with the same company for 10 years now! Hard to believe. They've begun a great new health program for their employees to help them get in shape. First, they passed our pedometers and encouraged the employees to walk 10,000 steps each day for three months. Whoever completes this assignment receives a gift card to a sports store. Matthew is going above and should hit 1,000,000 steps by the end of this month (the goal was only 770,000). The man is taking walks any chance he has and it's paying off. Matthew has lost 13 pounds since August 1. The second part of the company's health incentive involves losing a certain amount of weight in 6 months time and receiving $500 for doing so! Money talks and I'm sure Matthew will make his 20 pound goal by January. He has also completed a third wood-working project and has started another one. The one he just finished was our beautiful new entertainment center. He created it from scratch and made it to house all our entertainment equipment and DVDs. It's just beautiful. Thanks, sweetie, for all your hard work.





And as for me, our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meetings have begun again this fall and with them, my new position of Discussion Group Team Leader. All the women are assigned to tables so they can get to know a select group of women instead of randomly sitting at different places each meeting. At each table there is a discussion leader (or as we call them Table Shepherds) who makes the women feel welcome, keeps in touch with them as far as what's going on, and leads the discussion time at the end of each meeting. Therefore, it is my job to be an encourager to the Table Shepherds, make sure they know what is going on, and to provide the questions they discuss during discussion time. This last meeting I also introduced our two speakers. I'm not generally one to volunteer to speak before a group but I've reached a point in life where I'm ready to say I want God to grow me out of my comfort zone to serve Him in whatever way He sees fit. I also lead our Table Shepherd meetings (the 2nd Tuesday of each month). On Oct. 14, we had our first one. I was so nervous to the point of feeling sick. I'm just not a leader by nature, but as always, through trying to make things perfect and perform on my own abilities, God humbled me and helped me remember that I should be all things for Him and through His power in me. Now that I've learned that, I'm really excited about our next meeting in a few weeks.



As a group (there are 8 Table Shepherds and me), we are reading through "A Wife After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George with the study guide. After a close friend almost got divorced last summer, strengthening the marriages of myself and these ladies was a burden on my heart. Our first discussion was very good and I was excited to know that the ladies felt comfortable in our group to really share what was in their hearts. I know doing this study will bring us closer to one another and to God.



The second thing I've added to my life recently is running. It's slow going but my goal is to keep at it (i.e. push the kids in the double stroller three days a week while I run/walk and run by myself another three days a week) so as to prepare to run in the 10K Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC in April 2009. I'm going with group of 5 or 6 girls so that makes the idea even that much more fun.

That's about all for now. Just loving each other and trying daily to be good representations of the Lord for our kids so that they might grow to love Him themselves one day.

Florida - Part 3

I didn't mean to wait this long to pick up on the continuing saga of recapping our trip to Florida, but that's beside the point now. Anyhow, after spending a day at Disney World, I drove the kids and I to my Grandma Allen's house on the Gulf side of Florida (about 2 hour drive). The GPS device I had borrowed from Mollie worked like a charm and I really wasn't nervous at all. We arrived around 1:30pm on Tuesday, Sept. 23. It was so nice seeing where my Grandma lives as I had never visited her since she moved to Florida 3 or 4 years ago (she and Grandpa had come up to visit us when Philip was 7 months old and I saw her and Aunt Maureen last summer as they drove through on their way to NY).

Our visit was so nice as I talked with Grandma and Aunt Maureen about my Grandpa (he passed away in December of 2006) and how things were when my dad was a boy. Grandma had pulled her back a few days before we arrived so she stayed close to home. Aunt Maureen took the kids and I to see the local sights. We were thrilled to have a few hours at a beach included in our trip! What a night surprise. Also, Philip had been randomly mentioning wanting to visit a zoo and the Homosassa Wildlife Preserve fit the bill quite nicely. Aunt Maureen was so gracious to provide these fieldtrips and love us despite a few tantrums along the way. She and Grandma both made us feel so at home.

On Friday, Sept. 26, Philip stayed with Grandma and Aunt Maureen as they were taking him to a playground. I left with Braewyn around 9:00am to drive back to Orlando to pick up Mom and Dad from Disney World. I spoke too soon praising that GPS device because it took me on a whole different way back and I literally entered the back gate of Disney World; I passed the truck unloading area where all deliveries come!!! It was nice seeing the All-Star Resort again for 3 minutes (another tease of Disney; I will go back one day!) and then we were off, driving back to Grandma's and traveling yet a THIRD way based on the GPS device. CRAZY THING!!

Friday night we had a great cook-out at Aunt Maureen's house. Mom and Dad got to meet Duncan whom the kids and I had seen throughout the week. He lives behind my Grandma and helps her out with things since she lives alone. He and Philip even talked super heroes one afternoon.

Saturday morning came, we packed up, ate lunch at McDonald's and said our goodbyes. I pray to be able to visit again. They will definitely be a sidetrip the next time I visit Disney, but Lord-willing we'll see them before then as I'm swearing off Disney for another five years (remember no diapers and no naps!).

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(Thanks, Sherri, for the idea to use this type of slideshow. To read my captions, just move the mouse cursor over each picture as they scroll by.)

Life Chain 2008

This past Sunday, Mom and I participated for the second year in Spartanburg's Life Chain. This is a national event held the first Sunday in October each year. People across the country line designated streets in their cities to participate in a silent petition against abortion. My mom has been involved in Pro-Life events for as long as I can remember. I have always thought abortion to be wrong as well, but since having my two children and going through the process of being pregnant, I am becoming more convinced that I should do my part in helping others understand why it is wrong too.
Those in favor of abortion simply focus on the emotional and/or financial status of the mother. They are entirely forgetting that abortion involves TWO people: the mother and the unborn baby. If you do not recognize the baby as a separate human being, help me to understand why this country will convict a person on TWO counts of murder for killing a pregnant woman. When a woman is just ten weeks along, the unborn baby is completely formed. Mom heard a nurse speak on the radio about this who once worked in an abortion clinic. She said after the abortion was performed, she had to examine the tray to make sure there were two arms, two legs, a body and a head. That sounds like a person to me. Please forgive me if this is too graphic, but the truth must be known.


I would be thrilled to see the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling be overturned during my lifetime. This law made abortion legal in 1973. That was two years before I was born. Mom could have killed me if she wanted to. At one time, I thought abortion is too main stream a concept to ever be illegalized. That was until I saw the movie, "Amazing Grace." It is the true story of William Wilberforce who lived in England from 1759 - 1833. He served in the British Parliament and fought for 20 years to have the slave trade outlawed in England. He died just three days after slavery as a whole was outlawed in his country.

Abortion has been legal for only 35 years in this country. Slavery had been in England for many more years than that. If people can come to understand slavery as being wrong when it was a huge financial asset, I pray people would come to understand the barbaric nature of abortion and outlaw it also.

Everyone needs to go!

Last Saturday, Matthew and I went to see the movie, "Fireproof". And that explains this post's title... everyone needs to go! It is a really great movie, well-made, funny, sad at parts, and stars Kirk Cameron, yeah I had his posters all over my walls in 7th grade! More than all that this movie does a FANTASTIC job at explaining how important marriage is and why we should never give up but just work that much harder to make our marriages that much greater. There are edge-of-your-seat firefighter scenes, laugh-out-loud funny parts and even tear-at-your-heart and cry-happy-tears moments. If your marriage is in a rough spot, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! If your marriage has never been better than it is right now, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! If you're not married but can think back to how it was or praying to be so one day or just have a few hours to spend with a friend, GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!

Here's the movie's website containing the trailor. Watching it makes me want to go see it AGAIN!!! www.fireproofthemovie.com

And a bit of trivia... the movie was filmed in Albany, GA where my mom grew up and my grandparents still live!! If it had been made 9 years ago, I could have spent the summer with my grandparents, worked as a stage hand and gotten Kirk Cameron his coffee!!

Disney World -- Florida Trip, Part 2

The drive from Albany, GA to Orlando, FL on Sunday, Sept. 21 seemed to take forever. Both kids had crying moments, we had to make a few bathroom stops and we wasted a few minutes looking into discount Disney tickets to find out that it was related to viewing a timeshare (not gonna do it!).

Around 3:30pm, we finally drove onto the Disney World grounds and we were obviously all excited. The All Star Sports resort at which we stayed was incredible. So much to see and the designers were so imaginative in the layout and use of colors (you'll see in the last few pictures of the slideshow below). We quickly unloaded our stuff into our rooms (Mom and Dad in one, and me and the kids in another, two doors down).

Next we headed out to the bus pick-up area to ride over to Downtown Disney. This is a walk-thru shopping, eating complex which Matthew had been to before and recommended. It also has no entrance fee so it worked for me. We had to wait for 45 minutes to eat at Rainforest Cafe so we browsed a souvenir shop. Philip found many things he wanted but was reminded that he could only buy one thing while at Disney World so he should wait until we got to the Magic Kingdom the next day!

Dinner was great (despite we started eating at 7:50pm) and the restaurant's atmosphere was really fun. Very jungly (word?) and every 15 minutes or so there would be a thunderstorm inside (the lights would flicker as lightning, the thunder would rolls and the "animals" all started to roar). Braewyn liked it very much and Philip did after his tummy was full of pizza. We then looked in a few shops and the kids were very excited by a Buzz Lightyear statue and a HUGE Tinkertoy sculpture. Back to the bus where we almost all fell asleep!

When next morning arrived, we got dressed and headed down to the End Zone Food Court. I'm very excited to come again and get the Disney Meal Plan which Mom and Dad had. You have so many meals allotted for you and all you do is show your Park pass when you want to eat. So easy!! Me however, I spent $33 for breakfast for me and the kids. That did include buying 4 bananas and a poptart pack for the day's snacks and Philip a souvenir Mickey travel coffee mug.

Back to the bus pick-up heading to the Magic Kingdom. When we arrived, I remembered walking through that same entrance gate 18 years before. The place really makes you feel like a kid all over again and it's really good at overwhelming you at the same time. Our first objective was to find the Buzz Lightyear ride, but we got a little side-tracked watching a stage show in front of Cinderella's castle. A good side-track because Philip got to see IN PERSON Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Captain Hook, Peter Pan and a mean witch! Next stop Tomorrowland.

We spotted the Buzz ride, but first a potty break (next time I go to Disney, I'd prefer no one to be wearing diapers!). The lines really weren't that long so we rode Buzz, and then walked over to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. That's a cute audience interaction comedy show (the camera would focus on someone in the crowd and the monsters would ask them silly questions). Now it was around noon and the kids were getting cranky and our plan was falling apart.

Ice cream saved the day, followed by riding the very air-conditioned Pooh Bear ride and then experiencing the awesome 3D concert of Mickey's Philharmagic (highly recommending this event). By then it was around 2:00pm and I changed Braewyn's diaper behind a flowerpot outside of a restaurant! We thought we would head back to the hotel for a few hours and come back for dinner and fireworks. However...

We got into the huge Emporium giftshop near the front gate at 2:30pm. Mom went to find a bathroom so Dad pushed Philip around in an umbrella stroller and I pushed Braewyn around in a second umbrella stroller throughout this huge gift store. At 3:00pm, the skies opened and a heavy rainfall started which lasted an hour! Around 4:00pm, we decided to make a run for the buses. When I picked Braewyn up from the stroller, poop literally fell out of her little skirt and off to the bathroom we went.

Goodness! Finally back at the hotel by 5:00pm, all pretty wet. We made runs to the Food Court to pick up dinner and then I swam with the kids from 7:00-7:30pm. It was still dreary outside so after warming up and drying off, Mom, Dad and I decided to call it a day and head to bed (it was close to 9:00pm by this time).

Overall I wouldn't have traded our day at Disney for anything, however I did spend close to $70 for Philip to ride 4 rides, play in a water fountain park (we have a free one here), sleep in the stroller for an hour, but capture a PRECIOUS video of him speechless upon seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time ever. I'll try to post that soon. Braewyn was free so it didn't really matter how much or how little fun she had. I was glad to be there with both of them, but I REALLY look forward to going back with Matthew when the kids are at least 6 and 8 years old!!!

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