We headed back to the Magic Kingdom around 6 p.m. The park would close at 7:00, but not for those who held tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! We re-entered the park and got our special bracelets, and then we saw the castle all lit up!! It was breathtaking!!
We then made the quick decision to head to Cosmic Ray's for dinner. I told them the food was good, and they were having a dance party tonight. The grads thought it was going to be a "lame" party, but went along anyway. When we got to CR, we heard the music and saw the dance party inside. The grads grabbed their meals and found a seat near the stage, we found seats further in the back. Melissa finished up first and headed toward the party. She came running back, and told me I had to come see....the grads were dancing to Gangnam Style and Nathan was dancing with CHIP & DALE. I couldn't get my camera ready in time to get a good picture, but it was a highlight of the trip! He was hugging Chip around the neck while they danced, and the DJ finally said "Don't choke the chipmunk please"...LOL
We then moved along to find a spot for the parade, the grads headed back to ride, guess what??? yep, Space Mountain! We found a great spot to watch the parde, which was amazing!!! Afterward, we headed to the hub, to meet up with the grads for the light show and Holiday Wishes.
Brandon, Mariah, & Marissa found us, but Scott and Nathan couldn't seem to tear themselves away from Space Mt. The light show was gorgeous!
and while I loved Holiday Wishes, I didn't love it as much as the regular Wishes show/fireworks which is my absolute favorite thing about Disney!
Nathan and Scott had viewed Wishes from another location, but at least they saw it. We all then met up to go meet the princesses. All five of the grads, especially the guys, loved this!!
"We are on our Senior Trip...and that's our MOMS"...:O)
I just noticed where the guys put their pins....BOYS! LOL
I don't know who flustered the boys more, Rapunzel or Flynn! LOL
After the meet and greet, we split up again. I had my own mission in mind: Find the Seven Dwarfs! I've never seen them in the parks, they only come out on special occasions, and hopefully, I'd finally catch up with them tonight. I had read that they hung out near Splash Mountain so we made our way over there, going through Adventure Land first. I had hoped we could all ride Pirate's of the Caribbean, but it was hard getting everyone together again. By now, Charlene, Marissa, and Mariah had headed back to the resort, so the rest of us tried to fit in a few more things before park closing at midnight. We did another meet & greet, this time with Jasmine, Aladdin, & Genie.
We rode Haunted Mansion, and then finally found the Seven Dwarfs!! Just as we got in line for our turn for pictures, my camera battery died!!!!! :O( One of the others got a picture, but I haven't copied it yet. Afterwards, the guys asked if we would ride Space Mountain with them. I was thrilled when Melissa and Jackie {reluctantly} agreed. The guys rode together in the front, the moms in back. I think I had forgotten how jerky and wild this ride is!! Melissa was as white as a sheet and a bit wobbly when we got off the ride. It was so much fun though, ending this magical day riding SM with our boys!! We got back to the resort around 1 a.m., exhausted, but excited to see what the next day in Disney would hold.
I hate it when I get in a rut, especially where money is concerned. While I have always tried to live on some type of budget and cut corners where I can, I often get in a go-with-the-flow state of mind and don't pay close enough attention (or in some cases, take the time) to see where all the money actually goes each month. I've been wanting to reevaluate things like satellite, phone, and internet service plans, but I would forget about it until the bills would come in again. January is the perfect month for getting things organized, and what a better place to start than your finances! 
