Princesses on Parade

We went to Disney on Ice's "Dare to Dream" tour this morning. It was a BIG deal.

I heard about the event Thursday night and immediately felt like I should take Eliza. I also knew my adorable niece, Ellie, would have a wonderful time. I had to take them both! 18 years ago, my mother took me to see Beauty and the Beast on Ice, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite childhood memories. I still remember getting a pink torch that lit up as a souvenir and feeling incredibly happy and grateful that my mom would spend her Saturday taking me to see such a wonderful show. I looked up tickets and saw that several good seats were still available. The time didn't conflict with my work schedule and the tickets were only $15.00. Perfect, right?

I began to order tickets and saw that each purchase had an additional $7.50 added due to processing and handling. I then began to add up gas (an hour to and from Kennewick) and felt like maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Nathan and I have a pretty strict budget these days, and I couldn't justify spending nearly $80.00 for two hours of fun. I talked to Nathan, and he agreed that it would be best not to go.

After making the decision, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't sleep. I got out of bed and talked to Nathan. He admitted that he also felt like we should spend the money. Eliza may not love princesses forever, and it would be worth the costs. He even said, "Spend whatever you need to in order to make sure those girls have the best time." I love that man. I bought the tickets, and Nathan also agreed that saying "yes" felt a lot better than saying "no." Cheryl, my wonderful and amazing mother-in-law, talked to me first thing the next morning and told me she wanted to treat the her little princesses to the show. Their tickets would be her gift. Yes, I am lucky to have such a loving second mom. I about burst into tears when she made the offer, and I was reminded that God really does take notice of even the most trivial things. I was also reminded (for the millionth time) how considerate Cheryl is.

Everything went perfectly this morning. We managed to get to the show fifteen minutes early with two perfectly dressed princesses.

Our seats were perfect. I liked how they were high enough so we could see everything, right at the rail so the girls could lean against it, and facing the show (rather than being on the side).

Eliza and Ellie were in a trance as they watched Tiana's story, which was followed by Cinderella.

The real finale, though, was Tangled. Eliza is obsessed with the movie, so she was in heaven as soon as Flynn Ryder came out. He and Rapunzel then did a number of acrobatic tricks while flying in the air on Rapunzel's long hair. I tried to capture the girls' looks of astonishment, but it was just too dark.

The show ended with the floating lights coming down around us and all the Disney princesses saying goodbye. I have never seen so many happy little girls in my life.

For some reason, I was overly emotional during the entire performance. Maybe it was a combination of nostalgia and realizing how much my own mother must have loved me/still loves me and feeling like my child is really growing up. It could have been just the thought that there is so much joy in absolute innocence and girlish dreams. It also may have been related to the feelings of gratitude I have for such loving in-laws and a husband who gladly watched the twins without any complaints. And maybe, I just really like Disney on Ice and seeing two of my favorite girls happy. Whatever the reason, I am glad we went.

Of course, any day would not have been complete without a souvenir. I thought about this beforehand and knew I didn't want to pay $30.00 for a t-shirt or $20.00 for a plush doll (yes, these are actual prices). I went to Walmart looking for some cheap princess items and decided to go to the toy aisle and see if anything was on sale. I go to Walmart several times a week (it's the only store we have in town to get anything whatsoever), and I have found some outrageously good deals on Walmart clearance. For the past two months, I have checked the princess dresses. I managed to get a Rapunzel dress (for Eliza's Christmas) for only $6.00, so I do know a sale is possible. As luck would have it, the Aurora dresses were on sale--the dress Eliza has been wanting for months. There were two left and they were $5.50 rather than $19.99. Success! Additionally, princess cups were 87 cents. You can't beat those prices.

After the show, Eliza and Ellie opened up their gifts.

They were obviously pretty happy.

It was a very good day, and I am just overwhelmed with all of the tiny things God does in order to show his children that He loves them. I know that may sound ridiculous to some, but it is so uplifting to have even the smallest prayers answered.