The Fitzgibbon Family: Hilton Head

Sean and I have always been Disney fans and wanted to pass the love of Disney onto our kids. We decided to join the DVC when I was pregnant with Aidan and have been able to take several trips. Last Memorial Day weekend we had tried to go to Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort but thought of it too late and couldn't get reservations. Sean promised me we would go this Memorial Day and it was really something I was looking forward to but we found out Sean was set to deploy. The date was sometime in July so we could still get our trip in but then the dates changed and he left end of April. One day I was thinking about and dreading the deployment and Sean said why don't you ask Megan and her family to go with you guys to Hilton Head I think it would be fun. I wasn't sure anyone would want to tag along with me on a trip but sure enough The Harkins' family jumped right on it and we planned our trip. We booked a two bedroom and were ready for adventure. Aidan was so excited that he would be going to the beach with his friends Ethan and Madeline and talked about it constantly. We arrived before our friends and were able to scope out the place a bit. Aidan and Riley made sure to check out every room and as many hammocks as possible. We were even surprised by Daddy with a little Disney magic in the room. He had called the resort and told them he was deployed to Iraq and wanted to have something special for the kids in the room. They told him not to worry about it just to call back and it would be taken care of. When we arrived in our room to balloons and a bag Aidan was so excited. He started jumping up and down saying "it's my birthday it's my birthday!" It really was a nice touch and made us feel more connected to Daddy. I asked Aidan who do you think sent that and without hesitation he said "Daddy." Thanks again Daddy the kids were so excited and the stuffed Mickey and Minnie are quickly becoming some of Riley's favorite toys.

The timing of our trip also happened to fall at the 1 month down mark. Last time Sean was deployed I had read that you should do something special to celebrate each passing month. This was a big celebration but the first month is tough and we made it. We enjoyed our time with friends and a family in Hilton Head. I had some opportunities to spend one on one time with both kids. Aidan and I spent some time just splashing in the ocean and another day riding his bike and exploring the resort. It was a very relaxing weekend and we look forward to future trips to Hilton Head Island where Daddy will join us in the fun.