*Catch up: Our Disneyland Vacation

  This past May I went and visited my friend, Erin, in California.  While there she told me she's been waiting for a blog post on our Disneyland trip because she's dying to see some pictures.  So, Erin, this post is for you!
  We had our trip planned for the week before Thanksgiving in hopes that we'd get to see the Christmas decor there and also that it wouldn't be too busy.  We succeeded with both our goals, mostly.  It ended up being busier than we'd hoped, but it ended up being just fine.  Michael and I had booked the trip quite a few months before and we were so excited to break the news to our kids.  It was hard to keep a secret about the happiest place on earth! (Post of how we told them is located in November 2012 posts.)
  Our vacation began early on a Monday morning.  We wanted to leave around 4 in the morning, but it was almost 5:00 when we pulled out.  We figured the kids would sleep for a few hours of the drive.  They did end up falling asleep but not right away. They were both so excited!  We had invited Michael's dad to come with us and so he met us there since we wouldn't all fit in one car with all of our luggage. It was a lot of fun to have him with us and share in the memories.  I think the kids really liked having Grandpa Royal with them, too.

Landon was ready to be packed in the suitcase.

Here they are at 4:45 am ready to roll!

  I had taken Wyatt to my mom and dad's the night before.  I have to give a huge shout out to them for watching him because he got a pretty bad cold while we were gone and gave them a run for their money.  He was up in the night a lot and really sad.  My dad even came up to our house in the middle of the night to get some medicine for him.  Really, of all the times for him to get sick, it's just Murphy's Law.
  We stopped in Cedar City for some breakfast and then were on our way again.  We made a lunch break and a couple other potty breaks but made really good time to Cali.  With the time change I believe we pulled in to our hotel just after 4:00 p.m.  It was so exciting to finally be there!  Luckily there was a pool so the kids got to swim and keep busy since we wouldn't actually be going to Disneyland until the following day.  It wasn't super warm there but compared to Utah where we'd just come from it was very nice and felt so good.  We were the only ones in the pool because I'm sure everyone there thought it was too cold to swim, but not us folks from UT!
 

  Tuesday morning we were up bright and early to get ready and head in to the park for our big first day!  We were all so excited!  The whole week we were mesmerized by the tallness of the Christmas trees and how jam packed they were with ornaments.  Holy cow, it was a sight to see.  It got us in the Christmas spirit yet it was funny, it was so warm!  Once again, in UT we don't have warm Christmas's usually. 

  We spent our whole first day in Disneyland taking it all in.  I think the kids were in for a shock when they'd see characters and you couldn't just walk right up to them, you had to wait in line.  First off I waited in line to see Rapunzel and Flynn.  Once I got close, I just called Michael and he brought the kids over.  It worked out pretty smooth.  I love how the workers are so lively and in character.  They play the parts so well and really make it a great experience for the kids. 

  That night we were pretty much blown away by the awesome Christmas lights that lit up the night.  Sleeping Beauty's castle and also It's a Small World really were amazing. 

Kay did get to see her very favorite princess, Ariel, right as we walked in the park.

Waiting in line for our very first ride, Peter Pan.

The Carousel

Kids on the Tea Cups

Meeting Rapunzel and Flynn

Grandpa waiting with Landon while we rode The Matterhorn.

Landon LOVED meeting Belle.  In this pic he is showing where she kissed his forehead.  He was in heaven!

It's a Small World lights

  The first night we were able to see the Christmas Parade that they do.  It was one of the cutest parades we have every seen!  We had perfect seats on Main Street thanks to Grandpa Royal who saved them for us.  We really were spoiled with him helping us out with all those types of things.

Waiting for the parade to start

Look how cute these 2 are!

A Christmas Parade

Goofy and his son, Max

The Beast

Woody on some blocks

Santa

    We went to the Cheesecake Factory on the way back to our hotel that first night.  The kids completely CRASHED on the bench while we ate.  It was pretty hilarious!  They were worn out.

They slept great in their fold out bed together.



  On day 2 we hit the beach.  We found a great little spot that we had all to ourselves.  Kay and Landon loved digging in the sad and using their sand toys.  There really isn't anything in our city back home that's remotely like the beach so this was super fun for them.  Grandpa helped them build a neat sand castle and even though the water was kind of cold, Kayleigh was brave enough to venture out in it with Michael.  After spending about half a day there we did go back to Disneyland for the evening. 
  That night we rode Space Mountain which Landon wasn't too sure of but we got him to go on it a couple more times.  It's such a fun roller coaster, one of Michael's favorite rides.  The highlight of that night would for sure be when we got to meet Mickey and Minnie in their holiday attire.  They were standing right at the exit of Autopia and there was hardly a line to see them.  Landon was so excited to meet Mickey!

Seriously one of my favorite pictures from the beach

Excited to ride the train

I love this pic!

Tarzan's Tree House

  For days 3 and 4 we spent our time in California Adventure Park.  Here is where Kayleigh discovered that her favorite ride is California Screamin.  She loved it!  Landon was too short to ride so we did have to take turns riding it with her but the fast passes did come in handy.  There was a carousel right by California Screamin and Landon usually spent his time on that while we waited.  I think his favorite ride was probably Pirates of the Caribbean and the Cars ride.  He also liked the Toy Story rides. 

  It was really fun for the kids to meet Buzz and Woody, that was great.  We also met Donald, Flik and some of the cars from Cars while in California Adventure.

  Cars Land and the Cars ride literally blew us away.  It was so well created, you really felt like you were walking in Radiator Springs.  It was so neat!  The other big hit of California Adventure was the World of Color show.  Spectacular is the word that best describes it.  Pictures don't do it justice but we were able to see it both nights we were there and we're glad cause it's a highlight for sure.  We also saw the show Fantasmic and that was Kayleigh's favorite show.  It is also pretty cool. 

Ready to ride the Cars ride

The boys eatin popcorn

World of Color

Kids with their stuffed animals, they thought long and hard about which ones to get

Landon asleep in the stroller, glad we brought it

Landon trying on Grandpa's glasses

Ready for Toy Story Mania

On our last night, goodbye Disneyland!  It was sad to be leaving.

The kids fell asleep on our bus ride back to our car.

  We got the kids to ride Holleywood Tower of Terror which was so fun!  The kids both hated it and to this day talk about how it's so scary.  Landon was crying after he rode it.  I'm sure not many 2 year olds are tall enough to ride it.  Landon called it the "scary evabator ride".  We did bribe Kay to go on it one more time. 

  Disney Junior Live on Stage was a show we went to that was really fun for the kids to watch since they love Disney Junior and watch it pretty much every morning.  It consisted of Little Einstein's, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Handy Manny.  Luckily those 4 shows we like and watch. 

  It's nice that Disneyland isn't all just rides.  There is so much other entertainment that is fun to see and do.  We feel so blessed to have been able to take our kids when we did and have that experience.  They, of course, want to go back and hopefully we'll get to make it back  there someday. 

  Our drive home was quite nice and we made super good time, just under nine hours.  Thank goodness for car DVD players, it makes all the difference in traveling with kids.  It was fun to get home and see Wyatt, we sure had missed him.  Next time he'll come with us I'm sure.

  I know that was a very long post, but hey, lots of fun memories made and I had to document!  Thanks for reading!

 

Monsters U

  Last night we took the two oldest kids to see Monsters University.  Landon was sad we couldn't see it in 3D since last week we saw Despicable Me 2 in 3D.  (I know, two movies in two weeks, but that normally never happens.)I heard him tell Michael, "I wish we could wear sunglasses for the movie."
  I thought it was really cute!  Disney impressed once again.  Something I did really enjoy had nothing to so with the movie but the fact that I got to sit between Landon and Kayleigh and watch all their facial expressions and see how they reacted to things in the movie.  Usually I'm wrestling with an almost 18 mo. old who is into everything and I can barely catch a glimpse of what the others are doing.  We left Wy Wy home with a babysitter and it was a great decision.

  Sometimes I think back to when we just had Kayleigh and all the attention she got.  How sad that the subsequent kiddos don't get that same attention. I just gotta find the time to be with and enjoy each of my kids.  They are growing like weeds right before my eyes!

        

Microwave

  Last night we put in our new microwave we bought.  It's an over-the-range one.  It is so nice to have the extra space in our kitchen now where the old one used to sit on its cart! Thanks to my mom and dad who took the old one off our hands.  

  I'm so glad Michael is willing to do all these projects.  I'm also glad he does them on our weird time schedule.  It seems that when we find the time to work on them it's 2 in the morning. Love him!

Today is the day

    For many months now I've been saying that I must get back to blogging and try to catch up.  I realize I'm pretty much 8 months behind except for a few phone posts here and there.  But tonight I am going to begin the quest to get back on top!  I'm sure I will have mixed posts of current things and also catch up things so I might mark the catch up ones with something, we'll see.  Thanks to all of you who still follow this. 
  I've printed one blog book and I'd like to continue that and print all of the posts I've got on here which is quite a few years now.  I know I know, a big project, but I seem to be kind of good at those so here's to that.  :) 
  And on a current note, today I took the kids to the library for the first time this summer.  Yeah, I know, lazy mom syndrome.  At least we made it though.  Landon and Kayleigh really liked it and they even got to get their own library cards.  Aren't they so lucky? 
  It was super hot today and that seems to be the trend for this past month.  I do not love the heat and so I've been staying inside as much as I can!  Even just getting kids in and out of the car to and from the library I was sweating everywhere!  No fun. 

Mohawk boy

  He just had a bath cause he pooped out and I am loving his little hair do!  What a stud!

FHE

   Tonight for Family Home Evening we played at Lagoon (got season passes this year) for a few hours and then went to Arctic Circle for a treat afterwards.

   We ordered Wyatt a baby cone and he latched right onto it and ate it right up.  It was so hilarious and cute!  Babies learn so quickly, it's just amazing!  He's never had his own cone before but he knew exactly what to do with it and how to hold it.  Pretty sweet!  We love him!

Summer!!!

  I am so excited that I don't have to get Kay up in the morning for school, hooray!  With my luck Wyatt will wake up early and I'll still have to get up but oh well.

  I can't believe that she's done with Kindergarten and moving on to 1st grade in a couple months.  To me it's so weird! I don't feel like I should have a child that old.  

  I know summer will just fly by but we've got some fun things planned and it should be good!!

Kay on her last day of Kindergarten.

   

All by herself

  Tonight Kayleigh read her two verses during scripture study all by herself!! When we first started our family study awhile ago I would just read a part of the verse and she would repeat it (this is what we do for Landon) but she is getting better at reading now. 
  I'm so proud of her and what she's learned this past school year.  I need to keep her reading this summer so she doesn't forget it all.

A remodeled Target

  I needed a couple things from the store so I decided to run to Target with the kids.  Upon arriving I quickly decided it had been a few months since I'd been to the store.  It had been remodeled!  With the remodel came some giant red balls out in front of the store. 

  What's kind of funny about these balls is that I remember seeing them at the Target in Maryland about 7 years ago when I was visiting John and Katerina.  I had thought they were neat then and had my picture taken on one.  

  Today I told the kids that and so they, of course, wanted their pictures taken on one.  Glad things like a big red cement ball get my kids excited!

Library Field Trip

  Today I got to accompany Kay's class on their field trip to the city library.  It was fun and I was glad that I could go.  We walked there and back.  I really love that Michael's job is pretty flexible and when I need/want him to stay home for an hour or two in the morning, he can. 
  The lady at the library explained the layout of the library and how you can check out a book.  She also explained to them things to not do to a borrowed book such as get water on it or let your dog chew it up.  (She had examples to back her up and they were funny!)  She read them a couple fun books and then told them they could get their own kids library card.  Kayleigh is very excited to do this now because Dad's card in her wallet isn't cool anymore now that she knows she can get her own.  That'll be going on the summer to do list I guess, get a library card for Kay.
  Kayleigh was very excited for me to come and I love that she was.  I hope as she grows up we can be great, close friends.  I love that I've been blessed with a daughter and I'm grateful for her.  Some days I am shocked at how much she acts like me and I get frustrated with myself because I know where she's learned those things.  I'm so glad that I can get up again the next day and try again.