And we're off! We headed down to California for some much needed family time away from everyday life. Seth has been working so hard with work and school and family, that our trip could not have been more perfectly timed.
They say that if something is meant to be it will be. I believe that with all my heart. This trip was a last minute trip. Great, almost affordable :), deals were found, time off work was not a problem, and good times were found.
The kids did great on the drive down. They were in high spirits. They were so excited to be going to Disneyland that they didn't want to do anything until they got there. I told them we needed to stop for a bathroom break, no they didn't, they'd go at Disneyland. I told them they needed to eat, no they didn't, they'd eat at Disneyland....On and on it went. It was so cute. We didn't have the heart to tell them they weren't actually going to Disneyland until the next day!
Sam was hillarious on the drive down. He would just talk and talk and talk. We have a great video of him just talking nonstop. He would even narrate the show he was watching in these wierd, funny voices. We couldn't help but laugh.
Disneyland was magical. There is just no other way to say it. We had a blast. We were just going to go 3 days, but had to add a 4th. I loved seeing the kids eyes light up for characters, attractions, treats, toys, and rides. These memories will not be forgotten. I wish I had more of the child's mind and their eyes. I consider myself pretty intune with the child's point of view, but I wish I could truly have it and view life in the sparkly glasses they seem to wear.
We were impressed with how they held up. We had so much going on and were doing so much. The kids were awesome. Chloe would be so tired she would just close her eyes and be instantly asleep when we would lay her down in the stroller and give her her sippie and blanket.
She was definately into the rides and would be very upset if she wasn't allowed to go on one. She really is our adventure seeker.
Sam was fearless. He would go on any ride allowed (which was almost everything). He LOVED Space Mountain and went 5 times. He also loved Thunder Mountain Railroad and Star Tours.
James loved Winnie the Pooh the best. He also was SOOOO incredibly cute with the characters. He wanted to see and meet any of them he could. His favorites were Pluto and a Penguin from Mary Poppins. They even taught each other some great dance moves. It was so precious.
We had the best hotel ever. We stayed at he Howard Johnson right across the street. it was so convienient, our room was great, and the pool (the reason we chose this hotel) was amazing. I think at times they were more excited to go to the pool than the park!:) It had slides and squirt guns and floor fountains, a kiddie pool and hot tub, and a huge bucket that would dump hundreds of gallons on water on you every few minutes. The boys loved it and braved it, but Chloe was a little scared. I think it was because the poor thing got caught in it all by herself as she was walking across the pool grounds. I probably should have resuced her sooner, but it was so cute to watch her reaction to it.
Chloe had her first expierence wearing floaties and loved it. You can tell she know when she gets treated like the boys and her face lights up and she gets this look on her face like, "yep, that's right. I'm a big girl."
James loved his "Perry" so much that when we came home that night he tucked him in so tight because of how tired he was. Only problem was that he got my bed! Thankfully we talked him in to sharing his own bed so Mom could sleep too.
Chloe loved her "Baby Minnie" too and was so proud to be carrying her around.
While there we had time to stop by my brother Jon's house and visit. It was fun. We love them and always have a great time. The kids loved "Liz size" treats and took adavntage of the spoils. Poor James slept through the whole thing. He had fallen asleep in the car and walked in and took his position on the couch. It was cute how he was all curled up and coozy during the craziness.
One of our last days there Sam was the one who fell asleep in the stroller so he was up late and James and Chloe went to bed early (like 3:00 p.m. early!). So we hooked him up with his own little system to entertain him quietly while the others slept. He couldn't have been happier. This kid really knows how to vacation! :).
Universal Studios was included in our ticket bundle. It was actually cheaper for us to get it and not go than to buy tickets another way, so we thought, eh, we don't need to go, we'll just save the money. Well, we decided last minute to pack up and give it a try. It was fun to check it out. It is definitely a park for older kids and adults, but we did have fun.
James again loved all the characters. Well, a guess not all the characters. Beetlejuice came up to James and was really funny. He pretended that James was eatting his finger off with his Dinosaur. It was so cute. Well, then this Pharoh guy on stilts decided to come do it and James wacked him with his Dinosaur stick. I was so embarassed, but couldn't stop laughing at the same time. Poor James didn't realize he had done anything wrong, he just didn't like the looks of that thing and was protecting himself!
Our ride from Universal to Temecula to stay with my family was RIDICULOUS. I can't believe California traffic. Thankfully the kids were better than we were. Sam was cute. He pulled out some of his Monorail track and started playing his trains. It was cute.
We had a great time at the San Diego Zoo. We love it there. The ombiance is so great. Their plants and gardens are amazing. The bus ride is always the best. You get to cover most of the zoo without having to walk miles of hills.
We were lucky again to have active animals. The kids loved seeing them all, but I think going to the zoo after 5 days of amuesment parks made it seem a bit boring.
The highlight for James was the pandas. His love for the animal came last time we went to the zoo and he was just as excited to see them this time. I love that he has "favorites".
After the Zoo we had to stop at Seth's favorite donut store that's in my old hometown. The kids had a blast looking at all the choices and picking the ones that looked tasty.
After fueling up we headed out to see more family. We got to see 2 of my brother Mike's kids, Logan and Clay. It was fun to hang out with them. We went to a park to look for crawdads and play.
We had to cut the night a little short due to overly exhausted kids. We missed seeing Blake and his family and Mike, but hopefully next trip we'll be able see them.
We always love staying at my brother Dave's house. Their family is great. Their kids are awesome and fun. We always end up staying up late watching movies and playing games until we are so slap silly we hurt from laughing so much.
Laura is always so good to us and our kids. I just loved that James wanted to snuggle with her on the couch.
After partying all night we went to go upstairs and Seth and I decided to plank. When everyone tried to go to bed they couldn't get past us. It was so funny.
I woke up one morning to find that my kids had gone to the store with Dave to get some milk. I got this picture sent to my phone. So cute. What a fun adventure they had!
On our last day we went to Sea World. We roped the girls (Laura, Krista, and Tauna) into going with us and we are so glad we did. The poor things had to scrunch in the back. It was a fun mini road trip.
Chloe thought she was all that in her cute Sea World outfit and sunglasses.
Her excitement got the best of her and thankfully she got a good nap on the way so that she could be ready to party-hardy at the park.
Sea World was a hit. We all LOVED it. The Sea Lion/Otter show is by far the best. The Dolphin show was okay and the shamu show has much to be desired. The Exhibits are amazing and we saw so many beautiful sea creatures.
the rides were even fun. We went on the Atlantis ride (in the front). Let's just say we had no idea we would get so wet. There wasn't a dry part on us. We got smashed with two huge title waves. We had a good laugh about it.
The kids play area is awesome. The kids just ran and ran and ran until they were literally falling over. They would have stayed, but we could tell it was time. We are so glad we went.
Throughout all the fun at the parks I had my MIL's scooter. It was a lifesaver for my back and feet. I don't think I would have been able to make it without it. Anyways, Krista and Tauna loved it at Sea World and went cruisin'. It was so funny to see them ride it.
