Disneyland Day 4

We got to sleep in a little bit this morning since we didn't have tickets to the park.  It was nice!  We did have a character breakfast to go to and went over to the Paradise Pier hotel for that.  Greg met up with us for the last part of our trip and came to breakfast with us.  It was really fun to be able to see all the characters up close!

 We saw Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Stitch and Daisy Duck.  The breakfast was really good too on top of it all so it made it all worth it!  The kids had a blast.

 After breakfast we decided to take the kids to the beach and hang out for a few hours.  We went to Huntington Beach and sat down in the shade of the pier while the kids played.  They had a ball and loved playing in the waves and collecting shells.  It was a perfectly relaxing morning and a fun break from Disneyland.

 Once again we went home to take naps before going back to the Park for the evening.  We had tickets to Mickey's Halloween Party and were able to get into the park at 4:00.  We dressed up and got there in time to party.  I love Disneyland at Halloween time because it's all decorated so cute.

 We split up a little bit and Josh and dad took the big kids to the big rides and mom and I took the little ones on Astro Blasters and the carousel again.  

 Later on when it gets dark, they start trick-or-treating in the park.  It's really fun for the kids to go to each of the stations and gather bagfuls of candy.  And everything is decorated and all spooky like.  It's great!  The river is covered in smoke and the kids thought that was pretty cool.

 The girls saw Princess Jasmine and Cinderella and were excited to get pictures with them.

 After we spent time with the big kids on the big rides, we went to Fantasy Land before the park closed so Liev could get his favorite rides in one more time.  Dumbo and Peter Pan were our very last rides of the week and they were a perfect way to end the trip.

 I love this shot of Greg and the girls.  The castle looks amazing and it's a perfect picture as we were walking out of the park.  We had the best time and have so many great memories of our trip with cousins, aunts, uncles, grammie, papa and all who came.  Can't wait for next time!

 Oh and in case you read Rease's journal entry - YES!  We're pregnant!  Perfect place to find out we're welcoming one more into the family!

Disneyland Day 3

We started out today at California Adventure.  We had a plan to go right to the Cars ride and get fast passes for the group.  It was worth it because we were able to go on the ride 2 times within an hour and it was super fun!  What a cute ride and Cars Land is magical.

 The kids had a great time doing tricks in front of this cute Radiator Springs wall.

 Mom, dad and Caleb met us at the park today and mom promptly rented a motorized scooter.  We made fun of her the rest of the week but everyone always wanted to crowd on and ride with her!

 We made shirts for the park today and everyone had a different character.  Chad thought it was cheesy but it was actually a great way to find our group.  

 We spent all morning at California adventure and did Midway Mania, Screamin, the ferris wheel, the bugs land ride, Tower of Terror and Soarin over California.  

 Josh and I took our kids home for lunch and naptime after a fun morning.  As we were walking home we were so hot and sweaty and kept saying how glad we were to be going home during the hottest part of the day.  We had great naps and slept soundly for 3 hours.  Got up and headed back to the park a little bit before 5.  Went back to California Adventure and spent more time in Cars Land.  Liev was in heaven here and loved seeing all the characters.

 Soarin over California is one of my favorite rides and I insisted we go again before we left the park.

 We got some dinner and ate it while waiting to see the World of Color show over the pier.  It was a fantastic show and totally worth the wait!  I love this picture of dad and the grandkids all lined up and laying on each other.

 After California Adventure closed we went back to Disneyland for the last couple hours before it closed.  It was pretty crowded as the fireworks were just ending, but we made it to Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones before it closed.  Another great day at the park and we were exhausted and happy!

Disneyland Day 2

We woke up bright and early to pack snacks and water and get to the park.  The kids were so excited!  We took this stroller with us partly for Liev and partly to carry all of our stuff.  It was a lifesaver!  We met up with Chad, Britt, Nolan and Wyatt and went to Disneyland Park first.  The big kids headed to the Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain with Josh, Chad and Britt.  

Hayley and I took Canyon and Liev with us to the kiddie land.

 We started with the carousel...

 Mr. Toad's wild ride...

 Dumbo...

 And Toon Town.  It was so fun for these little ones!

 Rease and Rhen were princesses for the day and looked so cute.

 Then we ran into the real Snow White and had to get a picture with her!

 We went on the jungle cruise during the day while it was hot and we were getting tired.  Always a good ride to relax on.

 Then we headed over to California Adventure to spend the evening.  We love Midway Mania and the 3D shooting we get to do!

 And Screamin is a favorite of the big kids.  They went on this ride over and over throughout the week and didn't seem to get tired of it!  

We walked by Cars Land and saw DJ the car drive up and start a dance party in the street.  We stopped and the kids had a blast dancing and partying.  

We had a fun first day and are so glad to be here with our fun cousins!

Disneyland Day 1

We have been saving for a trip to Disneyland for the past 6 months.  The kids have done projects to earn money and I picked up 2 maternity leaves at the office and we've been saving and planning for this fun trip!  We decided to take kids 4 and older so left Keen and Beck home with Melissa and Jordan.  Keen was ok with it after Grammie promised to take him to get a toy at Target!

We loaded into the van and left at midnight to be able to drive through the night while the kids slept.  It worked out so good and Josh was such a great driver!  We all snoozed while he stayed awake and alert on the road.

 When the kids woke up we were in Barstow and stopped for breakfast at IHOP.  Liev was happy to be out of the car and showing off his new hat that Uncle Greg gave him.

 We rented a house close to the park for the week.  We got there and checked in and napped for most of the afternoon.  It was a nice little place and close enough to walk to the park which was perfect.

That night we went to Downtown Disney for dinner and the look around and get excited about everything Disney!  The kids loved watching them make the carameled apples.

 Canyon and Liev showing off their acrobatic skills while waiting for the tram.

 Overall a great day and we made it safe and sound.  I wanted to include Rease's journal because she did such a great job of documenting all that happened!

Beck at 15 months

This is our handsome Beck.  Brand new haircut...

 And a brand new trick...  You got it!  It took 15 months but Beck finally decided it's time to start walking.  What a funny boy he is.  He just started taking his first steps and walks with his right leg stiffer than the left so he walks with a sort of limp.  So funny and cute!  We are glad he's finally decided to join the big kid crowd and walk!

15 month stats from Dr. Erickson:

Height: 31.5 inches - 61%

Weight: 24.36 lbs - 47 %

Head: 19.5 inches - 96%

Bucket Heads

I bought the kids some Halloween buckets for trick or treating.  I was planning on putting them away until Halloween so they didn't get lost or broken.  Before I knew it though the boys had them and used them as hats.  I could not stop laughing when I saw them going about their business with buckets on their head like it was normal.  What crazy bucket head boys we have!