Our Vacation to The Merriest Place on Earth

The kids and I just returned from a four day, three night vacation to Disneyland.  We had an absolutely fabulous, magical time.  And yep, I'm sure you already guessed it, but it has taken me about this long to edit, crop and upload all of the amazing pictures.  Luckily for all you casual viewers, I only uploaded 63 of the over 300 photos I took on this trip!  As a side note, please don't feel you have to look at every single one; these long pictorial focused blogs are mainly created for the family to enjoy.  

The annual Disneyland passes given to the four kiddos by my mom and dad for Christmas last year have been the most awesome gifts.  This was our third and final trip to Disneyland this year, and it was definitely the most magical and memorable, at least for me.  The whole park was decorated up for the upcoming Christmas season, and it couldn't have been more beautiful or festive.  The enormous Christmas tree decorated with huge ornaments and ribbon welcomed guests upon entering the park.  Main Street was decked out with fresh garlands of greenery, ribbon and bows.  Even the characters were all wearing their Christmas outfits!

The entire trip was full of magical moments.  The holiday parade was a highlight, for sure.  The sparkling floats and happy characters, the jolly music that filled the air along with the joy on the kids' faces at seeing the amazing sights was a truly moving moment for me!  I will also never forget taking that first stroll down Main Street with my mom beside me with the four kids. I was holding the big girls' hands, and my mom was pushing the twins in the stroller.  I seriously couldn't get the lump out of my throat.  It was too beautiful, too perfect, I felt too blessed all at once.  To be at this happy, gorgeous place with my four young children who are just the right age to still believe in the magic of a place like Disneyland was enough to put me over the edge.  My mom and I looked at each other and we were at a loss for words....believe it or not!  

Anyway, the entire trip was full of moments like those.   I've got to share some more sweet memories: I watched as my dad and J.D. boarded Dumbo and I could see J.D.'s little arm sticking out of the elephant flying his airplane.  I saw Gigi and her cousin Ellie sitting together eating a cookie, while haphazardly feeding the ducks.  Cubby and I screamed and laughed our way up and down her first ride on the Matterhorn.  The first night of our stay, my mom and the kids and I dined on fabulous filet mignon and red velvet cake at a New Orleans restaurant at Downtown Disney.   My big sister, Ayron, always showed up every morning with an adorable Disney-ish outfit, complete with matching Minnie ears.  Emma met Sleeping Beauty and my sweet girl couldn't stop ringing her hands with nervous energy at actually coming face to face with a REAL princess!  Oh my, I could go on and on.... but I'll just let you enjoy the view with pictures:

Hello Disneyland! 

Everything is so grand in Disneyland!  The huge tree with huge, shiny ornaments, surrounded by huge presents welcomed us.

I love my little monkeys!

Yup, they belong in a cage, for sure.

Lovin' this self-portrait with me and Gigi.  

Yay!  We finally caught up with cousin Ellie mid-day just in time for Small World.

Ellie always has the coolest accessories.

Good times on the Small World boats.  My bro-in-law and I had some quality catching-up time in the back of the boat.  

"Disneyland!"

If I ask J.D. to smile, this is what I get.  

Time for some souvenirs!  The girls each picked out their own Mickey hats. Love their choices.  Emma's actually has a little "glass" slipper on top.  She got a ton of comments on that hat!

I had to get some ears, too.  

Time to head back to the park for the parade, y'all!  Gigi loves to help me push the cart.

Grandma D gave lots of piggy back rides to tired kiddos...God love her!

This is at the flag lowering ceremony, complete with the National Anthem and a military salute.  It was awesome.  

Silly picture!  Somebody isn't feeling so silly though.  Gigi was silently refusing to participate.  Tired little monkey.

Main Street Disney pre-parade.  What a beautiful sight!

Sleeping Beauty's castle became gorgeous as it was lit-up and ice-covered in a grand ceremony.

Then it started snowing!  Why not?! We're at Disneyland!  You better believe it's going to snow!!  It's at this very moment when I saw Cubby's sweet face looking up at the icy flakes that I started to cry.  Again.

Pretty castle.

The girls and I cruised around Disneyland at night and we got to see the tail end of the fireworks show.  

Day 2.  See?  What did I tell you about my big sister's outfits and Minnie ears?  That girl is all about Disneyland.

See all those teeth?  We are REALLY excited.  

"Disneyland!"

J.D. picked up this hat and squeezed it onto his head.  And I didn't take it off...no way!  He's all about Goofy!

Minnie's biggest fans!

Now this is only 1/3 of the original cookie.  When I said everything is bigger in Disneyland, I meant it!  That cookie started out as big as Emma's head!  She ate every bite, by the way.

Yay! The whole crew lined up for a family shot.  Woo-hoo!

We love Lightening McQueen!

I bought J.D. this little airplane early on our second day.  He took it on a bunch of rides, so believe me, that plane had the trip of a lifetime!  

Fun times, but cousin Ellie is getting tired...

....but not Gigi!  She's still going full steam ahead!

The girls love window shopping.

Finally, Grandpa D showed up on the last night of our stay.  Let the jokes and fooling around begin!

Now that's some precious cargo!

Again, what did I tell you about Auntie A? Quite the Disney fan, dontcha think?!  That shirt is not store bought.  She made it.  Just kidding, I think.

Fun times with Grandpa on the antique fire wagon.

Here's my adorable parents, yucking it up on Main Street.  So glad I caught this shot.  

Five sweethearts....

...having the best vacation ever!

And then look who we bumped into! 

And then Princess Ariel, too!

Grandpa attempted to teach J.D. how to shoot a gun.  Good times.

All aboard!

And another trip on the train...

....J.D. wasn't sure about the Thunder Mountain Railroad at first....

....but then it got fun....

.....and then even more fun!  He loved that roller coaster!!!! 

We ate beignets in New Orleans.  That powdered sugar is sooooo delicious on a warm and toasty donut. Don't tell my trainer, but I enjoyed every last bite!

Oh, this looks like trouble!

Going solo on the roller coaster....good times!

Bye, bye cousin Ellie.  See you in a few days!

J.D. and Ellie get their hug on before she takes off.

Cubby is jumping for joy.

Then just smiling, cause she's so darn cute!

I love my sweet girls.

Grandpa and J.D. fool around in the Dumbo line.

Cheese!

Woo-hoo....we're almost flying!

Our last meal in Disneyland.  Yup, ice cream, baby.

Good bye Disneyland, we love you!  

J.D. (3 and a half), Cubby (5 and a half), Emma (almost 7), Gigi (3 and a half)

So long....

It's been great.  So great.  

Seven Years with Emma

Just prior to every birthday that rolls around in my household I now regularly become super nostalgic and sappy.  I don't like the kids getting older.  Time is passing way too fast in my opinion.  I used to get so annoyed when people would urge me to enjoy every second with my kids.  They'd always say things like, "They don't stay young forever," and all that type of stuff. It's now me telling people with little babies, "Time goes so fast, enjoy every moment.  You won't believe how fast they change and grow."  It's so painfully true!

My oldest daughter, Emma, just turned seven years old today.  I can hardly believe it.  It seems like just yesterday that Danny and I walked through those hospital doors and I gave birth to that beautiful girl.  She was a gorgeous, healthy 8 pound baby.  She kept me awake those first two nights with a backwards schedule, but once she accepted that heaven sent creation of a pacifier, life smoothed out into a fairly consistent new baby routine.  She grew quickly, walked at 10 months, spoke early (and often), and had just about everyone wrapped around her finger.  At 17 months old, her baby sister, Cubby was born, forever changing the dynamic of her brief life as an only child.

She has grown and changed each passing year into a lovelier and more wonderful child.  God couldn't have given me a more wonderful gift than my four children, that is for certain!  Always a sensitive child, and a mommy's girl to boot, entering school was no easy feat for little Emma. We entered her in Green's Kiddie Pre-School at just 2 years old, which she reluctantly adjusted to after a few months of class.  She soon grew to love Mrs. Green and looked forward to attending her two day per week classes.  A year of kindergarten came and went with new friends, a beloved teacher, and a few more stumbling blocks.  The next year of homeschool proved a good fit for our darling girl, and her schooling has only improved in the past two years.

Her singing talent, which we believe is a clear gift from God, is her great joy.  She has sung ever since she was a small child.  I remember driving in the car, with Disney Princess songs or nursery rhymes blasting from the CD player, while Emma belted out each and every lyric.  Always on tune, always the right words.  She had an early knack for learning the words quickly and easily and it was only until later that we realized that her vibrato was not a show, that's really how she sings!

Emma is a true romantic at heart.  I have been so looking forward to watching Anne of Green Gables with the girls.  This movie is a classic for me, since as a little girl I watched longingly as Anne fell in love with Gilbert in the romantic setting of Prince Edward Island.  We just wrapped up the first half of the mini-series last night, with a scene that culminated in (finally!) a kissing scene between Anne and Gilbert.  I looked out of the corner of my eye at Emma to watch her reaction to this show of love.  She had curled herself up into a ball, and had covered her eyes and ears with her arms.  I could see, however, through the tangle of little girl limbs, to the huge smile on her face.  Once the scene was over, I asked her why she'd covered up and not watched the happy scene.  "It's just too much, mommy," she said, "It's just too happy."  She has always done this, she covers her face when the emotions are running too high.  Danny and I believe it is because her sensitivities run so strong.  She can't watch a scary movie or even read a frightening story.  Her nightmares are all too real for her wild imagination.  Her romantic, imaginative and sometimes naive little heart can't yet handle the realities of this world.  Not just yet.

I could go on and on with stories about our sweet girl.  Just suffice it to say that she is a blessing to us, a gift from God that we pray we will never take for granted.  We just want to have the wisdom to raise her in the way God would have us bring her up.  She is so precious!  Let me just leave you with a couple of my favorite Emma pictures:

This is Emma one year ago, when she had just turned six years old.  She is enjoying our newly remodeled kitchen.

My mom set up a doll dress up party, complete with a runway, lunch for all adults involved (yes, we invited guests: Grandma Susie and Aunt Ayron), and fashion show.  It was the highlight of Emma's life for a month or so.

Painting outside is so much fun!

Emma has gotten to be an old pro at losing teeth.  She now coaches her younger sister on proper teeth loosing technique.

And here she is today at her 7th birthday party.  She wore her gorgeous Purity Ball dress again, and fully enjoyed each and every guest, morsel of food and of course all the gifts.  She made me so proud!

Here's a picture of Emma reading a book that she wrote to the twins.  This is probably a year ago or so.  Emma is growing into a wonderful, caring and guiding sibling.  She is seeing her role as the oldest child as a privilege and an honor.  She wants to now take care of the younger ones more than she wants to boss them around....most of the time anyway.

Horseback riding in Julian brought out a whole lot of smiles!

Our little cowgirl loves to get all glammed up for just about any event.  

We had many adventures this last summer, and exploring the Rueben H. Fleet Museum in San Diego was one of the more educational.  She loved crawling through this tunnel!  

We love you so much Emma, and we are proud and honored to call you our daughter.  Happy Birthday to you, sweet girl!

Parade Day!!

On Saturday morning, Danny and I walked the kids down to Main Street Brawley to watch the event that is the epitome of rural Americana, the Cattle Call Parade.  We sat on hay bales, up high on a trailer bed provided by our lovely friends, the Osterkamps (friend shout-out....hi there!).  Anyway.  Here we are perched atop the trailer, with the most perfect view of this classic parade:

It was a bit chilly, but that wasn't going to hold us back from enjoying the sights.

And now I am going to give you the reader, a little quiz. I am going to show you a picture, and I'd like for you to guess which person in my family chose this as their favorite parade entry.  Good luck!

Yup, not too tough, this was Danny's favorite.  He could have watched that tractor for hours. 

Cubby-wubby.  My little horse-lover can't get enough of horses, God love her!

Gigi loved the giant bee atop the Westmorland fire truck.  "Buzz buzz!" she shouted when she saw it!

Aunt Ayron loved the ever classic uniforms of the Holtville Viking band.  And they still play the same song from when we were in high school.  And that was a looooonng time ago, people!

Gigi and mommy kickin' it in a cowboy hat at the parade.  I'm loving how that hat covers up my dark roots!  

Man, my handsome is so darn hot with that beard.  Love you, honey!

Ellie loved getting the best view in the house up on her daddy's shoulders. 

Danny and my sweet cowgirl, Emma.

Here's the last photo I took before  we took off for home.  The kiddos got too cold, and we had to head for the hills.  So long Cattle Call parade, we look forward to another fantastic show in 2012!

A Kid Style Kick-Off

My niece is a cattleman's daughter.  She is a cattleman's granddaughter and great-granddaughter.  So you can probably see that coming from a long line of cattlemen, Ellie has a lot to look forward to, especially living in the Imperial Valley during Cattle Call. 

Last year, my sister, who is a firm believer in carrying on family traditions and honoring your heritage, brainstormed ways to properly celebrate the Cattle Call week for a two-year-old.  She came up with last year's party:  Ellie's Cattle Call Shin-Dig.  It was a huge success.  Toddlers from all over the Valley hitched up into their car seats and made the long journey to the country ranch of Ellie's grandpa and grandma.  

This year was no different.  Ayron and my sweet bro-in-law, John, planned another fabulous party meant to make the now three-year-olds more tickled about being cowboys and cowgirls for a day than anything else. 

The miniature hostess was all smiles while sitting atop my mom's refurbished antique saddle.  Can't wait 'til this saddle is strapped to a beautiful palomino horse! 

The petting zoo was one of the kids' favorite part.  The ducks were so friendly!  When Ayron and I had ducks when we were kids, they didn't care for us one bit.  The geese were a whole lot worse, though, they nipped us everytime we'd try to get into the pen.  Nice!

J.D. loved all of the animals.  You can't see it too well in this picture, but he is carrying a currycomb in his right hand. He had gone around to every animal (including the dogs), and had given each animal a single brush with the currycomb.  He was very complete; every single animal received one solitary brush from J.D.  But at the end of his little mission, he saw this lone goat, reaching up to eat the mesquite branches.  He was a little leery, but he slowly made it over there to complete his purpose.  Once he'd given the goat his brush with the currycomb, J.D. was officially finished with the petting zoo, so he moved on to the next fun thing (the castle-shaped jumpie) and never looked back!

Gigi was super gentle with the guinea pigs.  Perhaps she learned that squeezing tiny, defenseless animals isn't super good for them.  For those of you who don't know, we had a few baby rabbits for a short time. I'll just leave it at that. 

Cubby, our resident animal lover, got along famously with the donkey and pony.  She likes to kneel down and look into the animals' faces.  She's got the fever for animals!!  

And here's yet another sweet advantage to having a twin sibling.  These two will always have a see-saw partner!

J.D. LOVED the sandpile. I have probably fifteen pictures of him in various states of playtime fun in this sandbox.  He couldn't get enough of the old  trucks and tractors.  Such a boy!

Cubby took a ride on the antique saddle.  It fits her real nice.....

Ayron had set up the cutest crafts!  The stamp-your-own handkerchiefs were adorable!  The kids stamped western shapes on their hankies and hung them up on a clothesline to dry.  So cool!

J.D. had been wearing a ratty old straw hat that was sadly misshapen.  My dad stopped by one of the western hat kiosks in Brawley to purchase his grandson his first read cowboy hat.  I barely recognize that handsome little guy!  So grown up.

It's fun to dress like Grandpa!

The lunch was delicious, and the twins took no time in waiting to dive right in.  

Family picture time!  The kids here are in the latter stage of saying, "Yee-haw!"  

Here's my family, with my brother-in-law John on the far left, then Ayron, Mom, Dad, me, and Danny on the far right.  Cubby is in the front left, then Ellie, J.D. Gigi, and Emma.  

I love my handsome, bearded hubby.  Sadly, nothing I say is going to stop him from shaving it off in a few days.  Insert sad face.  

Pure joy.  We love you, Ellie.  Thank you for the great party....looking forward to next year and another fabulous party!