Whirlwind Trip

We were so happy to have Mimi, Opa, and Jake visit, we were talking about it for weeks.  Jake is our resident Star Wars expert and the boys couldn't wait to talk all about it, watch the movies and eat pizza, and take him on Star Tours at Disneyland.  We were also happy the boys have real beds so we could accommodate some guests (but little did we know our shower would be out of order)!

They got in monday night while I was at school, and the boys could not settle down to sleep.  They just wanted to get going!  

The first day we did Disneyland.  We had so much fun on all the rides, and loved having lunch at the Golden Horseshoe (my fave place to eat and be entertained).  The highlight was the boys being able to go on Star Tours twice in under 20 minutes!

The next day we went to Manhattan Beach and had a perfect beach day.  It was sunny but not too hot, we got Cafe Rio on the way and ate it on the beach, and the boys had a blast playing in the waves.  We ended the day with some yummy ice cream. 

The next morning we stopped at Julienne's for some amazing breakfast and ambiance, then they were on their way up north.

The trip was short but sweet.  We can't wait to be together again this summer!

Dad's Week Off

We were so happy to have an entire week with Jared.  He decided to end his old job a week before his new one started so we could have a little fun together as a family.

We had debated going somewhere further to vacation, but determined all the fun stuff was close enough anyway and we did lots of day trips.

The first trip was to a new place, Adventure City, in Anaheim.  It was a smaller theme park for young kids, and the boys loved it.  They could go on every ride and lines were short.  Not to mention we were able to meet Thomas the Train.

The rides were lots of fun and we could all go on them.

Ryker and I opted out of the free-fall ride, but loved watching Keke and Jared.

The next day was Disneyland.  Instead of paying for a hotel on vacation we decided to get Jared and annual pass so we could go with him too.

Wednesday Jared was sick, and thursday we went around Old Town Pasadena (which I love) and friday it was back to Disneyland!

We were very glad to meet up with our friends, the Scotts, and the boys loved holding their girls' hands.

The week of fun ended all too soon and now it is back to real life, and Jared's first day at his new job!

Feeling Grateful for Goofy

This year for Thanksgiving we tried something new- not doing the typical Thanksgiving. Let me tell you, it was awesome! No slaving for hours in the kitchen (while the men watch TV) just for a meal that lasts 30 minutes! I fully agree the holiday should revolve around family time, togetherness and feeling grateful for all we have. What a better place for all of those things than Disneyland?

One might wonder why we would chose somewhere we've been a hundred times, and its exactly because we have been there so much.  We knew exactly what we wanted to do, where we wanted to eat, and how to get around.  Despite having a big group, the whole Cordon clan, we had a relatively easy time getting out and about each day.  

We spent three days at the park, the last being Thanksgiving.  The boys loved being back in our favorite spot, and were also good sports about waiting while we rode some of the bigger rides.

The big boys and the little boys

Minnie loves Nicholas

Keke being a daddy's boy

We watched the Christmas parade one night, World of Color another, and the Fireworks the last night.

Two mornings I had some quiet time with just the two little guys!

Keke loved driving the bumper cars, despite barely seeing over the steering wheel

A cute spot in New Orleans- I have a great shot in the exact spot of my brother and I from years ago

On the third day he became Nemo- he was a celebrity, with kids and parents everywhere saying hi to him.

Our Thanksgiving dinner at Goofy's kitchen

We ate all together. (And no, I'm not pregnant, just looking it!)

Nicholas loved being with his little cousin, Everett.

During the dinner different characters would come up and say hello.

The last morning we woke up, the girls went shopping, then we exchanged our Christmas gifts.

 We had so much fun!  Now I have to figure out if I want to renew my Disney pass.... 

The Big Finale Part 2

Like any good Disneyland show, we pulled out all the stops for our final moments at the Disneyland parks. We (Jared's mom and I) always talked about staying on site at one of the resorts "someday", where we could enjoy the full experience, getting breaks for naps, and staying at the park until late at night. Jared's mom, Sabrina, decided it was finally time to live out the fantasy and see just how awesome it could really be.

(Blogger is being weird so I'll have to post the second day first)

The boys really got used to the hotel. They were just as entertained there than at the parks. The room was predictably covered with Mickey paraphernalia, some more overt than others, that the boys loved finding. We loved being able to stop in for naps to get some rest and increase our stamina for the rest of the night.

Another perk was early park admission. The boys begged to go on Nemo's Submarine, much my chagrin (boooring) but I let them be the boss.
Grandma had bought them both Nemo stuffed animals, and they really got a kick out of showing Nemo "his" ride.
Before the crowds came running through the gates at opening (it was the first week of the new Star Tours ride, after all) we went on Autopia. Ryker loved being my copilot.

Nicholas was excited to steer his own, but a little bit concerned that he couldn't see over the wheel very well.
Then we bolted over to early admission at CA Adventure, and pounded down some breakfast on the way. Unfortunately they only had one ride open early (lame!!) so we ended up just waiting for Toy Story Mania to open and jump in the front of the line.
Its definitely a group favorite, but always with a long line. It was fun to go straight on for once.

Next was the undersea Carousel, our favorite filler ride.

... and finally Little Mermaid! I grew up loving this movie (posters, dolls, themed birthday parties, the works) and have enjoyed watching it a few times with the boys as well. The hotel also gave us two fast passes each for this ride and it was awesome to go right up the front, vip style... especially when the wait was over an hour and a half.

We said hi to our pals, Mater and McQueen

and visited our favorite hidden gem, the Beast's library and Ursula's Grotto.

We headed back to the hotel for a quick nap that all 4 of us indulged. Waking refreshed and energized for more we went back to Disneyland for the Soundsational Parade. We loved seeing more recognizable characters than some of the other parades (Aladdin, Simba, Ariel, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, etc).
After a Small (world) pit stop we went to a very special dinner at Goofy's Kitchen.

We were happy to have visits from Snow White, Aladdin (on drugs, apparently), Chip and Dale, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy, of course.

And then there was still more... (and to answer your questions, yes, this is still the same day, and yes, I am STILL tired from all this). We had the highlight of the trip in sitting in the front of the monorail with the driver, Chad. The boys were so excited about it, and kept complimenting Chad on his excellent driving.

We did a few more of our favorites, Pirates, Winnie the Pooh, and then headed back for one last ride on the Little Mermaid, and Monster's Inc.

Finally it was bedtime, and we all fell asleep before our heads hit those pillows!

The next morning was our farewell to the beloved Disneyland. We soaked in a few more things around the hotel and Downtown Disney then said our goodbyes to the man with the ears!!