Disneyland

We headed to Disneyland in mid-February and got to celebrate Dave's Birthday and Valentine's Day all in one jam packed President's Day Weekend. We drove, spent 3 days at the parks, and then drove home. It was a great trip and was made better by having the Farnsworth family and Nana and Papa with us too. Our hotel was right across the street and the kids loved taking a break to swim at the pool a couple of times too. The weather couldn't have been better, we were actually too hot some afternoons.

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We spent our first whole day at Disneyland. The second day was California Adventure and the last day was back at Disneyland and that day was our crowded day. The kids LOVED it all and even though I'm not a big Disneyland fan, I thought the entire trip was great and I think we'll do a repeat every three years or so. Having cousins and extra adults made it ten times more fun and easier too. 

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Here's a picture from our first ride of the first day; Peter Pan, all together. From there on it's a blur and I was often with Hailey and Kate in little kid land while all the others had fun on the big kid rides. 

Pirates

Toon Town

Bugs Land Ride

Soaring over California

 Toy Story

Ice Cream

My 13-year old Andrew. I never even saw this kid! He was always having so much fun with Joe!

I love this sequence of pictures of Ashley riding with Russ on the Toon Town rollercoaster

Pirates

On the Carousel this nice man offered to take a picture of us three girls. He complimented me on being so brave to have 2 kids and bring them on the carousel on my own. I imagine that he doesn't know many Mormons or Catholics. 

I had a few times when I was all alone with Hailey because she was the only one not tall enough for so many rides and because Kate was asleep in the stroller. She was so excited about the small things and had great fun just climbing on things or going on some little rides. She most loved the carousels, the little playground in ToonTown, Dumbo and Winnie the Pooh. 

Cars

Laughing it up on the lamest ride ever created in Cars Land. 

Ashley and Callie photobombing the sleeping babes

 California Adventure Carousal 

 Toy Story

Grizzly Rapids. Later that night while we watched the world of color, Andrew went with Joe and Russ on Grizzly Rapids three quick times in a row and went home drenched and happy. 

Matterhorn

 Space Mtn. Look at Ashley's terrified face

 And Andrew too

 Autopia

 Never worth it to stand in line to meet a Princess but, we did want a quick shot with Merida just from a distance

One time Andrew wanted to to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride and that meant stay with just Dad and not follow Joe. We'll take it. 

World's longest line for the Jungle Cruise

Our last day, look how tired all the little ones are! 

Ashley even needed a nap this day!

Who could've guessed that Kate would be awake while the sisters slept! It was perfect though because they woke up ready for more.

We had some time to enjoy the ducks while the others went on Haunted Mansion again. 

Zonked out at Pirates

Storybook Land. It was important to me that Ashley still get a chance to ride all the little kid rides too. She is at the busiest age for Disneyland because she's big enough to go on all the bigger rides (except Indiana) but, she's still little enough to enjoy all the smaller rides too. Luckily, she got to do everything. 

Look at the difference in their faces now...so excited and not nervous at all. 

Andrew loved every ride. He was so busy having fun with Joe that we didn't spend much time with him. On the last night Joe ran into a couple friends who were at a basketball tournament. He left our group to go with them after dinner. Andrew begged to go with them but, it was soooo crowded that day and I just didn't think it was smart. When Joe left Andrew bravely said "See ya Joe" and as soon as Joe was gone he and I walked to a private area so he could cry. He was so sad and it broke my heart that the trip would end like that. Then we watched a really fun fireworks show, went on Pirates and then I was ready to take Hailey and Kate to the hotel. Ashley was ready to party all night with Dave and poor, sad Andrew said he wanted to go back to the hotel too. Then, so lucky, Joe called his mom and said his friends had to go and he came back, so he'd only been gone a little while really. Andrew changed his mind (of course) and finished the night off going on more rides with Joe and the crew. 

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Ashley is a burst of happy energy. She is positive and easily impressed too. She loved every ride big and small, except Tower of Terror was too much for her. She never fights about who she'll sit with or where she'll sit. Her attitude makes her extra lovable. Her favorites are Jungle Cruise (such an animal lover), Pirates, Matterhorn (she called it the Yeti ride) and I think Grizzly Rapids. My scary moment with Ashley was when everyone went on Indiana and Nana and I was sat out to watch the shorties: Ashley, William, Hailey and Kate. We were at the Tarzan Treehouse and then Ashley and William were just gone. They had gone back up the treehouse, going the wrong direction, without telling me and I was in panic mode. There were so many people and so many ways they could've gone. I had even alerted a Disney worker and was terrified and then, Ashley and William come down just fine. Oh, that feeling is so awful and I was grateful it was a false alarm. 

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Hailey was so happy to play on the little picture areas and enjoyed all the little rides. She did not like Pirates or Haunted Mansion though, too scary.  She loved the rides. She especially loved the carousels, Toon Town playground and rollercoaster, Winnie the Pooh, Autopia, Jungle Cruise and the Mater Tractor ride. She was great about taking naps in the stroller whenever she needed to and though she had a few trying moments, she was as good as any three old can be. 

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Kate spent so much time in the stroller and I was amazed that she seemed pretty happy to do that, since we rarely use a stroller at all. She took naps, ate snacks and went on the rides she could. Next time she'll have a great time!