I've been looking forward to this vacation for months. Dan told me last October that there was a good chance of him doing a show in Anaheim just a block away from Disneyland. This meant free hotel, and reimbursement for airfare. It would make an expensive trip to Disneyland actually affordable. I've been totally excited for this ever since. Disneyland is definitely the perfect vacation for families. In spite of a few melt down moments from the kids, it really is the happiest place on earth.
As you can see, the kids were really hyped and excited about going to the park the next day. They had gotten the Mickey, and Minnie Mouse plushes for Christmas. They slept with them the first night. It was fun to see the kids so happy with anticipation.
Wednesday was a relaxing day. We all slept in and then went to breakfast. Benjamin was starting to feel a lot better. In the afternoon the kids swam in the pool at the hotel. It was a beautiful day, not a single cloud in the sky.
Dan was able to get off of work by 4:00, so we all headed to Huntington beach. I'm so glad that we did, the kids had a blast. Kirk enjoyed collecting seashells. Kate had no reservations and waded into the water. By the end of the evening her pants were soaking wet. Then the kids all made a sandcastle. Even Benjamin seemed to be having fun. I think he was feeling much better
We picked up some Pizza Hut pizza on the way home and gave the kids a much needed bath at the hotel.
We left on Saturday February 6th. We drove to St. George, and stayed there for the night. St. George is about half way to Anaheim so it was the perfect stopping point. This part of the trip was a little rougher than we are use to. We visit St. George every year, but in the past we've always had our DVD player to keep the kids entertained. About half way down I tried to get the DVD started, but the picture wouldn't work. The kids headphones worked, but no picture. I spent about 20 minutes trying to get it to work, but to no avail. Alas it was time to continue without. I really felt like we were roughing it. Once we arrived we got some dinner. We were all pretty tired from the long drive. Dan's Boss Ted and his family came as well. They pulled in shortly after we did, and stayed at Dan's parents place with us.
The next morning was Sunday. We found a nine o'clock sacrament meeting, and afterwards it was time to hit the road again. This leg of the trip got a little rough. Fortunately Dan packed some Advil. The kids crying gave him a migraine. The kids really did do well though considering Benjamin had an ear infection, a temperature, and a bad diaper rash. Kirk was sick to with a cold. As we were passing through the mountains he started screaming that his ear hurt. I think it was just the pressure change, but he had a rough go until I gave him some children's Tylenol. Kate was a trooper, and rarely complained. The one time she did complain she said in a very serious tone "this is the worst day of my life". We all had to laugh at that one. It was alittle dramatic. Regardless of the rough time the kids had we finally made it into Anaheim. We found a Pizza restaurant and watched just a little bit of the super bowl on the big screen in the restaurant. A break from the van and some good food was all that the kids needed, we all felt much better afterwards. We made it into the hotel, gave the kids baths, and went to bed early
As you can see, the kids were really hyped and excited about going to the park the next day. They had gotten the Mickey, and Minnie Mouse plushes for Christmas. They slept with them the first night. It was fun to see the kids so happy with anticipation.Monday morning we were all up early and were one of the first people in line to get into the park. To our total surprise we ran into our old neighbors the Kirkwoods. We hadn't seen them in a few years so it was fun to catch up. What a crazy coincidence to go all the way to California to see your old neighbors. My plan for the morning was to hit all of the big rides that Benjamin couldn't go on. Dan had to set up Lifetime's booth in the afternoon, so we only had a few hours. We did Finding Nemo (Benjamin did go on that one), Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirate's of the Caribbean (Ben went on that too), Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh,(Benjamin actually fell asleep on this ride)
and part of Splash Mountain (they made Dan and Kirk exit the ride half way through). We then all headed back the the hotel to eat some lunch. The kids and I took naps, while Dan went to work to get everything set up for the show. The kids woke up about an hour and a half later, and I headed back with them to do it's a small small world. We also saw some characters, and waited in line to see Minnie Mouse. 
We got some dinner, and then Dan met us in Adventure Land. We went on the Jungle cruise, the Tikki room, buzz lightyear, and Space Mountain. By then we were all pretty exhausted, and we decided to head to the hotel. Kate's favorite ride that day was the Small Small world, that was my favorite too when I was a kid. Throughout the day she would start singing the catchy song. Kirk's favorite was surprisingly Nemo. That was the one he wanted to do again the next day. I didn't really feel like waiting in the 40 min. long line, so we did other rides instead.
and part of Splash Mountain (they made Dan and Kirk exit the ride half way through). We then all headed back the the hotel to eat some lunch. The kids and I took naps, while Dan went to work to get everything set up for the show. The kids woke up about an hour and a half later, and I headed back with them to do it's a small small world. We also saw some characters, and waited in line to see Minnie Mouse. We got some dinner, and then Dan met us in Adventure Land. We went on the Jungle cruise, the Tikki room, buzz lightyear, and Space Mountain. By then we were all pretty exhausted, and we decided to head to the hotel. Kate's favorite ride that day was the Small Small world, that was my favorite too when I was a kid. Throughout the day she would start singing the catchy song. Kirk's favorite was surprisingly Nemo. That was the one he wanted to do again the next day. I didn't really feel like waiting in the 40 min. long line, so we did other rides instead.Tuesday I ventured into Disneyland without Dan. That's right just me and three kids. I was seriously out numbered. It was early entry day into the park, so we were able to get into Fanteseyland early when it was less crowded. Crowds turned out not to be a problem that day because it rained, though compaired to Utah weather, it felt like a heat wave. The morning was beautiful, but by about 10:30 it was a total downpour. It actually turned out okay. The kids waited in line to see Darth Vader under a covered area of Tomarrowland. After we got pictures with the dark side villains, we sat down under a covered eating area with tables for lunch.
By the time we were done eating it was only lightly raining. We booked it to see the princesses. It took about the same amount of time to see three princesses as it did to go on several rides, but it was still worth it. Kate was not disappointed. She got pictures and autographs of her three favorite princesses; Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine.
These were all different princesses from the ones she saw last time, so it was perfect. Then we headed to toon town. We saw Mickey Mouse, and Goofey. The kids had fun getting their autograph books signed. I had made a page for each of the characters with the characters picture. Then we did Buzz light year which we just walked right onto. The park was practically deserted, so it would have been fun to run around and do every ride, but Benjamin was getting weary, so we then headed back to the hotel. It's a good thing we did too, because as soon as we were safe in our hotel it started to totally down pour. By the time Dan got off work it had lightened up a bit. It was still cold and I didn't want to take Benjamin out it in. He was tired, and still a little sick. Dan wanted to go and hit Disneyland before they closed so he bundled the kids up (thank goodness we brought their winter coats), and off they went. They did 12 rides in an hour and a half. There weren't any lines at all. I was really glad that Dan was able to enjoy the park after working all day.
By the time we were done eating it was only lightly raining. We booked it to see the princesses. It took about the same amount of time to see three princesses as it did to go on several rides, but it was still worth it. Kate was not disappointed. She got pictures and autographs of her three favorite princesses; Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine. These were all different princesses from the ones she saw last time, so it was perfect. Then we headed to toon town. We saw Mickey Mouse, and Goofey. The kids had fun getting their autograph books signed. I had made a page for each of the characters with the characters picture. Then we did Buzz light year which we just walked right onto. The park was practically deserted, so it would have been fun to run around and do every ride, but Benjamin was getting weary, so we then headed back to the hotel. It's a good thing we did too, because as soon as we were safe in our hotel it started to totally down pour. By the time Dan got off work it had lightened up a bit. It was still cold and I didn't want to take Benjamin out it in. He was tired, and still a little sick. Dan wanted to go and hit Disneyland before they closed so he bundled the kids up (thank goodness we brought their winter coats), and off they went. They did 12 rides in an hour and a half. There weren't any lines at all. I was really glad that Dan was able to enjoy the park after working all day. Wednesday was a relaxing day. We all slept in and then went to breakfast. Benjamin was starting to feel a lot better. In the afternoon the kids swam in the pool at the hotel. It was a beautiful day, not a single cloud in the sky.
Dan was able to get off of work by 4:00, so we all headed to Huntington beach. I'm so glad that we did, the kids had a blast. Kirk enjoyed collecting seashells. Kate had no reservations and waded into the water. By the end of the evening her pants were soaking wet. Then the kids all made a sandcastle. Even Benjamin seemed to be having fun. I think he was feeling much betterWe picked up some Pizza Hut pizza on the way home and gave the kids a much needed bath at the hotel.Thursday was another day at Disneyland. I was by myself again since this was the last day of the show for Dan. We headed over to DCA (Disney's California Adventure). This park isn't the best place to go with a baby. There are only a few rides you can do with a baby. We did the Toy Story ride, which was a total blast. We also did the Ferris wheel, (which the kids thought was boring), some rides in bugs land, watched a high school musical performance (which Kate loved, but Kirk tried to escape from a few times), and finally Monsters Inc. This ride was really cute. We also saw Pluto, and Donald Duck.
I wasn't expecting to see all of the characters. The only one the kids missed was Daisey. It was fun to see their autograph books fill up with signatures. Then we ate lunch. If I would have been smart I'd have called it a day and headed back to the hotel until Dan got off of work. Of couse since things were going so well, I had decided to push my luck. It was only 1:00, and Dan wasn't going to be off until 5:00. I thought that the kids would be bored at the hotel for so many hours. I thought it would be fun for each of the kids to pick their favorite ride at Disneyland before leaving. What I didn't calculate for was the mid day melt down we were about to experience. We were half way down Main street USA when Benjamin started to cry. I had to hold him while pushing the double stroller. Kate got tired of walking and got in. Do you know how hard it is to push a double stroller with two 40 + lbs. children in it, all while carrying a 24 pound baby? I heard a few comments like "crazy Mom" and "wow she's brave". Yes it wasn't the brightest thing I've done, but we did get a few more precious pictures, so now that it's all said and done, I suppose it was worth it (maybe)
! When we finally made it back to the hotel room (through the miracle of prayer, and cotton candy) we all vegged out for a couple of hours. Once Dan was off work we headed back to DCA. We did some of the rides that I couldn't have done with Benjamin. Dan took both of the kids on Tower of Terror, while I sat with Benjamin. Then DCA closed so we went to Disneyland for a couple more rides. We finally got to do splash mountain which is my favorite. Kirk did it twice in a row, once with me, and once with Dan. We couldn't convince Kate to go on it. He said that splash mountain was his favorite. He would get so excited when we were about to get wet.
I wasn't expecting to see all of the characters. The only one the kids missed was Daisey. It was fun to see their autograph books fill up with signatures. Then we ate lunch. If I would have been smart I'd have called it a day and headed back to the hotel until Dan got off of work. Of couse since things were going so well, I had decided to push my luck. It was only 1:00, and Dan wasn't going to be off until 5:00. I thought that the kids would be bored at the hotel for so many hours. I thought it would be fun for each of the kids to pick their favorite ride at Disneyland before leaving. What I didn't calculate for was the mid day melt down we were about to experience. We were half way down Main street USA when Benjamin started to cry. I had to hold him while pushing the double stroller. Kate got tired of walking and got in. Do you know how hard it is to push a double stroller with two 40 + lbs. children in it, all while carrying a 24 pound baby? I heard a few comments like "crazy Mom" and "wow she's brave". Yes it wasn't the brightest thing I've done, but we did get a few more precious pictures, so now that it's all said and done, I suppose it was worth it (maybe)! When we finally made it back to the hotel room (through the miracle of prayer, and cotton candy) we all vegged out for a couple of hours. Once Dan was off work we headed back to DCA. We did some of the rides that I couldn't have done with Benjamin. Dan took both of the kids on Tower of Terror, while I sat with Benjamin. Then DCA closed so we went to Disneyland for a couple more rides. We finally got to do splash mountain which is my favorite. Kirk did it twice in a row, once with me, and once with Dan. We couldn't convince Kate to go on it. He said that splash mountain was his favorite. He would get so excited when we were about to get wet. Friday we were able to all go to the park together. Dan's was done with the show, and we had the entire day to spend. We first went to DCA. We did the Toy story ride, Dan did soar'n over California with the kids, and also screamin. Then he took the kids on Mulholland Maddness, and the jellyfish ride, and the Golden Zephyr. Then we all headed over to see the Aladin show.
Then we had lunch. We decided to take the kids back for a nap, and we all fell asleep. Dan was totally worn out from taking down the Lifetime booth the night before. After a good nap we headed to McDonald's which was right next to our hotel. We let the kids each pick their favorite rides. Kate's pick was Alice in Wonderland, and the tea cups. Kirks pick was splash mountain. We also did Tarzan's tree house. Then we went to stake out a good place to view the fireworks. We got a great spot because the people in front of us were sitting on benches so we could stand there and see the fireworks with out any heads in our way. Theses fireworks were one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. They really were fantastic. After the fireworks it was shopping time. This was the moment the kids had been waiting for all week. Every time the kids walked past a shop, or saw a special toy they'd beg to buy their souvenir. We told the kids that they'd have to wait until after the fireworks show, and when we were on our way out of the park. We learned from experience that souvenirs are a pain to take with you on the rides, and often the kids break or loose them before the trip is even finished. Kate picked out a Minnie mouse polly pocket. A small toy with small plastic outfits, and shoes to change her into. Kirk picked out a captain Jack Sparrow pirate. He has a new fascination with pirates.
He calls the ride "Pirate's of the Carribea". As you can see, the kids were pretty excited about their toys.
Saturday we slept in, and requested late checkout of our hotel. It was a beautiful day and we decided to stay and savor the California weather as long as possible. Dan took the two older kids swimming, and I finished packing up the room.
The kids got alot of vitamin D, and I think the warm California Sun did some good for their colds. Kirk is no longer coughing, and Benjamin is as happy as can be. Then we were off to St. George. This drive seemed to go so much smoother. Benjamin was an angel, and Kirk and Kate played with their souvenirs for a good half of the time. Kirk also took a good nap to. We stopped and ate dinner in Vegas, then all of the kids slept the rest of the way into St. George. That is the best way to travel, when the kids are totally zonked out.
Then we had lunch. We decided to take the kids back for a nap, and we all fell asleep. Dan was totally worn out from taking down the Lifetime booth the night before. After a good nap we headed to McDonald's which was right next to our hotel. We let the kids each pick their favorite rides. Kate's pick was Alice in Wonderland, and the tea cups. Kirks pick was splash mountain. We also did Tarzan's tree house. Then we went to stake out a good place to view the fireworks. We got a great spot because the people in front of us were sitting on benches so we could stand there and see the fireworks with out any heads in our way. Theses fireworks were one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. They really were fantastic. After the fireworks it was shopping time. This was the moment the kids had been waiting for all week. Every time the kids walked past a shop, or saw a special toy they'd beg to buy their souvenir. We told the kids that they'd have to wait until after the fireworks show, and when we were on our way out of the park. We learned from experience that souvenirs are a pain to take with you on the rides, and often the kids break or loose them before the trip is even finished. Kate picked out a Minnie mouse polly pocket. A small toy with small plastic outfits, and shoes to change her into. Kirk picked out a captain Jack Sparrow pirate. He has a new fascination with pirates. He calls the ride "Pirate's of the Carribea". As you can see, the kids were pretty excited about their toys.Saturday we slept in, and requested late checkout of our hotel. It was a beautiful day and we decided to stay and savor the California weather as long as possible. Dan took the two older kids swimming, and I finished packing up the room.
The kids got alot of vitamin D, and I think the warm California Sun did some good for their colds. Kirk is no longer coughing, and Benjamin is as happy as can be. Then we were off to St. George. This drive seemed to go so much smoother. Benjamin was an angel, and Kirk and Kate played with their souvenirs for a good half of the time. Kirk also took a good nap to. We stopped and ate dinner in Vegas, then all of the kids slept the rest of the way into St. George. That is the best way to travel, when the kids are totally zonked out. Sunday we slept in and then went to church. Afterwards I made a good homemade dinner, and had Dan's Grandpa Stevens over. He lives in St. George. I was nice to have a down day with no place to drive to.
Then Monday we finally made it home. On the way Kate asked what State we were in and we said Utah. She must not realize that St. George is also in Utah, because she started to scream and shout "Utah, yes were in Utah, yay". It was also really cute when we pulled into our neighborhood Kate started to get so excited to finally be home. I must admit that I was excited too. It's always nice to come home after a long vacation. It was so much fun, we hope Dan has to go to this show every year!
