DisneyLand- Day 1

We got to the park right when it opened because we were having Breakfast with the characters. This was such a highlight to the trip. When we finished breakfast we had only been at the park for a little over an hour and already felt like the trip was worth it and if it all ended right then it would all be worth it. The kids got so delighted to meet Tigger, Minnie, the Fairy Godmother, Chip & Dale, and Captain Hook. Although Autumn wouldn't look at Captain Hook, it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. I have zero pictures from this, which I will get into later.

After breakfast we took the kids on their first few rides, we did an airplane ride, the Buzz Lightyear ride, Finding Nemo Sub ride, the Jungle Tour, Dumbo ride, a Carousel, we went to Toon Town and met Mickey Mouse in his house. Again I have zero pictures from all these even though I took about 120 pics from the time we entered the park until this point. We then decided to ride the train around the park of Disneyland, it was around 1 o'clock and Weston was starting to get a little ornery, so I knew a train ride would cheer him up or put him to sleep. I took some pictures of my father in law with Bailey on the way to the train and wanted to show Drew and when I hit the button on my camera to show him it said, "No memory stick." I started crying and was so mad! I never take my memory card out of the camera, so I never thought to check if it was in there. I was also mad the dumb camera didn't have internal memory incase no memory stick was there. So thankfully, Drew and my father in law ran to a shop on Main St. and got me a new memory card. We then spent some time trying to recreate pics that I had now lost, or actually never had. My father in law has a few from breakfast on his phone that I need to get.

This was the view from the Train Station. It was beautiful. The park was decorated for Christmas.

After our train ride, some of the characters were out on Main St. Which I was so happy to be able to retake pics of the kids with characters that I didn't have from the breakfast.

 Weston would run up and hug every character right away.

These lollipops were heavenly. We got one for each of the older kids and it kept them quiet during the points when we were just walking around.

Then we went to Downtown Disney to eat at ESPN Zone, Weston with my father in law.

We had time to kill before the parade so we did some shopping at the stores down there. The kids got a kick out the lifesize Woody made out of  Lego's at the Lego Store.

 Drew and Bailey before the parade.

 I love this picture of Weston, after the parade we got on our shuttle to head back to the hotel. My mother in law is showing him her bag that has all the Disney characters on it and you can just see how happy he was and how wonderful this day was for him.

The day was such a huge success! Bailey was fine sleeping in the stroller or being held, the kids didn't complain about lines for the rides. (Ok, Weston did a couple of times, but a 2 year old doesn't really understand lines and why he can't just walk onto a ride. But considering he had no nap and was out in the sun all day, he did great.) The highlights for me of the day were the breakfast and the parade. I actually got teary eyed during the parade watching my kids light up with excitement with the music blaring so loud and seeing all their favorites characters wave to them and dance down Main St. They would shout out to the characters and wave excitedly and giggle with joy if they waved in their direction. That's when I realized how truely magical this place is for kids. And why it is considered the happiest place on earth.

The Zoo

On Sat my sister, her husband, myself and our kids all went to the Phoenix Zoo. I hadn't been since Autumn was 1 1/2. I don't know what took us so long to go back, but the kids love it and we will definitely be going back more often. But it was especially fun going to the zoo with family.

Seriously- you can't tell but my kids were really excited. I am glad one kid knows what to do with a camera in their face. :)

 

Autumn was happy. :)

While waiting in line to get into the zoo the older kids looked at all the turtles.
It figures that my kids were the uncooperative ones, but out of the 3 pics I took at this spot- this is surprisingly the best one.

The boys on their way up to the tree house. Which overlooks animals.

Autumn, Parker, and Weston looking at the Rhino's.

This is how Bailey was the whole time. Easy Peasy. Man I am so grateful she is so easy going and happy all the time.

Parker wanted a turn pulling Ben in the wagon. It was really cute.

The kids took a break and played in the play area by the petting zoo.

Then we ate lunch.

It was Boo at the Zoo, but we didn't do anything really related to all the festivities, it was really just another day at the zoo for us. But at the Radio Disney area near where we sat to eat lunch there was this pig, which Autumn just adored. Weston wanted nothing to do with him, and I couldn't keep Autumn away.

Next we went to the petting zoo area, which was just goats. But Weston loved it! It took Autumn a minute but Weston was totally in his element.

 Parker and Christy.

 Weston just wanted to be on their level.

Christy and Bailey. 

Autumn pretending to milk a cow, surprisingly she sat right down and knew exactly what to do without anyone showing her.

 Parker and the tractors.

 Parker needs to show Weston how to operate a tractor properly.

 Mark and Ben...while the kids were in the petting zoo and playing on the tractors.

 The babies basically sum up how we all felt once we were leaving the zoo. It was fun but exhausting.

I am so glad we went. My sister brought up that her childhood memories of being at the zoo involved being with our cousins. And so this was a special trip for Parker to have all his cousins who live here with him. They go to the zoo pretty regularly so just being at the zoo was a treat for my kids, but anytime aunts, uncles, and cousins are involved it's an even bigger treat. I am grateful my kids get to make some memories similar to those that my sister and I have from when we were kids.

9 Months

I can't believe Bailey is 9 months. This has to be one of my favorite stages. But I think I say that about every stage. But I truely love this stage that she is at! She speed crawls, stands on her own for a second or two, cruises along furniture (or anything she can hold on to) like nobodys business, eats really well and loves being spoiled by tiny bites of non baby foods, sleeps like a champ at night, and is just so happy and social. She is a daddy's girl through and through. And her current vocab consists of "mama", "dadda" and "babba". 

This morning we went to the dr. for her 9 month well check.

Her weight: 18.2 lbs. - 45%
Her length: 27.5 in. - 50%
Her Head: 45cm - 75%

She is my biggest 9 month old so far, she outweighs the other kids at this age, which is fantastic! She has been such a joy and added blessing to our family. Love this girl!

10 years ago...

I know tomorrow will be bombarded with peoples reflections of the events that unfolded 10 years ago, so I wanted to do it today before I get consumed in reading everyone elses thoughts I don't take time for my own.

10 years ago- I was 20 years old, living in a 3 bedroom apartment with 5 other girls, walking to and from school (college) everyday, I was in a very small town, having the time of my life, and living 1000's of miles away from any family.

I remember being asleep and hearing the phone in the kitchen ringing (this is pre-cell phone age) and I got up to answer it and saw my room mate asleep on the couch. The girl who shared a room with me had gone out of town and it was this day I was most grateful for her. That she was thoughtful enough to call our apartment to make sure we knew what was going on.

The first thing she said, "America's under attack." I said, "ok," thinking this girl is SO dramatic! She said to turn on the news, and I asked what channel and she said it didn't matter. My roommate that was on the couch then heard us talking and got up to see what was going on and I asked her to turn on the t.v. We sat it horror. At that point only one tower had been hit. I can vividly picture on this little brown box of a t.v. watching a plane hit the 2nd tower. I can also picture the towers falling. It's complete denial of what's going on, it's thinking this can't be happening, this isn't real. Immediately my other room mates start calling family and we sat and debated on whether or not to attend our first class that morning. We went and the teacher had the t.v. on and we just sat watching more footage being replayed of what happened. We all took a class together in the afternoon and when we got there the teacher said he wouldn't have us watch anymore but wanted to talk about it. Because we needed to talk about what was happening. I think at this point I had no words for how I felt, and mainly because a lot of info hadn't been made available to us or known I didn't know how to feel or express myself. But I was grateful that that teacher took the time to let us take a break from all the images and rantings on the television and made sure that we were okay and processing things.

I called my parents that night and had never wished more than that day that I could've been at home or living closer to them. There was a comfort and security there that I longed for that I didn't have in Ephraim, UT. I do remember telling my dad that I was so grateful to be living in a small town, full of old homes and farms, because no one would want to hurt or destroy a tiny sheep herding down Main St. kind of town. I knew the terrorists weren't coming for us next. So in that sense I felt some security. I was also thankful that I knew no one in New York, no one who was associated with the Pentagon, or flight 93 that went down in PA. My heart hurt for the many who I knew that did have friends and family in NY and though no one that I knew had people who were hurt or missing in that area- we were all affected and grieving.

There's a lot of days and things I don't remember, like the day before, or the day after 9/11- shoot even last week- but no day is clearer to me than this day. I can't believe it has already been 10 years. It just reminds me how fast time has gone by and what all has transpired since then.

A Big Helper

I am a bit of a control freak. It's one of the things I really dislike about myself. So I decided the only way to stop feeling like I have to be in control was to let part of that control go. I see blogs and hear friends talking about their kids cooking with them and I have just not been able to do it. Autumn and Weston have never expressed interest, but it was mainly me not inviting them and thinking all they would do was mess it up. :) Well about 6 months ago I found the cutest aprons and bought a pink and blue one thinking I would start letting them help in the kitchen. Well- those aprons are still in the cupboards with the tags on them and they've never even see them or needed them.

So last night was a first for us! Autumn came to help me make some cookie bars. Last year Autumn went to preschool 3 days a week, this year it changed to 4 days and since Fri had never before been a preschool day the two preschool teachers decided on Fridays to combine the classes and do cooking experiments. I realized then that Autumn needed those fun memories of baking and cooking with her mom; not just with her school mates.

We made Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Cookie Bars.

Autumn did awesome. I measured, she poured, and most of it made it into the bowl, but yes- my kitchen was a bigger mess than it would've been with just myself in there, which I kept having to ignore.

Once we got to the frosting part she was done. But I did have her spread the frosting. She did such a lovely job!

It was a lot of fun. I think Autumn enjoyed herself too. I need to take more opportunities to spend just one on one time with her and enjoy letting her help me, it helps me get over this need to control everything! :)

The recipe is from Our Best Bites...can be found here.

2 Kids In Preschool

Autumn started preschool (again) last week. It's crazy to think that this is her last year in preschool. She is loving it and glad to be back with her same teachers again. Last year she went 3 days a week and this year they changed the program to 4 days a week. That made me one happy mom, I cried when I got the letter! I think it'll make the transition to Kindergarten that much easier and just seeing how much her speech improved last year with 3 days, I can only imagine how much 4 days of preschool will benefit her.

Weston started preschool today. Myself and some moms that I go to church with got together to do a co-op, similar to Joy School. He was so excited all morning to be "going to school." We get there and it wasn't quite what he was expecting, I think he imagined a school- or a classroom similar to Autumns, but when I picked him up 2 hours later he talking about the letter A, apples, puzzles, and his friend Merick. Sounds successful to me! Preschool will be good for him, he walks around bored when Autumn's at school and this will help him have something to do while Autumn's at her school.

I am loving this stage that my little family is at, they're learning and growing so much everyday. Plus I love the extra one on one time I get with Bailey while their at school.

Guest Post

Hi. I am Bailey. I'm 7 months old and currently busier than ever. I started crawling a month ago, and while we were on vacation visiting my grandparents in TX I really got the hang of it and was cruising everywhere. But crawling wasn't enough for me. I have an older sister who is an overachiever and my mom talks to other people about how smart she is and how early she did stuff so I feel this need to keep up with her. So as soon I could crawl, I started pulling myself up. No, not to my knees- that wouldn't be impressive. I took it a step further. I find anything and everything I can and I pull myself up onto my feet. I have had a few tumbles and fell a couple of times, but practice makes perfect. And mom always comes quickly to my aid if I am in distress. It drives my mom nuts that I didn't just enjoy crawling for very long, she wishes I would've crawled for awhile and then later figured out how to stand and pull myself up. But where is the fun in that?

Using the coffee table:

 Using the couch:

 I want to be wherever my brother and sister are. So I climb up and stand with them.

Using my sisters table:

 On my sisters bed:

 On my brothers bed:

Using my moms leg:

If there's a way for me to pull myself up I will do it. My moms favorite thing- I babble a lot as well, and instead of saying, "babababa" like I did for several months now I say "mamamama" because I can tell it just melts my moms heart. :)