Disneyland 2014 - The Happiest Place on Earth

The long awaited day finally arrived!!! Hip Hip Hooray!  I have been dying to take the kids (mostly Lyvie) to Disneyland to see the princesses and experience the magic!  Shawn and I had a long hard battle over whether to make this trip right now.  First, the kids' ages - do they really appreciate it at this age? Is it worth dragging a 22 month old around Disneyland? I would have to say yes and then no.  Although the kids are still hard to take places like Disney because of strollers, height restrictions, constant bathroom breaks, etc.  there is a short window in each kids life where they still believe in the Magic.  That age for me is somewhere between the ages 4-9.  I just couldn't pass up seeing Olyvia in complete awe at the beauty of the princesses and the wonder of Mickey Mouse, the castle, the whole experience.  So we did it!  and it was so worth it.  (Plus our amazing friends the Tobloe's came with us which made it even more awesome!)

Max was like a baby bird and as long as we threw treats at him he was happy.  He was able to do quite a few rides so that was a positive. His favorite part of Disney was the candy and pop he had at hand all day!

It just so happened that our trip fell on Jack's 6th birthday!  Not exactly what he thought he would get - but he was happy that we went.  He is so funny about rides though.  He doesn't like anything fast or with drops, he flat out refused to do Splash Mountain even though it was super hot that day.  But he loved Pirates of the Caribbean and its a Small World.  He didn't want to have anyone recognize his birthday, so he wouldn't let me get him a birthday pin.  But I did round up some cast members to sing Happy Birthday, which he rolled his eyes at!

Lyvie's highlight came when she met Elsa and Anna from Frozen!  This is THE experience this year at Disney and we had to run to a line at park opening just to get a ticket for a reservation to see them.  Then we had to stand in line for about 35 minutes during our allotted time to see them.  Lyv was a good sport, and it was well worth it to see her face!

She just stared at Elsa and didn't really realize that Anna was there too:) Poor Anna kinda gets the short end of the stick.  It was so adorable!

We managed to catch the parade and finally saw Mickey Mouse and friends - so Max was happy! It was during the parade that Shawn get the final score for the BYU game (they won) so he was happy too!

Sam loved the Jedi Training - he fought Darth Mahl - and he got to score 2 awesome rides on the Indiana Jones Ride!  My personal favorite!

Jack's favorite part of the day was kicking Darth Vader's trash in the Jedi Training Academy.  He had some pretty wicked light saber skills!

Sam's favorite ride of the day was Splash Mountain - it might of have been because it was so hot and humid that day - but he went on it about 5 times (thanks to the stroller passes).

I love Disneyland - even the smells - candy, sugar coated, carmel popcorn, frozen lemonade.  I love all the costumed characters and the fact that the cast members kind of have to be nice to you:)  I love how excited the kids got as they approached a really fun ride or saw a favorite character up close.  It really is such a great day.

All the kiddos on Dumbo and Casey Jr. Train Ride

Lyvie rounded out her princess experience with a visit to Merida, Aurora, Snow White, & Ariel

Because we only had 1 day at each park we hit the parks hard - running back and forth, using fast passes and stroller passes as much as possible to get on as many rides as we could manage. By the end of the day the kids were pretty pooped so we didn't stay for the fireworks, but we were able to watch them from our shuttle, feeling the Magic all the way to bed:)

Huntington Beach Pier

In order to make this trip work we had to find a killer deal - which we did through Allegient Air!  It was too good to not go. The kids haven't been on an airplane for over a year (which is weird for us since we've always lived far enough away that we had to fly) so they were super excited to be on board.  The flight was short but ended right after noon - so by the time we grabbed our bags and got the rental car, the kids and us were STARVING!  The only way to feed the beast in CA is and In and Out Burger Baby!!  So we drove for miles trying to find one, and it was worth the wait.  Shawn downed a 3x3 in no time flat.

After In and Out we headed to the Huntington Beach Pier to meet up with a dear friends - The Tolboe's.  We love this family and take advantage of any opportunity to get together.  They drove down from Central CA to hang out with us for the weekend.  I love how our kids just click immediately and we pick up conversation like we only were apart for a few days.  Good People! 

What is better than the beach? Really it is the perfect place to be!

I have to say it was a little too windy and cold for me to brave the water - but the old boys weren't going to be had - so they mustered up their courage and took the boogie boards out like pro's! Jack and Max must have agreed with me because they spent most of their time searching for seashells.

Family Photo

Lyv and Claire took to each other like sisters.  By the end of the night Lyv told me that Claire was her best, best, best friend.  I just love how sweet little girls are.  Holding hands by the end of the night - BFF's.  (Don't mind the photo bomb by Jack and Landon)

My kids were fascinated with the palm trees - they haven't seen many, so Jack asked for his picture by one, and then asked if he could take my picture.  How could I say no?

We finished the night eating at Ruby's Diner which is at the end of the pier over looking the ocean.  The highlight was the balloon man that made some pretty awesome sharks for the boys and a sweet mermaid for princess Olyvia!

Mr. and Mrs. Fix It

Having the two youngers home has been so nice.  These two play so well with each other and by themselves that besides for snacks and the occasional squabble, I feel like I can actually start projects again:)  Lyv reminds me a lot of Sam as far as her imaginative play is concerned.  She loves to play pretend and dress up, and Max seems game for all of the above.  The two found the Home Depot play kit and decided to play….doctor?  What?  Should I be concerned that they were drilling and sawing baby dolls?  At least they were sporting protective goggles, safety first.  Max's goggle kept slipping, but that didn't stop him - not very comfortable but determined.

My all time favorite picture - Crazy Lyvie revving up the drill!  She pulls the funniest faces.  Love this girl.

Oh MAX

Max, Max, Max - what do I say!  Just when I feel sad about my other three getting older, I have my sweet boy Max to comfort me and bring me back to reality!)  He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his momma!  Seriously I have never, ever had a child that wants me so much, which is flattering, but at the same time - at some point you need to cut the apron strings, right?  

If he wasn't so adorable, I am sure I could resist the temptation to give in and do whatever he demands, but he is too cute!  He hugs, kisses, and cuddles.  He parrots every word we say, and does it in his sweet little sing song voice, that melts your heart. He tries to keep up with the olders - playing baseball, babies, legos, and wearing dress ups!  He is the household favorite and gets spoiled by all of us.  

One thing I love about Max is how he eats ice-cream.  This is serious business - there are no leftovers with Max.  It is bowl tipping, finger licking good!

I am so glad he is still little, and still needs me. Even if that means I have to wake up every night at 3:30 am because he wants to sleep in our bed.

Lyvie Rocks Preschool

Talk about ready to go!  Lyvie couldn't have been more excited to start preschool this year.  She is in a class with four of her friends from the neighborhood, so she was up and at 'em this morning, sporting her new duds from Grandma Summers! She will be attending Wesley Preschool this year with Mrs. Koday and Mrs. Johnson MWF!  

 I can't believe she is only 1 year away from kindergarten too!  Where did the time go?  But I would rather my kiddos be happy and excited for school then sad, so I am glad that she is starting out on such a good note.

Jack's 6th Birthday

Because we are going to be out of town (again) on Jack's birthday, we decided to have a birthday bash a week early!  It just so happened that it was also Jack's first full day of kindergarten too - so it was a big day for him.  He participated in First Tee Golf this summer and has really enjoyed golfing.  So we got him his own LEFTY golf clubs!  Yes lefty - he was pumped!!

 He invited a few of his best buddies to go to our local family fun center and ride the bumper boats, play miniature golf, and arcade games.  Then the boys came back for pizza and cake!  It was a perfect party and perfect way to rap up his first day.

We have been so blessed to have such a great group of friends for all of our kids here in Yakima.  They are such good kids and we love having them over!  Jack asked for a baseball cake, and my handy cake decorating class sure came in handy!)

Things about Jack at age 6:

He is still a little crazy and prone to falling down, tripping over his own feet, etc.  BUT it is getting much better!
He is SOOOO SOOOO SOOOO Smart!  Seriously I can't get over his ability to figure things out all on his own - which is a source of trouble for him too:)
He can read chapter books, prefers non-fiction.
His favorite color is blue.
He loves baseball, his tall athletic socks, and Nike (possibly some influence from Sam)
His favorite food is not really food - pop and candy still - two cavities at the dentist are evidence of this!
He is the best sharer I know.
He cracks us up and says such funny things, like "I was being sarcastic".
His hero is his dad and Sam, and Derek Jeter!
I cherish his hugs and cuddles more than any other child because he doesn't give them often.
We love you Jack!  Thank you for always being so much fun.

Jack's 1st Day of Kindergarten - We survived!

The end of an era!  At least that it what I feel like.  On the day before I sent Jack out into the big world all on his own, we made a last batch of cookies as a team: Jack-Lyv-Max.  I feel like I have had a threesome at all times for such a long time that I am not sure how to go forward with only two at home.  I had a slight glimpse into my future empty-nest and wasn't as overjoyed as I thought I would be.  

 Jack on the other was more than thrilled!  He couldn't wait to start out on this new adventure, to put on his big boy gear and ride out of my sight!  Part of me was super excited to not have the constant mess and accident prone craziness that is Jack under my feet, but then I also miss out on the funny, goofy, too smart for his own good sweetie that goes with all of that.  So he gave me a thumbs up, headed down the road with Sam and Lyvie, laughed and giggled in the line for the bus,

 and then it really happened - he boarded the bus, waved at me through the window and drove off, no longer my little boy.  I thought it would get easier with each child, but my heart broke there at the bus stop.  I cried like a baby, mourning the moment in time that is no more mine!

 It did sooth my poor nerves to know that Sam was there to guide him through the day, but I was still anxious; convinced that he couldn't possibly survive an entire day without his mother! We waited patiently for his return that afternoon, and got off with a big grin on his face!  The first day of Mrs. McGuire's class was a success!  We were all so excited to see him (look at Max's sweet pat on the back) - and we all survived, even me.