Disneyland--Day 2

Tuesday, March 23rd--Today we went to California Adventure. The first thing on our agenda was to find a mail drop box to send my SIL, Marissa, a birthday postcard from Disneyland. Today is her birthday and we wanted to make sure she knew we didn't forget her. From there we made a mad dash to get on the Toy Story Mania ride. This ride is fairly new and we haven't been on it before. If you don't get to it first thing in the morning you might as well forget about it. The rest of the day you're dealing with horrifically long lines. (this ride is also at Disneyworld and we weren't able to ride it because of the long lines). We got there and there was still quite a bit of a wait but it seemed to go by fairly fast. While in the line, Brady stayed close to his grandpa and copied what grandpa did. These two became close pals on our trip! Brady wanted to go on all the rides

with grandpa and hold his hand. It was so sweet! Nate and I

sat together and competed while Elise sat with grandma. I think Nate won this round. We really enjoyed our first time on this ride and quickly ran over to go on it again. After our ride we caught up with Jessie from Toy Story then off to ride King Tritans Carousel. The kids wanted to go on this ride over and over again and happily did since there weren't any lines (everyone was in the Toy Story line!). While the kids were on the carousel, Nate and Dan rode on California Screamin'. The kids noticed some penny press machines and got a few then off to our favorite, Soarin' Over California. The kids enjoyed hanging from bars while we waited to get on the ride. After we "soared" it was time to test Brady. He did really well this trip, his levels seemed to be just fine, for the most part---a true blessing. With his glucose level just fine and dandy, we headed over to Hollywood Tower of Terror. There's no way in hell I'll go on this ride and Brady didn't want to go on it either so we said "farewell" to our crazy group and hit the shops while they were terrorized. We went over to a souvenir stand full of Muppet merchandise. I was in heaven! I got a few things and also found an adorable Stitch plush for Elise's birthday, which is tomorrow. When the cashier asked why I was buying it, I told him and he handed me a "Happy Birthday" pin for her. Perfect, since I was going to have to get one for her anyway. He handed me a marker to write her name on it. Then the rest of the day I had to keep this all a secret so she'd be surprised. Shortly after, we met back up with our crazy group and Elise looked very upset. She ran to me and just hugged me tight.
She did not like Hollywood Tower of Terror---AT ALL.

For some bizarre reason that just made Brady want to ride it so he, Nate and Dan went back on while the rest of us hit more shops. Elise found another pin to add to her lanyard.

On our way to Grizzly River Rapids we noticed several characters out signing autographs with very short lines. We got to see Goofy, Lilo, Pluto, Chip and Dale.

Then off to Grizzly River Rapids. Nope, I didn't go on this one either but I did enjoy walking around taking pictures of the landscape and just enjoying some quiet time. Everyone had a great time. I had to laugh, Dan & Rosemary wore plastic ponchos so they wouldn't get wet but it didn't seem to help Rosemary so much as most of her toosh got soaked!

Next to Hollywood Studios (I think that's what it's called). I LOVE this place. I love sitting in the huge "lobby" area and just watching the various screens change to different movies and hearing the amazing music. I stayed in here while the rest went into "Turtle Talk With Crush". I kick myself now, I should have gone in because Crush talked with Elise. He asked how old she is and she said, "Seven, but my birthday is tomorrow." He wished her a "Happy Hatch Day", then sang the same thing to her. Everyone says it was really cute. Dangit, so mad at myself for missing that! As you're exiting the Studios there is a large quote on the wall that says "and they lived happily ever after". With Nate and I just recently celebrating 10 years of wedded bliss I wanted a pic in front. We also got one of Dan & Rosemary in front. They both turned out so cute!

Off to eat lunch on the pier. We packed lunches again but I wanted a taste of some teriyaki chicken that was smelling so good. I got the kids meal, which was plenty and tasty too!

From there, we went to Bugs Land. We hit most of the rides and then caught the 3D show "It Tough to Be a Bug". I really enjoy watching people react to this show when they haven't seen it before, it is tooo hilarious!

There wasn't much else to do in California Adventure so we headed back to Disneyland. Much of California Adventure is walled off as Disney makes major renovations. To say they are making some changes is an understatement. The changes are HUGE and all over the park! This park is only 8 or 9 years old but apparently it's not getting the "draw" that was expected so big changes are coming, like it or not.

Before we made it to the Disneyland front gates we located Rosemary's cobblestone. In the center plaza the ground is all cobblestone and people can buy a stone and have their names, dates, whatever placed on them. Back in 2006, all of Rosemary's kids and their families chipped in and we bought her a stone for her birthday. Rosemary absolutely adores Disneyland and we knew she would be touched to receive such a gift--she was and even teared up some. Now, everytime any of us go, we locate her stone. She noticed it was a little dirty so she started wiping it off.......with her spit! After a chuckle or two, I pulled out some wipes and she gave it a good scrub down.

Disneyland was packed so we ended up not doing too much. Nate took the kids up to Tarzans treehouse, we rode Alice In Wonderland ride and a few other things then it was time to head back to the hotel. On our way out we just happened to come across Mickey and Minnie before a long line formed. It was the perfect way to end our night!

Disneyland--Day 1

Monday, March 22nd--(I warn you, this is a long read, as will probably be most of the posts for our trip) Our morning started out wonderful and exciting. First, coming from chilly Utah, just to be able to put on capris, t-shirts and sandals made us all happy. We had jackets on because it was a little cool in the morning. We caught the city bus from our hotel, Marriott Suites, and the driver dropped us off right in front. The cheery music was playing throughout the entrance plaza, flowers were in full bloom, adorable little kiddies with anxious smiles from ear-to-ear........we're back to our favorite place! What can I say? This is truly our favorite place to visit, as a family. It's a place where all 4 of us find many things that we personally enjoy. It's why we go every year, it never seems to get old. I swear Disney management must spray some type of special "pixie dust" in the air because we all totally feel euphoric just being there (I realize some don't feel the same way but we do and that's all that matters). And, unless you've had the full Disneyland experience you may not understand, we long for it when we're not there. Some day we'll move on to bigger, better things but, for now, Disneyland is our families "happy place".

We invited Nate's parents, Dan & Rosemary, along. We drove down to Anaheim the day before. It was a great drive, aside from major traffic we hit from Barstow to Anaheim. We find that our kids do really well on road trips, which make them enjoyable. I just love chatting with Nate, getting in time to talk about all sorts of things we never seem to have time to talk about at home. The kids and I had fun chatting with their grandparents and learning things about them we didn't know before. It's a win-win because we also save tons of money not flying and I feel it's great family-bonding-time.

Anyhoo, back to day 1 in Disneyland. We spent the entire day in Disneyland and decided to alternate the 5 days doing Disneyland one day, California Adventure the next day and so on. Our first ride was a family fav--Indiana Jones. As usual, not a disappointment. It's the one "crazy" ride I can actually handle, no major dips or jerks that can make me sick. We loved that the crowds weren't bad at all. Next, onto Pirates of the Caribbean. I don't like the dips on this ride so I stayed off and looked through the shops in New Orleans square (love the shops here!). Of course, I found some adorable things I wanted to buy right away but I was good and just kept things in mind I may get later on.

Nate and I have a great system, which makes our trips so wonderful. He takes the kids on all the rides I can't stomach while I go into all the shops he can't stomach. He rarely has to go into any of the shops and he's a happier man for that. Plus he enjoys the fact that our kids love all the crazy rides he does. Of course, when all is said and done, I end up turning over ALL my paychecks to Nate, for the next couple of months, making up for the unique things I find in these shops and just "have to have!"

I think we hit Haunted Mansion next, which is another favorite. It amazes me that Elise & Brady seem to love this ride so much, after all, it really is creepy. After that is was off to Rosemary's favorite ride, Splash Mountain. Once again, I can't stomach this ride so I snuck off to Critter Country and went into the Pooh Corner shop to grab my favorite Disneyland treat, their amazingly delicious sugar cookies and an ice cold Coke. We also love the Mickey Mouse pretzels so I got a bag for us all to share. Those sugar cookies, oh my, those sugar cookies! They are the reason I gain weight at Disneyland, even though we walk so much every day! The lines for Splash Mountain were small so they went on twice while I savored my longed-for cookie! After Splash Mountain Elise wanted to go into the Pooh Corner shop and start spending the money burning a hole in her pocket. Both kids had been saving money for several months, including Christmas money. Nate and I collected most of their money and went to the Disney Store in the Orem Mall and put the money on Disney cards. They loved using their cards to buy things. Elise wanted to buy a lanyard and start getting cool Disney pins to collect. It didn't take long before she had very little money left for the rest of the trip so we told her to look around and take notes of things she might like and then buy them at the end of the trip. We knew she'd be sad if she spent all her money the first day and had nothing the rest of the time. Everyday, she walked around with her special lanyard, full of pins, with pride and joy. Each pin had a very special meaning to her so trading was not an option.

It seemed like shortly after Splash Mountain the crowds started to get bigger and bigger. We noticed, everyday, right around lunch time the crowds would get pretty thick. So we would scramble to get as much done in the mornings. Frontierland was next and everyone, but me, as usual, went on Thundermountain Railroad. I didn't mind just sitting down and enjoying the weather. Then it was Jungle Cruise in Adventureland.

From Adventureland we walked over to Small World and got to see some of the subtle changes made then off to Tomorrowland. It was lunch time and we gathered for the next Jedi Training show. We got there early so we ate the lunch we had packed. Elise put on the Jedi costume we brought, Brady wasn't sure he wanted to participate. The same thing happened in Disneyworld. When the show began, the Jedi Master picked children from the crowd and picked Elise, while acknowledging her costume, and placed her in the middle on the highest platform (awesome!). Brady was also picked and he seemed nervous but happy to participate. Elise got to fight Darth Vader and Brady got to fight Darth Maul. It was aweseome! I loved watching them. We asked Brady if he'd like to come back and wear the Jedi costume. He said he didn't need to. Once was enough for him! Autopia was next. Not a fav to me. It's rather boring, in my opinion, but the kids get so tickled at the fact that they can "drive". Then to the Buzz Lightyear ride. Nate and I enjoy competing against each other on this one. It seems like one of us win 50% of the time. Then the kids wanted Star Tours next. Rosemary and I stayed off while the rest went. She doesn't really like the ride and neither do I. When they came off it was my turn to finally suggest a ride/show. I saw the sign for Captain EO and insisted we go in and see it. I could tell most of my group would rather skip it but I wanted to see the hype. I had seen bits and pieces of it on YouTube and thought it was, er, rather silly (Hooter!). And, well, ahem, in my opinion, it was silly at Disneyland too. However, the music and dancing was phenomenal and so I just "had" to get a Captain EO t-shirt as a souvenir. The theater was packed full and when MJ first came on screen everyone cheered and then cheered again at the end. Truly a tribute, he is not forgotten. Captain EO was made at a time he looked his best and I like to remember him that way. From there it was Space Mountain, another one I don't ride but enjoy the shops instead. Brady doesn't like it either so we looked through the Star Wars shop and then grabbed a bucket of popcorn and sat down. The weather was so perfect and so welcomed (high 60's, low 70's)!

After walking around a little more, we ate dinner at Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. Usually a favorite of mine but this time, we just weren't impressed. I don't know if they changed things a little or what but we didn't go back again the rest of the trip.

From there we hit a few shops so the kids could get some pennies from the penny-press machines (a daily activity). Our final stop was close to the entrance/exit. We watched the newly improved Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. I gotta say, I liked the old version much better than this new one. and then it was time to go. We were all too tired to stay for any fireworks or parades. Nate and I still needed to catch up on sleep. Luckily, our hotel room was on the 10th floor and pointed right to Disneyland so we got to see the firework show every night.

Nate Flies to Versailles, France

Tuesday, March 16th to Saturday, 20th--Nate had a business trip to Versailles, France. He's been to France several times but never to Versailles. The company Nate works for is french-based. It's been a long time since he's had to fly to Europe and this trip couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time but, as usual, we made it work. Nate stayed at, what seemed to be, a fairly nice hotel only to get a teeny-tiny room with a bed smaller in width than a twin bed. Because of the many hours he worked and all, the small room ended up not bothering him. He'd come back to the room and crash hard. Nate's cell phone didn't work, he wasn't able to get international connection before he flew out. So we didn't get to talk to him the whole time. It was a bummer. Nate's flight home was a nightmare! His layover was in Chicago and they were experiencing bad weather so his flight home was delayed 2 1/2 hours. Originally, he was suppose to get home around midnight and we were leaving the next day to drive to Anaheim, CA. Due to the delays, he didn't get home till 3:30 am. And, me being the worry-wart I am, didn't sleep well till he was safe at home. So, needless to say, we woke up zombies the next morning (not a good way to start off a driving trip!)

Nate was able to have a day to tour Paris and parts of Versailles. He stopped at Notre Dam and shortly after dropped our camera and broke it. He was pretty upset about that and emailed me to tell me I'd have to buy a new camera for our Anaheim trip. Although it was a cost we could have done without, I had to admit to Nate how much I hated the newly-broken camera and happily purchased a new one, much cheaper than the old and performed much better than the old. Anyhoo, Nate also got pics of a palace-type building along the river in Paris and then the rest of the pics are near and around the Versailles Palace (he had a co-worker take pics). Maybe one of these days I'll finally get to come along! ; )

Celebrating Our Anniversary

Saturday, March 13th--What a wonderful weekend!!! Our 10-year weekend celebration started out by getting lunch at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Chef Tom's, in Taylorsville. It was quite yummy and filled our stomachs for a long time. Then we were off to Desert Star Theater to see Twi-Lite: I was a teenage vampire. Yup, same one I went with the goddesses to see last month. Nate and I enjoyed it and had a great time talking the to host about our anniversary and how we met, etc. Then off to check into our hotel. We found a pretty affordable hotel, Crystal Inn in Murray, that had a jacuzzi tub in the room (nice!). We relaxed for a bit then headed out to dinner. The hotel room was so nice and comfy we decided to get take out and come back to eat. We stopped at Teriyaki Grill to grab dinner and Kneaders to grab dessert. It was a great evening! The next morning we ate at the hotels complimentary breakfast buffet. The breakfast wasn't so great but it was free and we were entertained by all the many chain-smoking women staying there due to some bowling competition in the area (gosh, I wish we could have gone to watch them! he he he).

We checked out of the hotel, did some shopping and then picked up Pie Pizza to take back to my sister and her family, who watched the chillins overnight.

Awesome weekend, spending it with my favorite man!

Happy 10th Anniversary!

Wednesday, March 10th--We made it! #10 is here and all is well! These 10 years haven't been smooth but each year has gotten better and better. We've had trials and problems in our marriage but we've worked them out and continue to do so. Our marriage isn't perfect but I can be thankful that we're still madly in love with each other and are 100% committed to our marriage and family. I love you, Nathan, so much! You bring more joy to my life then I ever felt I deserved. Thank you for loving me, being my best friend and just the best husband!

Our wedding day, March 10, 2000:

And us, today--February, 2010:

P.S.--okay, no more toothaches! The sappy, sweet blog posts are over! There will be more to come, guaranteed, but I'll give you a break for now! ; )

Day 9--He Loves Me for Me

Tuesday, March 9th--I'm fat, moody, look terrible in the morning, irritating, annoying, whiny. I complain, gripe, criticize, and overreact. I've been on one crazy diet after another, lost weight and gained it back. I will start projects but don't finish them. But, thankfully, more often than not, Nate seems to overlook all of that and see the better in me. I feel really undeserving sometimes. There's days when I just plain don't want to be nice, for various reasons, and he will still smile at me, ask if there's anything he can do for me, hug me or kiss me, etc. Usually a hot bath, good nights sleep and kids cooperating and being nice to each other puts me in a better mood the next day. Nate doesn't seem to get mad or frustrated all that often. I'm so happy for that!

I know Nate's put up with a lot over the years and vice versa. Our marriage is a continual work in progress but I'm happy it's headed in the right direction and we're doing good. We've evolved and worked hard to compromise. Tomorrow is the big day! We made it!

Day 8--My Babies Daddy

Monday, March 8th--Sorry, couldn't help that title. Maybe I've seen one too many "Maury" or "Springer" shows. They crack me up though and I can't help but be incredibly happy and confident in that I know EXACTLY who my babies daddy is (10th paternity test is the charm! he he he j/k).

I gotta admit, I wasn't sure the kind of dad Nate would be. I could tell he loves his nieces and nephews and enjoys playing with them but I never saw him holding babies or caring for them. I wasn't worried, just unsure at how involved he would be.

That all changed the night I delivered Elise. Right after she was born, he held her, smiled like crazy and watched as the nurses cleaned her up and all. Yet, he seemed nervous. I totally understood that, I was nervous too! As the nursing staff was getting ready to move me to the room I'd be staying in for a few days, they took Elise away and told Nate to come with. We didn't know it before hand but the nurses took Nate into the bathing area and had him bathe Elise. They helped him get her all nice and clean. A bonus for us was when Nates parents, his brother and his wife, showed up right before. His mom took pictures of him bathing Elise. Those pictures are so precious to me. That nervous Nate I saw in the delivery room was gone and he happily stepped into the role of dad. From there on he wanted to change the diapers, to feed her, hold her and just stare at how perfect she was. I was in awe of this new dad!

Since then, it's just got better and better. In a months time Nate will baptize that little baby he became a first-time dad to, almost 8 years ago. I know I'll see that same smile I've seen thousands of times when it comes to our kids. His family is everything to him and I'm so thankful for that!

Day 7--It's the Little Things.....

Sunday, March 7th--When I think of all the million and 1 reasons I love Nate, it really seems to be the little things that mean so much. Like I've said before, the kisses on my neck, running to fill my soda mug, reading to and tucking the kids in at night, etc. Something I mentioned a while ago is when I'm driving or he is and he takes my hand and holds it (while the other hand is securely on the wheel!). I don't know why but it still brings me back to the times, while we were dating, when I flew to Utah to visit him and he'd pick me up from the airport then hold my hand all the way to where ever we were going. It's a feeling of pure joy! The kind of joy that'll bring tears to your eyes. He smiles at me a lot, even when I wanna be a crabby you-know-what. I love when he puts his arm around me while we're sitting at church or somewhere else. Maybe this seems silly but I love that he enjoys history and watching documentaries and such. He and I are alike this way. For a while, he's been really interested in the Wild West, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I think that's pretty cool! He'll read books and then tell me all about them or show me photos he's come across. I love to hear him clapping and cheering as he watches some sports game downstairs in his "man room". I love when we rent something from Red Box and watch it after the kids go to bed (the latest was "Couples Retreat"--oh my, it was so incredibly funny!). I love that he gets kind of excited for Black Friday and the fact that he can get a flat screen TV for so cheap. On the weekends he'll get up with the kids so I can sleep in. I'm so happy he's an early riser! I love that we can text each other! We don't do it often but it's so nice to have that option, just to send something sweet or just informative. Once again, there's so much more I could say but you get the idea!

Anyhoo, so many little things that contribute to and help create this GIANT love I have for my favorite person in the whole world, my Nathan.

S.I.B.B.S. Day

Saturday, March 6th--We got an invite, a while back, for Elise to attend a workshop called S.I.B.B.S. Day. It stands for Super Important Big Brothers and Sisters. This workshop was all about learning how to be awesome, supportive brothers and sisters to siblings with chronic diseases. I signed Elise up and today was the day. I dropped Brady off at my sisters house and then we drove up to Primary Childrens Medical Center where the workshop was held. It was a 4-hour workshop with lunch included. I thought I would be with her the whole time but as soon as we checked in the volunteers said I could go and come back when the workshop was done (hooray, I got to go shopping!). Elise looked a little worried but, according to her, warmed up quickly and had a really good time. She got LOTS of fun things to bring home, including many of the things doctors and nurses use when caring for patients. She's so funny, the name tag on her shirt she put "Dr" in front of her name. From the time I picked her up to when she finally went to bed tonight she's kept the medical mask on either over her mouth or around her neck and her medical "cap". She also wore her latex gloves as much as possible. One of the things she got was a cloth doll, complete with a hospital gown! She was able to decorate it with markers and then use it to practive giving shots and bandaging up. She's been "treating" it throughout the night! I can tell she really had a great time and we'll plan on going next year too.

Elise really is a super important sister! Caring for Brady's diabetes requires a lot of our attention and I worry she doesn't always get the attention she needs. I hope she doesn't feel that way but it crosses my mind often. I am thankful she's pretty easy to please, for the most part.