Disneyland!

We just got back from a wonderful vacation in California with my entire family. It was so much fun, we rented a house in Anaheim right next to Disneyland and spent the week going to Disneyland, Universal, San Diego for the Wild Animal park and Sea World. We also played in the pool, ate tons of good food cooked up by my mom and Grannie, and played lots of games- I was in heaven! Another little lady that was in heaven was Avery! She is sooo obsessed with everything princess right now, this vacation couldn't have come at a better time for her! She has known we were going to go to see a castle and princesses for a while now, but I don't think she really believed me. Once she saw the castle on the first day, she got so excited. Although, I was a bad mom and didn't pack a single dress for her. She was already upset about that fact, but as soon as we walked through the castle gate she started telling me "mom, I need a dress! I need a dress mom!" Richard almost broke down and bought her one right on the spot from the rediculously overpriced Disneyland stores. I never thought I'd hear the words "but Lori, she needs to wear a princess dress to meet the princesses." come out of his mouth. He was also very perplexed at how I didn't manage to pack one single dress. Sheesh, I didn't think about it, so sue me. Anyway, we did manage to get a Cinderella dress at a near by Walmart, that is why in some princess picts she is wearing normal clothes, and then of course we had to go back and meet them when Avery wasn't feeling so completely underdressed. I have to say, her meeting those princesses, both times, was seriously one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Don't let her serious little face fool you, this was the best day of her life. She would turn around after having a very serious talk with each princess and was just beaming and giggling, so cute, almost brought a tear to my eye. Seriously, I have never seen her so happy, it was sweet.

I wanted to post more picts, but of course my computer is acting up, as usual. This is why I hardly ever post, such a pain when you have the slowest internet connection in the world! I guess I'll just have to write abou the highlights of the rest of the trip.

Number one was the fact that we were all together. Except for Amy's husband Lee, who had to stay behind in AK for work, every one of my brothers and sisters and their kids and spouses where there. Not to mention my Grannie and Grandpa. It was great, 19 of us. And the greatest was that my mom was able to find a place big enough for all of us. We stayed in this really neat old house with a heated pool and hot tub. Lots of room for everyone to play together but have their own space too. We could see the fireworks from Disneyland every night right out the windows too. Amy schooled us all at Settlers each night, but I held my own at speed soli and we played a few hands of pass the pigs- a major family favorite. We also heard some PRICELESS stories from Granpa about the many rivalries among the various service organizations here in Palmer. Apparently, a fued that has been going on for over 30 years, yet my grandpa is so passionate about it, you would have thought it started yesterday! It was hilarious!

My cousins Katie and her family, Scott and Andrea and my Aunt Kerry and her husband Kirt all came up from the San Diego area for a night. It was fun to see them all, I don't think I'd seen Scott and Andrea for over 5 years, crazy how the time goes by!

I loved Universal studios, I thought that was so much fun. But, the best ride of the week for me was the Tower of Terror in Cal. Adventure. I went on it with Richard, Rachel, Calvin, Keith, James, Amy & Kevin. It was so scary, but so fun! the best was the picts afterward, Calvin was totally clenching onto the handlebar, eyes closed, with the most constipated/scared expression I have ever seen! I should have bought it just to post it on here. He was screaming like a girl the entire time, so funny!

I guess that's pretty much it! It was a great vacation, and so sad that we are now back home, with a 70 degree temperature drop! Sad, but true! Oh well, at least it's getting lighter up here! We're gaining about 3 mins of daylight each and every day! Yeah!

Avery with her fave princess. She even wore her glass slippers just for the occasion. Check out that princess pose. Natural!