Arriving May 2009

Visiting the Magic

We were recently fortunate to be able to spend a week with my side of the family at Disneyland. This was my sister-in-law Jennifer’s dream trip and it was so exciting to watch as my family pulled together to make it happen. My sister and her husband flew in from Germany for the week, making it even more special and memorable. This was the girls’ first experience in “The Happiest Place on Earth” and they loved every minute of it. Although it took them a week to catch up on their sleep and another week to get over a stomach bug Vanessa brought home and shared with us, it wasn’t something we were going to miss.

With the generosity of some very special individuals, we were given VIP treatment throughout our entire trip. I never knew how special the magic of Disneyland really was, until this week. The outpouring of love and friendship and unconditional generosity of all of the Disney employees was truly inspiring. We met many individuals who had been working for Disney for decades; something in today’s world that is unheard of. But once you’ve seen the magic, there is no question why people stay.

I have over 1000 pictures to sort through, so it might take me a while to get them organized! But I did try to glance over them and found some of the most memorable ones. Our private meetings with some of the characters defiantly brought a smile to our faces, as the friendly hugs all made us feel young-at-heart again.

We met with Mickey Mouse…

And Snow White…
and Winnie the Pooh and his friends Tigger and Eeyore.
Special reserved seating for the parade was wonderful, as we didn’t have to fight to save our seats. We were given a private tour of the Dream Suite, a suite within the park itself given away to one very luck guest and their family nightly. The suite is over 2000 square feet and there was magic, literally, in every corner….and I am not talking about a magician performing. Riding the Lily Bell was special and made us feel like royalty, especially after hearing the names of some of the previous visitors, such as former presidents. And of course, what Disneyland experience would not be complete without the thrill of the rides! Since our world revolves around a 2 and 4 year old, we spent a lot of time in Fantasyland, although both girls were becoming very good drivers at Autopia in Tomorrowland. It was truly a magical week, one that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Happy Halloween...only a week and a half late!

We carved pumpkins for Halloween, just as we do every year. This was the first year, however, that Katelyn wanted to transform her pumpkin by herself.
She drew the pumpkin’s face and then carved it all by herself. She was hesitant using her hands to scoop out the insides, often insisting that it was gross and didn’t want to get her hands dirty. So she found a spoon to use and continued on her way. Her completed pumpkin was very impressive and she was so proud of her artwork, as were we. I loved watching her use her imagination and capturing some of the best facial expressions I’ve seen.

Katelyn’s pumpkin is on the top row, second from the right. Notice the small triangles above the eyes? Hair. Yes, this pumpkin had all the features of a regular human’s head.
Vanessa's desire to carve her pumpkin lasted just a few minutes, espeically after she stuck her hand insided the pumpkin...then, she wanted nothing else to do with it.

And on the actual day of Halloween, the girls had so much fun dressing up and helping me pass out candy. Katelyn was a ghost and Vanessa was a dog.

Let there be COLOR!

Fall is here! It has been snowing leaves in our neighborhood for a little while now. It is beautiful, especially the trees that are “on fire”. Even though we do not get all four seasons as well-defined as some areas of the country, we do get to experience a modified version of them.

As I sit here now, I am looking out my living room window at a tree in my neighbor’s yard. This tree is stunning and has been beautiful to watch as it transforms its leaves from bright green to beautiful shades of orange, red and yellow. Soon, this tree will become bare, but while I can, I am soaking in the color and warmth it provides.