Thanksgiving

 This is what Thanksgiving can do to you - make you lay in the dog bed and watch the parade.

Tree assembly team hard at work.

Thanksgiving 2010 was low key since we had just returned from Disneyland. We made a small feast and had one of Robert's co-workers over. Friday we put up the tree. Seems like there was a football game or something, too. Oh yeah, Auburn beat Alabama that day, too.

Disneyland Return

 Clean Jordan

What do you do when you return from Disneyland to find snow everywhere? Make a snowman and put Mickey ears on him, of course!  Even with the rain in LA it was a bit of a shock to the system to come home and have to clean snow off the van at the airport. We dropped the suitcases and the kids geared up and ran outside to play in the snow and blow off steam after sitting on the airplane.

Disneyland Day Five

 Space Mountain

 Parading with Minnie

 Hanging with the Mouse

Buzz Lightyear, still a favorite

The Space Mountain Story: The week before we left for Disneyland, Sam BARELY measured 42". It was close. So close we were measuring which shoes made him taller. We knew it would be a toss up as to whether they would let him on the 42" rides or not. Every ride was an exercise in measure and measure again. Once the folks behind us, at the third measuring, said "He's tall enough!" The first day we had been able to get on Soarin' so we decided to give Space Mountain a try and see what happened. Sam managed to make all three measurings, right up to the line to get on. So on he went. Space Mountain at DL is much darker and faster than Space at WDW (better, too). Poor little guy - we were so worried about him not making it on that we gave him no warning at all about the ride. No explanation about it being dark and fast. No "this is what to expect." He came off not wanting to ride it again. For the next two days he refused every time we asked. Gabby rode it a bunch but Sam was no way. He rode Big Thunder Mountain and The Matterhorn many times but wouldn't get on Space. Finally on the last day he decided he wanted to do it again. This time, he liked it much better and we rode it a few times all together that last day. I think he'll be good to go next time.

We finished the last afternoon with the DL Birthday Party. We told Gabby we would celebrate her birthday since Daddy was going to miss it again this year. The last evening was spent at fireworks and riding the favorites.  We slept for a few hours before we had to get up and get on a plane back to Seattle.

We love Disneyland.

Disneyland Day Four

 Day started rainy. Reallllllllly rainy.

 Sam got a new do.

 Hidden Mickey

 Gabby was transformed into Rapunzel.

 And then met Rapunzel.

 Tink and Terrance too.

 Gabby was eating her outfit up.

 Goofy's Kitchen

 Minnie Mouse

Disneyland at Christmas

Day Three didn't start out all that well. It was raining. No, it was pouring. For the record, we have been to DL three times. The first time was in March and they had record cold. The second time was in January and there was record heat. This time, it poured rain and I heard a lady make this comment: I checked the almanac for this weekend and it has NEVER rained this weekend in LA. Just a note, next time we go to DL, we will warn the fine people of LA that strange weather is coming.

We forged through the pouring rain in the morning, hoping it would clear. We hit the Bibbidi Bobbodi Boutique after lunch. It was pouring rain. Kids got all fixed up and it was pouring rain. They got pictures done and it was pouring rain. We got ready to leave, and the rain stopped. Gabby and I dashed to the Tangled spot to try to see Rapunzel. Amazingly we only had to wait for two people ahead of us before we got to see her, instead of the hour long wait we saw the rest of the trip. We also hit the Tinkerbell line and got through it very quickly too. We were on a roll. Sam and Daddy hit some rides and had a snack.

Gabby as Rapunzel was the hit of the day. The movie was coming out the next week and people were making a huge fuss over her all dressed up. Strangers wanted pictures of her. Sam and Daddy went to the room to rest so Gabby and I went to Downtown Disney to shop. Within minutes all the cast members in the World of Disney were looking at Gabby in her Rapunzel gear. They didn't have the wig and dress in at their store yet so they were excited to see it. Gabby was eating up all the attention, to say the least.

We hit Goofy's Kitchen for supper and back to the park for some more fun before calling it a day. The day of Rapunzel.

Disneyland Day Three

 Plaza Inn Breakfast (sometimes it pays to be the last ones there)

 Santa

 That reindeer you've never heard of: Pluto

 Queen and Mater

Steamboat Willie Mickey - love it!

Day Three was loads of fun. We played at the park for a while and then ate a late breakfast with Minnie and Friends at the Plaza Inn. As one of the last to leave, we ended up getting a picture with all the characters that were there that day. That's never happened to us before. We also saw Santa, Mrs. Claus and Pluto as a reindeer. We ended our day with the trip to Mickey's house and got to see Steamboat Willie Mickey this time - also a new one for us. We did ride a bunch of rides between seeing characters - Sam loved driving the car in Autotopia.

Disneyland Day 2

 Tea cups!

 Having fun!

 Duffy Bear

Gabby and Ariel

 Sam finally warms up to the princesses.

We celebrated Gabby's birthday since Daddy will miss her 8th birthday.

Christmas parade

Day two was another full day of fun. We enjoyed the rides and had a wonderful lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Since Daddy will be at NTC on Gabby's birthday, we celebrated her birthday early there with cake and singing. We caught the Christmas parade and fireworks at the Magic Kingdom to end our day.

Disneyland Day 1

 Meeko

 Jesse and Green Army Man (we got in line for Woody but it changed to Jesse while we were in line.)

 It's A Small World Christmas Edition

 My little boy on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

 Tigger and Eeyore

We always get the cutest pics on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train

We started Day One at the Critter Breakfast at the Grand Californian. We saw Meeko, Koda, Kenai, Chip, Dale, and Brer Fox. We hit California Adventure before it was officially open to snag our Fastpasses for World of Color. Then we hit the parks running. Gabby was tall enough for California Screamin' on this trip and she LOVED it! Sam was tall enough (barely, and I do mean BARELY) for Soarin', Big Thunder and Space Mountain. He loved all three eventually. Being last Nov all the Christmas decorations were out in the parks so we enjoyed It's A Small World - Christmas edition and Haunted Mansion - Christmas edition (Nightmare Before Christmas). Loved them both. Too bad they don't do them at WDW. Y'all are missing out!