Our Disneyland Thanksgiving, Part 2

Now, at long last, I renew our chronicle of the family's Disneyland vacation. Too bad our first day at the park was a mixed bag, with a few unpleasant surprises...more on that later.

As you can see by the picture above, everybody was really excited to get to the park. We are in the hotel parking lot; it only took 5-10 minutes to walk to the park entrance from our hotel room! That proved to be a great advantage. We were all still a little chilly, but all the walking helped keep us toasty. Off we went!

(NOT shown above was the small throwing-up incident that had occurred a scant half-hour BEFORE the picture was taken. It was sudden & alarming, but Lorelai seemed much better immediately after being sick. She insisted she was fine, and ready to go to the park. And after all, we'd driven so far the day before, we reasoned that it was probably the stress from traveling that had caused her to be sick. Maybe we should have been more cautious...maybe then we wouldn't have...uh, oh, I've foreshadowed too much!!)

Anyway, after a quick breakfast and a short walk, we were there at the winter-decorated front gate...

...where our first unpleasant surprise of the day awaited us. We arrived at the ticket booth to claim our park passes, complete with all forms of ID, our service vouchers from earlier in the year, etc. The ticket booth lady handed Nathan & I our Park Hopper passes...so far so good. Then we waited for Lorelai's 3-Day Park Hopper...and waited...and waited. It seems our lovely travel agency forgot to send Lorelai's information, and the resort had no record of it either. Oops. Apparently, there had been a computer glitch somewhere along the line.

Thirty-five minutes later (amidst many bored whinings from our daughters), an arrangement was finally reached. Thankfully, Disneyland (being the customer-service whizzes they are) managed to not only get Lorelai set up with all the necessary admission passes, but also sweetened the deal by giving our family one free attraction pass for each day of our stay--sort of an extra FASTPASS for each day. Nice! Thanks, Disneyland Resort (and no thanks, travel-agency-that-will-for-now-remain-nameless).

Okay, the hurdles were cleared! It was time for a long day of FUN! After all, nothing else could go wrong...right? RIGHT???

Well (for a little while at least), everything went fine! Main Street, USA, was decorated for the holidays, and it was beautiful. We all loved it (we Arizonans have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, so this was a big help). The kids were thrilled to see all the sights, including...

Sleeping Beauty's castle...

...and Rapunzel's tower (the movie "Tangled" actually opened in theaters while we were at the park; we didn't see it until weeks later. We didn't wait in line to visit Rapunzel anyway--that would have taken all morning!!).

We also went on a few rides. First we took a spin on the "Finding Nemo" submarines:

Daddy had to "swing" Celeste down the steep stairs; don't worry folks, she landed fine. Lorelai seemed super excited at first...

...but then, once the lights dimmed and we started moving, she started freaking out a bit. Claustrophobia, maybe? Oh well, once Nemo, Dory, and the gang appeared out the portholes, all was well again. After the submarine ride, we took a quick spin on the merry-go-round:

Next was the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster attraction. My kids were mesmerized by the life-size, animatronic Buzz who greeted us at the entrance.

Of course, I couldn't get pictures of the ride's interior, but suffice it to say that much astro-blasting occurred. For those who haven't been there, this ride is interactive; you get a little optical raygun, then use it to shoot glowing targets throughout the space-ranger-themed ride. I have no idea how my score measured up to others, but it was still pretty fun (especially for a "Toy Story" geek such as myself).

Now here's where our story gets a little sad...much of the rest of the day looked like this:

If you're thinking, "Hey, that looks like you hung out in the hotel room!" you're correct. Long story short, Lorelai's throwing up that morning was not an isolated incident; the stomach bug that had terrorized our Sahuarita friends the week before had the temerity to follow us on vacation! She continued to complain about her stomach hurting at various times throughout the morning. Finally, when we were in line for Pirates of the Caribbean, she threw up again, right in front of everyone. Poor girl! With that, Daddy scooped up his eldest daughter and carried her all the way back to the hotel in his arms. A short while later, I brought the other girls back so we could spend the afternoon with Lorelai resting & napping. We decided that it would be best for her to sleep off the stomach bug, so that hopefully she'd be completely recovered for the rest of the trip.

Insert frowny face here.

It's very sad & frustrating to have a sick child on vacation (or children--Aurora had a touch of the stomach bug as well, but it limited itself to really stinky diapers). However, Nate & I made do; one of us would stay with the kids, while the other walked back to the park and went on a few rides. Luckily, after several hours in bed, Lorelai was doing much better. She was even ready to meet up with her cousins Abby & Elaine (my sister Jocelyn & her family were in SoCal for the holidays, so we met for dinner at the IHOP for the second straight night!)

We exchanged goods (Jocelyn brought us some hand-me-down clothes; we returned the books we'd borrowed from her over the summer), wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow!), then put the kids to bed. Nate & I both got a chance to visit the park again late that night; I snapped a few pictures of the beautiful holiday lights.

I'm a sucker for Christmas lights...and, as it turns out, I'm a sucker for Christmas lights on fanciful castle-shaped buildings as well! The soft carols piped through the air around Main Street USA really contributed to my merry mood, despite the late hour.
Tomorrow: Thanksgiving Day, and California Adventure!!

New Year, New Resolutions...Needed: NEW BOOKS

I've made some New Years' resolutions...it only took me about a month, but I finally did it!! One of those resolutions is to be more faithful at maintaining our family blog. I SWEAR I will finish posting our Disneyland pictures by the end of the week; the holidays have made me, at varying times, both too stressed to post and too much of a slacker to do so.

I have never been the best journal-keeper. My mission journal ends abruptly, almost to the day I became senior companion. COINCIDENCE?? As a married adult, I've rarely found time to jot down my thoughts--I've always been working full-time, either as an employee or as a mom. However, this month's Visiting Teaching message (that's "spiritual thought of the month," to you followers that aren't Mormon) dealt with family history and its importance. I'll be the first to admit that I've been very lax in doing my family's history...but maybe I can take baby steps towards that goal by keeping better track of my OWN family's history, as read in this blog.

Besides, I've always wanted to be an author/writer...and if I want those writing skills to continue improving, what better way is there than by WRITING...even if it's just to document my day and my thoughts? So here goes. I'll try to post in this blog more often--at least once a week or so. They may not always be coherent, or interesting, or pretty...but hopefully they'll be real and sincere and meaningful, at least to myself & my loved ones. But don't get too turned off...life is pretty silly lots of the time, and I hope to comment on that as well.

Now, to the second part of this post...a simple question! "Read any good books lately?"

NOTE: if you're already part of my book club, you don't need to read the next part... :)

As many of you perhaps know, I am part of a local book club with several friends. I really enjoy it...it's a group of women with diverse tastes & interests, which means I get to discover & read lots of good books I may not have found on my own. However, we've been doing this a few years, and sometimes we need fresh blood and/or ideas. In one week, we'll meet to plan our reading schedule for the next several months. I have a few great books in mind, but I'm always eager to hear about others.

That's where you, my gentle readers, come in. Are any of you in a book club of your own, or are you an avid reader on your own? Have you read a book recently you really enjoyed and would recommend to others? It can be any genre, fiction or nonfiction, you name it! Just leave a comment (here or on the Facebook link) that includes the book title and author's name. I'm open to any suggestions!

Thanks for sharing the joy with me! Reading has always been one of my favorite activities, so thanks for contributing to my "habit"! Stay tuned for more updates from our family. Here's a tease: WE'RE MOVING NEXT MONTH!

Our Family Christmas Letter, 2010 Edition

We interrupt the Disneyland blogging (we'll resume recaps after the holidays, I promise!!), to bring you our family letter, that gives a general outline of our lives for the year 2010. Enjoy reading, and happy holidays to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Our family has been pretty darn busy this year. We took 2 major vacations in 2010—to Colorado/Utah in the summer, and to Disneyland at Thanksgiving; we had a blast! Also, we just found out that we will at last become homeowners; we close on a lovely home in Sahuarita at the end of January 2011! We're excited to see what lies ahead for our family. Here are some “individual” highlights from this year:

Nathan—Keeping up the good work at the Planning Department of the San Xavier Indian Reservation. In January, he finally dedicated the newly refurbished San Xavier Mission Plaza—a project he's personally overseen for several years now! His next assignment—the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Santa Cruz River, to improve safety for the residents. Nate also serves on the Planning Commission of the Town of Sahuarita. In church, he serves as Elders' Quorum Secretary. In his spare time, he reads lots of books, plays lots of video games, serves as Dungeon Master in his newly formed RPG group, and teases/cuddles with his 3 daughters.

Adrianne—One busy mama. On January 15th, she had Baby #3—Aurora Leigh Barrett. Adrianne also participates in a weekly exercise/baby-sitting swap, a monthly book club, and various church activities (on Sundays, she plays the piano in Primary). At home, she cooks (she was especially proud of her home-canned salsa this year!); updates the new family blog; and earns a little spending money on the Internet. She also teaches piano lessons; this fall, she taught four students! Adrianne is very proud of how far they've all come, and hopes to continue teaching in the future.

Lorelai—The eager student! After a fun winter in preschool, Lorelai started kindergarten at Great Expectations Academy in the late summer—just before her 5^th birthday! In the last 6 months, Lorelai has learned to read & write better than anyone expected, and her imagination has taken off! It has been a joy to read the books she's written, and listen to her crazy stories that make us all laugh. She is quite the jokester! Lorelai also joined a Kinderchoir this fall, and she loves it as well.

Celeste—Our little diva! Celeste just turned 3 on December 13^th, and we celebrated with a “Wizard Of Oz”-themed party, after her favorite movie! Celeste has an excellent memory, and can sing songs very well after only having heard them a few times. She loves playing dress-up, “Mama,” and “princess.” She can charm her way out of many a jam, but her “terrible twos” sometimes get her right back in again! However, she is very sweet and brings so much joy to her family.

Aurora—The newest Barrett! She is a big, healthy baby, who is less giddy and more “serious” than her sisters. She loves to people-watch; to take rides in the car; to cuddle with Mama & Daddy; and to follow her big sisters around—she idolizes them! She has beautiful blue eyes, blond hair, and a big smile that lights up the room!

We hope this, the end of 2010, finds you all happy, healthy and prosperous. May the Lord bless you & keep you in the upcoming year!!

Our Disneyland Thanksgiving, Part 1

Some people travel to Disneyland several times a year; we are not those people. Before marrying Nate, I'd only been to Disneyland once--when I was 1 year old (just guess how much of it I remember). Nate & I went together in 2003; despite having some reservations, I LOVED our time there, as my inner kid awakened. We vowed to return again someday with our own children.

Flash-forward to 2010. The time is right for another trip. We've got 3 kids now (and the oldest will remember the trip); we recently bought a new minivan, to make the drive more comfortable; we only have to pay for one child (Celeste's 3rd birthday was 3 weeks away--ha!); and, Nathan and I had each performed some community service earlier in the year that gave us a FREE one-day voucher to the park for any day in 2010. Yay!

In other words...we'd be able to do this Disneyland vacation on the cheap...at least, "cheap" by Disneyland standards, which is still pretty pricey. Nevertheless, we felt ready! We planned to visit the park at Thanksgiving, to have a change-of-pace holiday, and to enjoy the decorations & holiday-themed events the resort was known for.

 On Tuesday, November 23, off we went!! We spent most of the day driving (luckily, it's only about an 8-hour drive). And, seeing as how we have 3 young kids, MANY potty breaks were taken. One of those potty breaks, by odd coincidence, occured right next to the General George S. Patton Memorial Museum. I'm not a big "war" person, but hey--think of it as our late observance of Veterans' Day! Besides, look at this baby...

...the one BEHIND me, that is, not the one in my arm. This tank and at least a dozen others were parked around the museum; we didn't pay to enter, but we got a nice little look through the fence, satisfied our American lust for large weaponry, and stretched our legs all at the same time!

There were also several Memorial Walls outside the museum as well; a "West Coast Vietnam Wall," as well as the one pictured above, which commemorated the men & women who have given their lives fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan.

After this brief detour, we headed out again. On to Anaheim--and Southern CA traffic, yuck. At last we made it to our hotel room...

...where we unpacked our coats; it was time to go on a walk & stretch those legs! Lorelai and Celeste also danced along to some music on TV, to get their wiggles out.

We stayed at the Anaheim Del Sol Inn, which is just a short walk away (1/4 of a mile or so) from the park entrance. It was GREAT to be so close to the park; it made coming and going pretty easy (which would prove important the next day, as it turned out)...

We took out our stroller and walked everyone to Downtown Disney--basically an open-air mall featuring many upscale shops (often with a Disneyland theme; the World of Disney store in particular was a huge behemoth that took up a whole building). It was chilly and rainy; however, while our hats were damp, our spirits were high. Lights were on all the trees, Christmas music was playing, and the air smelled strongly of caramel popcorn...mmm.

One of the stores we visited was a huge LEGO store, which had a lot of giant sculptures throughout--including this cool Woody statue made entirely from Legos!

We also watched through the window of a candy store for a while, and saw cute little custom cupcakes being made; they were shaped like Mickey Mouse snowmen! (sorry I didn't get a picture).

Now that our legs were stretched, it was time for dinner!

We ate at the IHOP right across Harbor Blvd. from the Disneyland Resort entrance. This IHOP proudly proclaims that "KIDS EAT FREE" every night. Of course, they can afford that because every entree is at least $15! Yikes! Oh, well...we were too beat to look for anything else. At least Aurora was still in good spirits. We ate, then headed back to the hotel to get ready for bed. We were so excited to see Disneyland the next day, it was hard to get to sleep!

This is Halloween, This Is Halloween

That was Lorelai and her Kinderchoir class performing "BOO!" at the Sahuarita Stake Talent Show (she's the princess in blue on the left--you know, the one wiggling in excitement. Afterwards, she was disappointed she only got to sing "one" song. There'll be other chances, kid).

But that was just the beginning of our 2010 Halloween season. And, like every Halloween, it's not complete unless you've got a few pumpkins laying around. So, off we went!

This year, we traveled to Buckelew Farms (about 40 minutes west of Tucson) to select our pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. There was a lot to do there, including a craft fair, food & drink, a hay bale mountain, and a new corn maze (you can see the maze in the background of the picture above. I've never seen a corn maze where the corn was STILL GROWING. Only in AZ, I guess). After looking around a bit, we hitched a ride in the hay wagon and drove out to the pumpkin patch:

Once we got to the pumpkin patch, it didn't take long for the girls to pick out their pumpkins. They were blessedly small (and thus, easier to carry back to the car!)

What a lovely pose! For some reason, Lorelai likes to do the "potrait studio" beauty pose for every photo I take (head tilted, hands clasped together like so). She is quite the ham.

So nice of Buckelew Farms to drive us back to the entrance with our pumpkins!

A few days later, for Family Home Evening, it was carving time...Daddy did the honors.

First, tracing a face on each pumpkin...and then attacking them with the knife!

The finished products; don't they look cute on our porch!

Other Halloween-related activities included a special trick-or-treat storytime at the local library. Celeste attended in costume!

The kids all weaved between bookshelves, while library employees waited at key junctures, handing out Halloween stickers & jewelry. Cute!!

That same night, our ward had their annual Trunk or Treat, complete with a kids' fair.

Fishing for prizes...

...and a cakewalk were a few of the activities. Then, it was outside to the dark, chilly parking lot, for trunk-or-treating and hot chocolate!

A couple of days later, it was party time at Lorelai's school!

This featured a costume parade that included the whole school! It was fun to see all the neat costumes...

...including those of the younger siblings, like Celeste and this adorable luchadora who befriended her briefly.

That night was another school-related activity--it was Great Expectations Academy's first ever Halloween Carnival, with treats, games, & prizes! All the kids went in costume & had a wonderful time.


Here's one last look at our girls' costumes this year:

Lorelai was Cinderella--a convenient choice, since we had this dress in our dress-up clothing drawer already;

Celeste also wanted in on the Disney Princess action; she went as Snow White, complete with a ridiculously huge hair bow I made myself;

and as for Aurora, she got her turn in our go-to baby Halloween costume; this lovely yellow duck get-up that quacks when you squeeze it! It was a little worn, and truth to tell Aurora didn't love the hood too much, but it mostly worked out. Random observation: doesn't Aurora have gorgeous blue eyes?

Since Halloween was on a Sunday this year, we decided to do our trick-or-treating on Saturday night. Luckily, we had many ward members work together on this, so the kids had places to go. We weren't originally going to hand out candy on Sunday night, but we had SO MUCH left over from all these activities that we gave in and decided to give it away. We ended up having lots of trick-or-treaters this year, so in the end, just about all the candy was given away! Our waistlines were relieved.

That about does it for the Barretts' 2010 Halloween. Is it my imagination, or does this holiday get more hectic every year? I love Halloween, but I am also relieved it's over & happy to move on to the more emotionally meaningful holidays this year (except that we'll be in Disneyland for one of them, so I'm not sure it counts as "emotionally meaningful" this year :) ). See you all next time!