Oceanside & Matching Dresses

After Disneyland, we spent a few days in Oceanside with the Mays.  Getting Amelia and Gracey together is so funny.  They play, they paint, they eat pretzels, they speak their own language, and are best of friends.  Until someone takes the other's favorite toy.  Then it's on!

Gracey gave Amelia a dress that matched hers and they thought being twins was super fun.  We spent an afternoon shopping in Carlsbad and stopped at the Koi pond.  Rob gave the girls pennies to toss into the pond until a man came up and scolded him.  "Don't you know that copper is toxic to koi fish?"  And that was the end of that!

Disneyland or Bust 2010

Okay, now this is getting a bit embarrassing.  Yes, it's another Disneyland post - the result of yet another Disneyland trip.  And we loved every minute of it!

Initially, Amelia was a little sad that her Moss friends stayed back in Utah for this trip.

But all sadness disappeared once Tinkerbell and friends appeared in Pixie Hollow.

The Park was so quiet that cast members had kiddie games to play on Main Street.  Amelia totally charmed Phillip by knowing how to spell Mickey Mouse (thanks mostly to her faithful watching of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).  He made us all Honorary Citizens for they day.  Amelia wore her button proudly!

Each trip Amelia seems to choose a new "favorite" ride.  The Casey Jr. Circus Train was the lucky winner this trip.  She knows every word to the song and loves to wave at the people riding in the Storybook Land Canal Boats below.

Mid-week the fun kicked into high gear with the addition of the McKinlays (Lisa, Katie, Michael, and Lizzie) and the Okerlunds (Megan, Annnie, David, and Matthew).  I can't even put into words just how fun it was to have them there.

Riding Gadget's Go Coaster.  I promise that in the photo before this one everyone's hands were up in the air even Ameila's!

David's personal mission was to get Katie and Annie onto any ride that would make them scream or drench them with water.  The girls loved his teasing and happily jumped on Grizzly River Run, Splash Mountain, and Tower of Terror (okay, just Annie on this one).

David broke all personal and family records on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters with a score of 1,200,00.  I suspect that it has something to do with how much time he spends submerged in the Toy Story world at work day-in and day-out.  He says that he's just that good.

Of course, no Disney trip would be complete these days without a good chunk of time spent playing on the Hoot and Holler slides in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail.

Invading the Central Valley & Lightening-Quick Visits

When my mom has a free week in February, you better believe that Amelia and I will be jetting out to visit.  The only snag is that a week simply isn't long enough to see and do everything that we would like.  Here are a few of the highlights.

Shopping in Oakland and riding the mall train with Grandma Lorla.

Having lunch at Orchard Park with Bill and Jenn.

Rising up and down the halls on Great Grandma Rheta's lap in her wheelchair.

Attending the Gateway Quilters Guild monthly meeting and standing beside Grandma Lorla while she made announcements.

Learning to sew from the master.

Hanging out with Stacey at H.O.P.E. Animal Foundation and playing with crazy animals.

Having lunch with Heather, Ella, and Weston and leaving with a coveted jar of Hiatt honey.

Catching up with Kerry and loving every minute of Claire's giggles.

Missing Lisa even while sitting in her kitchen and being amazed that Carson Abby, the frog, is still alive.

Spending time with Ramona and her office full of fun dummy phones, pens, pads of paper, and everything else Amelia can tear into.

Playing with uncle Kyle and cousin Jackson at the park and learning not to be afraid of ants.

Relaxing with Joaquina and Nicole at the end of a busy week while Jordan, Riley, AnnMarie, and Amelia tore through a box of dress-ups in record time.

New Camera

David finally bought a digital SLR camera.  It is fabulously complicated and because of that, takes fabulous photos.  (Don't get me wrong, I love it.  I just have yet to finish reading the instruction manual and watching the DVDs.  Totally my fault.)

When the camera comes out of its case, Amelia thinks it is grand to strike a pose.  Below, are her range of emotions, in this order: happy, cute, sad, surprised, scared, and thoughtful.  That last one I'd never seen before or since this photo shoot.  What a character!

Mad Dash to Disneyland

SUNDAY AFTERNOON:  Thanks to Brennan's masterful negotiating powers, a tempting offer was placed on the table.  Without much debate, a decision was made.

MONDAY:  We were loaded in the car headed to Disneyland!  Sadly, David stayed behind to work (lousy deadlines...) and we missed him every minute.  But we pressed on bravely.

Flashback to SUNDAY FAMILY DINNER:  "Everyone going to Disneyland tomorrow raise your hand."  "Hey, how come we aren't going?"  And with that Jill, Katherine, and three of the four Kennedy Yoon kids were packing to come along on this mad dash to Disneyland.

As luck would have it, visiting the Park at the very same time was an old friend from high school and his family.  They lived in Fresno when we did an have since relocated to Colorado.

We left Disneyland and headed down to Oceanside for a quick visit with the Mays and a night out (without kids) for celebrating Brennan's birthday.

Of course, the highlight for Amelia was hanging out with her "best friend", Gracey.