As you can see from the other smileboxes, we had a GREAT vacation. We left for Las Vegas on Christmas morn. The kids had a great time with their gifts and playing with their cousins. It was just a great, laid-back day. The next few days we just hung around and saw family. Nathan got to go golfing with his Dad, Grandpa and Mark. They had a great time! Mom and Dad Mann graciously let us use one of their vehicles for the week so we had our own transportation while we were there. $500.00 in rental money, but because you've always taken care of our cars, I've never had to "experience" the CAT buses! Tricia and Aaron were out of town the exact same days we were in town, so they graciously let us use their house. It was fun to be there and the kids loved watching their movies! Nathan and I weren't Seinfeld watchers, but thanks to them, we've now seen season 1 and half of season 2! Thanks Hegjis!
We also took family pictures with the entire Mann family. Poor Sears...I think we spent three and a half hours there! It was nice to get to spend that time with everyone...we got to see Connie, Tim and the kiddos.
Friday night, Nathan and Jen got to leave the kids and get out fo a night at the Rio. Mehdi and Missy not only gave them the room, but also were the designated babysitters. How we will ever repay them , I don't know. We had a blast just being by ourselves and enjoying each other without the familiar pitter-patter.
On Sunday, Chris and Natalie blessed Max, so we spent the day with the Yorks. He is a cutie!
Then came New Years and our trip to California the day after. Mom and Dad York graciously let us borrow the van and Jason and Missy let us borrow DVD players, all of which made the travel time VERY enjoyable! We stayed at the same hotel we stayed at last year. It is so nice to have a room with a kid's suite...highly recommend it! The first day at Disneyland was spent with Crystal, Justin, and Jake. We all had a great time, and we took great advantage of the knowledge of seasoned Disneyland veterans. Thanks guys!
Despite a rainy forecast, we spent the next two days riding rides, watching parades, and avidly seeking autographs in the books that Jen made for the kids. Our kids are BIG parade fans, and caught every parade we had the chance to see. Kassi also made it her personal mission to get all of the autographs that she could, even if it meant braving the rain to get to the princesses. Actually, we only got rained on once (the second day) and it was in the evening as the kids were getting tired, so it really didn't hinder us at all, but the forecast did (we believe) keep the park numbers down, which we were happy about.
The third day, we ate a brunch at Goofy's Kitchen, which was a definite highlight for all of us. The cuisine was all you can eat and featured everything from PB & J pizza to Creme Brulee French Toast (they had regular food too!) Not only was the food great, but several Disney characters walked around and greeted the kids, signed autographs, and danced around. It was a lot of fun.
Another exciting event of our last day was Trevor's "magical moment". We were on our way to catch the Main Street Electrical Parade and we passed by Star Tours. There was no line, so Jen offered to take the kids one more time, as they had enjoyed it twice already. Trevor took her up on the offer and in they went. As they were walking up, an employee asked how many were in their party. Jen replied that it was just the two of them, and he told them to follow as he sped toward the "loading area". The employee then shuffled other people in the line into one area and told Jen and Trevor to pick a row for another ship. Trevor picked the front row. As they were boarding, the employee told them that they like to create magical moments at Disneyland and this was to be Trevor's magical moment. He then told Trevor that he was going to get to fly his own ship (which holds about 50) with nobody else on board. He then closed the doors and Jen and Trevor got the whole thing to themselves! You couldn't have wiped the smile off Trevor's face for anything!
We just thoroughly enjoyed all of our time out west with everyone. Thanks to everyone who helped with cars, meals, babysitting, good times and everything else. We have the greatest family ever. We miss you guys and are already planning the next vacation. Disneyland in December, anyone? :)
