Is anyone tired of Disneyland yet?

I promise this is the last Disneyland post for awhile (Candice you can start reading again)!

Our Disneyland Annual Passes expired the third week of January. The first week in January we started getting emails about renewing our passes, and it was KILLING us that our year of Disneyland fun was coming to an end. So, we jokingly started saying that we needed to go one last time, that joke turned into more serious discussion, and finally less than a week before our passes expired, we decided to get out of the inversion in Utah and head for sunny California.

Lauren had work and class our first day there, so we had to muddle through without her for awhile.

Things got a lot more fun once she and Morgan arrived.

Swan Lake anyone?

For our last ride of the night we went over to Splash Mountain, since we were just going home and wouldn't mind getting wet. The first time through, none of us got wet. Since it was the end of the night, the ride operators just let us stay on and go through one more time. Lauren got SOAKED!! She was not pleased.

Dan and Lauren both got to do what they wanted, Dan got Bengal BBQ ...

and Lauren got to ride on the canoes.

One last ride on our favorite Matterhorn...

...and on the wheelchair (Julie was still recovering from pneumonia), and it was time to go.

Disneyland annual passes are the best!

I have no clue what we are trying to do in this picture, but I had to include it!

Christmas at Disneyland

After seeing Disneyland all decorated for Halloween, how could we not go back and see how Disneyland does Christmas? We convinced mom and dad to join with their crazy children for this trip, so we could all experience a Disneyland Christmas together. There was just one problem, about a week before we left, Julie got pneumonia. After a lot of thought, she decided to come with us and do what she could and enjoy the cable TV in the hotel room the rest of the time.

Lauren had a choir concert the first night we got there, Dan enjoyed helping her get ready. While we were waiting for the concert, we did a little shopping in downtown Claremont. Lauren's boyfriend, Morgan, bought a fake mustache to wear to the concert. Her reaction when she came onstage and saw him was priceless!!

She was so not amused.

And was mostly definitely not ready to kiss and make up after the concert.

Our first stop in Disneyland was California Adventures to get tickets to "World of Color" and go on the Toy Story ride.

Then it was on to the Animation Studio for Lauren's favorite, the drawing class.

Dad really enjoyed it as well.

We got a wheelchair for Julie, but we all enjoyed using it when she wasn't there.

When Julie was using the wheelchair, Lauren was pretty willing to give us a ride. :)

Julie was also pretty willing to share her wheelchair while we were waiting for "World of Color" to start.

We were able to talk mom into giving Tower of Terror a try, she LOVED it!

Mom and Dad were both brave and went on California Screamin', it was a hit, except for the upside down part.

Everyone made me go in the front for Splash Mountain - even with the rain poncho I was SOAKED!

The second night we were there we were excited to watch the Candlelight Processional, after standing around for hours reserving places for everyone, it started raining, and then raining harder, and then raining some more. The processional was cancelled because of rain and we were SOAKED. Once again we were glad for our ponchos. We decided to call it a night because we didn't want Julie out in the rain with pneumonia.

So after quick stop at Small World so she could see all the lights, we caught the shuttle to go dry out at our hotel.

After drying out in the hotel for a bit, we found a fabulous little German restaurant to celebrate First Advent and have some dinner.

The next day we had some extra time before our flight home, so Dan got more ice cream (and immediately dropped it on himself).

Mom went on Screamin' and Tower of Terror one more time

and we all had one last trip on the Matterhorn.

Lauren had to work, so our family Christmas picture as we left the park is missing one person.

It was a fabulous trip - even with the rain and the illness, we were so sad to leave.

My Baby

About 5 years ago I talked to my Grandma about moving her mother's piano out of the basement and into my house so someone would start using it again. I was living in duplex with some friends at the time and we had the perfect place for it. Then we got a new roommate who brought her piano with her and so my Great-Grandma's piano stayed in the basement. Then I moved into my condo, which, while very nice, isn't that large, and is on the third floor of the building. So, again, I figured I would have to go without a piano for awhile. For my 30th birthday I decided I was tired of living without a piano, and that I would pay to have the piano moved as a birthday present to myself. Of course, then winter hit and life got busy and it never happened.

Dan and I have a tradition of playing Christmas music together every year. Although there is a rule in our house that we can't start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, we can "practice" Christmas music after Halloween. So, when Dan and I started practicing our Christmas music at my parents house last year, I decided I didn't want to go one more Christmas season without having a piano to play at my house. So on a nice fall day in November, I finally got my baby. My very own piano.

Everyone that comes to my house wonders how in the world we got it in the house. That was the easy part, you pay professionals! It took them all of 10 minutes to get it up the three flights of stairs, tight corners and all! It was pretty amazing to see.

The hardest part was figuring out how to arrange all the furniture and make everything fit. It has been so great to have a piano in my home, and it is especially meaningful to think of my Grandma and her mom and her brothers and sisters playing on the same piano.

Halloween at Disneyland Part 4 - Mickey's Halloween Party

Our last night in Disneyland was the big Halloween party.

At 6:00 the night of the party, the park closes to regular guests and you have to buy a special ticket to the party. You get to dress up and go trick or treating in addition to the rides, a special "spooky" firework show, and parade.

They even put up some special decorations for the party.

I loved the fog they had rolling in from the river and all through New Orleans Square.

We got SO much candy. We only went to two of the trick-or-treat stations, but it was enough! I still have candy leftover!

Julie and I decided to go as Princess Aurora and Fauna (the green fairy) from Sleeping Beauty. I made Julie's skirt for her, not bad for a first time attempt with no pattern!

Lauren and Dan went as Peter Pan and Captain Hook. I made Dan's costume as well (well, I made the collar and put the cuffs on the jacket) now it should make a lot more sense why I was so exhausted by the time we got to California - I was up sewing all night the week before! :)

We absolutely loved this other group of Peter Pan characters, especially Tinkerbell!

We waited in line for about 30 minutes to meet Peter Pan - unfortunately they changed over right before we got to the front of the line and brought in Captain Jack Sparrow. Lauren was SO disappointed! We left the line and came back later when Peter Pan was back, Lauren was so happy to FINALLY get a picture with Peter!

We went on Pirates of the Caribbean one last time, and then it was time to go home.

Halloween at Disneyland was SO much fun! I can't wait to go again!