We take you back to November... Back to a time of a fair amount of anxiety and pressure for our household hero, Dr. Paul, who had been studying hard for his boards exam. Back to a time where this mommy was once again holding down the fort while the daddy went into lockdown study mode.
Familiar territory, certainly. But this time was different for two reasons. (1) It was the final test/step for Paul to become fully certified, and (2) we had a DISNEYLAND trip planned as a reward!!
So while Paul took the exam, I was putting the finishing touches on our packing, and we hit the road when he came home... for the most part :) We left a cold, blustery Utah, and were happy to be reacquainted with the perpetually pleasant sunshine of Southern California. We were even more happy to reacquaint ourselves with our favorite part of living in California.
And to make it even sweeter, we were there right in time for all the holiday decorations/parades/festivities. I love Christmastime at Disneyland. I remember our first December in California, being surrounded by warm weather and palm trees, thinking "this does NOT feel like Christmastime at all!" But Disneyland remedied that for me each year. A California Christmas tradition, if you will. This year was no disappointment.
The girls created a new Disneyland tradition... each time we entered the park, they had to stop at these benches, climb them, and perch on the top to pretend to be The Little Mermaid. They would sing parts of "Part of their world" and raise themselves up on the stone, trying to recreate this scene:
Don't ask me what I think about having my daughters imitate Ariel, because you might get a confession of worries about the example of disobedience, reckless decisions, and... um... shells for clothing. Regardless, this was cute.
They, of course, loved Winnie the Pooh, Pirates, and the "big girl ride"... Matterhorn--one of the only fast rides they can ride at their height.
We had a "girls morning" with the princesses while the boys did some of the bigger rides. My girls fit right in with their dainty walking and adoring smiles...
Ella joined in the tradition of Disneyland more than ever, as I feel like this was the first trip where she was actually conscientiously aware that what we were doing was special and fun. She loved the sights and scenes displayed before her. She enjoyed several rides, and clung to me on others. Her favorite was definitely the carousel.
And Michael had coming of age experience at Disneyland this time. Being tall enough to ride all of the big rides brought a new excitement to relish.
California Screamin', Space Mountain, Indiana Jones... this boy delights in them all. He will carry on the Risenmay tradition of being a true roller-coaster maniac, taking after his mom, who takes after her daddy. :) I was, however, worried about the Tower of Terror... which I thought would be too creepy for our Michael.
Paul took him against my better judgment... and I am happily surprised that there have been no resulting nightmares. Phew.
He was also selected to be a Jedi in Training, and got to fight the formidable Darth Vader. I guess that's pretty creepy too...
A highlight was being able to have my brother Todd, who is living in LA right now, come with us for a day. The kiddos loved having him there, and we appreciated the extra hands!
On our last Disneyland day, we were joined by our friends, the Rowleys, which is another California tradition. We love meeting up with them there. I love watching the kids all pal around, taking turns riding with each other, and sharing their excitements.
When we left Disneyland that day, we drove with the Rowleys to their house to spend a couple of days with them. The kids always fall into things like they've never been apart... Abby and Bekah go right for the dress up clothes, Emily creates a magical world of pretend for everyone to join, and Caleb and Michael talk math, sports, and cars. Still trying to get them to move to Utah... :)
Can you tell the sun was right in our eyes?? Oh, and we were late for church...
I am so glad we still have our Disneyland passes. I know it seems so cheesy to be such a fan of Disneyland... but I'll tell you what I love about it. You walk into the gates and it is cheery, happy, and bright. Everything is clean. Children are not only welcomed, but cherished. They love EVERYthing and I love their excitement. You don't have to plan a thing except when to eat and where to walk next. And it is all FUN.
Our kids are at perfect ages for it to be truly magical, and I'm glad it is a family tradition for us...
