California Adventure

We spent all of our time at California Adventure the next day. The boys loved it there because of all of the characters and rides from their favorite movies like Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Cars, and A Bug's Life.



We immediately got in line for their newest ride, Toy Story Mania(after hearing the wait time can get super long). Especially with Gavin's obsession with Buzz Lightyear, he was so excited! Each person gets a pull-string gun, tries to shoot at targets, and gets as many points as they can. With Casey, I wasn't able to shoot very accurately, but Gavin was really getting the hang of it by the end!

Since Casey was awake, we went on the swinging ferris wheel together. He loved holding onto the screen and looking out at the view! We also took Casey on his first carousel ride.

We got a fast pass for Soarin', which is my all-time favorite ride. I especially loved taking Gavin on it for the first time, then we got a child swap pass so Adam could take Jacob.

It was pretty hot that afternoon, so we took a break in our air-conditioned hotel room. Adam and Casey stayed to take a nap while I took Jacob and Gavin to the Pixar parade. They loved seeing the characters from Cars (they had taken pictures with them earlier), A Bug's Life, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and especially Toy Story. I think Woody, Jessie, and Buzz reminded Gavin of Toy Story Mania, so he convinced me to go back for a second round.


Then we met up with Adam and Casey for dinner and the electrical parade. The electrical parade is my all-time favorite part of Disneyland. If I had only one thing I could pick out of everything, that would definitely be it. We found a spot right up front and shared some kettle corn together while we waited for the parade to begin. I can't even describe what a joy it was to see my kids with their Mickey Mouse ears, waving their flashing necklace and dancing to the music. Gavin completely lit up as he watched the musical light parade pass by only inches away. I just wanted to freeze time in that moment forever.

I love these pictures of us watching the fireworks with almost all of California Adventure to ourselves. (We didn't realize it was closed yet ;)
After the parade, we headed back to Disneyland. Casey was awake and in the best mood so we wanted to take everyone on It's a Small World. This ended up being another favorite memory for sure. Jacob softly sang along with the music the entire ride, while Casey stood up on the seat and danced. As if it's not cute enough watching a baby dance... but being in this ride with Jacob singing in the background made it even more adorable. Can somebody please freeze time again?


We had to try the new Nemo submarine ride before taking the boys back to the hotel. The boys loved peering through the giant windows to watch the underwater scene. The whole concept was cool, but I could really see someone who is claustrophobic having a difficult time!

Goodbye Disneyland, Hello Long Beach!

The next morning, we headed back to California Adventure. Jacob and Gavin shared their frozen lemonades while Daddy went on the roller coaster.


Gavin was exactly 42", so I was able to take him on the Grizzly River Ride. It was perfect for a really hot afternoon, keeping us drenched and cool for a long time.

We watched the 3-D Bug Life movie, but Jacob refused to put on the glasses because he didn't want the bugs coming out at him. ;) Then we took turns with Jacob and Gavin on the bumper cars and Splash Mountain.


Daddy really wanted to stop and get another fresh tortilla, which Casey was a big fan of also.
We saw Pluto on our way out, but Gavin wasn't so sure about him.
He decided to give him a hug goodbye though.
When we told Jacob he had to say goodbye to Disneyland, he was super distraught. I was sad too so we hugged really tight and I told him we would come back when he was 7. To which, of course, he pleaded his case for 6.

After letting the boys go on the pirate waterslides one last time, we were off to Long Beach. It was beautiful there and fun to see the place Adam had described in person. We had a nice dinner and walked along the pier with caramel apples and chocolate.

We arrived at the airport the next day just in time to discover that all of the flights were full. ;) Fortunately, God was looking out for us because not only did we make it on a flight, but we all got to sit together as well. Phew! I thought it was so funny that Gavin picked up the airline magazine and was looking through the pages with such sophistication. We might have another pilot on our hands!

Getting away

Tomorrow we are flying to California on vacation. We're keeping it a surprise from the boys... we were going to tell them tonight, but then we thought they probably wouldn't sleep. Jacob knows that we're going on vacation, but he doesn't know where.

Here's how our conversation went:

M: Jacob, we have a secret to tell you in three days!
J: Not in three days. Tell me in zero days. What is it?!
M: You have to wait, but it's so so exciting. The most exciting thing you can think of!
J: Fun Dip?
M: No.
J: How 'bout the biggest most humongous swing? You found one bigger than our LIVING ROOM?
M: No.
J: Are we going to Maine?!
M: What's in Maine?
J: I don't know. Let's find out!

He cracks me up.

So the plan was to go to Long Beach for a few days. Adam stayed in this hotel by the beach that he really wanted to take us to. Then... we found out that Disneyland is giving anyone in the military a free three day ticket AND their family can get a three day ticket for the price of one. So you can't pass that up, right?! That's what we thought too.

We weren't planning to go to Disneyland with Casey being so little, but at least it won't feel like a waste of money if everything goes crazy. ;) Hopefully they will do well. My first posts ever were from the last time we went, when Gavin was 13 months and Jacob was 3. How funny that Casey is Gavin's age and Gavin is Jacob's age now. California, here we come... wish us luck!

Our new boat!

Our family bought a boat and I couldn't be more excited! The pastor who married us expressed the importance of finding a hobby that we both enjoy and can do together. We immediately knew boating was that hobby and have always wanted to get one. There is nothing I love more than being on the water, with the warm sun shining, music playing, and wind blowing in my hair. I don't know much about wakeboarding and skiing yet, but I have tubing down! ;)

Jacob discovered upon reading the stitched in labels that our boat's first name is Sundeck and last name is Sea Ray. We took it out for the first time last week. First of all, and most importantly, we wanted to see how the boys would do. We were relieved to discover that there was no arguing, whining, crying, boredom... all of the things that are involved in a typical day at our house. They all found a spot to settle into and enjoyed the ride with huge smiles on their faces. We also wanted to see if we could handle getting it in and out of the moorage spot by ourselves. This was challenging with kids, but I'm sure we'll get more efficient with time.

My first time driving a boat

Adam giving the boys their first taste of driving the boat

Casey is an awesome little boater too
The second time we took it out, we brought some friends with us. This enabled us to swim and actually attempt waterskiing and wakeboarding. Jacob especially loved tubing and never wanted it to end. Gavin was a little timid, so it took us awhile to convince him that it was safe and fun. Then Daddy accidentally sank the tube under the water and we fell off. So he will probably never trust us again.



I am looking forward to many beautiful days and memories on our boat. We have always wanted a hobby that we could enjoy as a family and I'm so glad we finally have one.

Fourth of July

We spent Fourth of July with Adam's side of the family. They live on the channel in La Conner so there is always a breathtaking view of boats sailing by and fireworks exploding in the sky. I love lighting fireworks myself too, so we always head to a nearby fireworks stand with the boys to pick some out.

Daddy set up a system so the boys could watch a movie on the drive up. Gavin kept falling asleep and his headphones would fall off. This would jolt him awake and he would grab his headphones, put them back on, and fall back asleep.


GG bought a new pool for all the cousins to swim in. They loved it, especially splashing Uncle Andy and Grandpa when they came in to join the fun.

This swing is always a big hit too
Casey just wasn't able to stay up late enough for the fireworks this year. He had a great day swimming in the pool with his cousin Olivia, playing peek-boo with mommy, and eating everything he could off of our plate for dinner. ;)


Casey's salute to the troopsGavin was definitely more into the fireworks than Jacob this year. He was right by mommy's side, helping me choose which one to light off next. Then his eyes would get huge as he watched the colors burst into the sky. After it finished, he was off to choose the next one.

Jacob, during all of this action, was convinced that the puzzles in the living room were the most exciting thing around. (This picture was from earlier in the day, when his brothers were joining him.) I literally had to pull him outside in an attempt to convince him that the fireworks were so much more fun than puzzles. Seriously... I must be the only mom who has to do that!

We ended the night with sparklers. The boys were more than happy to participate in something they were able to do by themselves, since they had to watch everything else from the sidelines.

College roommates

My senior year in college, I lived with seven other girls in a big white house. This house was divided into two sections, each with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen. It was definitely a fun year, filled with memories of making up dances, taking care of friends who had a little (or a lot) too much to drink, having long talks with April on our beds, getting engaged, watching the Wedding Story, and looking at bridal magazines. Was there drama with that many girls in one house? Yes. Did we always get along? No. Was it hard to share one landline because nobody had cell phones yet? Yes. Was it always a quiet place to study for tests? No. Was there a lot of boy craziness? Yes. But we made so many unforgettable memories together and the best part was... there was always someone home to hang out with, which I loved.

My friend April moved to California five or six years ago, but we have been really good about staying in touch. She is only able to come up about twice a year, so we always make the effort to see each other and talk on the phone whenever we can.

This year, we decided to get all of our college roommates and kids together. So the total count was seven adults and twelve kids! Jacob was the oldest at five, then we had one four year old, two three year olds, two two year olds, four one year olds, and two babies. Was it a little crazy? Yes. Did we make it through the day without any injuries? No. Did every single kid fall asleep in the car on the way home? Probably. Thank goodness it was a warm day, so the kids could play in the backyard on our playset, pool, and slip-in-slide. It was a fun day!


Casey loved the slip-in-slide, until it sprayed him with water and he wasn't able to crawl away in time
My friend April and our babies

Here we are... the whole clan of us!

We have been through a lot since those days in college ten years ago... weddings (five of us are married to the boyfriends we had in college!), babies, and the sweetest adoption story. I remember sitting down with these same girls years ago, talking about who would have kids first and in what order. I think we were really close, although I didn't think I would be the first one and have the most!