The drive from hell!

Short story: We left Disneyland for home on Monday 2/16 at 10:30am. we got home Tue 2/17 at 1pm. Disneyland is only a 6 hour drive from us!

Long story of what happened: Well we learned that California is not prepared for snow and has no idea what to do when it does snow. We where driving on I5 going home Monday morning. We where getting a big storm coming in with lots of rain and some snow in the low mountains. We fingered we would have to pull over and buy chains at some point but NEVER thought I5 would be so unprepared for snow that they would just shut down the interstate all together. We where driving on 5 for about a hour and half when we came to the closer. We got pulled off on to this exit and made to go back down 5 towards LA. We where able to get a map (a crappy map but a map non the less). We had to drive back down 5 a hour from where we just came to hop on to 101 that goes up the cost. Well guess what so did everyone else.
From the time we left Disneyland it took us 10 hours to get to San Louis Obispo (for those who don't know San louis is only a 2 hour drive from Disneyland). It was dark and raining so hard the whole time we where on the road. We saw about 15 car accidents a few with flipped cars (one was a huge Tahoe too) and lots of Semi's vs Car wrecks too, one car we think hit a animal and the windshield was completely caved in. Needless to say by 9pm with the rain, traffic up the yin yang and people driving crazy Mick and I were in full blown panic mode!
So we decided to do the smart thing and pull off and stay the night at a motel. I'm so glad we did!

In the morning we found out that not only was I5 closed but so where 2 other big freeways that run along side I5 so EVERYONE had to take 101, but parts of 101 where getting closed due to flooding.

We tried once again for home at 8:30am and finally made it home safe and sound at about 1pm. It still took us longer then it should have due to really bad rain again, but we made it and that's all that matters.

I have always known I had some great friends but i cant tell you all how much you mean to me. I feel so blessed for all of you. I'm sorry we don't have cell phones (yet) and made you all worry about us. Melissa B., Sarah J., Ann, Stephanie, Kamie you all rock! O and Sarah thanks for giving us some time before you put a APB out on our rental :). Its nice to know that if we ever went missing someone would notice.
We love you guys :)

Disneyland (lots of pics)

Let me start by saying We had a blast at Disneyland!!!!

We headed out on Thur Feb 12th. We love the drive down I5, its so pretty and so simple. It was really neat when we came to the mountain range and got to see some snow.
To bad there was no where to pull off and let the kids play in it.

We got to Disneyland about 4:30pm and got settled in to our hotel room. Then we took off to Downtown Disney for some shopping and dinner.

We ate at the kids favorite place the "Rainforest cafe".

We booked our vacation package online this time and we got so many perks. One of them was "Mickey's toontown morning madness" they do a big parade with all the characters and you get to explore toontown a whole hour before it opens to the rest of the park. The characters take extra time and care to hang out with the kids and that made it so much more exciting for them.

Day 1 at the park 2/13

Mickey's toontown morning madness.
Skyla and Justin got to meet Pluto,

Minnie, and

Donald.

After that we went in to Minnie's house to play and explore.

When we came out we ran right in to Goofy, he decided to take the kids on a walk down the street to his house. They LOVED this! and I got a really cute pic.

Then he was sweet enough to stop and pose for a pic with them.

We loved toontown.

After that we hit "Its a small world" this was the first time we have been on it (it was being fixed last time we went). Its a cute ride....long but cute.

On the merry go round.

Skyla trying to pull out the Sword in the stone.

Justin really tried but that thing wouldn't move.

Then we headed to Justin's favorite ride "Splash Mountain" We got really excited when we found out how tall Skyla was. She is 41 1/2 inches tall the only ride she could not get on was Indiana Jones. Man dose this girl LOVE coasters!!!

After Splash mountain we got to meet Tigger and Pooh. Here is poor Mick waiting again for us.

Skyla was really excited to see "her friends" as she calls them.

We had so much fun with our first day at Disneyland. We got to go on all the rides as a family this time (Yes Skyla went on everything, space mountain, splash mountain, the Matterhorn all of it, and she loved every bit, Justin loves all the rides too but gets scared with spooky stuff like the abominable snowman on the Matterhorn and the hunted mansion but he went on them).

One thing I love about staying at a hotel across the street from the park is we got to go back for naps each day then go back and stayed at the parks till midnight every day. It was so fun.

So in our hotel they did this cute folding thing with the towels and for some reason the kids thought they were so funny and would laugh hysterically every time they saw it.

Mick and I love the candy shop over by splash mountain in Poohs corner. I'm a sucker for carmel apples and a even bigger sucker for loaded carmel apples. In our fave candy shop they had Mickey and Minnie apples and I had to get one.

Let me tell you about my apple. not only is it supper cute looking but it was so good. It was a granny smith apple dipped in carmel, the ears were marshmallow's then the whole thing was dipped in milk chocolate, then half dipped in white chocolate and had red sprinkles added to make the Minnie dress. Then white chocolate dots added to that, and the bow was a sour gummy belt cut in to a bow shape. Best apple EVER!

Justin and Skyla really loved their Tigger tails (3big marshmallow's dipped in carmel, then dipped in orange colored and flavored white chocolate with dark chocolate "stripes" on top of that) Can we say Yumm.

Day 2 2/14 Valentines day

We got a Magic morning with our vacation package so we got to go to the park at 7am a hour before it opens to the public. We hit Space Mountain first thing (no line can you believe that). Then at 10am we headed over to California Adventure. Justin was loving coasters so much he decided he wanted to go on California screaming. Sadly he was a few inches to short and couldn't go but he got to go on Ariel's merry go round. Cant you just see the excitement in his face about this.

Well at least Skyla enjoyed it.

Proof me and Mick were there too.

We got to see Stitch too.

We also got to go on the Hollywood Tower of terror it was so much fun. I don't think any of us have ever screamed that loud ever. We also got to ride the new Toy story Mania ride/game. Its really neat and the 3D game you play is so fun (my score was higher then Micks by the way...both times :) ).

Mick and Skyla after a long day playing at California Adventure.

After that we headed back to Disneyland and stayed till the park closed. It was Valentines day and Mick was so sweet. At a cart that was selling the glow in the dark/Light up stuff he found these light up Rose's and got one for Me and Skyla. What a sweet guy he is :).

Day 3 2/15

Pixie Hallow is a new place where you can go and meet Tinker Bell and some of her friends from the Tinker bell movie. This was the longest line we stood in the whole 3 days but so worth it.

Justin and Skyla with Fawn she is a Animal talent fairy.

Then we got to see Tinker Bell, Skyla loved talking with her,

and taking a cute sassy pic too.

Justin liked meeting her too (his face got a tad red during this pic)

Of course I had to have a pic with Tinker Bell too after all she is my favorite.

After all that we went back to California Adventure to hit our 3 favorite rides one last time.

Waiting in line for Toy story mania ride. Mr potato head is pretty funny, he tells jokes and talks to people walking by.

We also got prefered seating for shows in California Adventure. We got to see the Aladin show and man was it a great show. We were in the second row and loved every bit of it. Its a must see you cant miss.

We had such a fun time, we hit all our favorite rides so many times and got to enjoy everything as a family. Im happy to be home but cant wait to go back again.

Update!

So from my last whining post thing have gotten better.

Justin is loving school, and baseball starts next month so that will be fun. He has learned how to tie his shoes!!!!! He can still be pretty mouthy but is really trying to control that. At least now when he says something he immediately apologies for it.

Skyla has not had a fit in a few weeks. We figured she was sleeping to much so we cut out naps and it has been so much better.

Mick is doing good he is heading to the Doc after work today he has been having some weird heart/muscle thing going on. He says it feels like his heart is hiccuping but you can feel in on the outside like a muscle spasm. its not just his heart he feels it all over his whole chest. This has been going on for a week now and I finally convened him to go in. I'm hoping its just muscle spasms (he had that before in his chest). I'll let you all know more when I find out. Besides that He is good.

Me I'm not as stressed as I was. As soon as we find out whats going on with Mick I will be much less stressed as well. I'm really happy cause we are heading off to Disneyland on Thur!!!! Its going to rain the whole time we are their and I don't even care LOL.

Sneaky Skyla

Skyla LOVES to wrestle Justin. I think just for the pure fact she can, and usually does beat him. Poor Justin he gets taken out by his little sister.

Anyways I was playing with my camera and the TV the other day. I figured out how to plug the camera in to the TV and do slide shows and show videos I take. Well I also figured out that I can take pics too and they show up on the TV as I do it. So we had some fun! I put my camera on this setting that it will take pic after pic as long as you hold down the button. Well here are some pics I got that had me cracking up. This is totally Skyla right here. Her and Justin were playing and out of no where she decided to attack him. I love that I got it on film cause her face is so funny and poor Justin has no idea whats going on till its over LOL.

Got to love the big smiles, I Love it when they play like this.