I haven't joined in the Friday Wrap in a few weeks. But the move is over, and it's time to peek out from under the pile of unpacked boxes and join the blogging world again.
So I'm supposed to share phone photos, which normally is not a problem. But since I have been on vacation this week, I actually pulled out the new camera and took most of my photos on it. But I did take a few at Disneyland with the phone. So this week, I'll just focus on that one night. And I didn't even run any through Instagram. Oh, the horror! But I'll survive.
1. Cutest Mickey bat cookie (and yummy)
2. Look at that awesome weather (not too hot, not too cold)
3. Finally....Disneyland has Wi-Fi
4. Jack pumpkin
5. Giant ghost Mickey
6. Spooky castle
We had a magical night. And I'm so thankful for the chance to visit Disneyland one last time in 2012!
Now it's time to join in the fun by clicking on the button below.
Day 4. I woke up to thunder and lightning and the oddest smell. At 6:30 am, I snuck out front to sit and watch the show. It started down the street, over the ocean, then slowly moved toward the beach house, bringing the rain with it. And every time there was lightning, it smelled kind of like burnt toast. Anyone know what that was? Is it the salt in the air?
Mark joined me outside for about half an hour, then we went back to bed. More computer time on the front patio. Walk around the neighborhood with Emma and the camera.
Shower. Off to Downtown Disney for shopping, food, and a movie. Perfect for an overcast, rainy day.
I got to pick out a birthday present at Fossil. And we had Alec's watch shipped off for repair. Off to Blink, World of Disney, Marcelline's Confectionery. Dinner at Jazz Kitchen Express (gumbo....yummy). And since we were at Disney, we had to see a Disney flick. Frankenweenie.
It was cute. Made me miss my dogs.
Then it was time to say farewell to Disney. Wait. Coconut cupcakes. See you next time Disney.
Can I tell you how good it is to take some time away from everyday life and just slow down? It's true.
Day 3 was hang out at the beach and relax day.
Sleeping in. Reading The Casual Vacancy in a beach chair. On the Pacific Ocean. Watching the girls boogie board for hours. Watching Alec join them from time to time.
Warm showers to wash off the sand and the beach chill. Hot Starbucks to drink. Pizza and watching The Avengers. And Life Happens. With the family.
That's it.
Wanna see some pictures?
My wish for you is that you can find some time away from your everyday life. Maybe not a beach vacation. But even just a couple of hours. You will not regret it!
Well, it's not really morning anymore. It's officially 12:06 pm. And I'm sitting on the patio in my jammies.....again. Life is Good.
So day 2 at the beach house is officially over. It was a good day.
Slept in late (something we all seem to like doing these days!). Then relaxed on the patio. Some computer/reading time. Then showers and lunch at Paul's Place and off to Anaheim. Yes. I said it. We went to visit The Mouse. It wasn't something in the original Fall Break plans. Just that relaxing time was on the agenda. Then Trevor asked if we could do the Halloween Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm. So I said yes, but Emma is too young to go and I do not want to pay someone to dress up and chase me with a chainsaw....while my husband laughs and pushes me into the chainsaw dude. Here comes that light bulb moment. Doesn't Disneyland have some special Halloween activity? Yep, they sure do. It's called Mickey's Halloween Party. And so Disneyland went and crawled its way into our vacation. I know. Shocking. So, Trev and Chelsey couldn't come, then the other kids decided we should all stay together and go to see The Mouse.
It was fun.The event was from 6 to 11pm, but you can get in 3 hours early. And it includes free parking. So, for $54 a person, we got to hang out at the Happiest Place on Earth for 8 hours, which is pretty much the perfect amount of time in my opinion. And we missed the hottest part of the day. And lots of people wore costumes, even adults, so it was great to just people watch! In fact, next time we go we decided we have to wear costumes. It was a bit more crowded that I had hoped for, but we still got to go on all the favorite rides. In fact, the ride wait times were shorter, but there were lots of people in the park enjoying the special activities. There was major amounts of candy handed out at trick or treat stations, a couple of dance parties, and even a special parade and fireworks show. We had a great time.
And now it is time to share some photos. Enjoy!
1,2,3. Haunted Mansion
4. Mickey bat cookie
5. Haunted castle
6. Ghost Mickey (sorry for the poor quality but I had to crop out all the background distractions)
Now it's time for me to go enjoy Day 3. Will see you all tomorrow. Has anyone else out there been to Mickey's Halloween Party?
The move is over (but not all the unpacking). We are now relaxing at the beach in Cali. We rented a house for Fall Break months before we decided to move. Turns out that was just perfect. We really needed the time away to rest and breathe!
So, the house is one block away from the ocean, or a 2 min walk. We haven't spend much time there yet. We arrived Sunday at about 5:30, met with the owner, and unpacked. They it was time to find a grocery store and by some food. $280 later, we were on our way home. Yes, I said $280. Which is way more than I normally spend on a week's worth of groceries, but way less than eating 2-3 meals out a day for $70 to $100 a meal! Plus, we really want to just relax and chill this trip, not look for places to eat and drive around.
Then we took a late stroll to thebeach at night and watched the kids play. But as it always is with kids, they were having great fun until someone cried. Alec and Emma were chasing each other, then the sand throwing began. Then Emma threw sand in Alec's eyes, and the night was done. He was able to get it all washed out in the shower, and we avoided a dreaded trip to the E.R.
Monday we slept in, then spent the afternoon relaxing and watching The Five Year Engagement.
Funny, but not for younger kids. Some language and adult situations. But I would definitely recommend!
Then we could no longer put off getting dressed (it's 3pm by now). We headed out to find a Barnes and Noble and look for flippy floppies. And switch out movies at a Redbox.
We ended up at Fashion Island. Not really our kind of place. A bit too high end. No luck with the flip flops (although Alec did find some at Nordstom's for a mere $120). But we did get to B&N to drink coffee and look at magazines and pick out a beach book.
Then we walked down to the beach to catch the sunset. So beautiful! The beach is such a calming place for me. It is truly my happy place!
Mark grilled burgers for dinner and we all watched Battleship.
Heard bad reviews about this one, but there was nothing else at Redbox. We actually liked it until the last 10-15 min. Then you had to suspend all logic and reason. Overall, it was OK. For $1.20. But I would have been mad if I had paid full price at the theaters.
Here are a few photos from day 1. Hope you enjoy!
1. view sitting on front porch
2. Snuggle/nap time
3. That papasan chair on the front porch is a favorite
Our new home. And it really does feel like home. Which the last house never did.
Now if only a magical unicorn would come to my house and unpack everything. You know, the one that eats rainbows and poops butterflies. Anyone know what movie that line came from?
But really, I do need some help with unpacking. The house is a freakin' disaster. But I have off the next 3 days from work, so I'm hoping to make a dent in the mess.
Wish me luck! And have a fabulous day, even if you did not move a few days ago.
