There were so many pictures and so many fun things to remember that I have decided to divide this whole trip up! We left home around 6:00 Saturday night and headed to the Marriott in Hesperia for our first night. We stopped in Primm to shop, but otherwise made great time and were so excited to finally be on our way! We started saving our change in January and I couldn't believe that when we went and turned it all in, we had saved $264.06! The kids were so proud that they had paid for Disneyland! We didn't bother to correct their assumption! Sunday morning, we took a little detour. I really wanted to visit some places from "HOME" and wanted my kids to see where I grew up. After a little reminiscing, we finally headed to Disneyland! It was so much fun! The kids were great and the lines were amazing. Sunday was the busiest, but we stayed until the park closed and rode most of the rides at least once. We also left to check into our timeshare, which was beautiful. Here are the pics from those first 2 days, in no particular order!
Daddy, Kaitlin, and Brock on Autopia. Brock told me that, "Daddy said he was an excellent driver!" He was so proud of himself for not wrecking! (He had no idea that he couldn't have wrecked, even if he had wanted to!) "Autotopia!!!" was Brandon's favorite ride!
Brock on the carousel
Brandon on the carousel
The "classic" Disneyland shot!
Waiting to see "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!" There was one part during that movie that I actually thought the thing was going to hit me! I flung my hand up to protect myself and accidentally hit Allison right in the nose instead! Oops! She made sure I heard about it for awhile! Needless to say, she and I had to leave and didn't get to see the end!
Waiting for the Buzz Lightyear ride! They thought it was cool that their shirts (that Grandma and Grandpa Stewart bought them) matched the painting behind them.
Allison had a blast riding on Cole's shoulders! She loves to rub her hands on his bald head and also loves to try to eat the buttons off of his hats!
Too excited to stop for a picture - they just wanted to get on the rides!
This is a picture of Victor Valley Community College, where my mom worked. Ashley and I spent a lot of time playing under this building by the lake and lots of time running around inside after hours!
This is the institute building that my dad helped build. He petitioned the church to build a building for institute rather than holding it inside the stake center. It was the cutest place and still looked great. Well, from what I could see through the windows! We played here a ton, too! We spent a lot of Family Home Evenings playing Ping pong and foosball. I listened to so many great talks and firesides and have so many great friends and memories from this building! Plus, on a funny note, Cole has a picture just like this one from his mission - standing in front of the plaque with his companion, Elder Monroe. Cole's final area on his mission was the Branch and he worked with my dad alot!
This was our first house in CA. It used to be beautiful, grassy and green. Now...well, it just isn't! I couldn't believe how much it had changed!
Home sweet high school! Soooo many great memories here! This was one of the few places that looked better now than when I left 10 years ago. Wow, it feels like it was just yesterday! I LOVED high school, loved my teachers and had great friends. Sometimes I wish I lived closer so I could watch the football games again, even though I know it wouldn't be the same!
The Navajo Building - where I went to church the whole time I lived in CA. Also where I went to early morning seminary all through high school!
My scary middle school! This picture shows the few places that were actually buildings, the rest of the school is portables. It kind of gave me the creeps just looking at it, then again, I guess it kind of gave me the creeps back then too! I used to love Mr. Valentine's biology class though! (Even though the whole room just stunk like all the fish tanks and reptiles that were in it!)
It doesn't look so bad from this angle, but it really was scary looking!
This is where Cole lived as a missionary in Apple Valley. It was all boarded up and the doors were broken down! So sad. It had the worst feel about it. We got out of there pretty quickly!
This was his actual apartment.
My home! This is the place I still dream about at night sometimes - our little "ranch" in the Marianas! It was 2 1/2 acres and we only had 2 horses, but it was a blast! I have soooo many memories here - riding our 3 wheeler all over, driving my parents car around the property on Sundays, practicing the 100 meter dash I had measured out (complete with starting blocks and a starter gun), playing bastketball out front, having flour fights, riding horses, playing hide-from-cars, watching fireworks, and all the swim parties! This was the ideal place to grow up and I miss it so much it sometimes hurts. My parents sold it and moved when I was at college. It looked different, but the same....so many good memories.
Daddy, Kaitlin, and Brock on Autopia. Brock told me that, "Daddy said he was an excellent driver!" He was so proud of himself for not wrecking! (He had no idea that he couldn't have wrecked, even if he had wanted to!) "Autotopia!!!" was Brandon's favorite ride!
Brock on the carousel
Brandon on the carousel
The "classic" Disneyland shot!
Waiting to see "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!" There was one part during that movie that I actually thought the thing was going to hit me! I flung my hand up to protect myself and accidentally hit Allison right in the nose instead! Oops! She made sure I heard about it for awhile! Needless to say, she and I had to leave and didn't get to see the end!
Waiting for the Buzz Lightyear ride! They thought it was cool that their shirts (that Grandma and Grandpa Stewart bought them) matched the painting behind them.
Allison had a blast riding on Cole's shoulders! She loves to rub her hands on his bald head and also loves to try to eat the buttons off of his hats!
Too excited to stop for a picture - they just wanted to get on the rides!
This is a picture of Victor Valley Community College, where my mom worked. Ashley and I spent a lot of time playing under this building by the lake and lots of time running around inside after hours!
This is the institute building that my dad helped build. He petitioned the church to build a building for institute rather than holding it inside the stake center. It was the cutest place and still looked great. Well, from what I could see through the windows! We played here a ton, too! We spent a lot of Family Home Evenings playing Ping pong and foosball. I listened to so many great talks and firesides and have so many great friends and memories from this building! Plus, on a funny note, Cole has a picture just like this one from his mission - standing in front of the plaque with his companion, Elder Monroe. Cole's final area on his mission was the Branch and he worked with my dad alot!
This was our first house in CA. It used to be beautiful, grassy and green. Now...well, it just isn't! I couldn't believe how much it had changed!
Home sweet high school! Soooo many great memories here! This was one of the few places that looked better now than when I left 10 years ago. Wow, it feels like it was just yesterday! I LOVED high school, loved my teachers and had great friends. Sometimes I wish I lived closer so I could watch the football games again, even though I know it wouldn't be the same!
The Navajo Building - where I went to church the whole time I lived in CA. Also where I went to early morning seminary all through high school!
My scary middle school! This picture shows the few places that were actually buildings, the rest of the school is portables. It kind of gave me the creeps just looking at it, then again, I guess it kind of gave me the creeps back then too! I used to love Mr. Valentine's biology class though! (Even though the whole room just stunk like all the fish tanks and reptiles that were in it!)
It doesn't look so bad from this angle, but it really was scary looking!
This is where Cole lived as a missionary in Apple Valley. It was all boarded up and the doors were broken down! So sad. It had the worst feel about it. We got out of there pretty quickly!
This was his actual apartment.
My home! This is the place I still dream about at night sometimes - our little "ranch" in the Marianas! It was 2 1/2 acres and we only had 2 horses, but it was a blast! I have soooo many memories here - riding our 3 wheeler all over, driving my parents car around the property on Sundays, practicing the 100 meter dash I had measured out (complete with starting blocks and a starter gun), playing bastketball out front, having flour fights, riding horses, playing hide-from-cars, watching fireworks, and all the swim parties! This was the ideal place to grow up and I miss it so much it sometimes hurts. My parents sold it and moved when I was at college. It looked different, but the same....so many good memories.
