April Fools Day and Spring Break Trip 2015

What a trip! The girls and I flew down to Long Beach and Aaron picked us up and we spent Sunday through Wednesday in California. We went to church and had a linger longer, visited the La Brea Tar Pits and had a fire on Huntington Beach. We went hiking in Wrightwood, and watched Cinderella in the theater. We had planned on driving home on Wednesday but decided last minute to surprise the girls with a trip to Disneyland for April Fools! We bought tickets after they had gone to bed and the next morning we woke up early and pretended to hit the road toward Utah but headed to Anaheim instead!! They were so excited and we had an absolutely awesome day! It was so much fun!

Building our sandcastle 

Sophia playing at Huntington

Hiking in Wrightwood 

Evelyn hiking in Wrightwood

On Thursday morning we all slept in and then really did get on our way toward home. The girls travelled so well and kept busy with books, coloring, movies, snacks, and pit stops. We spent Friday through Sunday in Logan. We watched Conference together and Aaron and I were able to go to the Sunday morning session in Salt Lake. Aaron headed home Monday morning and it was back to school and work. 

Scipio Petting Zoo 

The Zonkey

General Conference 

Disneyland & California Vacation 2014

I decided three years ago that I would one day take the girls to Disneyland..... I was a newly divorce single mom trying to figure out my little place in this great big world and I needed a dream. I needed something tangible to work toward and I found that in my Disney Dream. I held this dream inside my heart for two years and then I shared it with the two little people that I raising and suddenly it became our dream, and very slowly it became a reality. See, when you share a dream with a seven and five year old they are going to make you find a way to make it happen. So we saved all of our extra money and we did with even less than we were and somehow we finally had enough to begin planning. By this time I had met and started dating a Californian so he became part of this shared dream too. Over the course of seven months of planning and anticipating I finally found myself driving to the airport with two little Disney Dreamers in the backseat heading to the airport to embark on this long-awaited journey.

It was a journey that filled my heart to overflowing. I fell in love with my children all over again and I was slowly falling in love with Aaron. We navigated the lines and the heat and the crowds like professionals. We bought Minnie ears and princess hats and Dole Whips. We rode Star Tours and Splash Mountain and pushed strollers. We ate $50 lunches and watched parades and fireworks and I felt my heart and my soul heal. Years of dreaming and I discovered joy.

At the airport

At the airport

Let's get this vacation started!

Swimming in California

First glimpse of the ocean

Together again

Molly and Mom

Riding the shuttle to Disneyland

Evelyn and Sophia at the Happiest Place on Earth

Meeting Ariel

Meeting Aurora

Meeting Cinderella

Riding the carousel

Main Street USA

Meeting Pluto

Meeting Mickey

Meeting Minnie

Riding the Monorail

Star Tours

Meeting Donald

Meeting Tinkerbell

Jumpin' Jellyfish

The remainder of our time in California was spent in a villa in Newport. We swam and explored tide pools. We walked the pier and had a fire on the beach. And finally we had to say goodbye.....

Washing her sandy feet

Heading home

The Perfect Vacation