Disneyland Day #1

 The time was finally here....we were headed to Disney in celebration of Emy's 7th birthday. I'm sure I've told you before but I love this tradition. It works so well for our family. The fact that when you turn 7 you are able to ride with a sibling rather than just parents makes Matt and I's lives easier since we have 4 kids and only 2 of us. We stayed at Homewood suites like we have the other times and we really like the room selection they have so we have enough space and it also give us a kitchenette so we can shop for groceries, pack lunches/snacks, and eat out less. The hotel also includes breakfast and has dinner receptions on the weekdays. This time around they didn't have the shuttle we have taken in the past but we were able to get an ART pass and it worked pretty well with a few issues. We also rented a double stroller from city strollers because it just works so well for us. The kids were up and ready. They had all picked out their outfits the night before and this time around we did scrunchies with ears instead of the headbands but we brought those as well. We grabbed breakfast quickly and headed to wait for the bus.

We spent our first day at Disneyland. We all had the app downloaded and now with Hallie having a phone we were able to have one more person to help coordinate so we could go to where the fewest amount of people were. Buzz Light Year was first. This was technically Liam's 2nd trip to Disney but the first time he was only a couple months old so it was so fun to watch him take it all in.

My goal with going this time around was to ride each ride at least once and see how I did. I found ginger Dramamine that doesn't make you tired and I bought some ginger candies to suck on when I needed. We'll see how they do

There were a few rides that Liam couldn't ride. In Disneyland it was just the Indiana Jones ride so Matt and I took turns riding with the girls while the other took Liam on a ride of his choice. He of coarse wanted to try the train

Liam was a little unsure about Pirates of the Caribbean because he doesn't like splash mountain. I wouldn't say it was his favorite but he didn't scream or cry so that was good.

Star Wars land has been finished since we were there last so it was our first experience. They did an incredible job with all of the displays that you look at while you wait in line. A friend told me a head of time that you watch for them to breakdown and head over. Then when they open back up their isn't a line and they usually aren't down for more than 20 minutes...we found this to be very helpful and true.

This ride was so fun but it was a lot for my tummy so I needed some time in between the rides.

We all rode Splash Mountain but it was not enjoyed by all for sure

The end of day one sum up. There were way more people than we expected. Everything at Disney is pricey and even once you buy a ticket they want you to upgrade to not have to wait in line. We asked one of the workers how many people they let thru in each line and they said most of the Genie line before they let any in from the regular line so that was for sure frustrating. It was a good first day and we are really to try our California Adventure tomorrow.

Salmon Run

 This is something that is becoming a tradition. I don't love to hike when its hot but this time of year is so great because it's not so hot and the hike has water at the end.

Bonus for us Matt got to come this year. It's always nice to have an extra adult along in case something happens and I need extra hands.

This is one of my favorite views on the entire hike.

Then we finally made it!

We found a dry spot and had some snacks and drinks before heading back out to hike out.

The kids took all the rocks and made a path across the stream while Matt and I just enjoyed watching.

Then we hiked back out. It was so much fun but we were ready for some food, rest, and more water. I hope this is something the kids continue to want to do.

Swimming & Puppies

Amy had reached out several times to invite us swimming but we were either not home or already had plans so I reached out and asked her if we could come a couple days prior so had a plan. So we headed over and Amy was nice enough to make the kids favorite popcorn that they happily ate in between swimming to their hearts content.

The puppies are so much more interactive and fun than the last time we came to see them. They all wanted attention and to be played with. 

It was a fun coupe hours getting out and doing fun stuff

 

Causey Paddle Boarding

 This is something I have been wanting to do for some time and finally made it happen. With the water so low it was quite a hike to get the boats to the water but we did it. We got all the girls in their kayaks.

Then loaded on the paddleboard and Liam was terrified to get on because he was afraid it would tip over with him on it. So as you can imagine he wasn't thrilled when I picked him up and put him on the board and pushed us out into the water.

Once he realized we weren't sinking or tipping over he loved it. We decided to try and paddle to the end of the lake on the east side. 

Not to far back we decided we were hot and needed a swim break. We all took turns jumping off the kayaks and paddleboards including Liam. We did that a couple times before making it to the east end.

We found mini caves and cool rock formations that everyone wanted pictures with.

When we got to the end we got off and did some exploring and only then realized that it wasn't actually the end but it went back further back. All the girls arms were tired so that was the end for us.

It was so beautiful and peaceful. I hope that I will remember these moments and try next year to get out more often. I'm always grateful for kids that are up for an adventure and go with my crazy ideas.