Disneyland 2014- Day One

We decided to take the girls to Disneyland this year for our annual vacation! Even though they are a bit young, we wanted to experience it while they are still at that age when everything is magical. And magical it was!! The girls did amazingly well with the long days, lines and excitement. They were thrilled to see their most beloved characters (Pooh for Ali, Elsa for Peyla) and we will never forget the looks of wonder on their faces. I've never cared much for all things Disney but having little children, well it sure makes it easier to get excited!

 

 

 

 Waiting outside the gates, they had no idea what to expect.

 Still waiting...

 One of our first rides...the classic flying Dumbo! They loved it!

 Look out, she found the Pooh paraphernalia already!

This girl and her Pooh Bear...lol.

 Peyla found the Aristocats. 

 Putting on their own show in Toontown.

 She's quite a lady with her curtsy!

 Photo op!

 Meeting our first character...Goofy! The girls loved meeting him and he was super silly.

 We made it to Pooh's Corner and found Tigger!

 

 She spies Eeyore...

 Hugs!!!

 I had to capture her face...she just spotted Pooh Bear!

 She can't take her eyes off of him. lol

 I wish I knew what she was thinking!

 Big hugs for Ali's best friend!

 Photo op

 Being silly in line to see Elsa and Anna!

 So the line for Elsa and Anna was three hours....three.hours. Sadly, that was a major improvement from the five hour wait we found in the morning! After seeing Ali's excitement over Pooh, we decided that we had to let Peyla see her buddy Elsa. Daddy was a trooper and held our spot in line while I tooled around with the girls.

 A carousel ride to break up the wait!

She's a feisty princess...watch out!

 Getting silly with daddy's hat! Still waiting...

 I'm biased but I think this girl can rock a baseball cap. ;)

 Olaf is talking to us....still waiting...lol

 AT LAST! Our meeting with Elsa and Anna! We were so lucky to have them both there, we'd been told it could just be one or the other (depending on their breaks). I had prepared Peyla for that so you can imagine all of our joy when she got to see both sisters!

If you ask Peyla, this was her favorite moment of the trip!

Easter 2014

We had a great Easter this year, full of decorations, treats and family time! 

 

 Peyla really enjoyed getting creative with the eggs this year!

 Ali watches daddy closely...she made about 5 pink ones.

 We were driving home from errands and talking about our upcoming trip to Disneyland. As soon as we got home, Ali promptly pulled out her overnight bag and started dragging it around the house. Mama's little jetsetter!!

 Not to be outdone, Peyla joined the packing party. (We were Disney-bound the day after Easter)

 Easter morning! The Easter bunny must have hid eggs at the crack of dahn (pun, haha!) since Peyla is an early riser. She spotted the eggs right away and ran to our bedroom!

 My sweet bunny!

 "A pink one!"

 Someone sure enjoyed finding eggs this year!

 Daddy was so proud...she dressed herself in that shirt. ;)

 The discovery of Easter baskets!

 

 Candy consumption!!

 This face cracks me up!

 "Mama! peanut-budda tweats"

 Yum! (supervised by Ariel)

 We spent the afternoon at my mom's house, with some cousin-time!

 

 Egg Hunt- Round Two!

 She did her own hair and was quite proud!

Cousin Kellen enjoying the treats after all of his hard work.

Ramblings

I'm convinced that one of the closest things to Heaven is watching as my child drifts off to sleep. I watch how the challenges of the day, the laughter, the silliness, the tears of frustration melt away as her eyelids grow heavy. If I'm lucky, the last thing I get to hear before she gives in to the exhaustion is..."I love you mommy". Just a whisper, but it fills every corner of my heart. Then I take a few minutes and marvel at how her delicate facial features seem to return to babyhood. All day long she looks like such a big girl. But when she's sleeping? That face full of long eyelashes, puckered lips and disheveled hair looks years younger. Lately she's been falling asleep quickly at night due to equal parts no-napping, the excitement of pre-school, and the medication she still must take for her appetite. My evening routine consists of giving the girls a bath with dad's help, reading books with them both in Peyla's bed, then off to sing silly songs with Ali in her room, and rushing back to Peyla's room in hopes of catching those last precious moments. Sometimes I miss them but her daddy is there. Most nights I'm fortunate enough to make both "good-nights" for each of my girls. I don't want to miss any of them. I'm acutely aware that the time will come (sooner than I want to admit) when they won't want or need me to give that last reassuring snuggle before sleep. So I soak up every chance I get to be that much closer to Heaven. ;)

Happy 2nd Birthday Ali!

It's hard to believe, but our sweet Ali Bear is a big two-year old! The old cliché of "how time flies" is so very (often painfully) true when it comes to the days of childhood. I have loved every single second of watching this girl grow and develop her own little personality. She has a spirit that just seems to sparkle to me. We celebrated her special day at her favorite place...the Anthem Train Park!

 

 We started the morning by giving her our gifts!

 Her own Pooh Bear backpack! (She loves to carry her sister's at school drop-off)

 Tigger needs to hitch a ride.

 OK wait...I am not comfortable with this image. She looks too old! sniff sniff.

 Pooh Bear socks...these girls love their accessories.

 Grand finale...her own pink scooter! She's been practicing on Peyla's for months!

 I love my girl!

 Family photo op at the park.

 Grandpa Gary jumped right in for play time!

 These two girls had a blast just running in the grass.

 Ali and Ava join forces!

 A cute daddy-daughter moment with Nate and Adeline.

 Train ride! Choo-choooo!

 The Pooh Bear cake...which she talked about for months before...

 ready for the big moment...

 I wonder if she wished to meet Pooh??

Happy birthday Ali!

 

My sweet Ali,

Happy birthday to my darling girl! I can't believe it, but you will wake up tomorrow and be two years old. I've felt nostalgic for the last few weeks as I know your babyhood is coming to an end and each day you appear more like a little girl. Your beautiful face is maturing, and your confidence continues to grow as you gain new knowledge and achievements. Just the other day, I saw you jump for the first time. Sure, you've been "jumping" for about a year now but this time both feet actually came off the ground! It's the little things that remind how deeply blessed I am to be your mother. There is something special about you, my dear Ali. I like to say that you are my heart. Everything about you fills me up and my world is infinitely brighter, because I get to be your "mommy".

You have such a way about you, it's almost hard to find the words. You smile so bright and bring joy to pretty much anyone who crosses your path. You have a beautiful smile that always seems to reach your eyes and they twinkle with equal parts innocence and mischief. You love your sister fiercely and do anything you can to make her happy if she's upset...bringing her a favorite doll, patting her back or saying "wat wong sis-ee". You adore your Pooh Bear, it's crazy how much Pooh paraphernalia we have in our home...Pooh blankets, "Big" Pooh, "Little" Pooh, Pooh the movie. You always request your Little Pooh and blanket (the one that Mimi had made for you as a baby, that says "Ali"). You always want/welcome a cuddle from mommy. In fact, you say "I yuve mommy aaaaand Pooh bear". You light up when daddy gets home and love to ride on his back. You sure are particular about your food- buttered noodles, pretzels, fruit snacks and apple slices make the cut. If I'm lucky, I can sneak in a few green beans! You want to do anything and everything your sister does. You try to ride her scooter (and do so well that we bought you your own for your birthday...shhhh!), you love to take her to pre-school and always ask if you can stay, you want to climb where she climbs, run, jump...you name it. Nothing holds you back. In fact, your classic mantra is "I do it...I doooooo it". There is a bravery within your soul, I've seen it several times. That's going to serve you well in this life my darling! I hope you always embrace that part of yourself! Always be ready to speak your mind, help others if they need you, be true to yourself and your own dreams. Never, ever compromise the core of who you are for anyone else. I love you more than you could ever know, it's a bond that can never be described, captured or duplicated. Happy 2nd birthday baby!

Love

Mommy