Between eating Mickey shaped icecream sandwiches, to dinner with Pluto, we were thoroughly enjoying this vacation. Yes, I had to convince Kevin that it was worth tapping into the savings. And yes, it was worth every penny. We went with Kevin's biking friends and their families - friends that are now mine and the kids as well.
October is a great time to go to see Disneyland at Halloween...
The trip consisted of:
1. St. George - we stayed in Julie's big house with all the families
2. American Girl Doll Store in Hollywood
3. Universal Studios
4. Anaheim, CA - Disneyland - 3 day hopper pass
5. San Diego, CA - Sea World
6. The beach
7. St. George
8. Home
My most memorable moments were:
-Hollywood, CA at the Lemon Grove Farmer's Market, eating pizza and donuts - feeling like we were back in the 40's, listening to a senior citizen band
-The beach in San Diego at sunset - the girls doing splits and cartwheels in the leftover sun
-Eating a chocolate dipped rice krispie square on mainstreet in Disneyland while we watched the Halloween night show
-Seeing the girls faces at the American Doll store as they saw all of the dolls and clothes (in real life, not just in the magazine that comes in the mail)
-Kevin walking into California Adventure, hand in hand with our two girls, talking excitedly about what rides they are going to go on first
-Eating cotton candy by Soarin' California
-Walking through Downtown Disney, running into random shops, eating candy (of course)
This is what dreams are made of...
We knew we had made it when Kevin and I took the girls up to snowshoe and they actually had fun! Wow, life is good! It was newly fallen snow and beautiful blue sky. I cannot describe the beauty of the day. 
I really felt the magic this year. I don't know specifically why. Maybe it was the 12 days of Christmas we did for our neighbor, or maybe it was because I knew of so many families who were in need and helped organize the gifts for their families. 
We finally got Mar into ski lessons - the Deseret News special for 49 dollars. It consisted of 4 lessons and she did them with her cousin Olivia. We watched in agony at first as the teacher had 12-15 students, trying to get them all to get used to moving around on skis. Things got better in the following lessons and they even got to go up the lift a few times. We've been up since - Marlie and I took a ski day a few weeks ago and it was amazing how much she had learned.
Every year since we moved to Draper we decorate our bikes and I paint faces and we go to the parade. Even in the last 3 years, the parade has quadrupled in size, yet we still manage to have fun. Someday I am going to be a professional face painter. I just need some professional face paints and lots of patience...
Okay, when you don't have any idea what to be for Halloween, just raid your mom's and dad's closets and do a quick shop at Saver's and shock the masses with a fat butt and wig. Being a fat tourist has its advantages. It's Halloween so go for the donuts and the chocolate candies. Your butt is fat anyway, right?
One of my more unique church callings was to design a float for the Children's Parade for July 18, 2009. The theme was, "Catch the Vision." I drew up a few designs but this one, inspired by the movie, "UP," was hands down the winner. A really talented man in the stake made it all happen - hours and hours of time making the temple and the clouds, as well as trying to figure out how to do the balloons at the top. It was his idea to have the primary kids put their handprints on the bottom layer. So sweet. They all felt so proud to be a part of the parade.
