Sunday, October 20, 2013

DISNEYLAND TRIP 2013

Where do I begin...We had the trip of a lifetime for Emily's 7th birthday. We have been planning this trip with JuJu, Emily, our aunt Pam, and myself since this past June.The day finally arrived on Monday, October 7th. I surprised Emily with a new Princess Sofia backpack for the plane. It was filled with all new Princess activities, Princess fruit snacks, etc. to help keep her occupied on the plane. She also had a new Princess shirt to wear and new Ariel coat for the trip. We had to wake her up at 5 a.m. to get ready, and she was more than happy to get up and get ready. We got picked up by our wonderful driver Bill at 5:45 a.m. and we were off.

When we arrived at Disneyland after a great flight on Jetblue, we met Pam at the Long Beach airport , and we rode the shuttle together to the Disneyland Hotel...A GREAT PLACE to stay!

Our room wasn't ready yet, so they gave us a beeper to let us know when it would be ready, and we had the bellman hold our stuff and headed off to the happiest place on earth.

We had a good time walking through Downtown Disney and heading into the great place itself! It was so fun to see everything decorated for Halloween. Emily was kind of overwhelmed at first as it was very crowded like a summer day and 85 degrees. We just started out by walking around, letting her take it all in. She waited in line for 45 minutes to meet Tinker Bell, and then we went on the Astro Orbiter ride. She loved that! Her first ride at Disneyland!! She also met Captain Hook and Peter Pan as well that first day. We also watched a great performance of Tangled...Rapunzel. Very cute show!  We did the It's a Small World ride and the tea cups ride. We then headed back to the hotel room where Emily had another surprise that I had ordered for her to be waiting there. A Princess basket of goodies! We were all tired from a long travel day, getting up early, etc., so we ordered room service, which Emily LOVED!!!

All the days of our trip we got to go to the parks an hour before they opened to the public, which was a GREAT way to get in the rides we wanted before they got too busy. This meant though, getting up at 5:45 everyday, but SO WORTH IT!!!

During our week long stay, we were able to go on the Radiator Springs Racers, Matterhorn, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Astro Blasters, Tarzan's Treehouse, Soarin' Over California, Goofy's Sky School, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Indiana Jones, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, the Astro Orbiter, Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run, and MANY MORE.
We also saw the following GREAT, GREAT shows...Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mickey's Magical Map, and Disney Junior. These were all FABULOUS shows, but the one that was the BEST was World of Color at California Adventure. WOW!!!! A MUST for those of you who haven't seen it yet!

If you were to ask Emily her favorite part, she will undeniably say the "Princesses and my birthday."

She had new Princess pajamas to wear each night, a new Princess shirt to wear each day, and the day of her birthday was a day no little girl would ever forget!

She woke up and said, "I'm 7 now?", we all said "Yes, you are." She then said, "I'm not 6 no more, YEAH!"We had hung a banner in our room while she slept and she got to open a couple new gifts before heading off for the day of festivities.

We were able to get in some rides and meeting Tinker Bell again before her Princess appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. When we arrived, her Fairy Godmother took her around the shop and let her choose any dress she wanted. She chose a very beautiful blue Ariel dress. Then she got to go put it on and sit in the chair for her beauty appointment. She got her hair done, her nails painted, makeup, a sparkly sticker for her face, and magic Fairy Godmother dust for her hair. Then she got to have a photo shoot. After we got our photos, we were taken by the Fairy Godmother to meet the Princesses with Emily's autograph book. We got to "cut" in the front of the line because of the package we had purchased at the boutique. SO WORTH it as there was a 1 1/2 hour wait to see the Princesses.

Then we headed to California Adventure and to Ariel's Grotto for lunch! You have never seen a more excited little girl than Emily when we entered and she saw Ariel waiting to greet people wearing the exact same dress Emily had on!!!!! During lunch, different Princesses would make a grand entrance and go to each table to meet each little Princess! Then she had a surprise cake and everyone sing to her! SO SPECIAL!

The day we left, we checked out then left our things with the bellman, and hung out by the pool until time to go to the airport! What a trip!! I could go on forever, but I know you all just want to see the photos! There are A LOT so be sure to see all the Disneyland posts.
Love,
Kathy


Mommy and Emily...Day 1

SURPRISE!!! We are going to Disneyland!

New Ariel doll for the plane


Special clipboard JuJu made for Emily

All ready for the plane

Plane ride fun with Mommy

Princess Emily...enjoy the fun

In Downtown Disney

Such cool decorations all over the park

Ready to enter Disneyland!!!

Rapunzel during her show

Flynn and Rapunzel during the show

Waiting to meet Tinker Bell

Meeting Fairy Rosetta, super nice fairy...aunt Pam's favorite

YEAH...Tinker Bell; Em was SO EXCITED

Peter Pan and Captain Hook

Tea Cup ride fun...Mommy gets too dizzy

It's a Small World

Ready to go!!!

Winnie the Pooh ride fun..cute ride

Belle and Beast made out of Legos

COOL

Surprise Princess basket and cool headboard on the bed

All ready for autographs

Such a happy girl

"I love you Tinker Bell"

Mommy, Aunt Pam, JuJu and Emily

Emily LOVED that she caught Tinker Bell... hee hee hee

Emily and Princess Aurora...Sleeping Beauty

Emily and Princess Tiana

Rapunzel and Emily

Love you Pluto

So fun...

Emily and Tinker Bell chatting about fairy things...

Caption says it all

Emily and Aunt Pam

Emily and Aunt Pam on the Dumbo ride

"The mean lady's tower," as Emily says

Waiting to watch Beauty and the Beast

Belle and Emily

Help me... I am in jail...in Toontown

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

First Day of Kindergarten

Such a big girl!!
Well, my girl started Kindergarten today, and I can't believe how grown up she is!!! Mommy was able to get her up, have breakfast with her, get her dressed, take lots of pictures, and then head off to work. Auntie JuJu got to take Emily to her first day, as I was at my school for my first day back in Kindergarten after four years teaching second grade.

I did get to go yesterday with Emily to take her supplies, meet her teacher and see her classroom.

Darling cutie
JuJu said that Emily was a little nervous at first, but was so happy to see some of her friends from last year in the hall. After JuJu snapped a few shots Little Miss Emily was left to be a great big Kindergartner with the rest of her class.

When I picked her up this afternoon she was tired, but very happy, and was busy telling me all about her day. She was very happy to say she had 3 recesses, a yummy lunch (in her new Tinkerbell lunchbox), and she said she did "Letters, numbers, coloring, cutting, learning."

Enjoy the great snapshots! My girl is so big now!!!

Love,
Kathy




My girl all ready for school

New backpack and lunchbox

SO PRECIOUS

OK mom...enough photos...

Already at work  (Doggy got to go only on day 1) :-)

Friday, August 23, 2013

Family Reunion 2013


My sweet girl
We had our annual family reunion at Sun River this year. As usual we all had a GRAND time! It was wonderful to see family that we hadn't seen since last summer, and Emily loved seeing and playing with all of her cousins!


My little fish
We had the opportunity to go a few days ahead of the reunion, have some fun playing with Ella (the dog), and getting in lots of swimming before the rest of the family got there. For those of you who do not know, Sun River has a new Water Park center that is just wonderful. It has five pools, a lazy river, huge slides, a kiddie pool, indoor pools, obstacle courses in the water and just loads of places to swim and have fun! We were sure to get there each day right when they open, because if you don't, you will have nowhere to sit. By the time we left each day at 1:00 there were no chairs, and people were practically pouncing on us to get our chairs when we got up to leave! People everywhere!

Our aunt Pam also had the time of her life while we were there when her new cherry red Vespa was delivered.  She was like a school girl and couldn't stop smiling. It was fun to watch her have so much fun!

Also, big news at the reunion was a celebration for my cousin Tyler and his fiance's upcoming wedding and the joy of their engagement.

During the reunion, we all had a great time laughing, eating great food, visiting, playing cribbage, swimming, playing chicken slingshot, and ladder ball. There was so much laughing, and it was great reconnecting with those we hadn't seen since last year.
Mommy and her girl

The kids all loved playing with uncle Bill, and Emily enjoyed hanging out in the hammock with aunt Pam and Stephen.

We all had a great bar-b-que picnic lunch and fun in the river on Saturday afternoon, and Emily loved watching Ella swim for her toys as well as throw them for her.

After a yummy breakfast on Sunday, we stopped by the stables so the kids could ride ponies. Emily got to ride Blueberry, which in Emily's words was, "just my size."

Looking forward to next year's reunion!
Love,
Kathy





Obstacle course at water park

Aunt Pam, Ella, and Emily just chillin'

Emily and Uncle Denny watching the golfers


Cutie

Emily and JuJu silly faces

SO MANY deer this trip

Stephen and Em

Helping Aunt Lei

Hi Mommy

Em and Aunt Lei

Stylin' Grandma's hair

Fun with Uncle Bill

Yummy ice cream

Ready, Set, Jump...Emily and Zack

Mommy throwing Emily

Reading to Ella

Emily and Suzannah


Cousins and Uncle Bill at the river

Decorating her own water bottle

Sweetheart

Designing her own pillowcase

Uncle Bruce and Emily practicing their letters

Grandmas are always good for a snuggle

Helping in the cribbage tournament

Yes Ella, you really are a lap dog

YEAH!!! Congrats

Here's to you!

Too funny!!

Hanging out and playing games

Cribbage tournament finals

WINNER!!

The Wee ones!

All ready to ride

Ready to go Blueberry

Petting the bigger horses

Fun with Uncle Bill

Emily and Zack


Brothers and Sister...so much laughing!!

CUTE

Fun times


All the cousins! Not the wee ones...

Hee hee hee

Future Schroeder-White offspring

FUN, FUN, FUN

Ladder Ball Fun

Emily and Tyler

Emily and Alyssa...pool fun

Such a good helper

Emily loves aunt Pam

Bill and Zack on the water slide

Cutie Patootie

Funny lap dog


Precious

1, 2, 3 go!!!

Great jumper

Little swimmer

Trying out the lazy river

Aunt Pam's new toy

All tuckered out on the way home