Swimming Fun

Will and Ella loved swimming in the pool at our hotel. Ella got really good at swimming with her Ariel floaties! Will was amazing swimming all over the pool by himself.


I couldn't believe how much fun they had at the beach, too!

We drove down to Laguna Beach and had lunch and made sandcastles.

We couldn't keep Will out of the waves! He was having so much fun. Alex was a little nervous at first, but liked the waves by the time we were done. He even let us hold his had while the waves came up to his feet and ankles.

This is all of us with Grandpa Ross. We got to go to his house for dinner a couple of times. The kids were crazy, but they loved seeing all the neat toys and puzzles he's made out of wood. They really are incredible! I was surprised how quickly both Will and Ella put together a few of his animal puzzles--those looked hard. It was great seeing Grandpa again. As we were leaving the last night, Ella said, "I'm so glad we got to go to Gwanpa Woss's house."

We had such a great time in California. It was wonderful to experience new things as a family and have new memories to share. I can't wait for our next vacation!

Disneyland Days!

Our trip to Disneyland was wonderful. The kids loved seeing all the characters and riding the rides. We didn't get to everything, but we sure packed in a lot of fun. Minnie Mouse was one of the first characters we saw. We didn't get a close-up, though.


We saw Peter Pan over by the Snow White fountain. He was gone before we got the camera, though. So, we just got this sweet picture of Will.

This is a classic picture of Ella being shy. For some reason it looks like she really wants to hurt someone! I guess it can be a little intimidating meeting the fairies at Pixie Hollow for the first time!

It's Tinkerbell! Dad had to help Ella stand by Tink.

While we were waiting in line for the Casey Jr. train, Alex saw the Carousel and cried out in desparation, "Neigh-neigh! Neigh-neigh!" It was all we could do to keep him in line. We finally got to the carousel and he was sooooo happy!

Will got to participate in the Star Wars Jedi Training!

He got some help when he had to fight Darth Vader.

He did such a great job. What a little Jedi!

This was a Pixar Movie Parade at California Adventure. The kids loved watching the floats and dancing. They even got squirted with water and got to catch bubbles!

Ella got to meet three Disney princesses one morning. They were so sweet! She was such a shy little doll.

Princess Aurora was so kind to Ella.

Ella got a picture with Mulan, too. She actually cracked a smile for this one!

I was surprised how much of Disneyland was tailored for our little kids. Alex enjoyed most of the rides, although a few of the fantasyland rides were a bit scary. He loved It's a Small World and pointed to the animals throughout. The other ride that was a huge hit was a new Winnie-the-Pooh ride. He cried when it was over and had to go on it 2 more times!

On our last day we got to snap a picture with Mickey Mouse! We had such a great time at Disneyland. I love the look on Will's face in this picture. So content and satisfied. The other two might have been a bit more uncomfortable, but not Will. I think he had a great time. His favorite rides were Star Tours, Astro Blasters, It's a Small World, and he also liked the Tiki Room. He was super brave riding Splash Mountain, too! It was probably a bit too scary for him, but I'm really proud that he went on it with me. I can't wait til we can go back and have more fun!

Fun in San Francisco

We went to Muir Woods the day after Grant's wedding. What a beautiful place. It was filled with beautiful redwoods and thick forest groundcovers. A stream ran through the middle as well.

Will took this picture. He's getting pretty good!

Those trees make us look so small.

This was a very tame deer that kept coming near the fence to munch on the groundcovers.

Riding in style.

This spot was called Cathedral Grove I think. It was amazing how tall the trees were.

Isn't that just beautiful?

Later that afternoon we went to the San Francisco Aquarium. Ella is modeling in front of the jellyfish.

Alex loved the jellyfish, too. He wouldn't turn away for the picture.

They also had a neat tunnel with lots of sharks and different fish that the kids enjoyed.

We stopped for pictures by the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was amazing the whole time we were there. It was hard to leave!

The views of San Francisco and the bay from here were really incredible.

Here's another bridge we crossed when we left for Anaheim the next day. We went under the oncoming traffic on this one. I think we traveled on three different bridges during our stay. Very exciting.

Grant's Wedding

Kimball's brother, Grant, got married on May 16th. It was held at the Headlands Center for the Arts just north of San Francisco. I believe it used to be an art school a while back. His wife is an artist, so it was a very fitting venue and a gorgeous day. While we were waiting, Will read a book with his cousins, Benjamin and Owen.


I just love this picture because Kimball's mom was just beaming next to Grant. She seemed so excited to get to walk with him and so happy for him to be getting married.

Grant and Jovi ... husband and wife!

We soon noticed that a lot of people were taking interest in our cute kids! Several people wanted to take pictures of them! It was such a different experience than we are used to. This sweet girl instantly took to Ella and they had a long conversation about princesses. I think Ella thought she was a real-life Barbie (because she looked just like one!) so she was awestruck and mesmerized.

Ella wasn't the only little charmer, though! This is Kimball's younger sister, Amber and a few cousins. They were having a lot of fun, too.

The couple's first dance.

The dancing went on for hours! I couldn't believe my kids' stamina. Ella had to get one dance in with her princess-friend. Her mother is taking a picture also. I leaned over to tell her how beautiful her daughter was and she said the same thing to me! So sweet.

There's nothing quite like a beautiful wedding, great party, loud music, lots of dancing, and staying up late.

Happy Birthday Ella!

We celebrated Ella's party a little early since we were going to be in California on her birthday. She invited 4 friends and we made it a fairy/dress up party. I threw some white sheets over the furniture and some fake flowers and streamers to make it look festive. We started by doing nails and makeup and then made these cute charm bracelets.

Then, we had a little treasure hunt for jewelry and accessories! Will helped by reading the clues.

They had fun finding their treasure!

Alex got in on some of the action, too!

Ella opened her sweet presents from her friends.

Cake Time! Doesn't she look excited?!

Later, Ella opened some presents from family. She got another beautiful dress to play in.

I think she is striking a pose in this picture. She is definitely ready for the runway. Watch out!