Memorial Day Weekend

We made our annual trip up to Duck Creek over the long weekend.  It's usually a little brisk over the "Opening Weekend" as they call it but this year it was downright freezing.  On Saturday, I ventured out on the mule to visit the horses and wasn't interested in going on a 4-wheeler again the entire weekend.  I got chilled to the bone.  Thank goodness Papa, Lindsay and Tripp were willing to take the kids out for rides so that I could stay inside and wimp out.

Saturday, we made our first visit to the horses.  Nate and Daisy are in love with them.  Daisy walked right up to the coral and one stuck it's head through and she wrapped her arms around it and gave it a huge hug...wish I had a photo.  She loves to hug, pet and feed them and can't wait until July when we will go back up and ride them.

Next up, a trip fishing.  We went to Papa's magic fishing pond where everyone always catches at least one fish.  They each caught two (Abbie is happy to tell anyone who will listen that she caught the only boy) and Papa even caught a huge one while fly fishing (a first I believe).

The kids did a lot of walking in the woods with Grandma or Papa, looking for treasure and deer.  I was in charge of crafts this trip which were all inside and I was good with that job.  The cabin has a new fuss ball table which was quite a hit and provided endless hours of entertainment.  We attended the annual Memorial Weekend Dance in town and the kids (except really Abbie...her weird I am embarrassed even though I dance at home every chance I get routine) danced up a storm to the live band.  All in all, it was a great weekend.  I did a horrible job taking photos.  I forgot a normal camera and didn't bring my phone anywhere as I didn't plan on calling anyone so there went my secondary camera.  If you want a more detailed pictorial summary, check out Lindsay's blog.  You'll have a chance to see me wearing one killer hat.

Disneyland

Lindsay, Sam and I took the kids (minus poor little Ryan) on our second annual Aunts/Cousins trip to Disneyland.  Lindsay wanted to go for two days this year and explore both Disneyland and California Adventure and I certainly had no objection.  Sam already bought a season pass so we were all on board.  We took the kids mid-week during the first part of May again which is truly a marvelous time...barely a line to be had and great weather.

The highlight for my kids, in particular, this trip was meeting so many characters.  We really took the time to stop and meet as many people as we could both days.  I don't even have all the photos of everyone we spent time with...these are just some of the wonderful Disney folk that spent time hugging, kissing, laughing with and signing our kids' darling autograph books (thanks Aunt Sam!!!!).

Of course we all like a little love from the mouse in particular so he granted us a family shot on our second day.

 

But our trip was about way more than meeting all the fun characters....we started the trip off Monday night in Downtown Disney.  The Lego Store there is so much fun.  All of the Disney characters they have built out of Legos are fantastic.  They also had an area where kids could build their own race cars and race them down a track...quite a hit with our little crowd.  We might have to try LegoLand after the rest of the family's Disney season passes expire.

We went on rides, rides and more rides.  The usuals were a hit...tea cups, Peter Pan, Storybook Ride, Small World, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, etc.  Nate and Abbie weren't too thrilled with the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean.  We totally avoided Thunder Mountain this round.  A Bugs Life in CA was a hit as was Soaring Over California.  Sadly, the Ferris Wheel was not.  I laughed so hard I could have peed my pants but Nate was one unhappy camper during that ride.  Abbie started out scared but turned into fits of laughter after I started busting up.

I got both my girls on Splash Mountain.  It was the only really big girl ride I made Abbie ride.  She wasn't a fan, although she really didn't seem that scared at all.  Daisy didn't care for it because it made her wet...otherwise, she was good to go.  Nate, on the other hand, loves it.

 The 3-D glasses and carnival style games on Toy Story were a hit for everyone.  Fun, fun ride.  I enjoyed finally being able to wear 3-D glasses without having to take a pair of glasses off and not see or to put them on over my glasses and have that arrangement not really work.  Having the LASIK before this trip was a dream.

Even the time-wasters at Disneyland were fun.  The girls had a ball well, playing with this ball.  Kyle used to really love it too.  I used to let Abbie play with it when we would wait for Tripp and Kyle to get off Space Mountain...she doesn't remember it but she loved it all the same.  Simple pleasures.

I think the very best part of the trip was just hanging out for 2 1/2 days with each other.  We never spend time just aunts and cousins (all of us at the same time) together hanging out for this long...just us. It is really, really fun.  I get a chance to see my sisters, which you would think would happen daily since one lives directly behind me and the other in the neighborhood next door...but it doesn't, and the girls get to hang out with their aunts.  The cousins actually see each other more regularly but it's not usually at a place that is so much fun.  I'm not sure we will be able to continue this forever so I hope while we do, the kids cherish these memories as much as I do.