Day 2: Disneyland

The excitement had been building for weeks. The handmade paper ring countdown shrunk and shrunk until finally it was time. I have never been to Disneyland and right along with Addi it felt like Christmas morning. As the weeks passed Addi and I watched a few online Disneyland videos and listened to Daddy remember his early childhood visits.  Her and I really didn't know what to expect.  We were equally giddy to walk into the Magic Kingdom hand-in-hand. When we spotted THE Mickey Mouse only a few steps in, we knew it would be a day that we would not forget.

Landon knew Mickey by name and seemed excited when we told him he would see Mickey, but he was still skeptical to hand out high-fives to this famous giant mouse. He did, however tolerated a kiss on the cheek!

One thing is certain, much of Disneyland joy will come while standing in a line. As fast as we spotted Mickey, a 10 minute line developed (short, in D-Land time). While the boys held our place in line we snuck over to meet Pluto just as he stepped into the Main Street square!

First thing before seeing Mickey we bought Addi a signature book. She was so proud to collect signatures from many, many Disney characters. Next to the signature page is a photograph page where we will add photos of her together with the characters. She said to me, "When I take my little girl to Disneyland I will give her my book and the characters can sign on my same page." Sweet.

Posing in front of Disneyland. Even the flowers were dream-like. (darn passerby who cannot frame a shot!!)

After meeting Mickey and Pluto we met Minnie Mouse. 

When Chip & Dale made an appearance they were dancing and being silly and Landon thought they were hilarious, but he was still skeptical when they touched him, kissed him or asked for a high five!

There are several photo-op spots where a professional photographer will snap a family photo with your camera, for free. They also will take a photo and you have to option to purchase those if you want to. It was so awesome to be in a few photos with my family!

The Princess Castle!

We rode in Dumbo and on the Teacups and we were even swallowed by a whale. As long as the ride did not involve any part of it getting dark, Addi loved it. Landon seemed to up for anything!

We met Cowboy Goofy and he was, acting goofy!

We played in Tarzan's treehouse, rode carousel horses and posed with Dumbo.

We took a ride on a real pirate ship. The canon fired to scare off the crocodiles and other animals that were swimming too close. Daddy and Addi paddled a canoe on the river.

In New Orleans Square, Addi met her first real princess! Princess Tiana was just amazed that Addi's dress matched hers. She said to Addi, "I cannot believe we wore the same dress. Were you in my closet this morning?!" Addi was smiling so big she was unable to speak!

We entered a very special chamber of the castle where Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and Cinderella were meeting guests. Addi was able to visit with them, get their signature and pose for a picture.

By far, Landon's favorite thing was the underwater Nemo submarine. We were seated in a submarine and taken underwater on a Finding Nemo adventure. He was glued to his little round window. He's say, while pointing,  "mamadada, mamadada, ooohhhhh." 

The parade was AWESOME! Loud music, dancing, happy characters, huge, colorful floats filled the street. The kids were waved to or personally greeted by so many characters! It was so much fun!

After the parade we visiting Pixie Hollow. We were a little disappointed that Tinker Bell hadn't made her way back after the parade.

Daddy remembered the "It's A Small World" ride from when he was a kid. No kidding! After 15 continuos minutes of the song, "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all....", no one could forget that even if you wanted to! It was a very cute, sweet ride, but I think it is there as a joke on the parents. All kids (and grown-ups) will have that song stuck in their heads for a least a month and if your kids are anything like mine, they will sing it out loud for that long! Addi was concerned about each ride and would make Daddy describe it to make sure it wasn't too scary. He said, "All it is a boat ride and different, tiny, fake men from all over the world sing, ''It's a small world after all, over and over and over again!"" Yep! 

After lunch Landon napped through ToonTown, before it closed for the night we went back so Landon could see it. Everything is over-sized, rubberized and looks edible. Mickey and Minnie have adorable little houses that we were able to tour --- and yes, that is Dylan checking Minnie's fridge for beer!

Phew. It's already 9:30 PM and we are tired! Our feet hurt and our senses have been over-loaded ... but we absolutley cannot leave before the grand finale of our grand day --- the water light show, Fantasmic and the huge fireworks display.

We had an unforgettable day together.  {Writing and editing for this post was like reliving the whole day, I'm exhausted!} What I will always remember is their sweet, little faces and how they lit up in awe. I'll remember her speechless smiles when meeting the Princesses. I'll remember her hugging our legs and saying, "thank you for bringing me here." I'll remember Landon's enthusiastic, "YES!" to any question we asked him. There was no agenda, no to-do list, no expectations --- just us, together, making a special memory and making one of her sweet dreams come true and for that I am forever thankful and grateful. 

Daddy tried to get one last picture with the castle lit up behind us. After a solid five minute effort, he gave up. I think our camera was as exhausted as we were and it was not cooperating!

Everybody to bed! Tomorrow Day 3: Disney Adventure Park and breakfast with Ariel!!

She was completely fast asleep on the short walk back to our hotel.

As special souvenirs Landon got a large Mickey and Addi got a large Minnie. Addi also choose a smaller baby Minnie doll. That reminds me... I still have not taken a picture! Landon just loves his Mickey. His new BFF loves to wrestle, but also loves being pushed in the stroller!

California Vaca 2013 - Day One

As we barely waddled into the airport we were an impressive sight. If it wasn't for Addison pulling, literally, her own weight we would not have been successful - 2 full-size suit cases (packed to the maximum weight limit to avoid one more baggage fee), one full-size carry-on, several smaller carry-on bags, including my camera bag, Addi's backpack and the miscellaneous backpack that sustained all of us, one large jogging-type stroller, one car seat, one booster seat and two kids.  As single people or kidless couples printed out their bagless boarding passes I was sure to acknowledge their judgmental, silent complaints, "You must be kidding me! You are the people who drive up baggage fees!" Those looks make me laugh and think, "What you mean to think sucker, is we are the lucky ones. Traveling without small kids is easy, this is adventure!" We were a little glad to see another family with teenage kids waddle into line behind us. They were headed to Bermuda with easily double what we had!

Addison said she was a little nervous to fly again. Once we were on the plane and lifting off she was relaxed and seemed to enjoy it. Landon is such a motor head. Anything with a engine and he is just fascinated. He was very relaxed and excited to watch as the ground left him over the wing of the plane. Both kids traveled very well and each fell asleep right as we were descending through the smog cloud that is LA.

We landed in LA about 9:30 am and hit the ground running to see what LA has to offer us small townies beside smog, traffic and crabby, beautiful people. After refueling at In-N-Out Burger our plan was to walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame (be sure to check back to learn what real start I spotted and  photographed!) Both kids fell fast asleep en route so we opted to start off vacation with happy, rested kids. We let them sleep and continued driving up the windy canyon to the Griffith Observatory. We were able to get a full panoramic view of the city, see the Hollywood sign and learn a little something about space.

Learning all about the big city from Sister. First lesson: rental car shuttles are so much fun!

Still too sleepy to be impressed with the view.

Our girl loves anything space and the observatory was so cool for Addi. I will not be surprised if she walks around on Mars someday, "For the fun of it!".

We headed to our hotel, spent some time in the pool and then we were lucky enough to have dinner with my cousin Ryan who is a Marine stationed in the area.

 Day one... Check! Early to bed .... tomorrow Disneyland!

Happy Friday

Some weeks I just want to fall into a dark pit and wallow in my own sorrow. This was one of those weeks.

We got back from camping last weekend and on Monday the kids and I went swimming at the outdoor pool. It was warm and the pool was filled with friends as eager as us to enjoy our brand new community pool. It was a lot of fun. Landon slept in the stroller or sat in my lap. He did not have fun. I figured the new allergy medicine I was trying made him super sleepy. We got home and he slept the rest of the day.

Later that evening, Addi and I went to Epic, the movie. Dylan texted and said Landon had a fever of 104 degrees and he couldn't find the Tylenol. The extra buttery movie popcorn did not taste good, I should have know. With 10 minutes left of the movie, I started shivering uncontrollably. It hit me so hard I could barely walk out of the theatre to my car. I came home warmed up with the hair dryer and crawled in to bed. For a couple days we didn't move much. Landon and I came down with an instant bug and it nocked us out this whole week - high fevers, throbbing head ache and body aches and a horrible sore throat. Besides my pregnancy with Landon, I don't recall ever being this sick.

Green smoothie, working its magic.

Now it's Friday, still heavily loopy on cold medicine, but I am able to function. Vacation laundry is done, folded and PACKED! Moving boxes are starting to line the walls. Dylan said, "I really like what you've done with the place." His smart@ss comments are so helpful.

There is one lonely countdown ring hanging from the elk antler ~ you know what that means ~ only one more sleep until Disneyland!!! If we get there and you don't have jammies, a swimming suit or shoes, please don't blame the sickly mama!

Canyon Ferry Camp Trip

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity...” ― John Muir

To Canyon Ferry Lake --- kids, dogs, camper, kayak and good friends in tow. Nothing refreshes me more than a summer night sky full of stars, the smell of campfire smoke, a perfectly charred hot dog, a cold beer, and a hot summer day spent at the lake. 

Our first camping trip out this year was shared with our newest friends, Ken, Brittnie, sweet Jordyn and Ken's parents. We had a great weekend together. Our kids are great friends, Ken and Brittnie are so sweet and so much fun and I know this was the first weekend of a long friendship. 

Sleeping camping boy.

Fwends.

Footed camping jammies are my favorite!

We (the girls) played in the freezing lake!

Big, dumb, happy rock lab.

If you continually splash your mama, you will eventually fall in! 

Is there anything sweeter than a sticky, S'more covered little boy? He hates having his hands messy, but he decided the S'more is worth the mess!

The littles had a twilight game of washer toss while Addi and the boys fished.

Success!

He really wanted to kiss it, but this very alive carp has some intense teeth.

Landon's First Kayak Ride

She loves to collect rocks. 

Happy rock throwing boy, happy rock retrieving dog. 

Addi's first sail boat ride. She did not like the feeling of the boat almost tipping over. 

Helping Mama make pancakes!

Here's to a long summer and many more camping trips!

Appraisal, Check!

As of today the appraisal on our soon-to-be first home was approved by our bank! Yay! The last step, completed!! It is so surreal. I can hardly believe it. Addi and I packed a few ceremonious boxes today. After we high-fived when I told her that our farm was for sure ours now, she said, "Let's get a packing!" I was even stopping to do some happy dancin' and she said, "Mom. It isn't time for your mommy dancing. Get packing!" It's safe to say she is game for one more move in her little life! She was ready and willing to pack up almost her whole room today. I had to remind her that we still have a full month before we actually move. 

Dylan has been working his buns off the past month. After working and saving hard for a few years it is a little scary to drain our house savings account, but well-well-worth it. I know he will agree with me when I say, "Who do we make the check out to and where do we sign!" 

One more move. These simple three words mean so much to me. We've moved A LOT in our seven years of marriage. And I am so ready to be home. I am ready to notch our children's heights on the edge of our door frame. I  am ready to make scuff-mark memories on the floor and new, forever traditions in a home where we hope to get really, really old together! It is safe to say, Choteau you are home and there's no getting rid of us now! We are here to stay! 

I wholeheartedly believe that God totally hooked us up this time! He delivered this perfect opportunity to us and with very little effort on our part and with zero pain, conflict or heart ache. I am so thankful for seemingly unanswered prayers. God knows His plan, who am I to ever doubt it? He continually shows me that with open arms He remains faithful to me, little old me. He cares about me and my dreams. And whatever I am supposed to be for Him, being here, in this place, right now --- is where my whole life has led me. I cannot wait to see what else unfolds for me and my family. I am the first one to admit that sometimes it is easy to doubt His faithfulness. Often it is when I am looking back that I remember how faithful to me He truly has been, and continues to be ~ Amen! for that. 

My Picky Bug

When I started feeding Addi food I mushed up whatever fresh fruits and veggies we had and she gobbled it down. As she got older we continued to grind up or cut up for her what we were having for dinner. She ate everything. She tried new foods. She loved veggies, all veggies and she ate well every time. As she got older she would, on her own, order a big salad for dinner while out to eat. She is very conscience of eating healthily and chooses healthy foods because she likes them.

Landon however is the complete opposite. He refuses any food that looks different or has a new texture. If the food is gooey, mushy or sticky on his hands he will not put it in his mouth. He loves a fork and spoon and learned to use them early because he cannot stand food on his fingers. Getting him to eat veggies is usually impossible. I've been forced to get creative. I hide veggies in muffins and smoothies, which he LOVES and eats every time. He will not eat meat. He picks it out of any dish I prepare. He eats well when it is something he already knows he likes. He's a snacker. I've had to move the snacky food out of his reach. Oh, and the kid sure loves sweets. He has had more sugar in his little life than Addi did her first three years!

He eats well at breakfast and lunch. I don't mind making for each of them what they prefer but I've really always been against preparing a dinner and then preparing a separate meal for my kids. I make healthy, (usually) yummy food and I expect them to eat what I make. But with Landon, in order for him to get a full belly of nutritious food, I've had to make him a separate plate of the few foods I know he'll eat and I'm tired of doing that.

Parenthood is sometimes about celebrating the small victories. And at dinner the other night he ate what I prepared. He took big bites of fresh, steamed veggies, sautéed chicken and a brown rice/quinoa blend! He took bites, we cheered and he clapped! He finished his whole meal! Yay! Go Landon Go!

It is a very common thing for babies born prematurely to have struggles when it come to eating. I'm not sure if his extreme pickiness can be attributed to that or not. But we work through it every day. I'll never stop encouraging him to eat a large variety of healthy food. Sometimes its just about finding a substitute that gives him the same nutrition., i.e soy milk instead of cow milk.

"Ok, Mom. Can we finish eating now!?"

Rain, Rain, Come & Stay

The past week we have had so much rain in our little town. For the first time ever I am looking at the endless rain and clouds differently. Living here so many people and families rely on the rain for their livelihood. The crops and cattle need it as much as the rest of the earth does. On our soon-to-be land we will have several acres of alfalfa hay that will need the rain, and only the rain,  in order to grow and provide us with a little profit. When I look outside to another gloomy, rainy day and know that our day will be spent inside trying to stay busy, my mind now wanders to 'my land' and I am actually thankful for the rain. Nothing like being given a new, fresh perspective!

Before I was a mama I often thought I had most things figured out. I thought I knew me -- what was important, who I was, what I wanted out of this short life, and what I believed in. But these little people give me a new, fresh perspective so often I am left feeling like I know nothing about life and really in my twenty-six years (those before my babies) I had learned nothing of what truly mattered. THEY are the reason for my life. They were always in the plan and with every day and with every new perspective I am left humbled. I am left so in love that sometimes my heart pains for more -- even though when bedtime comes around and I am so THANKFUL for a little quiet time (!) --  I  always want to squeeze out just a little bit more of them -- to somehow bottle and preserve their faithful, purely devoted, nonjudgmental and always forgiving love. Because if nothing else in my day is accomplished, to me, that is all that matters.

between rain storms we get outside for a little walk.

Making Wishes.

NICU Reflections

I'm not sure if the feelings I carry with me from our experience with the NICU - fear,  sadness, grief, utter terror - will ever cease completely. Smells, photos and dreams revive those feelings to the surface.

In a month and a half we will be celebrating Landon's second birthday. Two full years separate then, the worst time in our life, and now.

Our good friends, Shane and Claudia, had their first son recently, almost six full weeks early. He is still making strides in the NICU. Claudia's water broke prematurely and very unexpectedly. He was born healthy, just early. Minor battles in the huge scheme of things, but battles nonetheless. He should be home thriving very, very soon.

I wouldn't wish The NICU Experience on any mother.

It is really circumstance that has kept me from visiting Claudia and baby Issac in the NICU? I'm not sure. Things keep coming up - babysitters unavailable, illness, Dylan picking up a shift on his days off, pre-planned trips - that have redirected my plans of meeting this new, sweet person who I am sure will be a big part of my life. So why is he almost two weeks old and I haven't met him or why I have I not supported my friend with a sympathetic hug and a stack of magazines? To be blunt and honest, I am a little afraid to step back into a NICU. I am afraid to see someone I care about swaddled under artificial light. I am afraid to hear all those monitors, to see the tubes and wires, to see the incubators and bags of hanging life support. I can relate it to a war vetran hearing a car backfire. I am sure to be sent whorling into an emotional state that I have tried to suppress these past months, and I don't want to find myself again scared and hurting in a fetal position ...