9-08-2014 ***a california adventure kind of day***

Bright and early, we were up and at'em ready to get this Disney show on the road. 

We packed a TON of food so we had breakfast in our room and packed up for the day ahead.

It was pretty cool waking up to see this out of our window every morning. So cute! (This is the sign atop the water slides at the pool)

These cute kids were BEYOND excited.

Karri gifted all the kids with new lanyards and pins to trade for the week.

Fin and her duds

A little family photo in the lobby!

Must always take pictures everywhere :)

Soy being a good cuzzie.

And our troops on their way into the easy entrance thru Downtown Disney!

Every decoration. Every single one is soooooooo perfect!

Cute girls

3 little musketeers

I had to grab a pic of us entering the zone!

And our fam picture- first of the trip!!!!!

Max was always there to show Fin the way to wherever-land we were heading towards with the map- his favorite sidekick or our trip when he turned 4

JD was dibbed the trip Captain. He has more disney knowledge than most, so he choreographed our whole trip day in and day out. Bless his ginger heart!

So, here he was giving the children the rules of the parks. 

He is the best. 

To California Adventure we go!

Straight to get fast passes for radiator springs!

And to stop and pose everywhere we see fit- which is mostly everywhere on everything :)

RADIATOR SPRINGS!!!! I love Cars land. It's just like you're in the movie- and those are my favorite kinds of things.  Fin was SOOO excited for her first ride.

So excited a bout the up and coming ride.

Waiting in line, giving daddy some lovies.

Riders, take your mark.....

Look at her cute face. SO. EXCITED!

Getting ourselves some new white wall tires! 

Still happy. Still loving it.

Zoom Zoom!

This is where the scaries set in. She did NOT appreciate going fast. Not one bit. Her eyes got HUGE, she held her breath, and held on to me and Brent for dear life! 

One of Mana's requests this trip was to get as many family pictures as we could. We took FULL advantage of every photo pass spot. 

I am so in love with the scenery on this ride. You just feel like you're right there in radiator springs hangin out! It's the best!

Since we were staying at the Disneyland Hotel, we got early entry into California Adventure this day. That equals- less lines! So, we dashed over to Toy Story Mania next. That's my second favorite ride!!!

It was perfect timing. The line grew three times in size by the time we got out of the ride! Three cheers for Captain J's planning!!!!!

To the carousel we go!

This, she could handle :)

Spinning around and around is her jam.

The brave ones hit up California Screamin next. Sawyer had never braved it before and was beyond excited! She is the most courageous little human I've ever met! Didn't think twice about boarding! Conli was a little timid because last trip she HATED it, but she slid on her brave pants and boarded too!

Sawyer loved it. She says it's her favorite ride EVER. I can't even believe it. She is so brave. I won't even ride on that thing!

Then we had to get the gargantuan Ferris Wheel out of the way. There are 2 paths....one leads to a pod that swings, one leads to a pod that stays stationary- we can all guess which one I went for- the stationary one- and Max and Conli wanted the swinger. So, we split up our little party. Those who didn't want to go waited!

It was thee longest line of the week I believe.  SOOOO long.

Fun for us we were all on at the same time and could see eachother at the stops. 

I couldn't believe Finley was so brave. She did hold my hand the whole time, but she loved it.

oh the heights.....my worst fear.

 We lived!

And then....to the swings!

 Oh I love this: her hands in the air, having the time of her life.

Finley didn't dare to do the swings, but she did think the jellyfish looked ok.

 Up next- the thing that spins around that I can't think of right now :)

Waiting in line. Chatting it up- enjoying eachother. Such amazing memories for them. I'm so grateful for this trip Mana has given us!

 Somehow we convinced the Fin to go on this one- the Golden Zephyr- googled it- got it!

 Ride selfies are always a good idea!

 Next up: Grizzly River Rapids.

Finley wasn't tall enough- the only ride she cared about that she didn't measure up for- but it was for the better. I didn't want her to go on it. I can only imagine how much she'd loathe the drop and the getting wet! So, we went and got a strawberry fruitcicle instead. Sounds like a fair trade to me!

 Max- the best big brother around- trying to help wherever he can. Taking his sis to the next ride- Soarin' over California.

 Love this ride too. Last time I went on it I got super duper sick, but never fear, I brought BONINE this year!

Karri and I took the kids to the Sorcerers Workshop because it is a cute place and everyone needs to experience it at least once!!!!! I LOVE the decorations! I love everything about it- have I mentioned that yet!?

 While we were there, Pat and Bre took the littles to Disney Junior.

 We visited the Beasts' library where we discovered which character we would be:

 These girls sat on his throne!

 Then we got to go to the Animation Academy and learn how to draw Goofy! So fun- I'd do that all day if I could.

 Next up: The Tower of Terror- which they took Finley on. I was TERRIFIED for her because I knew she was going to hate it. They wanted to take her so bad, so I let them, but oh I was nervous the ENTIRE time they were gone.

 Look at her and Sawyer! Sawyer didn't hate it, and went again later, but Fin- she stayed with her Mama! Can you believe this is Mana's very most favorite ride!!!!???

 Post traumatic Tower of Terror experience, we hit up Bugs Land. Cuteness. Just cuteness abounding everywhere :)

They chose Flik's Flyers as their first ride. 

Then those that wanted to spin, did so on Francis's Ladybug Boogie. Breanne took Fin and she didn't hate it so that's good!

Then these guys did Tuck and Rolls Drive Em Buggies 

while I took Finley on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. She LOVED this one- slow and steady is just her speed! :)

How I love this baby girl. 

So fun for some of the kids to have their first turn at driving all alone!!!!!

These guys: Look at Brent and Pat- OVER IT! SO hilarious! They were troopers! 

Then Fin decided she did want to drive in Tuck and Roll so we went by ourselves. 

And Karri took the kids around on the train again.

From Bugs Land, we headed over to do Luigi's Flying Tires- seriously, this ride is a joke, but the kids wanted to do it and that's who we were here for, so, to Luigi's we go!

Lean!!!! Lean!!!

The best part about this ride was being hit with air on your way off. Finley quite enjoyed it!

Photo Pass in Radiator Springs!

And last of all, a ride on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. There's always some square dancing going down while you wait in this line, you just can't help it!

Such a fun time!

Time for lunch! We were all a bit starved. 

The girls thought it was super great to grab unbought gift certificates as souveniers to pretend with. 

My treat for the day: This was not as good as it may look. The cookie was not good....fail.

Back to Screamin we go!

I SO love ride pictures! 

Besties- I love these two. They're always hand in hand, just giggling and having so much fun wherever we go. I love their innocence and love for eachother and hope they always have it. I was best friends with two of my cousins growing up and it was perfect!

The hotel delivered this sweet plate of cookies and a sweet note to our room this day- sometime in the afternoon. How cute are they!?

These guys went on Goofy's Sky School, it was closed the first time we tried. It is thee most jittery ride ever. Sawyer loved it. She loved everything- it was awesome.

JD and I vowed to work out this week. And since there was a decent gym just across from us, work out we did. Chris, J and I all had ourselves a good one while the rest of the family went swimming.  Everything is Mickey at Disneyland! I love it!

Workin hard on those treadmills. Because we hadn't walked enough all day already :)

Night Swimming! Perfection! 

Night Tubbin- even better!

These 2 jumped a cumulative amount of 634 times into this pool this week :) They loved every minute. 

The nice thing about the week was that the park closed at 8 every night, which gave us plenty of time to swim and get ready for bed in a timely matter. The kids were all pooped by bedtime (and the adults-let's not lie) and it was great. No one fought about going to bed because they knew the next day was going to be just as awesome as the first!