On Tuesday, (July 20th) we got up early and got all ready to head to the Happiest Place on Earth! We were all so excited! Darren wasn't feeling great, but he thought he just might be tired or hungry and we continued getting ready for our day. At about 7:30, we were starting to load into the car and were just a tiny bit behind schedule. I am a firm believer in being at Disneyland when it opens to avoid all the lines, especially when you are there in the summertime. Once we were all in the car, Darren started to wonder if he should go. He was feeling worse and he didn't know if he could make it through the day. I was devastated and was afraid to tell the kids. We talked for a little bit and tried to decide what to do. After lots of talking (and delaying our chance to be there on time...) we finally decided that we would just stay at the hotel for the day. I will never forget the look on sweet Rylee's face when we told her the news. She had huge tears in her eyes and her little bottom lip was quivering and she was SO sad. It broke my heart! We reassured them that we would go another day when Daddy was feeling better and would just skip the beach or something. We unloaded and headed back inside. Darren decided to eat something to see if it helped him feel better (we had just grabbed muffins and bananas to take with us and eat in the car). After a bit, he thought maybe we should go, so we started changing plans and then he felt sick again, so we went back to the plan of staying home. This was the day his entire family was planning on going, so we were a little bummed to miss out, but figured it would be better to go when our daddy was healthy.
Well, Darren's parents weren't too happy about us missing the family day and I wasn't sure what I was going to do at the hotel all day by myself and I didn't want us all in the room with Darren if he had the flu, so we got talked into going. At this point, it was already around 9 o'clock. Then, we had to wait for family prayer and some other things and our sweet sister-in-law Katie went to get Darren some medicine and some stuff for the rest of us to take to help prevent us from getting it. Darren's parents offered to go with me and help me with the kids and we thought that maybe we should just go and Darren could meet us later or we could upgrade our passes to 3 day passes. So, we ended up going, but not until noon, which is SO not how I like to do Disney. But what can you do? Needless to say, it was a hard day going without our daddy and missing so many things we planned to do, but there were some great things that we got to do and we did have fun. How can you not have fun at the Happiest Place on Earth? It was just a much different and harder day than we expected to have on our trip. Sorry for the long explanation...It was a LONG morning! By the time we got to the park, Avery was asleep, so we decided instead of taking her out of the stroller, we would just make the LONG walk from the parking garage so she could sleep and we wouldn't have to unload and reload everything. Thank goodness my inlaws are understanding!!!
Our cute little Disney first timer! This was Avery's VERY first day at Disneyland! I'm so sad our Daddy missed it! She was so cute and had a great time there. 
Rylee's first Disneyland trip was when she was 2 months old and this was her 4th Disneyland trip and she also has been to Disneyworld, but that was all before she turned 18 months, (that is kind of embarrassing, but we used to live in Vegas and it wasn't very far to get there...) so this was the first trip she was really excited for and the first time she will probably remember. She couldn't wait to meet the Princesses! It was a HOT day and she was loving this squirt bottle. The funny thing is she was playing with the squirt bottle like that when we went to Disneyworld when she was 16 months old. I think I have a very similar picture...
My Logan - He is a regular Disney tour guide! His first trip was when he was one, but this was his 5th trip and he has also been to Disneyworld. He remembers EVERYTHING about these trips and tells everyone all sorts of Disney facts. I love it! His favorite souvenir is always the map! This was the first trip where he could ride the big kid rides and he was so excited for Star Tours. Since Daddy wasn't able to go with us that day, we decided to wait to do those until he could ride with him. 
Me and the kiddos - We miss our Daddy! We were excited though and Grandma was a good sport to help us out for the afternoon. 
Rylee in her cute PINK Princess ears ready to ride the Tea Cups! 
I fell in LOVE with these cute ears for Avery. Her first pair!!! She wasn't so sure about them though...
Our first ride of the day was the Tea Cups. When we got there, the lines were all LONG and it was HOT! I tried to pick things to do that Darren wouldn't miss out on. He HATES the tea cups, and the line was short so I figured it was a good place to start! The kids loved it and I survived without getting too sick! 
Avery still trying to get her Princess ears off. This was her FIRST Disney ride! Yeah!!! Is it weird that I totally know all of my kids' first Disney rides? Logan's was Pirates of the Caribbean (no wonder he is so nervous about the rides...) and Rylee's was Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters. And Avery's was the Tea Cups!
Yeah! The kids loved it!!! 
I think we have another Disney fan in the making! 
Trying to spin us fast... 
After the Tea Cups, our little tour guide led us to It's A Small World. I knew it would be fun for the kids and our Daddy wouldn't mind missing it and the line was pretty short. Logan was so absorbed in his map that we almost lost him a couple of times. 
Yeah! We love this ride! 
With Grandma 
Avery was wide-eyed and took it all in! She LOVED this ride! There was SO much to see!!! 
Logan had a great time finding all the new things on the ride. They have changed it a little recently and added in Disney characters and he LOVED that! He found Woody and Jessie, and Ariel and Aladdin and several other characters. He thought that was really cool! 
Ry was thrilled to see Ariel in the ride! I think I even had her convinced that that was her Ariel sighting for the trip and she was fine with that. And she liked all the other Princesses and Hula dancers. 
After only 2 rides, we needed a lunch break! Grandma went to grab a snack and we saw a Storytime with the Princesses at the Princess Pavilion, so we went there. Rylee wanted to put on her Princess dress. She has a gorgeous Belle dress that she got for her birthday, but with all the other packing, I forgot it! Luckily, our friends that we stayed with in Vegas had a friend who let us borrow this Cinderella one so she could wear it. It made her day! It was WAY too big, but she didn't mind. She was so excited! I knew that we had to do the Storytime because the line to meet the Princesses was over an hour and I didn't think we had time to do that. Sleeping Beauty did the Story Time and she told all about her story. Ry was in heaven! She couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and tell Daddy the whole story about the spinning wheel and everything and she told it over and over! Logan actually got picked out of the audience to be a part of the story, but he wouldn't do it. Little stinker! He could have danced with Sleeping Beauty! 
Avery was quite interested in the storytime, too. Another Princess in the making... 
I love how intense she is! 
I was hoping they would let the kids meet Sleeping Beauty after, but of course, you have to stand in the HOUR long line for that! Rylee seemed happy just to sit on the throne. We LOVE our Princess! 
We love this cute Princess, too... Barefeet and all! The little stinker would NOT keep her shoes on. 
After we finished our lunch, we took a ride on the Merry-Go-Round. The kids love that ride! I realize you can ride a Carousel just about anywhere, but it always seems more fun at Disneyland! 
Logan 
Avery LOVED the Carousel! I think it was her favorite ride! She got so excited and her cute little feet just kicked and kicked the whole time. 
Our sweet Ry in her Cinderella dress. She refused to take it off even though it was SO HOT!!! 
So happy! 
She loved it so much and didn't want to get off. I loved her excited little toes and feet and her tight grip on the pole. 
She really didn't want to get off.... 
Logan took a turn trying to take the sword from the stone.... 
He was determined to get that sword out, but he wasn't quite strong enough. After that, we tried Pinocchio's Daring Journey. BAD IDEA!!! The kids were so freaked out by it. It is so dark the whole way through and the kids don't really know that story anyway, and then the HUGE whale comes out at the end. They freaked! We tried to get them on the Snow White ride after, but just waiting in line scared them! They had some stuff from the Witch and they wanted nothing to do with it, so we ended up leaving that ride, which was a huge fiasco to just get out of line. Rylee really wanted to look at the castle, so we headed there next. 
As we were walking, I looked down and saw Avery like this! She was POOPED! It hadn't even been 5 minutes since I put her in the stroller. 
Poor baby! My kids always seem to fall asleep the funniest ways at Disneyland. They end up exhausted!!! 
Rylee was so happy to see the castle and the Snow White wishing well. She loves all things Princess! 
We got Avery positioned a little better in the stroller and she got a nice nap in. 
Checking out the little waterfall by the castle 
Rylee kept singing into the wishing well. She would sing, "I'm wishing.... for the final one" instead of for the one I love. I thought it was so funny! She tried to sound just like Snow White. 
Making a wish... 
I felt bad that Darren's mom was just helping me instead of being able to see all the other kids or be with his dad. Darren's brother, Kevin, texted me and offered to help us for a little while, so I met up with them so his mom could go do some other things. They were so nice to help with the kids! They ended up being stuck with us for the rest of the day, which I felt bad about, but I couldn't have done it on my own! We met up with them and waited for the parade. It was SO hot!!! The kids were so happy for their spray bottles and just kept drenching themselves to stay cool. 
Avery still napping away.... Nothing is sweeter than a peaceful, sleeping baby! 
Logan with his cousin Haley's thumb. She was a good sport and a big helper! 
Logan chilling in the shade of the stroller. It was the best way to beat the heat! 
Logan squirting himself in the face... 
Even though she was SO HOT, our Princess was still in her Cinderella dress! 
We didn't have a great spot, so Uncle Kevin put Rylee on his shoulders so he can see. What a good Uncle! She was so happy! 
Rylee saw Princesses!!! 
Avery liked watching the parade when she woke up. She still looks a little sleepy though...
We sat right by the rockets during the parade and Logan kept talking about going on them. It is his FAVORITE ride! He managed to talk Uncle Kevin into taking him on it.
Poor Haley agreed to go, too and I think she got sick on them! She hated it!!! She was such a good sport to let Logan pick rides though. I am so grateful for their help that day!
While Logan rode the rockets, Ry muched on some Cheetoh's. Yummy!
Thumbs up for the Rockets!!! Logan was one happy boy!
After the rockets, we had a dinner break and ate some really yummy pasta in Tomorrowland with Kevin, April and Haley. On the way, Logan spotted this big ball in Tomorrowland. It is another of his favorite things and he was way excited! 
After dinner, we split up for a bit. Uncle Kevin took Logan and Haley on Finding Nemo and the Autopia cars. They had a special pass, so they didn't have to wait in the LONG line for Nemo. 
Logan doesn't really love the Nemo ride... Can you tell how nervous he is? He HATES the angler fish and I think there is another part that kind of scares him. I probably should have warned Kevin about that... 
While they were doing that, I took my girls to a special Coronation Ceremony with the Princesses. Rylee was so excited! Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were in the show. Here she is waving as they came out!
The ceremony was really cute! They taught the kids how to dance like a Princess and to curtsy like a Princess and at the end, they took a Princess Pledge. Rylee was pretty serious about it. 
Avery just hung out and watched all the Princess action. 
After the ceremony, there was a celebration with a May Pole for the Princesses to dance around. 
Rylee got to dance right next to Snow White. I was too close to get a good picture of her though. 
Ry with her little May Pole streamer. 
Waving Good-bye to the Princesses
After the little ceremony, I decided to just check on the line to meet the Princesses. It had been over an hour all day long, so I didn't really think it was something we would have time for. It looked kind of short though, so we just got in line. I talked with some girls in front of me who were probably in high school or college, but were autograph crazies! They had shirts COVERED in autographs and were trying to get a few they were missing. They said the line should only be about 20 minutes! I was so stoked for Rylee! This was ALL she wanted to do! I tried to find out what Princesses were there because I didn't want to wait for ones that Ry had already met or didn't care about, but no one that worked there would tell me which ones were there (which totally bugged me!), but the girls in front of me found out that ARIEL was there!!! I just hoped she would still be there when we got to the front because they were always switching and they only guarantee that you will meet one Princess....
We FINALLY made it to the front and first we met...
MULAN! Ry was just excited to meet a Princess, but she doesn't really know who Mulan is, so I don't think she cared too much about it. Good thing there was more Princesses to come or it would have been a big let down for her after all that waiting! 
My cute Princess Rylee with Mulan 
Next, we got to meet Tiana! Rylee was much more excited about this one!!! It doesn't look like it from the pictures because Rylee got really shy, but she was so happy about meeting Tiana! She loves Princess and the Frog! I hate that the picture turned out fuzzy...Boo! 
And then, a Disney Dream came true....
Rylee got to meet her FAVORITE Princess!!! ARIEL!!! She was so happy! I don't think she knew what to do! 
I was so sad our Daddy missed this! Luckily, we got it all on video for him. Rylee's little face when she saw Ariel was priceless and she was so sweet talking with her and just was in heaven! Oh, I love Disneyland! 
In a deep Princess conversation... 
All the Princesses
After we finished meeting the Princesses, we went to meet back up with Kevin and April. Kevin and Haley were still on the rides with Logan, so we found Aunt April. When we finally met up, I stopped the stroller, and I found our little Princess like this! I think all that Princess stuff was so overwhelming for her and tired her right out! 
I love Avery peeking around from behind... 
Once Kevin got off the ride with Logan and Haley, we decided to head over and try the Jungle Cruise. Uncle Kevin carried Rylee and we tried to keep her asleep for a little bit, but she woke up pretty quick. The Jungle Cruise is always fun! Uncle Kevin, Rylee and Haley 
Mommay and Avery 
Logan watching closely - This is another ride that makes him nervous for some reason...
After Jungle Cruise, we rode Pirates! Yo Ho, Yo Ho!!! 
Logan and Aunt April - He loves to pinch the extra skin on her elbow and rub her thumb and she doesn't mind. That is a good aunt! 
Mommy and A again... 
After Pirates, it was getting pretty late, so we decided to find a spot to watch the Fireworks. Avery crashed pretty quickly! What a LONG day!!! 
Logan spinning his Buzz while we waited for the fireworks. He actually got this in Disneyworld 2 years ago, but I decided to bring it along with us because whenever we are just waiting for the fireworks, they see all the light-up toys and want them and we are usually waiting for a long time and I hate listening to them ask again and again. So I just brought them along and they were totally happy! 
Rylee with her Nemo spinner. Same story! So glad I thought to bring those!!! Saved me lots of money and some sanity. 
Even though we went to Disneyland with Darren's WHOLE family (that is a LOT of people), we didn't even bump into someone all day. It was kind of wierd that we didn't see anyone besides Kevin and April. Poor Logan was crushed that he didn't get to ride any rides with his buddy, Mason. We tried to meet up all day, but it just never worked out. By the time I would see a message from Kim, they had moved somewhere else or she wouldn't get my message for awhile... It just never worked out. We were able to meet back up with Grandma and Grandpa and Cory and Katie to watch the fireworks. 
Logan and his buddy, Uncle Cory - I don't know why, but I think the Disney fireworks are always the best end to a long day at the parks! They do a great job and I seriously get a little teary eyed everytime. This time they even had Dumbo fly over the castle. It was awesome!!!
What a day!!! I love Disneyland, but I had a really hard day that day! I think a lot of it was just my obsessive need to plan things and then have that all turned upside down and not go at all as planned. I had to throw my specialized itinerary in the garbage after all my work. I think a lot of it, too, was missing our Daddy. The kids were so sad about not having him there and I felt like there were so many things I didn't want them to do without him. I kept hoping the phone would ring and he would be on his way, but he was REALLY sick. I know that because there is no way he would miss out on that unless he was. It was hard for me to have to rely on other people and I felt bad all day long that we were a burden on them or were stopping them from doing what they wanted to do. It was hard on all of us. And the kids were so looking forward to Disneyland with all their cousins, and the only cousin they saw all day was Haley. I don't know what we would have done if we woulnd't have seen her! They would have lost it!
I know - that is so lame... a hard day at Disneyland??? Really??? But it was...at least for me. I was so glad for family to help and so glad that the kids had a good time. And even more glad that we could go back again and our daddy could come with us!!! We had a much better day the next time around. But, Rylee did meet Ariel and that was probably the happiest day ever for her!!! And....We Survived!!!
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