Disney Top Ten

I am almost done editing all of the pictures we took at Disneyland, but I just couldn't wait to post a few thoughts!

First of all, it really is the Happiest Place on Earth!  I have such fond memories of going there as a child, and I just couldn't wait to share all of that joy with my kids.  I will confess that I cried as we walk into the park, cried at every parade, cried watching the fireworks, and shed a few tears with Anden as we left the park for the last time.  We really felt blessed to have had this opportunity!  Here are the top ten reasons why everyone needs a little Disney in their life, and can use it as a basis to live by.

1.  It is seriously the cleanest place.  They have an entire staff decked out in white outfits and green gloves, sweeping, and wiping every nook and cranny.  Ashden dropped a little cotton candy right before the parade started, and out of no where a lady arrived to pick it up with a napkin.  Can't have Tinkerbell flittering her fairy dust on a dirty parade route!

2.  Every, and I mean every ride is themed, with coordinated outfits, and theatrical music.  A visiual masterpiece for me.  If I had it my way, my kids would be color coordinated and music would play at appropriate times throughout the day.  Each bathroom in the various 'lands' is also coordinated to match the area it is in....heaven!!

3.  On that same note, each 'castmember' never breaks character.   If you are riding Soaring over California, you are referred to as 'Passangers', on Buzz Lightyear, you are Astro Blasters, (this way Astro Blaster, or exit here Astro Blaster).  And no matter how many times they have to tell you the same thing, over and over and over, they do it with a smile, and a gentle wave of the arm.

4.  They know how to throw a good parade, and three of them to be exact!  Audience participation, bubbles coming out of the sky, confetti at the end, and music to shake a tail feather to.

5.  They end each night with fireworks, all color coordinated to give you a virtual tour of disneyland through music and fireworks.  Genious!

6.  Only at Disneyland can you lose a $1200 camera, and have it returned in an hour, but lose a $20 hoodie on the bus back to the hotel and it was never to be found again.

7.  If your kid is crying, or having a fun induced meltdown, 'castmembers' will stop at nothing to make him or her happy again.  No one wants to see a sad kid as Disneyland.

8.  I'll be honest, I have seen better props at our ward Christmas parties, but It's a Small World is still a crowd pleaser, I know it had an overhaul a few years back, but most of it is still the old cardboard cutouts of dolls, hand painted by an amatuer, and still I love it, and rode it twice while we where there (and cried watching Adeline dance to the dolls, bobbing her head back and forth, with the biggest grin she has ever had).

9.  Speaking of 'It's a Small World'.  We drove over 700 miles south, and almost everyone we met was from Oregon, one man was even from Medford, with two sons that live blocks from us.  At our hotel, we ran into the lady from our local kids museum.....strange.  And the one person we met not from Oregon, lived in the town Ryan grew up in Colorado.  It really is a small world afterall.

10.  And my final reason why I get giddy over the big mouse with ears is, if you take a little from each category, you have a pretty dang good life.  A clean home, music all day long, fireworks to end each day, never raising your voice at crazy kids, color coordinated outfits (ok, maybe that one is just for me), honesty, the realization that it is a small world, and that we are all connected one way or another, and that having fun as a family is the most important of all, whether at the park or at home!! 

Thank you Walt Disney, Thank You!!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

So, we love St. Patrick's Day in our household, so much that the boys were all up at 3:00am wondering if the Leprechauns had come yet!  You would have thought it was Christmas, I mean who gets that excited for some gold coin candy, and a green breakfast??  I promptly sent them back to bed, and reminded Anden, that he had a dentist appointment at 7:30, that took the wind out of his sail!

When they woke-up, at a more reasonable hour, this is what they saw!  I made these adorable shirts for the kids, thanks in part to my friend Tee, and to Christine, who helped me out with the sewing machine!  I thought they turned out cute, and now I can mark that off my list....home-made holiday shirts, check!

After a great visit to the dentist (notice Anden with the half smile in all of the pictures), we had green eggs and pancakes, and even green apple juice?  How do the Leprechauns turn all of that green???  Inquiring minds want to know!

Finished the day off with a fantastic cupcake, and this March 17th was one to remember!  Now go check on your corn beef and cabbage, and throw back some green beer, rootbeer that is!

Howdy Partner.....a little late!

So I am finally blogging about the boys birthday, I never blogged about their Pirate Party last year, so a few months late this year doesn't seem so bad!

The boys wanted a Cowboy themed party, what fun!!  I found these fabulous foam hats at the dollar store, along with badges and cowboy 'army' men!  Too bad their birthday is in winter, because I would have loved to have had pony rides too!

Birthday parties are alot of work, but it all makes up for it the day it finally arrives, and I see how excited the kids are to have a day devoted just to them!  My mom always made our birthdays super special, I remember a rainbow themed party I had one year (probably because of Rainbow Brite, I also had a Care Bear party one year too!), we made these cute little styrofoam rainbows with different colored yarn.  I hope I am creating those same memories for my little guys and gal!

 Pinata Fun

 Hot Dogs, Chips & Rootbeer in a bottle!  Yee-haw!

 

Birthday Wishes

What will next year bring?  I better start planning now!

Time Out

So I came across this picture the other day, and I just had to laugh out loud!  Ashden had convinced his brothers to duct tape him to a chair, they thought this was a great idea, and who was I to stop them?  I mean an hour of peace and quiet with one of them taped to a chair, heaven!! 

Good times at the Holley household.  Next time you may see this same picture with a not so willing participant!!

Should I be worried??

This is what I woke up to the other morning!!  Ashden had painted his nails red, and he did a rather good job, not even a drop on the table!  I had painted my nails red last week for Valentines Day and he just wanted in on the fun!

I also caught this little cutie in my purse!  She is always getting into my make-up, she just loves putting on 'lippy'!  These two munchkins just make me smile!

Cupcakes for a cure...

I know, the title is a big deceiving, we aren't raising money or finding a cure for cancer, or bringing about world peace, but for us, this is our outlet!  So check it out, the first creation starts next Tuesday!  I am super excited, and if you haven't already, go check out Martha's cupcake book!  Check out our blog here!

New Year's Resolutions (a month late)!

So it seems that in my busy and hectic life, that I can't even find time to fit in my new years resolutions on time!  I had this great brain child to help fill our 'no school' Mondays!  I thought it would be fun to study the 50 states.  Starting in Alphabetical order, one each week.  I bought the map, hung it in the playroom, borrowed Alaska stuff from a friend, googled Alabama.  I was ready.  We would make a fun treat from each state to eat for family night, learn fun facts, and dream about the things we would do if we ever went to visit that location, and now it is the second week in February and here I sit, stateless. 

I also had made a pack with my friend Tee to stop complaining, she even bought the book, and read it!  She so graciously printed me off the '20 tips for a Positive New Year', and I was excited to 1. Stay Positive, and 2. Read more books,  or 3. Learn from past mistakes, you get the idea.  And then life happens, and you lose your way two days (ok, one day) into your life changing ways.  You see, the last year was a hard year for me personally, my life hasn't really played out the way I envisioned, and I think it finally sunk in, that the road was going to be much longer than expected, and here I sit trying to stay positive, and see life as a serious of events that are there to teach you something, to learn and to grow.  I realized that I was spending a lot of energy on insignifacant things and activities because I needed friendships more than they needed mine. 

So my resolve is to stay postive, and to fill my days with people and activites that enrich my life, as well as the lives of my husband and children.  To continue to serve, at home, and in the community.  To raise children that are respectful and understand the importance of hard work and integrity.  To finally lose that last 10 pounds (I know, it really is more like 15, but who am I kidding, 10 is much more realistic), and to apply to graduate school.  My life is significant, and I have a lot to offer the world, I just need to stop having a pity party for myself and 'just do it' already!  So bring it on 2010, I can take whatever you have to offer, the good, the bad, and the oh so ugly!

Oh, and stay tuned for my cupcake blog, because the world is a much better place with delectable cupcakes in it!  Thanks Martha!