Disneyland!

So, as I mentioned we went on a trip to California a week ago. Christoph had to travel down there for work. Since his plane ticket and the hotel were paid for, we started talking about taking the whole family down. After checking out ticket prices, the trip quickly morphed from maybe, to definitely, to definitely and throw in Disneyland. We were all very excited.

So, off we went. It was a very fun, very exhausting trip. I took advantage of Christoph being at work all day to catch up with friends. It was soo nice to hang out with them, see their kids, have our kids play together, and just talk. Then of course there was Disneyland!

Disneyland was a blast. So, having lived previously in Southern California, I've been to Disneyland before. However, I must say, going with kids is a whole different experience. As an adult, if you go on a low traffic day and are hardcore you can see and do Disneyland in one day. With kids, you could go for a week and not run out of things to do. Out of necessity, the pace is so much slower. Plus, they care about the experience, not just the rides. So, I was a little caught of guard at how little we did over the span of two days, but at the same time I didn't feel ripped off at all. It was so great. The girls absolutely loved it and they had such a great time. And we did do a lot! Katrina says her favorite ride was Dumbo. Emily really loved Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
You can see more pictures on Flickr, just click on the picture. We came home exhausted since we were up late almost every night and the kids weren't being very cooperative about their naps, but it was worth it. I would do it again in a second. Lisa, Heather, Amy, it was so great to see you guys. Thanks for hanging out with me!

Remembering

At the end of January we traveled down to California. More about this in a little bit. While we were there I stopped by Forest Lawn where Christoph's grandparents are buried. It was an unplanned trip, but we were in the neighborhood and I felt compelled to stop. I mean, we aren't in that area very often and it seemed wrong to pass up the opportunity. Of course, explaining what I was doing to the kids was a little more complicated.

I mean, what do you say...This person who was related to you, but you have no memory of, is dead and buried here and we're stopping by to visit? I mean the whole concept of visiting a graveside is a little strange. Especially for a Christian who knows that it's just the person's body and they're nowhere around. So, that got me thinking, why did I feel the desire to stop at all?

I think the reason is because I know how much she meant to Christoph. She played a huge part in making him who he is and I know he misses her. She was kind to me and I know she would have loved to meet her great-grandkids and hold them and spoil them. So, we stopped. We left some pink roses because pink was her favorite color. It was nice to sit on the hillside for a minute, look out over the city and tell my kids a little about their great-grandmother and what a neat lady she was. Nana, you are not forgotten.