Much Needed Vacation

This past week has been quite a busy one for us. We started the week like any other but on Tuesday night we left our home and headed to the Jolly Roger Hotel which is walking distance to Disneyland. When we arrived, not only did it look like we had the entire hotel to ourselves but it also looked like it was closed down and being renovated. Slightly panicked Kelly headed to the closest hotel which we later found out owned the Jolly Roger Hotel and thankfully had our reservation.
In the morning it was off to Disneyland. We picked a perfect week to go but boy was it HOT! As usual, Disney went all out and decorated for Halloween. Even the characters were dressed in Halloween costumes. At California Adventure Minnie Mouse was out and Kora got to take some pictures with her. She loved Minnie Mouse. She ran right up to her and gave her a huge hug.

Mylie wasn't fond of the rides. This picture doesn't really do any justice for the way Mylie reacted to ALL of the rides. Sadly, with each ride she started to freak out more and more. She would claw at us and try to crawl up Kelly or My shoulder, bury her head then look around panicked. Poor thing.

These are my bugs at the Bugs Life Show. Hunter appears to be all smiles in the picture but before this picture he was freaked out. At one point he said he was going home. Kelly told him we would see him later and he actually walked halfway out of the tunnel. Kelly had to chase after him. He hates bugs. He watched the show and did just fine, actually, so did Mylie. I think it was just the movement of the rides she didn't like.

After spending 2 days at Disneyland, which Kelly and I have concluded is perfect. Neither of us could handle much more than 2 days. We were able to ride everything we wanted on Wednesday with little wait but Thursday it seemed like the whole state of California decided to go to Disneyland. It was packed with extremely long lines. We stayed to watch the parade (which the kids loved) but made the mistake of trying to leave when it ended, everyone else had the same idea. I think next time we'll ride a few rides after the parade ends and then try to leave.

The second part of our vacation we drove down to San Diego and visited the Midway. The Midway is a retired aircraft carrier for those of you who don't know (I was one of them before this trip). It was a great visit. There wasn't much for the kids to do but the little there was (like pretending to pilot a plane) they enjoyed.

Here Hunter and Kora were manning the controls in the Engineering room. I have to say that I actually enjoyed the Midway a lot more than I thought I would. They had headsets that explained the different rooms of the aircraft carrier. We didn't get to see everything so I can't wait to go back and finish the tour.

After the Midway we headed to the home of some very old friends of mine, Derek and Lupita. Instead of Day Care I used to stay at their home from Junior High to High School until my Mom got off of work. They had become like second parents to me. The last time I saw them was 2 years ago at my brother, Jeremy's wedding. Since they moved down to San Diego more than 7 years ago I haven't seen or talked to them much. It was great to see them and catch up. Hopefully the next time I see them will be a lot sooner than 2 years.

The main reason we were going down to San Diego was to visit the Midway and to go to the Zoo. When Derek and Lupita found out we were going to the Zoo they gave us free passes. Derek and Lupita have season passes to the San Diego Zoo and I guess when you have a pass you are allotted free tickets you can give to friends and family to use throughout the year. Thank You Guys! We had a great time.

I loved all the animals but I think I loved the monkeys the best. The San Diego Zoo has tons of Monkeys all throughout the park. They are so smart. While we were watching the monkeys one of them walked up to the window then turned around and sat right in front of the glass.

Hunter's favorite animals were the Tigers and Lions.

Here is our little Diva, "No Pictures Mom". Kora's favorite animals were the Giraffes and Elephants.
Sadly, like all good times they end way too quickly. It's great to look back at our pictures remembering the fun times we had. We are so glad we were able to take this little vacation. These are memories we will always have. The older we get the more we realize how important it is to spend good quality time with our children and get to know them better. This has been a wonderful trip that we will always remember.