Top 20 Things you must do in Disneyland

1. Get your picture in front of Snow White's Castle

2. Go at their pace.

3. Make It's a Small World your favorite ride just to hear your kids sing the the rest of the day.

4. Rent or bring a stroller. It's a must!

5. Buy mouse ear to match their personality.

6. Goof off with Goofy and let him help your daughter overcome her fear of Cruelilla Deville (sp?)

7. Watch the parades, the smiles on your kids face will make the crowds disappear.

8. Wave to the characters they will wave back.

9. Show your children how to be brave.

10. Let you son pose with the characters he wants to.

11. Enjoy your spouse.

12. Buy the park hopper and do California Adventure. Ride the bumper bugs. But stay away from the 3D shows. They scared the heck out of our kids.

13 . Go with your best friends. You'll get to ride the big rides while they watch your kids.

14. Find the real treasures throughout the park.

15. Let Dad be a real Prince.

16. Stand in line for 45 minutes so you can get autographs and pictures of the princesses. Or have your mom stand in line, while your dad takes you and your brother on It's a Small World for the second time.

17. Ride the kiddy rides. Beware the line for Dumbo was the longest line of them all.

18. Be proud of them for being so well behaved, considering all the walking, standing and waiting you do.

19. Remember those smiles and the way they were so good throughout the entire vacation, because the minute you get back into your own car it's back to reality.

20. Have fun that's what family vacations are all about!

Happy Mother's Day

I'm sitting here glowing after a wonderful Mother's Day. I spent the morning with Alyssa having a mom and daughter manicure while Owen and Chad spent time at the driving range. We then headed for Toledo to visit my best friend since Preschool ( Angela Schaplow) and her family on their farm. I love days like this. The sun was shining, the kids were experiencing things that they will only get a chance to experience in the Country and I was able to spend it with people who I care a great deal for.

I love my life, I love my husband, I love my friends and I love my kids.

Providing these experiences for our family is something I've grown very fond of. Growing up in a small town has left imprints on my heart that I will cherish forever. There is something to be said about being able to run down a grass hill, carry a stick through tall grass , climb a tree to find baby birds that just hatched are in a nest, riding a quad, having a puppy chase you, playing with farm animals and having a great meal with dear friends. I look for things like this to expose my children to, as I know that these memories will stay with them a life time. I think watching my children as they experience these simple things is one of my favorite part of being a mom.

We work so hard to give them what they want, what we think they need and what we wish we had when we were growing up. I think all they really needs is lots of love, time outside and true friendships. The rest is icing on the cake.

I'm so blessed to be in this sweet spot in life. I'm blessed to be a mom to Alyssa and Owen and being married to Chad is icing on my cake.

Thanks for a great Mother's Day!

Where did January go?

We are full speed ahead in 2009. January flew by and now I'm watching as February does the same. A few things that we enjoyed this January have been.

1. Emily and Laura's early morning work-outs. Up at 4:40 to the gym by 5:00, back home by 6:00 leave for work at 7:05 (well that's what I shoot for) to work at 7:30. Phew are you tired yet?

2. Chad's job has been a true blessing. 2008 proved to be a great year for ITS. He and Chad E. worked so hard. I can hardly wait to see with 2009 brings. He's working some nights to keep up on all the projects that come in.

3. Alyssa started Cheerleading, piano, swimming and tennis. Cheering leading is only on Mondays. Piano is Wednesdays during school. Swimming is Monday and Wednesday evenings and Tennis is Saturday. She's one busy girl, but has asked to participate in all of these things. It just so happens they all happen at the same time.

4. Owen joined Tennis and is the youngest one. The coach wasn't sure if he'd be able to hang with the big kids for an entire hour, but Owen proved them wrong. He's been doing awesome for 4 weeks now. You put any type of sports equipment in his hand and he's ready to play. We can't wait for baseball.

5. Emily had to give a presentation at work in front of the Senior leadership team. What a time for stretching and growing. For two weeks I couldn't keep my mind off the presentation. It went well, but I need to take some more public speaking courses.

6.Chad's playing soft ball already. It starts with weekend tournaments and lasts through late summer. We will enjoy watching when the weather gets better. They took 2nd out of 26th teams this Saturday. He hit a home run and played great.

7. Both my sisters are pregnant. Lots of praying in this house.

8. My sister Kim is moving closer to Tacoma because her husband got a Border Patrol job. I'm sooooooooo excited to have her closer.

9. Looking for a preschool for Owen. He came to the child care at my work this month. I loved having him next door. However 10 hour days are just too long for him.

10.We've had two weekends in a row without anything major planned. I've cleaned a little, rested some and enjoyed my kids.

11. Alyssa got her ears pierced.

12. We enjoyed fondue, chocolate covered strawberries, marshmellows, pound cake and brownies. It's no wonder I have to go to early morning workouts.

13. I'm still Zumbaing! I've recruited two girls from work and they come when they can. Laura goes with me on Saturday mornings.

14. Chad is coaching basketball at Alyssa's school. She's not old enough to play yet, but he's already involved and really enjoying it. Alyssa has been going to practice and watching. We hope this will get her ready to play when she is old enough.

Looking forward to what February will bring.

Here's what's been brewing :

Make Valentine cards with Alyssa.

Spend the weekend in Spokane for Nash's 2nd Birthday

Girls night with Des, Kristin and Mandy, enjoyed wine and hottubing.

Our church is moving.

Bake sale at Alyssa's school.

Planning a Disneyland trip.

Knowing I have to go to DC for two weeks in March.

Getting notes from Alyssa

Alyssa reading to her brother

Facebook is taking over the world

I've noticed a decline in the amount my friends are blogging, myself included. This Facebook is creating quite the epidemic. My friends are coming out of the woodwork. Some who I've not talked to for years and years and years. Some I see regularly. It a new way to communicate. I can find out what each friend is doing in that moment. Granted most of the time I don't care that they stopped for coffee or have been sitting at the computer for hours spying on each other. Although I've found myself looking at profiles "just out of curiosity", "I wonder what they do for a living, if they are married, do they have children".

On the other hand you can't really hide from anyone. If there is someone out there that finds you that you don't necessarily want to reconnect with, you run the risk of offending them when you decline their offer to be "friends". I guess that's one way to send the message you don't want to continue the friendship. Not yet have I declined anyone.

My biggest pet peeve about this facebook revolution, is that the bloggers aren't blogging as much. Those that I rely on their blog as a life line to keep us connected have been sucked into Facebook. I miss you dear friends and I can certainly look at your facebook (which I do)...but please tell me more than what you had for dinner or the errands you ran.

Oh and those little virtual gifts, causes etc....they make me crazy!

Happy Blogging!