California... Part 1

Waaay back in May we took a little trip. Our son-in-law Nick was graduating with his Master's degree from U.S.C. He attended U.S.C. San Diego but the graduation ceremony was to be held on the main campus in Los Angeles. We decided to make it a family reunion, everyone meeting in Anaheim and spending a few days at Disneyland as well. We generally only see Sarah once a year at the holidays, sometimes twice if she can swing a trip in the spring. She saved her money and came from Toronto. It was so wonderful to spend time with her! The rest of us drove over from Utah. We had a little fun arriving ten hours earlier than expected. Sarah flew in a few days early and spent some time with Diana, Nick, and the boy. They were going to drive up and meet us at the hotel in Anaheim on Monday evening. We got a little anxious and thought we would have some fun surprising them so we piled into the car after everything was packed on Sunday night and drove all night. I must say, Nevada is less ugly in the dark! We drove all the way down to the San Diego area and pulled up in front of the Mowes' apartment just as Nick was returning from his morning run. The look on his face was awesome!

Brittany & Roxie check out the California sunrise

 somewhere between LA and San Diego, just waking up after a long night

 We took Britt's new VW Passat on the trip. Our two vehicles are up over 100K miles and besides, she wanted to try out her new baby on the road. It is a very nice car. The three people in the back had great leg and head room. We just rubbed shoulders a lot!

She and Dee were our drivers for the long night. They crashed pretty fast at Diana's place.

Umm...Roxie crashed too, although I don't know why! She slept most of the way anyway!

Later, at the hotel in Anaheim she checked out the sun and palm trees for the first time through the sun roof. We had left dreary, rainy weather and cold temps behind in Utah. This was going to be amazing!!

We stayed at the Residence Inn Main Gate Hotel. It is a very nice, family and pet friendly place!

We had a townhouse suite that slept 8. The best part for Louie was the stairway!

We checked out the hotel pool right away. It was record breaking heat in the LA area that week. Of course it was! 104 the next day! I was in heaven but my family nearly died! There was just something so familiar about that heat hitting my bare legs in waves rising off of the pavement...it felt like home!

  Lucas has always been a little fishie. He is not afraid of the water at all. This, of course, thrills our family full of swimmers, coaches, life guards, and swim lesson instructors!

Ladies and gentlemen...

Here are all five of my children in the same place and the same time!!

I was very happy!

This is the next morning after we arrived, getting ready to go to the park. 

Here are the original Loose's, Nick and Lucas were still in the hotel room.

Richard, Me, Britt, Sarah, Rachel, Diana, Dee

Day One at the park we went to California Adventure first. Since out last visit in 2007 there were four new attractions we wanted to ride. Nick hot-footed it over the the Fast Pass line for the Radiator Springs Racers while the rest of us went to A Bug's Land (which we had been to before, just not with Lucas!)

 Our first big ride was Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. I love this sweet little train! Love going through the slice of watermelon and being squirted by it's juice, and smelling the candy corn as you go by, and going through the animal crackers box!

 Aunt Sarah, Pa, & Gram rode Flik's Fliers with Lucas. We got to sit in the raisin box! When we were done Lucas made the ASL sign for "more". So cute!!

Ariel's Under the Sea Adventure was new to us as well. I must say, if it's a hot day, this attraction has the best A/C in the park!

 I  loved being under the sea and seeing all of the colors. The music from the movie is so cheerful! We came out cooled off and ready for more!

 Cars Land is so awesome! It is like all of our family road trips from my childhood combined! Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California...they did a great job! 

 With all of the neon, red rock, art deco buildings, it has a real Route 66 feel.

The racer ride was SO FUN!!

I got to sit in the driver's seat...Look! No hands!

I managed to hold on to my sunglasses though!

Feeling bombarded with photos? 

I'm not done yet! See you next time!