Disneyland

Before having Riley, I would have never considered leaving on a road trip at 3 in the morning.

But having a baby changes things.

I'm so glad we did! Although the road trip was definitely longer than it would have been with just Chris and I, I love being able to do things like this with the entire family. What we lose in convenience is made up by the fuller experience.



When we were almost to LA, Chris remembered he had friends working at Disney Studios and Dreamworks. We contacted them last minute to see if we could have tours of the workplace, and they were both accommodating! We went through Disney on our way to the hotel, and Chris toured Dreamworks the next morning. What a neat opportunity! And what a cool profession Chris is a part of!

We weren't planning on going to Disneyland until Thursday... But sometimes when you get into Disneyland for free your self-restraint is all out of wack. So after checking into our awesome hotel (it literally had a live lagoon-complete with a running river!-in the middle) we grabbed the next shuttle and headed to the Happiest Place on Earth!

Riley was so tired! On the shuttle to Disneyland
she would be looking around...

...and then the next second she was OUT!

...only that day did not live up to that name.
When we tried to enter the park, we were held up by the fact that Chris' pass did not allow me in for free like we had assumed. We had made all our plans with that assumption, so we were floored when this situation came to light. After being shuffled to many different admin to better understand what was going on and explaining our predicament, we finally (gratefully!) were able to work it out so that everyone in the family could get in as planned! Whew! By the time we got back to the hotel, the cumulative effects of all day driving and near expulsion from Disneyland resulted in us dragging ourselves to dinner that night on lagging energy.


That night we met up with Spencer, Suzy and Co for dinner at Bubba Gumps. As soon as we greeted them, they handed Riley a cute little leopard toy, so she was friends pretty quickly with them.


The food was excellent, but the highlight was just talking with that family. They are such sweet, fun people! I haven't talked with them one on one before, and I'm so glad we got to that night! This happens every time I come to know another of Chris' relatives-it makes me so glad to have married into this spectacular family.




Thursday morning while Chris went to meet up with his Dreamworks friend, Riley and I enjoyed the splendid made-to-order breakfast and went swimming in the indoor pool. We had the entire place to ourselves, and Riley Rae loved it! She is such a little water baby. I finally decided to go back up to the room before her diaper exploded (that thing was so big it probably had its own gravitational pull!).


We were all ready to go once Chris returned.

Disneyland!!!

I will say being in Disneyland with a baby is way different than as a teenager. Instead of being all about strategically planning the day to go on the most rides, we found ourselves having to be more flexible. But I have never went slowly enough through Disneyland to fully appreciate the details in each of the lands, or enjoy the experience through a baby's eyes. It is magical. I absolutely love seeing things for the first time through her.
Plus, it makes multiple rides on Its a Small World way more endurable, right?

We were at Disneyland for a matter of hours, we barely rode any of the rides, and we had so much fun! ...and we were so stinking tired!!




Friday was completely different. Grandma and Grandpa M. offered to watch Riley while Chris and I went on the rides with the other girls. In a matter of hours, we had gone on all the rides we had wanted to go on in Disneyland. I was a little nervous what Riley would do when she woke up and saw Grandma and Grandpa instead of Chris and I. Would stranger anxiety make the morning miserable for my parents?

I can't believe they all fit on one seat! Serious skills there, sistas!

I underestimated that girl. When we met up with Grandma and Grandpa, Riley was asleep on Mom's shoulder! (big deal for just about anyone to accomplish this)

Riley was right at home having them hold her and interact with her-I was so glad! and so thankful to my parents to allow us to go on the rides.

It was a fun day! We ended up staying until 6:30p while Riley took junk naps here and there and sucked on veggie straws (because she was way too excited to settle down and nurse. She doesn't do well eating anywhere away from home).

We went back to the hotel with Dad, since he had some serious motion sickness going on (which happens every time we go to Disneyland. Poor guy). Mom and the girls stayed until about midnight.

The result of a motion sick grandpa watching a tired Riley while we all went to Soarin'.

Party Animals!

Saturday we enjoyed Newport Beach

Dad and Alexis being taught how to throw a boomerang

Sunday we leisurely drove back home and were so happy to drive up to the house right as dinner was to be served! Perfect timing :)

The best part of the vacation was seeing family! I have missed them.

...and that Riley only woke up once each night! I mean, that seriously qualifies alone for 'best vacation ever!'  She has only does that a couple times in her life, and it was incredible to get so much sleep! Now how do we get her to sleep like that regularly...?