The Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland!

As usual, this post is long overdue. The heading for this post should actually be called pictures, pictures & more pictures!!!
If you are my friend on facebook, you will notice that I wrote "thoughts & prayers" for what I am thinking. My uncle Jeff Kulas, (who is also my Godfather) 49, died unexpectedly last month. He was a great dad, uncle, brother, husband, son, ect... & he is surely missed. My thoughts & prayers go out to his family. He has 4 children, 2 of which are still in high-school. After a long month of "thinking", I was then notified that a girl I went to high-school with, Krisee Gollon also died unexpectedly, as well as her 3 yr old girl & 2 year old boy. I graduated from a small private school with a graduating class of 50 something. So basically everyone sort of "knows" everyone. She was killed by her long-time boyfriend who is also the father of her 3 children. After killing the 3, he then attempted to kill their 7 month old baby girl & himself. Thankfully the police showed up before that could happen. Just horrific & unimaginable.....so I think I'm going to keep my quote as "thoughts & prayers" for what I am thinking. I've been dreading this post, not only because it's hard to show such joy at a sad time, but also because I have a million & one pictures I want to share, & if you are a blogger, you know how long it takes to upload pics!
On a much happier note, the beginning of last months happenings were quite an adventure. As posted about previously, we had planned to visit my brother & his family in AZ & then head to Disneyland. We flew in to AZ on a Saturday afternoon (4/4), & woke up about 1am on Sunday to drive the kids to Anaheim, CA. The kids slept most of the way, which was great. As you can see the sun is just about to rise.

Once rested & ready to have some fun, the girls put their princess ears on & we arrived at Disneyland.

It really is the happiest place on Earth!

The 1st person McKenna saw when we walked in was Alice. McKenna was in awe.

We started off with "It's a Small World",....& McKenna hasn't stopped singing that song since! (& that was over 1 month ago!) It was just an amazing time. To see my kids so excited was just awesome. Zander saw Sullie! (from Monsters Inc),

(Z didn't take his eyes off the furry big monster. McKenna had to wear the stretched elastic Snow White skirt because she was soaked from running through the water. They fell to her ankles at least twice while we were walking, bearing all!)

McKenna saw Ariel

(McKenna's dream came true when she met her favorite princess in person. She was just in her glory.)

& I saw vitamin D!!

We were all in our glory!

(Did I mention I had my pants on inside out!?)

It was at least 80 degrees out & gorgeous!

We decided to let the kids run through the water park to cool off. Here's some more pictures from the great time.

(McKenna standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.)

(Such neat things to see! )

(Lovin' the Tea Cups ride!)

(Z couldn't believe he was standing next to Mader & Lighting McQueen!)

(C'mon Z, show me those muscles!)

(I've never seen so many strollers in my life!)

(The kids crashed hard after a long 13hr day without leaving the park)

(Isn't my niece Sydnee just the cutest!?)

(The Disney Pixar Parade was SO neat!! Z especially loved it!)

(Who can resist Krispee Kreme Donuts?)

(My brother said Z just stared at Jasmine's boobs. When we left he told Kenna that Jasmine was his girlfriend.)

(McKenna posing with Z's girlfriend Jasmine.)

(Can't you just tell that Zander is completely not impressed with Ariel & wanted to see Jasmine again?)

(As we were leaving Aurora was coming in. I think McKenna was in heaven. (We saw Snow White in passing as well.)

( Jersie was also in her glory when Sleeping Beauty appeared.)

(The 2 beauties whom eventually became beasts as the night progressed.)

(Posing after the Winnie the Pooh ride.)

(Yes, there was a pooping incident. Luckily we were able to make it to the bathroom in time.)

(Seriously, what cute cousins!)

(The kids thought Disneyland was the happiest place on Earth as well!)

(I had to take this picture for the beautiful background of windmills & snow capped mountain.)

(This is what happened after Z asked to use my chap stick! He ate it!)

Once we made our way back to AZ, Gage experienced grass for the first time. (hmm, that sounds bad, doesn't it?)

Let's just say he hates the feel of grass anywhere on his body. It was so funny! He just curled up his toes & shivered. Even now, as I lower him to the ground outside, he lifts his little legs as they get closer to the grass. I even tried him in the excer-saucer thinking he might enjoy that better & not realize the grass is touching his toes....not the case.

Since we were in Scottsdale, my sister-in-law Tracy & I decided to stop & have a Sprinkles cupcake. (if that sounds familiar, it's because Katie Holmes & Suri Cruz are often photographed there, at least the one in CA)

As we were driving to Sprinkles, we talked about how the celebreties often make their appearances at places like this. Afterall, one cupcake is practically four dollars! (we must have forgotten about recsession!) While waiting in line I took this picture.

Little did I know that standing right next to us was Kelly Rowen from Destinys Child,...breathing the same air us! I snapped this shot of her.

Not the best I know, but still, neat being that close to someone that I bought Summer Fest Concert Tickets to see in 2002!! If you talk to my sister-in-law Tracy, & she tells you that I ran after Kelly to get this picture, I didn't,...well, not exactly. :)

Later in the week, I took McKenna to see another Disney on Ice with some fellow princesses. (Jersie's cousins) I think her favorite part was wearing her beautiful Belle dress, which she was also able to wear for Easter.

Looks like McKenna might move to AZ when she's older to become a Phoenix Suns cheerleader!

Gage had his 9 mos well baby check-up last week.

He's 31 1/2 " & 22lbs. Dr. said he's off the charts for length & in the 68th percentile for height. If you see him in person though, you would definitly think he was off the charts in weight as well. He is now officially in 12 mos clothes & still in size 3 diapers. He still only has 2 bottom teeth. I feel & look for those top toothers everyday, & nothing. With the other kids, once the bottom teeth came, the top teeth followed after about 2 weeks....we're going on almost 2 months! I'm starting to grind food up for him & he's loving it!

(Notice he rips his bibs off so I have to immediatlely wash his clothes after he eats.)

Gage crawls like a mad man everywhere! (ok, everywhere except for the grass. ha!) I also found him crying in the crib a couple of weeks ago (yes folks, I've started to put him in the crib!) & he was standing!! He had pulled himself up & started to cry when he wanted to get down. He must have not figured out how to plop his butt down, which he has no problem doing now. He pulls himself up on everything now. He says "da da", "ma ma", nenna (I think for McKenna), no no, ba ba & some other jibberish. Although he can say this stuff, he's just babbeling. I don't think he quite gets it yet, because he will say these things whenever (like at 3 am really loud, & then go back to sleep once he's awoken us up). He loves patty-cake & the feel of daddy's whiskers on his chubby thighs sends him right into big giggles. Depending on when he gets his last bottle, he usually still wakes up once a night. He's slept completely through the night (about 10-11hrs or so) 3 times for me. People say just let him cry, but honestly, I CAN'T! Maybe it's because this is my last baby (that I know of), maybe it's because I can't stand to hear my little one cry, or maybe because I don't want to wake up my entire house & neighborhood with his furocious loud screams..... whichever it is, Gage gets picked up, snuggled, fed & if he's lucky, he gets to sleep the rest of the night by his mommy. At least he wakes up a happy babbling baby.

(Yes, he's got a little faux-hawk going on as well.)

( Athough we didn't see Cinderella at Disney, Gage gave it a good try.)
Zander is still my "wittle wover", although he's starting to become really defiant. He's in a time-out at least 5 times a day for sticking his tongue out at me or saying "whatever mommy!" to me. I gave him a mohawk a few weeks ago & not only does he look like a little punk, he plays the part really well.

I was going to shave it off after a few days, but it's really grown on me. PLUS, his "twin" Brecken is sporting a mohawk as welll, & who can resist 2 little mohawked men?

Oh, & I can't forget to mention that he goes #1 & #2 all by himself! In fact, he's decided to be one with nature & take the whole bathroom experience outside!! Luckily there was no recess at the time (we live next to an elementary school) Before our yard starts to look like we have a dog we need to pick up after, we put an end to it. I think it all started with Nana,....we were all packed & ready to go back home after visiting Nana & Papa's house, when Z declared he had to go tinkels!! My mom let him "go" outside & ever since, he thinks it's the neatest thing to "water" the grass. I guess with the watering came pooping. Not cool. He seriously begs to go potty outside. WTH?
McKenna is still singing the days away. Besides singing "It's a Small World", she belts out the Beauty & the Beast song & Aladdin's "A Whole New World" 24/7. Apparantly the Little Mermaids "Part of Your World" is done with. It was the ONLY song she would sing last summer...from the moment she awoke, until the moment the little princess shut her eyes. She has become increasingly obsessed with Gage.

She tries to lift the little chunk & move him all over, all of the time! She ends up plopping him down really hard, or makes him really mad that he starts screaming. I can tell his cries apart, & one of them is definitely a "McKenna cry".

We went for brunch last week for Mothers Day at "The Farm". The kids had a blast playing with the 101 kitties running around. McKenna really took to a particular kitten. She carried Peaches & Cream around everywhere in a sweatshirt & begged for us to take it home. (Ok, fine, I named it.)

(Notice the blue nail polish. She had to have blue, because the girl in Mama Mia has blue. Seriously, she is all about detail!)

Of course, Zander just had to sit in the tractor.

Well, that's a wrap. Hopefully I will start to blog more frequently so when I have a post it isn't like reading a novel & looking at a whole photo album! Seeing this is a journal of my family, I don't want to forget a thing! Take care!