about us 3

12.18.2008

A Suite Trip!

I wanted to get in one last trip before

Disney's Year of A Million Dreams

came to a close.

I just had a feeling that we might get lucky...

During all of our trips over the past year, we were lucky

enough to win Dream Fast Passes many times, once we got to stay after closing time and have the park to ourselves....way cool!

On another day we were given special Dream mouse ears and pins.

However...

nothing was quite as suite

as the Dream we won on this trip.

* * * * *

Mia, Lexie and I drove through the snow & over the grapevine to make our

Christmas trip & to celebrate Lexie's Birthday

at Happiest Place On Earth.

Yes, I said through the snow....we left Fresno at 4:00 AM and at

6:30 we were on the grapevine, and it

was snowing...I was nervous because I had

never driven in the snow,

in fact...I've only seen it twice, I had no chains

and I really wanted to get to Disneyland! Thankfully

we made it over the ridge before they closed.

I always stop at the same service station to

get gas...right at the bottom of the grapevine

on the LA side & this time was no different.

So at about 6:50 I pull in, (the girls had just dosed off)

I noticed a KTLA TV van but thought

nothing of it....until they hopped

out and came over to me for a live interview!

Yes...I was on Good Morning LA! Live TV at 6:50 AM!

They wanted to know why I was out in the

snow, where I was going,

how driving over the ridge was and

what time I had left home..I told them this was the best

time to go to Disneyland because no one else

would be there, they thought I was crazy!!

Anyway, I did the interview while

wearing rain boots & pumping gas...

so very glamorous! Not!

The girls happen to wake up just at the

camera man shined the camera

right in on them...then I got to tell them they

were just on TV! Ok..back in the car and on our way, it was

pouring rain so it took a bit longer to get down

to Anaheim, but we did get there. At 8:45 we arrived

at the Paradise Pier Hotel, parked and went in to check in.

After the snow & rain I was hoping for a room to be ready...

I wanted to warm up before going out into the rain

again..even though I knew it was going to rain

the whole time..I was hoping for a bit of

Disney magic....and I got it!

The desk clerk had gone to check on something and

came back with one last "Dream"! We had won a

family suite with full concierge services and all kinds of goodies!!

Balloons, gifts from the hotel, sweets waiting in our suite,

reserved seats at the parades & shows and best of all...

it was ready and waiting for us right then!!

So after we were warmed up we went to breakfast

at the Rainforest Cafe....it was still pouring out and

even though it was supposed to rain for days, I just had

a feeling that it was going to stop. At breakfast they sat

us at a big round booth and the girls had fun with the

gorilla that was right behind Mia. After breakfast we finally

made it into Disneyland....and about an hour later the

magic showed up again and it stopped raining!!

I was very glad we had the rain boots, there were

puddles everywhere!!

Here are lots of pictures from the trip....enjoy:)

The girls quickly claimed the living room..

The view from our room...of the rain...

normally this is really a pretty view.

The girls with Santa

Everyone thought they were sisters...they liked it:)

Pretending to be asleep on Space Mountain!

I hate that she has no fear, she could have fallen out!

Making Wishes!!

After a day of rides and puddle jumping, we went back to the

room to warm up and change, then it was time for

Lexie's Birthday Dinner!

Make your own Pizza's

Happy Birthday to you!!

Nighttime at the park

To finish off the day, we went to Build a Bear and built a few bears

for Lexie's birthday!

Happy Birthday Lexie!

Mia with Jolly & Lexie with Mrs. Claus

Day 2

Sunny & Dry!

Beautiful girls

There are quite a few pets that live at the resort....

they are well taken care of by all of the cast members:)

I stopped for a few minutes to let

them play in the snow, or what

was left of it on the way home, then it started

snowing really hard so I rushed them

back in the car so we did'nt get stuck!

12.12.2008

one more trip...

We get to go back

the last trip of the year

they have decorated Main Street

all new & full of cheer!

...

were going to

DISNEYLAND

12.03.2008

Happy Holidays!

Out of the 72 pictures I took for this years

Christmas cards....these are my favorites

My little girl...so silly!

11.27.2008

be thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was at our house this year...

Ernie & Kamalani (Hawaiian name)

Mia & Auntie Cleo having fun at the piano

11.23.2008

decorating a bit early.

We usually decorate the house for Christmas the day

after Thanksgiving....but we love seeing all the fun things

that are packed up during the year....so many memories!

Anyway we will have an extra week of

Christmas music & decorations this year:)

And yes...we have a fake tree...

I hate watching the real tree die all December long

and then just tossing it out right after Christmas...so cruel.

Now I sound like a liberal!!!!

Mia with her very own PINK Christmas tree in her room

We always watch The Polar Express while decorating the tree..

she made it till about 10:45...

heros

Mia & Nathan had their faces painted at Jungle Jax's,

well....Nathan had his wrist painted

Anyway, they are

BEN 10 & Mrs. Incredible....

11.18.2008

11.17.2008

The Real Santa

A true story from last year....but worth sharing again...

A True Christmas Story…
(December 12th, 2007 in Disneyland)

Jason and Mia were on their own for an hour while

I shopped, as they were walking Jason

spotted an older gentleman who

greatly resembled Santa (not in costume) dressed plainly, with a

round belly, a long white beard & glasses.

Jason leaned down to Mia and told her that the

gentleman was the real Santa...
Mia of course did not buy it.

Then, just as they were passing the man

with the beard, he looked straight at
Mia and said "Hey Cutie" Jason and

Mia stopped to be polite.
The old man leaned over to Mia and said

"I know you have been a very good girl this year"

She giggled...

"I'm on vacation here with Mrs. Claus, we have a

few days left but then we will be headed back to the

North Pole to get ready for Christmas".

Mia looked up at Jason unsure of what to think.

The old man then took out a small card

and handed it to Mia, on one side was a photo of

him, in full Santa dress along with

Mrs. Claus (also in full dress)...standing knee

deep in snow, behind them was a sign with a

reindeer on it that read: Prancer Lane.

On the other side it read...

Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus
1167 Bradway Rd.
North Pole Alaska 99705

Now, Mia has always been willing to go

along with her silly parents and pretend that

there is a Santa...same thing goes

for Mickey & his friends at Disneyland...

However, once you meet the real Santa

off duty and on vacation in Disneyland,

You Believe!

As they started to walk away,

both being pretty convinced..
Jason looked at Mia and said "told you so!"

The End

11.11.2008

Veterans' Day

To all of the brave men & women who have

served our country, Thank you.

My grandpa

WWII Veteran

Honolulu Hawaii

Served during the 1940's

Construction Battalion

10.31.2008

just words..

"A Liberal is a person who will give

away everything they don't own"

~~~

Democratic Voting Slogan:

"Vote Early & Vote Often"

This really was their slogan in the 60's

~~~

Annoy a liberal....work hard and be happy!

~~~

Vote Democrat...it's easier than thinking!

~~~

Liberals:

It's not that they are ignorant,

it's just they know so much

that isn't so.

~~~

Happy Halloween!

trick or treat

smell my feet

give me something

good to eat!

We hope you had a happy & safe

Halloween filled with lots of fun

.......and candy!

10.28.2008

Race for the Cure 10.25.08

Mia having a little fun at Kids for the Cure:)

disneyland pictures

Disneyland at Halloween Time!

we went back for a quick trip to the parks :)

Mia with Chip or Dale...we can't tell??

Having Fun in Flick's Fun Fair

The big bad wolf, Mia & Jason

Mia and the bad guy from Hunchback of Notre dame

Mia loves the shooting range:)

It's all Halloween at the Big Thunder Ranch!

Visiting with the goats:)Time to go home:(

10.27.2008

10.25.2008

10.24.2008

Don't feed the bears..

You know that sign in the national forest that reads;
"DON'T FEED THE BEARS"
Well, it's there for a good reason.
If you feed the bears they will become

dependant on the handouts and forget how

to hunt & take care of themselves.
They may even become aggressive and expect the handouts.

Some bears have even been known to break into

cars, homes & businesses

to get what they think they are entitled to.

Stop feeding the bears, Vote Conservative!

wise words

“If you're not a liberal when you're 25,

you have no heart.

If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35,

you have no brain.”

~Winston Churchill

10.23.2008

the overpriced pumpkin patch

We took Mia to the pumpkin patch to

pick out a pumpkin and could not believe

how much they wanted....so we let her pick

some little ones and then went to SaveMart

and got 3 huge ones the size of the one she is sitting on

for $10 bucks!!

(it would have been $60.00 at the pumpkin patch)

10.22.2008

BE DRUG FREE!!

This is Red Ribbon Week at school & today everybody is supposed to wear as much red as they can...Mia's red shoes were a tad too small so she had to wear white:)

Drugs are bad, be drug free with ME!

ok...now I can spell drug...hahaha

10.11.2008

10.04.2008

Halloween Costume Pictures 2008

Pocahontas
October 2008

What a cute little American Indian girl!

(Mia's great great grandma actually lived on

an Indian reservation when she was a young girl)

This time I only posted 5!

(but I took 172!!)

10.03.2008

Halloween Costumes of the Past

I love Halloween & I love dressing up...
(even though I'm a witch every day...I mean every year!)
Every year since Mia was about 4 we have taken
pictures of her in her costume....when she
was a mermaid we went to the beach,
when she was Mulan, I took her to the Japanese Water Gardens.
For Jessie, (the cowgirl from Toy Story2), she got to
visit a real farm and ride a horse...and for
Jeannie from "I dream of Jeannie", I tried to make my
office look like the inside of a genie's bottle.....
anyway, here are some of the past pictures....:)

Mia at 6 weeks old
(no costume)
October 1999

For her 2nd Halloween, we dressed her as Pooh's Honey Pot....

(yep, that's Jason in the Pooh suit)
(And yes, he was thrilled to wear it!)
October 2000

Ok....for her 3rd Halloween, she was Jane from Disney's Tarzan.

Jason & I went & saw this when I was pregnant with Mia.
The song "You'll be in my heart" became Jason's song for her.
Mia loved this movie and had memorized a few lines from it..
She would clear her throat & say:
"No No No Me JANE
You TARZAN"
it was really cute!
October 2001