California 2017

It's been about four years since we ventured to the land of Anaheim.

It's crazy to think that it has been that long, and we were all excited to go back.

We arrived on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and spent some time with my good friend, Susan and her family.  The kids had fun at the pool and the adults had time to catch up and visit.  I loved it.  The perfect start to our vacation.

The following morning, we were up bright and early to begin two days of standing in lines.  Hooray!  They are the best lines to stand in by far.

Mark calculated that we walked over 11 miles that day.  Whew!  No wonder little Ellie was zonked as soon as her head hit the floor!  We had such a wonderful first day.  No strollers, everyone was tall enough to go on everything, and we had made a pact that if anyone started showing signs of being "Hangry" then we were going to immediately stop and get some ridiculously over-priced, but delicious Disneyland food.  It worked like a charm.

Day Two began just as early except this time we started at California Adventure.

Again, it was a gorgeous day and everything went smoothly until Abbie left her phone in the bathroom, never to be found again. :( . Fortunately it was just a really old iPhone, but she was sad to lose all of her pictures.

So, let me just say here...World of Color is quite simply one of THE greatest things I have ever laid eyes upon.  There may have been a tear or two or three in my eyes.  If you have never seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it.  Totally worth the wait.

After a whirlwind two days in the most magical place on earth, we spent a very fun day at Knott's Berry Farm.  Mark and I had not been there since we were teenagers and the rest of my family had never been.  Unfortunately Ellie was not tall enough to go on some of the rides, but we still had plenty of fun.

Here's a fun little treat for you.  A re-creation of an oldie, but a goodie.

The whole time we were at Knott's Berry I couldn't help but think of my Grandma and Grandpa Holt.  They loved roller coasters and the last time I was there, they were with us.  I miss them, but I know that they were watching over us this day.

It was a very quick trip, but it was filled with fun, laughter, pure joy, and memories that will last a lifetime.