Our First FAMILY vacation...

[lawyergirl22]

Chapter 1 Pre-Trip:
It's almost here. :banana: Just 5 more days. Our very first, OFFICIAL, family vacation. :cool1: Just our little family! Who are we? Well, I am so glad you asked...

Me, nearing 35 (but not until December!), Gianna, lawyer WOHM, bossy, over-planner, like to make sure I don't miss a thing. I also like to argue. In fact, the only thing I like better than arguing is being right. However, in my defense, the only time I argue, is when I KNOW I'm right! :rolleyes: Also, I just recently discovered that I am a Disney addict. :love: More on that later.

DH, 32, Bob Vila, (This Old House, anyone?) this man can fix anything--and I mean anything. Leaking roof? No problem. Engine knocking? Under control. Water heater not working? Just give him a call. The man just "knows" things. It's kinda freaky, but in a good way. :thumbsup2

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=186594981/PictureID=4746337530/a=6914783_6914783/t_=6914783

DD4, Ariel, typical princess loving, prima donnaish, first born. She loves all things princess and just had her 4th b-day. It was a "Come as your favorite princess" party. You get the idea...Ariel's her fave right now!

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=186655125/PictureID=4748744891/a=6914783_6914783/t_=6914783

DS1, the Bear a/k/a Destructo a/k/a Mania Man. Now, our family has 5 grandaughters and two great-grandaughters...and then the bear. Needless to say, we were totally unprepared for how different boys are from girls. Before you object, I know that there are girls who are just as rambunctous as boys--but we don't have any in our family. Apparently, we're a very prissy group. ;) So, having the bear--who is very much a boy, has been QUITE the eye opening experience.

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=186594981/PictureID=4746340494/a=6914783_6914783/t_=6914783

Now--on with the story. Growing up my aunt and cousin's lived in SoCal, so we visited Disneyland several times, but only for day trips. These visits pretty much stopped by the time I was a teenager. Fast forward 20 or so years to September 2007. DH, my brother and father all decide to go hunting in Canada. (Did I mention that my husband is a huge fan of hunting? No, not Bambi! Ducks, like Donald....:rolleyes1 and geese, etc.)

Anywho, I figured if the men were going on vacation, then it only stood to reason that the women folk being left behind should go somewhere, too! Of course my "vacation" would involve entertaining and caring for a 3 year old and almost 1 year old--but, who's counting? So, I enlisted the help of my mom, who bravely agreed to accompany us to Disneyland, and would be bringing along my brothers two girls DN10 and DN8. :cheer2:

http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=186358734/PictureID=4547123729/a=6914783_6914783/t_=6914783

We had a fabulous vacation and my love for Disney was discovered! Of course, it didn't hurt that we stayed at the Grand Californian, and mom payed for the lion's share of expenses. :rolleyes1 Like any good Disney addict, I began planning our next trip as soon as I returned home. :surfweb:

Up Next--When will we go????

[lawyergirl22]

So--when we last left off, I had just returned from a wonderful trip to DL with DM and crew! Of course, I was hooked and immediately began planning the next trip. This would have to include DH. In discussing dates with DH, I learned :eek: that he had only visited DL once--as a wee small bairn!

Well, this would not do! Taking into consideration available dates and work schedules, we came up with May, the 3-9 to be precise. :thumbsup2 Where would we stay? As much as I loved GCH, it was just way toooo expensive. :scared1: For help, I knew exactly where to turn--the DIS boards of course. ;) After reading all the wonderful experiences about the HoJo, and of course the excellent price with the entertainment card (thanks Dangermouse), it was a no brainer! I booked it ASAP and got a great rate.

(Small confession--in booking the dates, I may have also reserved a room for a little trip in December :rolleyes1 I've never seen the Christmas decorations--what kind of disney addict can I claim to be, if I've never been at Christmas? :confused3 Don't tell DH, yet--k?)

So, our dates are set, our hotel booked, next up tickets! Since we would not be staying on property, I opted to purchase from Getawaytoday for the extra MM. As many of you with small kids know, mornings are our best time, so making good use of those precious hours is a must. We'll pick those up when we arrive on Saturday.

That is THIS coming Saturday and I am so excited! :banana: Here's a brief run down of our plans: Fantasmic dessert seating for Saturday night; Ariel's for lunch on Sunday for a belated b-day present for DD4; lunch ressie at Blue Bayou on Monday; and brunch at Minnie and Friends on thursday.

Thanks to these amazing boards and the wonderful people on them, I have general touring plans, am well versed in baby swap, fast pass and single rider lines. I also learned about dole whips, tigger tails, and the flying dutchman cookie boat. :) I have packed my moleskin, bought crocs for the kids, and layed out an extra set of cloths to bring to the parks, just in case we run into some irresitstible water features!

Many thanks to all the posters on the DIS whose tips and advice will no doubt make this trip a great one. :disrocks: The rest of the week will be spent packing for the drive to Ca. Approximately 10 hours :scared:

Next up--How are we going to fit all this stuff in our car?

[6Smiles]

Wow you leave tomorrow! How exciting!:thumbsup2 Can't wait to hear all about your trip and if you got everything packed in the car.:)

[lawyergirl22]

We made it!

And I would like to extend a big THANK YOU! to my very first poster--6Smiles! :love:

So, when we last let off, everyone was wondering if we would fit all our stuff in the car...Well, the short answer is we did. My husband belongs to a local charity organization, and the annual fundraising dinner was friday---of course, the night before we leave for DL.

Sadly, we did not get to bed until after MIDNIGHT :scared1: I had originally planned to leave at 5am, but with the late night, I didn't think other dirver's would appreciate my husband and I driving after 4 or so hours of sleep. Anywho, we slept in :rolleyes: until 5am and then got the car packed. On a funny note, my DD4 is NOT a morning person, so when I picked her up at 6am to put her in the car, I could tell she was raring to be a PILL. However, as soon as I reminded her that we were leaving for DL, she wrapped her arms around me and said "In my 'jama's? :laughing:

In short, we made it here safely, caught Fantasmic! last night via preferred seating, and had a very nice morning today, until we had a mini melt down at lunch. Suffice to say that the kids are now catching up on some much needed sleep, including DH.

HoJo staff is wonderful. We have had a couple of hiccup's, but nothing that would prevent me from returning (which I already have reserved for December). Being at Disneyland is just wonderful.

When I return, remind me to tell you about our run-in with the law...Hi Trooper Ketterin:wave2:

Gianna

[Brenna&Noah's Mom]

Have fun!!:goodvibes



When I return, remind me to tell you about our run-in with the law...Hi Trooper Ketterin

This sounds interesting!!:laughing: