DISNEYLAND BABY!!!!!!

Everyone has several passions in life. Music, the gospel, my kids, teaching.......those are just a few of mine. I also have another passion..DISNEYLAND! Seriously, I really can't explain or understand why I love it so much. Maybe it is the ability to forget worries and just hang with my family, maybe it's the return to innocence I feel there, or maybe it's just because I think it is magic. I love everything about it - from the sparkling pixie dust sounds when they scan your ticket at the entrance - to the Mickey shaped pretzels, (yes - I am the sucker who will pay the extra dollar to have the Mickey shape as opposed to traditional), but I just love it. All of it! 

Last February I booked a trip to Disneyland through www.getawaytoday.com - free plug there, I love everything about them. I will never plan a vacation without them again. Anyway - when I started planning the trip, there were over 200 days on my countdown app. :-) I was so excited to surprise the boys with this magic weekend. It was even more magic because Logan had his 10th birthday while we were there and my parents flew out to surprise the boys and spend the long weekend with us. It was just so great. I can't wait to go back. I'm already planning my next trip. Here are a few of the pictures we took on our Mick-tabulous vacation!! :-)

Gotta love the gigantic Lego store in Downtown Disney. Super cool! We always hit up the lego store and Rain Forest Cafe the night before we hit the parks. It's a super fun tradition. 

The next pictures are just fun in the park. It was Halloween and like I said.....smiles and magic. :-) I know, I'm a dork. It's okay...I'm a Disney dork! 

Don't get me wrong. I know the things that matter most in life don't necessarily include Disneyland, but when I am feeling down, having a rough day, or am just feeling a little overwhelmed....a look at Disneyland pictures just picks me up and makes me smile. 

Next trip is the first week of June - can't wait! Time to set my countdown app!!!! Disney forever! :-)

My Sweet Sicko!!

So - my intention was not to have another post about Logan, I mean I love the kid, but we do have two other kids. Anyway, Monday Logan started feeling sick, and by Tuesday morning he was full on sick. I mean SICK. He has thrown up over 30 times and has horrible abdominal pains; no fever, no runs, no anything else. At first we just thought he had the flu, but after what seemed life FOREVER without a break in the joys of vomit, we decided to take him in. We got medicine; no help; then ended taking him back in today. Our doc decided to do some tests to try to figure this kid out. He had stomach x-rays and blood tests. Thankfully all those tests eliminated a lot of bad things, so we are back to thinking he just has some bad virus that we are hoping will pass quickly. Anyway - after taking the doctor app like a pro, (not even a tear during the blood test), and getting a sticker for holding still during his x-rays, we got back home.

As he is laying on the couch he says, "Mom - thanks for taking all this time of work to be with me." Gotta love that kid. Then about an hour later he says, "Mom - I'm glad I'm sick and not you." Dude, I almost started crying. I love that boy.

We're hoping it all passes soon and we can get back to normal - but I know how lucky I am to have a son like Logan, (and Caden and Carson). ;-)

LOGAN TURNS 8!!!!!

Logan joined our family 8 years ago on one of the best 4 days of my life, (the other 3 being the day I was married and the birth of the other two boys). He loves sports, recently video games, and anything to do with outside. He is GREAT at school. He has a green thumb and is such a hard worker. He is a friend to everyone and is SO charismatic. The other day he came home from school telling me he couldn't wear a certain shirt anymore because it drove the GIRLS wild. I wonder why he said that with a big smile on his face. I love this little boy and am so glad he is part of our family.

He wanted to celebrate his birthday by being baptized by his dad. What a great day.

I love to see those smiles!!!

WILLIAMS RESERVOIR

Damon and I have been camping a total of 3 times in the entire almost 12 years we have been married. We have been to cabins with my parents; he has been on scout outings and Father and Son weekends, but as a family - this was time #3. Absolutely gorgeous!!

Now I have to say, we borrowed a camp trailer from some of my favorite people, (thank you Wyatt and Brooke), and it was wonderful not to sleep on the ground. I definitley know what I want to invest in the next time we have some extra money, (does that even exist).

You can't really tell in the picture above, but the boys were about 5 feet from a cliff that dropped several hundred feet - seriously!! That is the highest cliff I have ever seen and I was more than a bit nervous while that picture was being taken.

We went for a scenic drive and it turned into trying to seek out all the cool carvings in the Aspen trees. I have always been totally anti tree carving, but it looked so cool, and all the trees survived, so we let the boys pick a tree. We plan to go back every year to check out our trees.

No - I don't believe in letting my 5 year old use a pocket knife, ( I know - totally over protective, but whatever, he's my kid), so that is just a picture of him watching the others carve a tree. The D + M tree is so funny. We started talking about carving, and Caden said that dad really needed a D + M tree. I'm thinking - "HELLO - WHO IS THIS M - MY NAME IS AMY!!" Apparently it really stands for Dad + Mom. So Damon did it. He wouldn't let me see until he was done. So I guess this tree would work for every mom and dad, but I know it's really mine. It was such a great trip. Here are just a few more pictures of the great time we had.

Caden is holding a tooth. He bit into his brat and it came right out. Quite a smile for this 10 year old. We had a great time. No one got hurt, lost, or even eaten by bears. I'd say it was a great success for us. I can't wait 'til the next time.

A New Adventure

Well - I think it's time to start a blog. The boys are getting older, we are doing more, and I just want a record of all those events. My journal gets some, but I think this would be more entertaining and then double as both!! We are going camping this weekend and I can't wait to get all the pics up. So...........more to come soon!!!