DISNEYLAND!!

We were supposed to leave for our trip to Disneyland on the Sunday after Christmas. Saturday (the day after Christmas) we couldn't stand to wait any longer and wanted to get on our way. My mom arranged with a friend in Saint George to let us stay the night in her mobile home trailer so that we could get going on Saturday. We packed, loaded the van, and picked Chris up at work at 7:00pm. We arrived in Saint George at midnight. The trailer was great to accomodate us for the night!!

Sunday morning we got up, dressed in our church clothes and headed out hoping to find a sacrament meeting we could attend on our way. We pulled into the first church in Saint Goerge to find it had started 45 minutes earlier. We were told we could attend a spanish branch in another 45 minutes. Didn't think that would work so well. We hit the road and thought maybe we could find a meeting in Las Vegas. We hit trafic and got there too late. Anyway, we just couldn't seem to be in the right place at the right time to attend church. Kade suggested that we all bear our testimonies, keep driving and call that good. Chris and I about fell off of our seats to hear Kade volunteer to bear his testimony!! We thought his idea sounded wonderful, so that is what we did. I think it actually turned out better than attending church. It is a memory and we got a chance to discuss some things with the kids while they were all trapped in a moving vehicle and had to listen to us!! It was actually an accidental hightlight of our trip!!

We arrived in California about 4:30pm and found the rental house that we were staying in with Bill and Marci and their family. It was a great house that accomodated us so comfortably!! We will be forever indebted to Bill and Marci for letting us stay with them. It was so fun.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday we went to Disneyland. The crowds were crazy (I would never recommend Christmas break) but I do not regret going at that time. We saw things that we could have only seen during Christmas time and it was such a fun Christmas surprise for the kids. And soooo heavenly to leave Utah weather and escape to sunny California!!

This is the first ride we went on the very first day we got there. Brinley was a little nervous about the whole thing. As you can see, she loves her Uncle Bill.

Brinley and Chris on the flying mushrooms!! She got braver as we went. We took her on splash mountain the first day and she wasn't sure she liked that much. By the end of the trip it was her favorite ride! She got very brave!

This was probably the highlight of this day. Wednesday rained the ENTIRE day, and it was extremely crowded. Bill bought us hot chocolate that tasted absolutely divine! It was definately my least favorite day of our vacation, but we still managed to have a good time. This was the day we saw the Aladdin musical, rode the tower of terror for the first time (I thought I was going to die) and did everything we possibly could inside of buildings!!

We have arrived at a different stage as a family to vacation at Disneyland. Kylee and Emilee went with their cousins Karl and Alecia on their own!!! Of course, with cell phones we can know in an instant where they are and what they are doing. They quite enjoyed being able to do "big kid" rides instead of having to take turns doing what Kade, Quincy and Brinley wanted.

It really was fun to be in Disneyland during the Christmas holiday season. The park was all decked out in Christmas decor and the music playing in Disneyland was a mix of disney songs and christmas songs. If all of China, Japan, and the United Stated didn't vacation there for Christmas, it would be the ideal time to go!!!

On Tuesday we went to Sea World. It was fun. We all stayed together this day!!

Quincy and Brinley touching starfish at Sea World!!

Thursday we went to Universal Studios. They also had some different things for Christmas. Here is who-ville and the Grinch!! The first ride we went on at Universal was the Simpsons ride. We took Brinley and she absolutely hated it. She screamed through the whole thing and for quite awhile after we were done! Hopefully it gave her a bad taste for the Simpsons!! What a dumb show. The ride wasn't a whole lot better. We should have known.

At Universal Studios they have a place where there are a million balls that you vaccum up, shoot out of guns, etc. My kids love this place. They could spend the day there. It is incredibly loud but they love it.

Saturday we headed for the beach. We went to Crystal Cove at Newport Beach. It was absolutely wonderful. The perfect way to end our vacation. Quincy collected many sea shells and then we found out that it is against the law to take them home with you. She settled for lining them up and having her picture taken with them!

When the tide went down, tide pools formed. They were awesome. We all spent hours finding sea creatures. We even saw several star fish. They don't look anything like the ones in the aquariums!!

The older kids and Dad's surfed the waves!! The natives thought we were crazy to be in our swimming suites out in the water. Us Utahns are used to snow this time of year, we can't pass up a beach with the ocean on a 70 degree day!!

It was a great trip. We drove 12 hours home on Sunday! Not our favorite part of the trip, but we made it!! We love a good trip to Disneyland!!

Christmas Day!!

I was so excited for Christmas this year. We had a big surprise for our kids and I could hardly stand it. I could not get to sleep Christmas eve, I was up putting finishing touches on our surprise until 1:00am. Crazy!! I think I might have been more excited than the kids at our house.

This is the famous youngest to oldest lineup! This comes from the Southwick family christmas morning tradition. The kids line up youngest to oldest and have to wait behind a sheet that is pinned up in front of the family room door. When everything is ready and Dad is prepared with the video camera, they can enter!! The kids were a little shocked this year to enter the family room and find that Santa had left them each one present and there wasn't much under the christmas tree. There was a little concern...except for Chris and I...we were loving every minute of their suspense!! Luckily the kids drew names and exchanged gifts with each other. Here they are with the gifts they gave to each other. Notice the corndogs for Kade!!

The final present under the tree was a puzzle box. They unwrapped it...with a little disappointment I might add... and were told to put it together and follow the instructions they would find on the back. This led them to the next puzzle that would need to be put together to find the next clue. I have to admit, we might have overdone it on the puzzles. They had a ton of fun finding the puzzles and not so much fun putting them all together. There were 8 puzzles all together.

Another puzzle to put together!! They taped the front of the puzzle once it was put together so they could flip it over and find the next clue. My clever husband made up all of the clues. He is a master at rhymes!!

This was the final puzzle! Kylee is reading what it says on the back. This is what it said:

We think you should sit, please do not stand,

We don't want you to faint when you find you are

going to DISNEYLAND!!

Uncle Bill, Aunt Marci, Alecia, Karl and Alex too,

We'll all be going together - my what a zoo!!

This trip will be fun, this trip will be great,

As we spend time together and great memories create!

So pack your bags and get ready for fun...

As we will spend 8 days in the California sun!!

Get excited, Be Happy, Get ready to play,

We're leaving not tomorrow, but on Sunday!

Merry Christmas!!

Love, Mom and Dad

It was a very fun surprise. We had a big box with the last puzzle full of presents that contained things to do on the long drive down and back. Just some silly games, coloring books, etc. We found out later that Kylee and Emilee had become a little suspicious and were conspiring in their bedroom at night trying to figure out if we were going somewhere for Christmas. It took a little bit for it to sink in. Quincy came up to me about 5 minutes after the whole thing was over and said with a very confused look on her face..."Are we really going to Disneyland?" When I told her yes and that we were leaving day after tomorrow, a big smile spread across her face! It was a fun Christmas morning!!

Next came the traditional Chritmas Breakfast at my parents house. We love this. We eat a fabulous breakfast and then exchange gifts with my side of the family.

We spent some time in the afternoon visiting Grandpa and Grandma Wyatt. It was great to see them and spend some time with them for Chirstmas.

We finished the day with Christmas Dinner in Kaysville with Bill and Marci and their family. This was great because we could all finally talk freely and make plans for our trip! It was a surprise for their kids too. We were very blessed this year as we are every year.

Christmas Eve

Unfortunately my camera man forgot his camera at the Christmas Eve Party, so we have no pictures to add! We had our annual Christmas Eve party at my Grandpa Hadley's house. Yes, that is my Grandpa, and my children't great grandpa. Grandpa Hadley is 91 I believe and we have had Christmas Eve at his house as long as I have been alive! It's tradition and it's fun. We had dinner...turkey, ham, hot rolls, salad, and lots of yummy dessert. We always have some sort of a small program. The kids ring bells (very loud) and we sing a few carols. This year Aunt Doris read us a Christmas story. Then Grandpa receives his gifts from all of us. Then he gives his gifts. We always receive money in an envelope...even down to the smallest great grandchild. He also has given us our subscription to the Ensign for as long as I have been married. And the best gift is his homemade current jelly. My 91 year old Grandpa picks the currents, juices them, and makes them into a jar of jelly for every single child and grandchild. It is the most delicious jelly you will ever taste. Nobody knows how to make jelly like Grandpa Hadley!!

We got home around 9:30pm so that we could get to bed before Santa arrived!! This bribe doesn't work quite as well on the older kids anymore. They give us a disgusted look and reluctantly go to their rooms to mess around for a few more hours while Chris and I patiently wait for them to fall asleep. Chris beats them to sleep every year. I have to wake him up when it's time to work the magic!!

I am sad that I only have two believers left!! I'll definately enjoy them while I can!!