Disney 2017

This is Allie and me getting ready to head to California. We are so ready!

According to Instagram, Kobi is ready to go

It's been 4 years since we all went to Disneyland together. Mel was 14. Allie was 16 and Kamiko was 19. It was about time. Since the kids spoiled us so much on Christmas, we decided to take a vacation before we all had to be back to school/work on January 9. It was a blast! Kamiko said it was the best vacation ever. I must agree that it was pretty dang good.

Derek, Charlie, Kobi, Rose, Allie, Mel, Kamiko, Rachel, and Keenan in the kitchen of our home away from home

We left Wednesday afternoon around 1:00. Kobi Watkins, our other child, came with us. She and Mel took the back bench and loved every minute of it. We drove quickly, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks. We had brought sandwiches in the van. We got to our airbnb rental house at around 8:00 pm. Rachel and the kids had just gotten there. Derek was stuck at work for a Thursday meeting. Anyway, the house was FANTASTIC! It slept all 10 of us very comfortably. We had brought cereal, yogurt, milk, fruit, snacks, chips, sandwich fixins, etc. We got everyone settled in and went to bed. Kinda late, but to bed. Keenan and I had our own room and bathroom. Rachel and Rose shared a bed in another room and Charlie had his crib. They had their own bathroom and a roll-out twin bed for the next night when Derek came. All 3 girls had their own room and bathroom. As usual, Kamiko got the shaft and got the couch. He was fine, though. There was also a half bathroom in the living area for all to use. I can't say enough how great it was.

The kids and Keenan left around 7:00 to get to the park for the opening. Rachel and I came about an hour later with her kids. Rachel is pregnant and I wanted to help her. I also didn't think we needed to be there super early. I wanted to work around what she wanted. As soon as her kiddos got up, we got going. Bonus: Rachel got me into the park for free with Derek's work perks. We met up with the rest of the group around 10:00 am. We really enjoyed a great day of rides, rain, and crowds. It was fine, though. I had gone to Walmart and bought everyone a rain jacket, so we were dry enough. It also made going on Splash Mountain no big deal since we were a bit wet anyway. Around 4:00, it stopped raining. We figured out how to use the disability pass for Charlie. Basically, you go to an information center and get a return time for the ride you want to go on next. They scan up to 6 tickets and you're good to go. Charlie got the big kids and Rachel on Haunted Mansion. I stayed behind with Rose and bought her her very own churro. The park was very crowded, but we had a great time anyway. While the big kids were on their rides, Charlie got me and Rose and Rachel on Dumbo, Casey Junior, Alice in Wonderland, and Storybook Land in about 1 hour. Rose told the attendant we had a "cutting pass." He said "I don't think that's what we call it, but I know what you mean." It saved us a lot of time and may have created a monster in Rose. Now she knows the system and can go on lots of rides. Just wait til Charlie is tall enough for all rides. Wow. It really is helpful, though, because once you get in line, you have to ditch the stroller. If we could have kept Charlie in his stroller all the time, we would have been fine. But, without the stroller, we had to carry him a lot to keep him from wandering.

Me, Rose, Charlie, and Rachel on the way to Disney!

It's fun to see what gets posted on Instagram

First ride: Small World with Chars

Me and Rose, Rachel and Charlie on Dumbo

Kamiko and Charlie had matching raincoats and really had fun together

Wet, happy kids. Love them all!

Rose with her very own churro

Kobi, Mel, Allie, and Kamiko in line for Splash Mountain

We went over the the California Adventure side after a while and enjoyed rides there. Tower or Terror is being re-done and was closed. California Screamin was closed on and off and we never made it on there. I found Rae and the kids in line at the Luigi cars ride. I asked the attendant if he could help me get to them to help them in line. Then I asked if we could just bypass the line and get on the ride. When Rachel asked me how I did it, I said "I told him my sister-in-law was in line alone with a 5 year old, a 3 year old with Down Syndrome, and is pregnant." He didn't hesitate to help us out. We got dinner over there. I had a great turkey and pesto sandwich on sourdough. Kobi and Rose got mac and cheese in a sourdough bread bowl. Talk about carb loading. It was so good, though. Derek met up with us and we hung out a bit more. The Hunters left for the airbnb and we Adcocks +1 went back to Disneyland for more grown-up fun. We had a bit of a fight, but we sorted things out and finished the night riding Buzz, then watching the parade before leaving the park. Got home late and went to bed to get up and do it again. We love Disneyland. Kamiko said he didn't know how Keenan and I did it all these years. He was tired.

Rachel, Charlie, and Keenan

Buzz Lightyear: Kobi, Keenan, Allie, Mel

Keenan and Allie on Buzz Lightyear

Our youngest family member enjoying the day

Disney NEVER gets old for an Adcock or for our honorary Adcocks

Friday we got up and left around 8:30. It was sad to say goodbye to our awesome place, but I have a feeling we'll be back. Derek was able to get all of us in the park for free with some holiday passes he had. It was so nice of him. Since Kobi was paying her own way, she was especially appreciative. We got fast passes for Radiator Springs, went on Midway Mania, Ariel, rides in Bugs Land, and Monsters, Inc. We also barely made it in to see the new Frozen show. We literally got some of the last seats for the 12:30 show. Kamiko and Allie found seats together. When I looked their way as the show started, I noticed Derek and Family were sitting there. My kids had given their 2 seats together to them. I was one proud mom! They lucked out in getting 4 reserved seats together with Mel and Kobi. So, the only ones solo were Keenan and I. I don't know where he sat, but I know he slept for a big chunk of the show. I got a nice little snooze, too. It was a great show, though. The set and projections were excellent. We hit more rides. Charlie got everyone on the Luigi cars again. Just Keenan and I had to sit out. Then Rachel took the kiddos back to Valencia and Derek joined us big kids at Disneyland. It had been another crowded day, but we made the best of it. Rachel is a trooper. She's got her hands full. She and Derek were grateful that Keenan pushed the stroller most of the day Friday. I tried to help out when I could the day before. We found out later that Rae got a return time for her and the kids for the Little Mermaid ride, got corndogs, then went on the ride before heading home. Charlie pooped all over the seat in the shuttle bus to the parking lot. That was her fun evening. We got dinner (chicken strips or corndogs) and waited in line for Star Tours, then waited 2 hours for Hyperspace Mountain. It was worth it. The ride is now Star Wars themed and is great! What a way to end the time at Disneyland.

In line for Radiator Springs: Mel, Kobi, Allie, Kamiko, Derek, Rose, and Keenan. It was the first time for both Derek and Rose.

The very cute Hunter family

Rose colored this card for me at California Adventure

Post Hyperspace Mountain Churros on our way out of the park: Kobi, Mel, Kamiko, Al, and Derek

We drove to Derek and Rachel's home in Valencia, about a 70 minute drive. Luckily we had no grand plans for Saturday, so we got to sleep in as much as the kids allowed. I think I got up around 8:00. I woke up to pancakes and eggs and bacon. Yes! Thanks Hunters. Kamiko really wanted to go into Los Angeles. He'd never been there. So we hatched a plan to go around noon and be back by 4:00. I didn't want to spend all day if we weren't going to all be together. The girls weren't going to go at first but decided to go, as did Derek. So, Derek, Kamiko, Allie, Mel, Kobi, and I went into LA. We dropped Kamiko off at a street with stores he wanted to see and we headed to the Hollywood walk of fame to check out some stars and see weird people. After about an hour we went back to get Kamiko. We grabbed LA's finest for lunch: Wendy's. We went back to Valencia and all of us went to the mall. Then we ordered pizza and pasta for takeout. We ate at Derek and Rachel's and sat up late talking and looking at Derek and Rachel's wedding photos. Seriously, it was such a great trip. Allie was thrilled to visit the Scientology information center, Derek was happy to see Trump's star, Kamiko bought expensive shoes, and Keenan got a nap.

We topped the whole trip off by eating lunch at Raising Cane's Chicken place in Las Vegas on the way home. Wow, that is some great chicken. That's all they have there: chicken and fries and toast. It is spectacular. I'm so glad we stopped. That made Kamiko and Allie very happy, as they remembered eating there in Missouri and Arkansas. It'll be a place we visit again. My recommendation: the child's meal and spring for the $.99 toast.

Raising Cane with Wonder Woman

I spy with my little eye something that starts with the letter A

So we're now home and the kids have moved into their apartments in Provo. My house is clean and quiet. It's weird. Something new to get used to.