365.3: WEEK 47

We are in the heart of the holiday season and it feels as if things are speeding by faster than ever. Halloween? Gone. Disneyland? Done. Thanksgiving? Over. Christmas is less than a month away and I don't feel as ready as I'd like. Everything has been so... last minute this year. The most amazing part? I hardly care. Is this me finally letting go of some of my OCD tendencies? Probably not. But I'll enjoy this pause in my general break-neck speed and savor the holidays. Playing at the park as a family. Getting loves from my littlest when my autoimmune disease has me down and out. Waiting for the train to pass to meet friends in Anthem for a play date. Having a helping hand with Thanksgiving Day pies. Decorating the Christmas tree. Cutting hair. HOLIDAY SNEAK PEEK.

365.3: WEEK 46

Just going to throw this out there... Disney depression is a REAL THING. I am having massive withdrawals. Who would have guessed that this Disney-hater would become so obsessed? Not me. That's who. For a solid week after the trip, I woke up thinking of different rides that I wanted to go on. Only to remember that I was NOT at Disneyland anymore and that I am once again a mom of six kids. Sigh. The worst part is realizing that we don't plan to go back for another three years. It's heartbreaking, really. Last week was pretty fun, though. Watching the Veterans Day parade. Switching to a new gym location. Getting flu shots. Playing in the library's box train. Catching my favorite Pokémon. Hiking to the top of Flat Iron. Giving knuckles to a friend at church.

November 12th - November 18th

MAGIC OF DISNEY

One week ago from today, the mr. and I kissed our six goodbye and made the drive to Anaheim for some much needed one-on-one time. The kids stayed with my parents while we spent two FULL days at Disneyland and California Adventure. We had such a magical time together; we smiled and laughed while going on ride after ride together. We shared all of the treats and even had an unforgettable sit-down dining experience. Here are our park highlights, in no particular order:

Park Opening • Indiana Jones • Pirates of the Caribbean • Splash Mountain • Haunted Mansion • Thunder Mountain • Mark Twain • Tom Sawyer's Island • Jungle Cruise • Turkey Leg • Star Tours • Autopia • Storm Troopers • Space Mountain • Hidden Car in the Monorail • Kettle Corn • Sleeping Beauty's Castle • Incredicoaster • Pixar Pier Parfait • Guardians of the Galaxy • Dinner at the Jolly Holiday • Pixar Ferris Wheel • Midway Mania • Radiator Springs Racers • Lightning McQueen • Soarin' Around the World • Corn on the Cob • Grizzly River Run • Disneyland Railroad • Dole Whip Float • Finding Nemo Submarine • Dinner at Café Orleans • Gluten Free Monte Cristo • Small World Lights • Fantasmic • Park Closing

I photographed so much on the first day and then completely ditched my camera after a couple of hours into the second. We stayed 13 hours on Thursday and the FULL 16 on Friday. We walked a total of 25+ miles and rode every ride that we wanted to. TIMES 4 OR 5. We ate from carts, from diners, and from a restaurant. We raced around the parks to catch rides and sat back to relax when we felt tired. We got comped for a meal and spent a pretty penny on our kids. We avoided Fantasyland and Toontown BECAUSE WE COULD. We soaked in details and enjoyed our time together. It was absolutely perfect.