home again means Disneyland!

Happy Hump Day Sweeties...

Well, my Texas adventure is over, but my real life adventure is just beginning! I'm in the mist of closing out the shop, which will lead me to yet another fork in my road called life.

But, as seems to be a pattern in my life, along every path comes unexpected detours. My beautiful daughter Courtney was given 3 free passes to Disneyland & California Adventure for last Sunday, which she joyously asked me to share in with her & Kai. Now having just gotten back from my trek & knowing I needed to sell some merchandise...I told her I should probably not go & work instead. She responded, "What?? Mom, free passes to Disneyland, have you lost your mind?"

Anyone who knows me knows what a ridculous answer I had given her. I would NEVER pass up a chance ANYTIME to go to Disneyland, it's my Home Away From Home...Courtney grew up there!

Awakening from my self induced stupor I shouted out, "OMG, what am I thinkin, of course I want to go with you to Disneyland!" I don't care if I have to pack everything up & just bring it home...do you know how much a hopper ticket to Disneyland costs these days?? You don't want to know! Let's just say I could probably buy 2 Magnolia Pearl tops with that money.

So last Sunday, I was at the Happiest Place on Earth with my daughter & grandson! {you can read about why Disneyland means so much to me here , from an earilier post}

The sun was shining, the sky was blue & it couldn't have been a better day to enjoy the park! Kai got to see soooo many of his favorite Disney characters.

And the best part was that it was all decked out for Halloween & they turn the Haunted Mansion into The Nightmare Before Christmas, which we all just LOVE!!!

Here's Jack & Sally with Courtney & Kai...

Oh yeah...I almost forgot. Another perk she got with these tickets, is 4 front of the line passes for each of us. So we could pick the 4 most crowded rides, use our pass & go straight to the front of the line...that ROCKS PEOPLE!!!

We used them on Space Mountain & The Haunted Mansion In Disneyland...

& Soarin Over California & The Tower of Terror in California Adventure.

{ps: check out the hat & tank & ring I wore, The Junk Gypsy's were represented by Moi}

Here's Kai with his Jack Sparrow sword which he loved! It's soooo easy to  please a kid, a $6.95 Jack Sparrow sword & it was like GOLD to him, you gotta love it.

Mommy & Kai...

Monga & Kai...

Woody & Kai! :)

Because we are such a Disneyland family, if having to choose between Disneyland or California Adventure, the Big D will always win. Courtney had never been before, I had been once when my friend took me for my birthday & Kai had been with his Daddy a few years back. When spending that kind of money, you just have to know you are going to have the most amazing time & I just don't get that at the other park.

I do adore the Soarin Over California ride...you sit in what looks like a row full of swings & once safely secured, you start to fly up into a movie of Yosemite, the ocean, San Francisco, orange groves that you can smell the sweet aroma of their blossoms. Totally cooooool...

Kai had fun looking at some of the Cars movie props & went on a couple fun little rides & then he & Mommy braved the Tower of Terror, which I was too ascared to go on so I waited out front for them to finish. They both really liked that ride...but our overall consenses was that if we had paid full price to get in, we would have been really disappointed.

Moral of the story...

Stick to the CLASSIC'S & you'll never be disappointed!!!

Happy Halloween month friends & I hope you enjoyed our little excursion to The Happiest Place on Earth.

I never leave empty hearted, my memory banks go so far back with this one...everytime I go it's like

COMING HOME! :)

Christmas & Disneyland

{my family in 1958 at Disneyland}

{me at Disneyland for my 53rd birthday 11/25/09, this was before my daughter told me my birthday buttons looked like pasties...I moved them! LOL}

Growing up in the late 50's, Disneyland was every child's dream. If you were lucky enough to have grown up in southern California it was often more then a dream. If you were really lucky, your parents saved their nickles & dimes & once a year would pack up the kids, throw them in the back of the station wagon {without seat belts} & drive to Anaheim to go to the Happiest Place on Earth & if you were really, really lucky, your Daddy worked there!

{excerpt from a past post}

I was born in Long Beach, CA because my Father joined the Marines right out of his High School in Illinois & was stationed in Oceanside. With the VA Bill he was able to go to college & buy our 1st house, but he worked 2 jobs to support his family & we never went without, a gift. One of his jobs was working at Disneyland as a janitor back when Disneyland & the idea of amusement parks was brand new. My brother & I kept empty mayonnaise jars on our dresser. Every morning when we woke up the jars would be filled to the brim with shiny pennies, nickles & dimes. I would find a Disneyland pen light in my jar, while John might find a pop gun or giant pencil in his & of course we would always get TICKETS! Long after the rides had closed for the night & the smiling, sleepy children & worn out parents left the park, my Father swept Main Street. He cleaned the bathrooms & the shops & arcade that lined the street. He worked through the early morning hours while we were home asleep in our beds & at the end of his shift the work crew would divide up the remnants of abandoned toys & lost change & take them home to their children. Every morning when we awoke it was like Christmas!

{Susie 51 years later at Disneyland with Courtney}

Disneyland has always been the Happiest Place on Earth to me, it still is! So when I leave this earthbound form & finally, truly have my wings, scatter a few of my ashes in the flower beds surrounding Disneyland...I'll be smiling in heaven, wearing my Micky Mouse Ears!!! ;)