Spring Break 2012-Cousins, Cornbread and Cotton Candy

Last year Logan was so sad that we weren't going TO Spring Break. She heard all her friends talk about going on Spring Break that she thought it was a place and that everyone was going to have fun together without her. As you know, this year we were fortunate to spend Spring Break in Cali this year. There were two things the girls were really looking forward to; seeing their cousins and going to Disneyland.

One of the hardest things about living in Indy is being so far from our family. The girls have 6 cousins that they don't get to see as often as they'd like. We were so happy when my sister-in-law and brother-in-law let their kids play hooky from school for a day so that we could all go to the aquarium together. If you are ever in Long Beach I highly recommend the Aquarium of the Pacific. It was beyond amazing. There were so many exhibits and hands-on experiences. The girls had a blast!

Of course before we started I needed a picture of everyone together...perhaps it would have been nice if I didn't make them stare directly into the sun! The cousins range in age from 2 to 10 and they had a great time together! My niece Kayla was only a few months old when the hubby and I got married. It's hard to believe she is already 10!  She is such a sweet and kind girl. Lo was pretty much attached to her the whole day. Kayla was so patient with her and knew a lot about the exhibits, and Lo LOVED hearing everything she had to say!

Shannon, Ryan, Kayla, Alex & Lo

Wait, someone is missing...there she is...pouting...

Once we got inside she perked up a bit and the girls had a blast seeing all the fish, touching jelly fish, sting rays and sharks, and and playing in all the water!

I attempted this shot 5 times...this is the best I could get. It's near impossible to get everyone to look at the camera at once!

At then end of the day I made one last attempt to get a shot of all the cousins together...perhaps if I cut and paste I can make one picture where everyone is actually looking at the camera.

I'm pretty sure Alex is wishing that Aunt Kimberlee with stop torturing her with more pictures..."maybe if I close my eyes and pretend I'm asleep she'll stop"....

Our next big outing was Disneyland. We decided to stay at a hotel for a few days. I think the girls were just as excited about the hotel as they were for Disneyland! Like their daddy, they love the pool. They couldn't wait to jump in! 

The pool-side smoothies were a huge hit. They came in 5 different flavors and I think the girls tried every one!

Since the hubby and I grew up in Southern California we were frequent visitors to Disneyland. The girls had never been before so we were excited to share their first experience there as a family. Even though everyone was tall enough for some of the bigger rides the girls were still too scared to go on any of them. Noa got in line for Big Thunder Mountain, but then changed her mind halfway through so Daddy rode it by himself. Pretty much every ride we went on was safe for this pregnant mama so I didn't have to spend too much time watching from the side-lines. The girls (and me) were troopers. It was a long day with LOTS of walking. I am so glad we brought two strollers with us-they really saved us. I only wish they were big enough for me...I could have used a ride now and then!

As a treat we ate lunch at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. It was de-lish. It's all outside seating and they serve you BBQ ribs, chicken, cornbread, and coleslaw family style. It's all you can eat and with our family of big eaters (myself included) we certainly got our money's worth! It was nice to have a shady spot to eat and relax in the middle of the day. They also have two "cowhands" that entertain you while you eat. We all really enjoyed it!

At one point during the show they asked for children to come up on stage and help lead a song. Noa was too shy, but Lo jumped right up there.

So did this Stormtrooper. This just cracked me up. You don't see too many of them wandering around Disneyland! It was a pretty warm day too...he must have been so sweaty under there!!!

We had told the girls that they could pick out a treat later in the afternoon. They each chose cotton candy. It was the best $8 I ever spent. It lasted them the rest of the day and kept everyone so happy!

We had given the girls $10 each to pick out something at the gift shop. Are only rule was that we would do our shopping at the end of the day. We wanted to make sure they saw all their choices before making a final decision. They were so patient. The selection process was quite a sight to see. Lo carefully picked up various stuffed animals and snuggled them, checking out their potential. Noa had fallen asleep in her stroller so Lo picked out something for her too. Eeyore made it to the final round and was declared the winner.

The next day involved more swimming for the fish of the family. I eventually had to pull them out of the pool and we headed back to Nana and Poppa's house for a few more days of family, food and fun! The week went by WAY too fast, but we enjoyed every minute of it! The girls are already planning for their next trip to Cali!