Disney World 2017!

The benefit of visiting Florida in January, is that it isn't too hot or humid. The risk lies in the crazy weather you might encounter during your travel to paradise. The day we left for vacation, Atlanta received about 3 or 4 flakes of snow, which caused a huge mess with flights through ATL. Delta was fabulous with all the updates of our delayed flights and instead of landing at 8:30 pm, we fell into our beds just before 1 am.

We visited Disneyland two years ago and this was a much different trip. The girls appreciate the princess experience, but it was way less important this time around.

Bless the Disney princesses. Cinderella looks like she may be just about ready to hang up her tiara and return to civilian life.

And while Maia and Ruby's love of princesses is waning, their excitement and bravery for thrill rides has dramatically increased!

On our first day we had a FastPass for Splash Mountain. Little did we know that the temperature would hover in the low 30s. We took off our sweatshirts so that they would be dry. I got soaked and just had my light jacket to keep me warm for the rest of the day. I never thought I would be that cold in Florida. The things we do for our children...

Maia's face. Ruby's face.

We had a great experience. We stayed at a Disney Resort and used the dining plan and memory maker photo package. We didn't get FastPasses for all the "top" rides, but we were able to ride every ride that we wanted without too much waiting. The longest we waited was an hour, but on average our wait time was 30 minutes without a FastPass. With the dining plan we ate like kings and had tons of entitlements left over. We made sure to get our money's worth by dining at several of the upscale restaurants. This was my first time at Disney World and I hope it won't be our family's last. In 2 years Maia will be 9 and Ruby will be 8 and I think the whole family will be brave enough for all the rides.

Thank you Nana for a wonderful trip! We have so many wonderful memories from this past week.

Summer Vacation 2016: Part 3 of 3- That Snowbird Life

There's not much in my life that has stayed consistent. Excluding my family, there are very few people that I still know from my youth. There isn't a childhood house to come home to during holidays, I don't run into my 4th grade teacher at the grocery store, and I'm very good at getting close to friends and then having to say goodbye 5 years later.

This week I realized that the one thing that has been consistent throughout my life are the family reunions up in the Wasatch mountains. I've been coming to Snowbird my entire life.

No wonder this week holds such a special place in my heart. Up at 8,000 feet above sea level where the air is thin, my mom's family comes together to hike, swim, talk, eat, and have a talent show.

This is the second time Maia and Ruby have come to a Snowbird reunion, but it was really the first time they experienced it as kids, not toddlers. Things have changed over the years. The arcade has been turned into a game room with foosball, ping pong, and pool tables. The center has expanded their activity offerings from one Alpine slide, to a "roller coaster" and several other rides.

And just like the resort changes a bit each year, so do we. There have been birthdays (we got to celebrate 2 this past week!) and career changes and heartbreak and triumphs, all of which shape us into the people we are now.

This one week, every other year, gives us a chance to reconnect and learn each other all over again. Our friendships are renewed and solidified. We rejoice and cry together. We share laughs and music. But mostly we just enjoy each other.

Wifi on the mountain is sometimes touchy, which makes it easy to really let go of the stresses and pressures of real life.

My cousin lives in Salt Lake and hosted our biennial family reunion talent show. The front lawn was swarming with little girls doing gymnastics, while the adults gathered to talk inside, surrounded by instruments, arcade games, a baby, and a few teenagers. 

My dearest cousin (closest thing to a sister I ever had) came from the UK with her gorgeous child and while we watched our daughters do cartwheels while drinking beers it was just a dream come true. We even sang a duet together for the talent show. I might share it with you, if you ask nicely.

These are most of the Pappas great grandchildren. (There are 4 more!)

And my generation. (Photo by Ruby)

Did I mention my cousin collects old arcade games? And lives in a renovated frat house? My sweet nephew was smitten with the transformer he found.

And can I mention again that we had a talent show? My sister in law whispered to me, "we could sell tickets to this thing!"

Living at 8,000 feet for a week is no joke. After Aleks and I had been there for several days and my brothers had joined us, we all decided to tackle the mountain. We hiked about 4 1/2 miles and ascended 3,000 feet to the summit of the mountain. It took awhile, but we all felt quite proud of our accomplishment and Kodi (7 months) handled it like a champ.

Being with extended family for a full week in a beautiful location is such a gift. The experiences we share and memories we make knit us together more strongly.

To my family: Take care of yourselves, love fiercely, and know that we'll see each other again soon on the mountain.

Until next time. xoxo

Summer Vacation 2016: Part 2 of 3- I left my heart in SF

I'm writing this while lying in bed in the dark. My daughters finally fell asleep in the bed next to me. I can understand why it took them awhile to unwind; I told them they could have as many desserts as they wanted. It's not everyday you go to your first buffet at a casino. In hindsight, maybe there was another way we could have commemorated our stop in Reno.

We drove east this afternoon and melancholy settled on my shoulders as the bay became farther and farther away. My mood didn't improve as we entered Nevada. I think part of my soul died walking around Circus Circus. I must admit, the dog show did bring a smile to my face. And of course the girls acted like we were at Disneyland.

Aleks and I always leave the Bay Area feeling both like we stayed just the right amount of time and that we barely scratched the surface of people to see and things to do.

Family is always a priority.

It's been ages since I've visited Golden Gate Park and I didn't realize the aquarium was so nice.

I had read about Seward Park and the concrete slides there, so I was surprised and excited to find them at Golden Gate Park as well. It's a miracle more children don't get wounded on this death trap. However, the well used scraps of cardboard left at the bottom of the slides, the dog running up and down the stairs, the gaggle of parents at the bottom watching their kids take a turn, and my kids' delight will forever be etched in my mind.

Tilden Park is always a favorite. It's got everything: steam trains, carousel rides, and ice cream! Pro tip: Find the circular bench on the merry-go-round. It spins like the tea cups at Disneyland.

The Bay Area loves its pizza and ice cream and have figured out how to do them well.

Nana snapped this pic while Aleks and I were on a sushi date. Oh that we lived closer to family. Look how happy they are.

I love how they gravitate toward each other in sleep. Forever entangled, these two.

Riding bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge has become a favorite tradition. This was our third year and as fun as ever. I must say, pulling a 7 year old on a tag-a-long was a challenge. I told Aleks that we need to wait to do this again until our girls can ride their own bikes.

"Are you panting mom? You're just pulling a 7 year old with an adult sized helmut!" This was during a rather intense climb. I really wanted to cuss.

Ice cream with Gramps afterward was well deserved.

"You know mom, I think Ruby and I are starting to get the hang of sharing a bed!"

Tomorrow we drive to Utah where lots of relatives on my side of the family will gather for a biennial family reunion at Snowbird. I have so many good memories from my childhood of this place and my cousins. Driving toward that makes leaving CA just a little easier.