Anniversary in Disneyland!

We had been hoping that our trip to southern California would include a visit to Disneyland , but I really wouldn't let myself believe it might actually happen - and it almost didn't! Carolina was just a bear the day we were to leave, and I was feeling awful about leaving her, bad about bringing her, worse about not getting to go at all. It took a lot of convincing from Steve and Linda, and a few tears from me (not because I felt bad about leaving the kid, because I felt bad for the adults to had to keep her), to actually get in the car with Todd and head down I-5. As always, once we were on the road, I felt better about everything. We stopped at the Pick Up Stix in Valencia and did some quick shopping at Urban Home (what a fun store!), then braved the crazy California drivers through L.A. before we reached the Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites. Since we kind of planned last minute, this was the only/closest hotel I could find (super close actually) - everything was booked up and extra pricey because D23 started Friday... I really did not plan well! 

As soon as we unloaded the car, we headed over to Downtown Disney - boy is it a tease to walk by these two gates and not get to go in! We did a bunch of shopping and a little taste testing, then walked back to the hotel in hopes we wouldn't be too exhausted the next day. I will say the hotel was not great - rooms were just ok, older feeling - especially the bathroom. The hot water wasn't working that night, but I was determined to wash my hair so I didn't have to the next day - brr. The beds were hard, but we were so tired it didn't matter. I probably wouldn't choose to stay there again, but it served it's purpose just fine for the two of us.

The next morning was cloudy an chilly - but does that matter when you're in The Happiest Place on Earth? Nope! Here are a few (not very interesting) pics - I opted not to take my DSLR so that we could be as little burdened as possible. It was weird just having a small purse - no diaper bags or strollers or gear to pack around!

todd = soaked, me = dry

anniversary buttons get you a lot of "congratulations!"

this guy and I split the monte cristo - holy cow was that thing powerful

we took about 15 food pictures, but this is the only one i'm going to bore you with because they were complimentary for our anniversary :)

enormous cotton candy! (jk, another treat pic)

the new Mickey and the Magical Map show - very fun!

it's so hard to say goodbye...

What a special experience to spend our (almost) 10th annivesary in the same place where we spent our 0th - and those are the only two times we've been there by ourselves too! All day we kept saying how easy and relaxed it was without kids/large groups - but we also kept saying how much the kids would like this or that, or how we'd be saying "look at those pirates!" etc., acting like everything was real - and there's more magic in that. We rode whatever we wanted (except Peter Pan, because that dang line is always so long!), and ate whatever we wanted - oh my waistline! We really really enjoyed the whole day, it is a special memory already (thanks to Linda and Jeran for wrestling Carolina that day, and to Papa and Uncle Lonnie for hanging out with Liam!)