Where the Magic Happens

Disneyland is where the magic happens. If you are a teenage boy, stealing away from school mid week, or a grown up escaping life's daily responsibilities...that can feel kinda magical. 

When these two boys have their dad all to themselves to race from one roller coaster to the next all day long...magic!

When you can soar up into the sky in a plastic rocket ship and still squeal with delight...magic!

Me telling Brynne I will buy her ANY hat or headband at the shops in hopes of taming the hair she insisted be just left "all straight down"...not so magical, but seeing the delight and twinkle in her eye as she surveyed the wares at each of the stores to determine which special toy she might choose to bring home at the end of the day...definitely worth every penny spent.

Grandma+Grandpa+ Cousins+ a double stroller= definitely magic

Sweet sugary kernels whipped into a cloud like substance you can eat from a stick...yeah, that's magic!

When darling larger than life mice can entice you wait in a ridiculously long line just for a hug and a picture and somehow you're still thrilled about it...must be magic!

Spending time with my brother and his darling little family sometimes takes a little magic to make it happen!

After years of not being tall enough to ride all the roller coasters with her brothers, Brynne's height finally makes the mark...definitely some magic happening there!

(She rode the Matterhorn 3 times!)

Billy and Jen sneaking in a ride on the Matterhorn while the girls rested with Grandpa...well I'm sure you can guess, that felt a little like magic too.

A trip to Disneyland is never complete without a ride through the musical Small World

Seeing Jocelyn experience it for the first time was magical

It didn't take any magic to entice Jeff and the boys to come find us  a couple of times throughout the day,  

We had all the snacks!!

Their timing couldn't have been better though.  They found us just as we were going in to meet the princesses.  The girls were all a little shy at first.  Princess Belle was pretty dang cute and tried enticing the girls to come take a picture with her. "Doesn't anybody want their picture taken with me?" Well Drew took one look at that pretty face and he was no dummy, "Heck yeah! I do!!" He sauntered right up to her wrapped his arm around her waist, and just before giving us a big cheesy grin for the picture, he looked over to Garrett and with a nod of his head says."Jealous?"  Might have been a magical moment for Drew, but the rest of us, including the workers within ear shot, were in tears of laughter!

I guess she wasn't Garrett's type cause Brynne was the only one who ended up taking a picture with her

One of my favorite rides at Disneyland has always been Space Mountain.  I love the thrill of speeding through the dark and having no idea what lies ahead.  I stole away for a ride with Jeff and the boys 

and then made it back again with my parents and little Brynne...magic!

When we finally stopped for dinner Jeff and my dad left for home and work responsibilities.  Drew's little legs were getting a bit weary and we were heading for the Little Mermaid ride...he wasn't feelin' the magic anymore!

Just then I got a call from Carter and as I was telling him all about our day at Disneyland, and how we wished he was there, the next thing I knew he grabbed me around the waist and was standing right next to me grinning as he continued talking to me on his phone!  Best surprise ever, or just another magical moment...

We were thrilled to see him and Julia!  They came as soon as they got out of classes in Santa Barbara that afternoon, and put smiles back on these boys faces... magic!

 When it's time for the cameras on any of the rides, everyone's crazy side comes out...just like magic! 

Hanging out with these two, it doesn't take magic to keep you smiling or laughing! 

 After a gorgeous fun filled day, the only thing I could wish for is a little magic wand to place me, sound asleep in my bed.