Christmas with Mickey & Friends
This year we decided to do something a little different for Christmas. We decided that we would give the kids one big gift...a trip to Disneyland. On Christmas morning
they awoke to just a few small presents under the tree and then they were given five different boxes to open in order. The boxes were opened in order from the oldest child to the youngest and each contained a small note with a single word. Putting them all together they read, "We are going to Disneyland!" After a quick breakfast and a little while to pack some bags, we all jumped in the car and headed to California.
they awoke to just a few small presents under the tree and then they were given five different boxes to open in order. The boxes were opened in order from the oldest child to the youngest and each contained a small note with a single word. Putting them all together they read, "We are going to Disneyland!" After a quick breakfast and a little while to pack some bags, we all jumped in the car and headed to California. We stayed in a nice little hotel call the Woodfin, which allowed us to keep our two little dogs, Zorro and Ginger with us. Mary was fighting a lingering case of pneumonia but braved the journey with us. However, the next morning (our first day at Disneyland) she did not feel well enough to go. Dad and five children...on one of the busiest days of the year at Disneyland - this was going to be interesting. My whole life I have always tried to squeeze ever
y last ounce of value out of every experience I have...and Disneyland was no exception. I ran those kids all over that park from early in the morning until about 9 PM at night. We had planned to go all the way to midnight (thanks to Disneyland's holiday hours), but by 9 PM both Jackson and Vanessa were drooping badly. Except for losing Jackson for abot 15 minutes near the Indiana Jones ride in wall-to-wall people, it was a pretty good day. Mary joined us on Saturday for another wonderful day at the "Happiest Place on Earth" and then Sunday we took a break attending church and relaxing.
y last ounce of value out of every experience I have...and Disneyland was no exception. I ran those kids all over that park from early in the morning until about 9 PM at night. We had planned to go all the way to midnight (thanks to Disneyland's holiday hours), but by 9 PM both Jackson and Vanessa were drooping badly. Except for losing Jackson for abot 15 minutes near the Indiana Jones ride in wall-to-wall people, it was a pretty good day. Mary joined us on Saturday for another wonderful day at the "Happiest Place on Earth" and then Sunday we took a break attending church and relaxing.I needed to get back to work on Monday, so I left at about 1:00 AM driving (we took both cars) and Mary went to the park on Monday without me. She never lost a child. We all had a great time and we took a lot of photos. Hopefully this will be a great memory for the kids.
Active Kids
We had a busy year with Jackson in his first year of flag football. He played a bruising middle linebacker for t
he mighty Buccaneers. Here he is posing with one of his favorite teammates Andy. The team had a challenging year but won enthusiastic cheers from their fans.
Jenna and Vanessa were in dance with the very popular Miss Tracy. Both of the girls just loved their teacher and they had a great time learning more dance moves. Here is Jenna with Miss Tracy and Vanessa is in the group photo right next to Miss Tracy.
he mighty Buccaneers. Here he is posing with one of his favorite teammates Andy. The team had a challenging year but won enthusiastic cheers from their fans.
Jenna and Vanessa were in dance with the very popular Miss Tracy. Both of the girls just loved their teacher and they had a great time learning more dance moves. Here is Jenna with Miss Tracy and Vanessa is in the group photo right next to Miss Tracy.
Brett took a swing at playing Little League baseball this year and participated in the tryout and draft process. He was picked to be on the Reds team in the Superstition League and the team and coaches were outstanding. They ended up winning the League Championship after some very exciting
games. Brett also decided to try taking down the sport of wrestling this year. Without any previous experience and as a 12 year old 7th grader, Brett earned a spot on the Hi
ghland Junior High Varsity Wrestling Team. He worked very hard to make weight for each of the matches and he learned more and more each match. He and the coaches anticipate that his record next year as an 8th grader will be incredible.
Jessica took her second spin around the floor with the Highland Junior High Dance Team. She was on the squad last year and was one of the few experienced dancers this year. We are proud of her dedication to the team and her ever-present smile while she performs. She is an extremely talented young lady in anything she tries.
