Part 3: The Beach

After 4 full days at Disneyland and California Adventure we were SO TIRED!!!!!!!!  We left Disneyland Saturday evening and headed to Santa Barbara to spend more time with the Nerdins.  We spent about 24 hours with them....NOT ENOUGH TIME.....especially since I crashed out Saturday night and didn't wake up until Sunday afternoon.  I had pushed my crippled body to the point of complete shut-down.  We did have some good laughs (as per usual...nothing quite as funny as when Corey & Matt are together)....and great food (as per usual - Karen is a rocking cook).  Corey, Carlie, & Berkeley got to go to church with them on Sunday while their pitiful mom slept the day away.

Sunday evening we headed out for Newport Beach.  Corey had a business conference that started Monday morning.  We were lucky enough to tag along :)

Monday while Corey was in business meeting all day the kids and I got to play.  We 

woke up, went to Rose Bakery Cafe and ate some AMAZING food.....fuel for the beach.  We then spent the day relaxing and playing at Corona del Mar Beach.  We were so lucky and the weather was AMAZING!!!  Both days at the beach were in the  80's in October - can you say PERFECT?!?!?!

 Each day after the beach we would come back to the hotel and the kids would play at the pool while I lounged in the most comfy lounge chairs and read a book and wait for Corey to be done with his conference.....my kind of heaven.

 Monday night we went to Ruby's Diner.  

I LOVE diner food and Ruby's was extra super delicious and fun for the kids.

 On Tuesday Corey had a break and we went to Newport Beach for awhile.  

What a fun day playing in the surf and sand.

On Wednesday we spent the day driving up the coast, checking out Huntington Beach and then up to Hollywood and Beverly Hills.  We flew home Wednesday evening so I could be home in time for my surgery the next day.

This is the last post of our California vacation.  I feel so blessed that we were able to go on this trip.  It is wonderful to have these great memories while I am fighting yet another battle against NASTY CANCER.  

Part 2: California Adventure

So here is the 2nd part to my California vacation blog post......it is another BIG photo dump.....but oh it makes me so happy as I sit here feeling super yucky.  We spent Thursday and Friday at California Adventure.  It was the first time any of us had been to California Adventure....it was amazing!!!!  Major bonus for us was our friends The Nerdins came and played with us all day Friday!!

Mickey's big ferris wheel was the scariest ride to me!!!

Goofy's Flight School

my pretty princess doesn't look very happy

cutest boy ever

Jake the Pirate....they were beyond excited to meet him and get his autograph

Mater!!!!!!

Our first morning at California Adventure it was a little rainy.  Because of the rain there was no line for the Grizzly River Run....so they let us keep riding it over and over again.

California Adventure's famous corn dogs

Lightening McQueen cruising the streets of Car Town

Getting excited for the Pixar Play Parade.  You can see my wheelchair in the background.  I got such MAJOR blisters the day before that I could barely walk so we rented me a wheelchair on Thursday.....how pitiful!!!!!

even more excited!!!!!!!!!!!

too cute

time to show our dance moves

we LOVE parades!!!!!!!!1

Friday with the Nerdins

 First thing we did was wait in line for the new Cars ride, Radiator Springs.  The fast passes were all sold out before CA Adventure even opened!!!!!!!!!!!!  We waited in line for almost 2 hours.  I took A LOT of pics of us waiting in line......oh boy.  Was the ride worth the wait????????  YES....absolutely!!!!

I couldn't get over how realistic Cars Land looked.  You really felt like you were transported right into the
 animated land.  It was breathtaking.

In front of the Cozy Cone Motel

California Screamin'

more screamin'  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still can't believe Corey & Matt took Berkeley on the Tower of Terror!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He was shaking uncontrollably when he got off.

PEACE 

wanted to ride the Cars Ride again.....waited in the Single Riders line (way shorter).  Went on the ride with some random people, but it was still AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toy Story Ride.....LOVE this pic

Berkeley training with the green army men from Toy Story

DONALD DUCK!!!!

Nasty, big turkey leg. & Corey's birthday pin.  Everywhere Corey went all the Disney employees said Happy Birthday to him.  It was super fun!!!

Berkeley stole the turkey leg from Corey.  Berk ate the WHOLE THING!!!!!

More food.....I don't want to even think about how
 much $$$$ we spent on food at Disney over our 4 day adventure!!!

someone looks tired

You must get the Cone Souvenir Cup AND the Chili Cone Queso Cone.....yummy!!

True Nerd-Ridge personalities coming through

Cars Land at night was even more magical all lit up

We absolutely LOVED California Adventure!!!!!!

My favorite rides:  Soarin' Over California, California Screamin', Radiator Springs

Corey: Radiator Springs, Mator's Junkyard, Tower of Terror

Berkeley: He liked ALL the rides

Carlie: Grizzly River Run, Goofy's Flight School, Radiator Springs Racers

After 4 days of Disney I was so tired I thought I was going to die.  Between no sleep, nasty blisters, arthritis, late nights, & a ridiculous amount of walking my OLD body couldn't take anymore.  BUT, it was worth it!!!!  To see my children's faces light up and see their pure happiness was simply AWESOME....it was worth every penny....worth breaking the bank :)