Disneyland: The Second Half of our Trip

Obviously, one day at Disneyland couldn't possibly be enough for me, so we went back for three more days that week.  We met up with some of my extended family.  Originally, it was going to be my parents and two of my brothers with their families.  The group kept growing to include two more of my brothers and their families.  It ended up being sort of a family reunion in California.  We had a lot of fun.  The kids especially loved seeing their relatives!

Brandon and Jacqueline

Cute cousins!

More cute cousins!

Hanging out with Grandma, watching Aladdin.

We watched the "World of Color" show two of the nights!  It was great!

Our last night, we stayed late at Disneyland to see the fireworks.  Perfect way to end a Disney trip.

This video is kind of random, but this was one of Daniel's favorite parts of California Adventure.  It's a zoetrope, made with Toy Story figures.  They are each slightly different from the one right next to them, and as the whole thing spins, it looks like a cartoon.  It kinda gave me a headache, but the kids found it mesmerizing!

D I S N E Y L A N D . . .Let's Go!

We made our yearly visit to see the Mouse!  A couple of Saturdays ago, we drove down to St. George, UT to start our trip.  We spent the night there and then went to church in the morning.  We also stopped to see the beautiful St. George Temple.

The Visitors' Center there is really cool.  Daniel loved the display with copies of the Book of Mormon in tons of different languages.

When we got to California, we stayed where we always stay, at the Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites across the street from the Main Entrance to Disneyland.  It may not be the fanciest hotel around, but the location is unbeatable.  And the rates are reasonable, especially if you book a few months in advance.

Our friends who had never been to Disneyland met up with us on Monday morning so that we could show them the ropes.  The kids especially had fun together.  And I loved playing tour guide.

On Tuesday, we went to Sea World.  Everyone enjoyed riding Atlantis, a big log flume roller coaster.  We also liked meeting a variety of sea creatures.

Daniel made friends with a walrus.

He stopped to admire the belugas.

Benjamin hid out in a "polar bear cave."

He also loved the giant playground that looked like a series of fishing nets.

Of course, we stayed to see the Shamu show, late in the afternoon.

The boys wanted to see Shamu up close afterwards.

We also went to the beach in San Diego.  The weather was great!

And that's all for this entry.  But that wasn't the end of our trip. . .