spring

My kids just went back to school after over two weeks off.

We stayed local for our spring break. We deep cleaned and went on little adventures here and there. 

I love having a break and I love getting back into a routine again, too.

Spring is such a happy, calming, and inspiring time of the year. It makes me want to, metaphorically, plant some good seeds in my life and rise up a little more to enjoy the sunshine and to blossom.

Eric and I have been joking this week about how I have a "simple list of just ten things to do each day" to relieve all the challenges one person may have. Whether it be anxiety, depression, relationships, adhd, sickness, grief...I do {admittedly annoyingly} advise all to follow this pattern. It's so simple...hahahaha.

1. read something inspiring

2. write your thoughts down

3. exercise

4. write out a schedule/plan

5. connect with nature

6. connect with people by doing something you enjoy together and engaging in good conversation

7. breathe/meditation/break from screens

8. write out and say out loud affirmations

9. sincere prayer

10. organize/clean or plan something

See? Easy list that solves ALLLLLL problems. Right? ;)

Even if I don't get to each of those things every single day, I personally feel better and more content in the striving for them. 

Eric reminds me that people are so different. I do understand that. But I'm still convinced that if you check off those boxes each day, or even swap a few boxes with things of your own {like have true fun or eat healthy}, your life does get better in a hopeful, joyful, lighter way. I'm just sure of that. Maybe I need to enlist my family to conduct an experiment to see? Wish me luck on that one. :) 

Regardless of what I do and how I actually spend my time each day, right now I'm grateful for spring and the refreshing hope and growth of a new season. However, I choose to approach it.

Disneyland day five

Our last Disney day was back at Disneyland.

I love this family of mine. Even if this trip was not as magical as I hoped it would be. It was too cold, too wet, too crowded, and too much sickness. I think I swore off coming at Christmas time ever again. But I do love these people who I get to experience the good and the hard with.

So much rain! But we went on rides anyways.

We rode the rides at fantasyland that we had missed the days before.

We spent some more time in Star Wars land.







We got some appetizers and drinks in the Star Wars cantina there. That was fun!






It was raining so hard at one point that we rode the train and the matterhorn around for as long as we could tolerate just to stay dry. We tried to hit up many of the other rides that we hadn't gotten to yet, too.


I truly love the white room at the end of It's a Small World.

We took a break back in the hotel like we did every afternoon. 



And then went back in the evening for more rides.




I did something really interesting before we went on this trip. I watched documentaries and researched so much Disney history. It enhanced my disney trip ten fold to sit on Jungle Cruise and understand how the ride came to be and to walk by a door on Main Street and understand who the people were and their contribution to Disney that were named on the door as an often overlooked detail. It was fascinating to me! I shared all my "fun facts" with my family as we walked around the park. It made me want to be a Disneyland tour guide someday ;). In all my preparation, my appreciation for Walt Disney and his vision grew. I don't love the current direction that recent leadership is going with the parks, but I do love the goal and belief of Walt and this special place he worked so hard to create for families. Disneyland is one place that our family with a wide range of ages and abilities can all enjoy together. Thank you, Walt Disney!

Disneyland day four

We were back at California Adventures on day four of our Disney vacation.

We followed the same routine for the day, it seems. Always Pixar pier first…

Then over to Cars Land.

This my favorite part of this ride—when you turn the corner and the music is like “Ta da! Look at the majesty of this view!” I love it.

We were trying to stay ahead of the rain and do the rides that might shut down or not be as enjoyable in the rain. 

The swinging gondola has become a favorite ride because we can all face our fears together.

Layla’s face! Hahaha

When the rain started it was a good time to go into the Animation building to see Talking with Crush and explore Belle’s library.

We took our classic pics together at the exit and entrance.





We all took the Disney character quiz and it was surprisingly fitting!

Kacin:



Kyler:



Me:




Layla:

There was so much rain that afternoon!!


Kacin stayed with the younger two back at the hotel while we took Kyler and Layla out for a few hours. We took a couple of art classes.

I thought this painting in one of the stores was so pretty.


We went back on Spider-Man. I needed an arm workout.

After dinner, I took the boys back to California adventure. Lots and lots of rain!


This was a pretty spot to sit near the bathrooms.




We ended the night with a couple more rides on Guardians.