WARNING: high foto frequency
we took our annual trip the last week of september this year to join our friends the lees who asked us to come along during their trip. last year we overlapped trips by coincidence and the kids really enjoyed each other. this gives everyone a buddy to play with.
regardless of how many times we come down here we always have to say hi to the same old friends.
the mouse of course.
and lexi was very excited to see minnie.
and mommy was very excited to see the "elusive" donald.
not once but TWICE!!!
and of course we can't forget the dog {my fav. growing up}.
and chip (sebi was VERY excited he was in his policeman outfit)...
...and dale...
ANd a first for us was pinocchio!!!
we've seen geppetto so i told the kids jiminy cricket is next (not sure if he gets out & about but something to look forward to nonetheless). of course we saw him on the ride...
i love all the fantasyland rides and the early entrance to the park makes it all that more enjoyable. we get all the rides done and have the rest of the day to enjoy the rest of the park. i hope the kids still want to go on all of them even as they get older. right now they love all of it from peter pan
to snow white
to alice in wonderland to it's a small world
to the boring storytellers journey to mr. toads wild ride
of course we did all the exciting rides as well, matterhorn, splash mountain, big thunder mountain railroad, space mountain, and many more. AND we can't forget the haunted mansion all dressed up in the nightmare before christmas during this time of year.
lexi looks a bit worried here, but she loved the ride and we enjoyed it a few more times.
and another favorite. 
the only ride lexi wasn't able to enjoy this year was indiana jones. but next year we should be good to go and the whole family should be able to ride it. 'cuz these two didn't have any fun this year ; ) {wink}
and of course i thoroughly enjoy all the decorations.
and the photo ops that come with it.
sebi was my cooperative muse this time around.
and i know this guy enjoys being around the kids to simply {play} with no stress from the homework, dinner, night time routine.
but just because we enjoy our stress free kid time doesn't mean we don't make time for some adult fun as well. we had our annual napa rose experience. always so enjoyable.
and the adults enjoyed some adult time at the park as well. matt and i tried california screaming for the 1st time {loved it!} plus we had fastpassed a bunch of rides; space mountain, tower of terror {my fav!!}; and since the park closed at midnight we rode indiana jones about 4 or 5 times in a row before the park closed. good times.
good times indeed. but on a sad note lexi is out growing the princess phase. she wasn't interested in going to the princess faire, BUT on the flip side we just happened to be at the right place at the right time and she was personally escorted by cinderella & sleeping beauty to the castle.
so cool. she was definitely the envy of many little girls but lexi was in her own little world. we saw a few other princesses around the park but she was really all about the rides. sniff, she's growing up.
we also spent more time than ever before in california adventure. {A} lexandra.
{O} h Boy (there's no {s} in california adventure).
the kids favorite ride was mulholland's madness and they could, not, get, enough.
i could keep going on and on and on, but i do like to reflect on how the trip changes every year as the kids become more and more independent. it's interesting to see what they like and what attracts them from year to year. now that the kids are 6 and 8 my wheels are spinning. so many more options..... disney cruise.....disneyWorld.....who knows what next year will bring and the year after that and that....
'til we meet again disney....
it was a magically memorable time like always.
