There's nothing more exciting than stuffing a mini-van (with 6 adults, one 2 yr old, a car seat, luggage, and enough snacks to feed a herd of buffalo) and driving it 12 hours to sunny California. But, even with the loss of feeling in everything from the waist down... it was the best trip, ever!!We spent our first actual day playing in the pool at the hotel... sorry... no pictures of that one. I promise you'll thank me later!! Declan (our 2 yr old nephew) was less than excited to see the pool. Luckily, Mike and Josh were able to con him into it, thanks to their skills in reverse psychology!! We had some fiercely competetive under-water hand stand contests... which, despite Kyrie's cheating... Mike pretty much dominated!
The next morning, we headed to California Adventure!!
We were so excited to see our first new friend of the day... you guessed it... PLUTO!! At first, Declan was scared and wanted nothing to do with him, but he wamred up pretty quickly!
Next, we were off to my favorite ride: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!! It may look like your average 5 star hotel along the Hollywood strip, but don't be decieved.... spooky things go on inside it's classy facade! Mwah-ha-ha-ha (that's a scary laugh)!! We went on it twice in a row... and I was elated the whole time!! I couldn't control my laughing! If you've got a strong stomach, I definitely recommend it! Our other favorites were Soarin' Over California, Toy Story, and Josh's favorite... the Sun Wheel. Yeah, I think his exact quote was "I hate you guys".After California Adventure, we took Josh to Medeival Times for his birthday dinner! It was so exciting to cheer for our favorite knight and boo the bad guys! Go Black & White Knight!!
Day two was just as much fun. We hit Sea World, that day!! We watched Shamu do amazing things that only mammals with flippers are capable of. We got soaked by the dolphins, yes, the dolphins, and laughed hysterically at the Sea Lions! The only down side... we got fried!!
On Wednesday, we finally made it to Disneyland!! We did everything the way that would make Mickey proud... starting with getting ears for Declan!!
We couldn't resist the ever popular Indiana Jones, Matterhorn Mountains... and the best ride, ever... PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!! We even ate lunch at the Blue Bayou, it's the restaurant you float by when on Pirate's!! In Toon Town, we got to see Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, and even Chip!!
Thursday was awesome! We spent the day at Universal Studios! 
There, we met Shrek & Donkey as well as Sponge Bob Square Pants (who seemed to love Dec!!). We kept losing Mike Dad, though... we'd find them later with a new form of food in their hands!! The best part of that day had to be the new Simpson's Ride!!
There, we met Shrek & Donkey as well as Sponge Bob Square Pants (who seemed to love Dec!!). We kept losing Mike Dad, though... we'd find them later with a new form of food in their hands!! The best part of that day had to be the new Simpson's Ride!!
Other cool things we saw and did included: The Mummy Returns roller coaster, Jurassic Park-the ride, and the Back Lot Tour. Dad and I also loved the House of Horror... but for some reason, Kyrie and Mike weren't too fond of it!!
Kyrie, Josh, Declan, and I made the most of our last day in Disneyland (Friday). Mom, Dad, and Mike stayed at the hotel until about 5:30 p.m. Apparently, we'd worn them out. While they were gone, we made sure to get Declan the whole little kid experience!! We took him on every ride in
Fantasyland... including the Mickey-go-round and the Tea Cups! I was so glad to have the little man there, it gave me a great excuse to ride all those rides that even Josh and Kyrie weren't interested in! We took him back to Toon Town and watched the parade, too! By the time we met up with mom, dad, and Mike... Declan was worn out. He'd fallen asleep at the table while having ice cream!! 
It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. That night, we made sure to watch the fireworks in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. It was a great way to end the trip!!