Newport Beach and Grandma's House

November 6th -

On the third day of our California Trip we headed down to Newport Beach. The previous two days had been very warm, especially for that time of year in California (over 90 degrees) but the day we went to the beach it cooled off considerably and was down around 70 with a lot of wind. But it was nice and sunny and we were able to enjoy several hours at the beach.

Cute Emmalyn kept her little towel robe on most of the time to keep warm...


We have a picture similar to this with Shaylin and Emmalyn so we decided to take one with Bronson...


Bronson walking on the beach. He liked it except for when the cool water would come hit his feet.


Emmalyn and Shaylin on the beach...






There were a few people there, but it wasn't too crowded at all. Matt and Shaylin are in the lower right hand corner of this next picture.


Although roller coasters don't seem so scare Shaylin, bugs and things touching her feet tend to freak her out. She felt something touch her feet in the ocean and about a tenth of a second later this is what she looked like after literally jumping up to Matt and clinging on for dear life.


Emmalyn waded into the water once or twice, and then she'd had enough.


But Shaylin, just like in the past, couldn't get enough of running into and out of the water.


Here's the girls new 'bedroom' that they set up back at Grandma Olsen's house...


Shaylin and Emmalyn looking over the Knott's map with Grandma Olsen...


Bronson starting to run...


We've probably mentioned it before, but when it comes to picture taking Shaylin can't get enough of it while Emmalyn is usually uninterested (at best) in having pictures taken of her and will runaway or won't smile. So that's why we often end up with a lot of pictures of Shaylin by herself and not a lot of the two girls together or Emmalyn by herself. So here's a few pictures that Jayna took in Grandma Olsen's backyard of Shaylin. She wanted to hold her new coloring books in the first one :).

Knott's Berry Farm

November 5th

As we mentioned in the last post, Matt's grandma surprised us with a trip to Knotts Berry Farm the day after we went to Disneyland in November. Matt hadn't been since he was little and it was the first trip for Jayna and our kids. It was a very pleasant surprise! They had tons of fun rides for the kids and had tons of roller coasters too. We didn't get a chance to go on any of the roller coasters, although Shaylin surprised us by quickly agreeing to go on one of the big roller coasters with Matt and walking right over to it with him. Unfortunately she didn't meet the height requirement so she didn't get to go, but it appears we have at least one little girl with no fear (Emmalyn will probably be the same way by the time she turns 4). There were no lines at all and the girls got to go on 13 rides, see a farm show, walk through a little bridge and cave, and stop for lunch. And we could have fit a lot more in but we left a little early because the girls were a little tired from their back to back days at the parks.

We had so much fun that we've decided that we're going to make Knott's Berry Farm a regular stop when we go to California now too.

Shaylin walking to the entrance with Grandma Hedges and Grandma Olsen...


Our poor deprived girls had never seen Charlie Brown and didn't know who Snoopy was until we got there, but they quickly warmed up to him. Shaylin warmed up a little quicker then Emmalyn, which is why Emmalyn wasn't willing to get in this picture...


The first ride the girl's went on was called Woodstock's Airmail and was basically a miniature version of the tower of terror ride. It would take the kids up about 20 feet and then drop them. To our surprise they both loved it. They went on it twice before we had to pull them away from it so that we could try some of the other rides.


Grandma Olsen, Shaylin, Bronson, Grandma Hedges (Matt's mom), Emmalyn, and Jayna at the farm show...


The group again at the farm show, this time with Matt in the picture...


The Red Baron ride was fun for the girls since they got to go on it by themselves and move the plane up and down...


'Joe Cool's Gr8 Sk8' ride was a big skateboard that was on a track that would tilt back and forth and the skateboard would speed from one side to the other and then stop abruptly...


The girls loved Charlie Brown Speedway...



The girls inside the little cave...


The girls on the Rocky Road Truckin' Company ride...


The also had a full size train there that we all got to ride called the 'Calico Railroad.' Grandma Olsen took this picture of one of the guys before we left...


Shaylin and her grandma Hedges on the train...


Matt and Bronson on the train...


Shaylin with her great grandma Olsen...


Emmalyn and Jayna...


Grandma Hedges and Great Grandma Olsen (Shaylin took this picture)...

The Happiest Place on Earth

Thursday November 4, 2011

Back in November we were able to make a trip to California to visit Matt's grandma, Grandma Olsen, and to go to Disneyland and the Beach. After we got there Matt's grandma also surprised us by taking us to Knott's Berry Farm the day after we went to Disneyland. Matt's mom was able to make the trip with us, which made it even more fun for us and especially for the kids.

We timed our trip for a day when the crowds at Disneyland wouldn't be bad and we went on a Thursday. Other then being a little warm (it was unseasonably hot in California that day and was over 90 degrees) it was the perfect day. There were virtually no lines anywhere. The longest we had to wait in line was about 10 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean, but for most rides we were able to practically walk right on. After almost every single ride Shaylin wanted to go back on it again immediately. Emmalyn was pretty much the same way except for after the Matterhorn. We asked her after if she wanted to go on it again right after we got off and she said ‘no’. It was both of their first experience on a 'big' roller coaster. Emmalyn and Bronson were funny on all the rides they went on because they just had a blank expression with their eyes wide open the whole time.

Here's the standard family picture in front of the park...

Mitzi (Matt's mom), Jayna, and the kids in front of the castle...

Shaylin on the Dumbo ride with her Grandma Hedges...

The girls enjoying the carousel...

Bronson wearing Grandma Olsen's hat...

Jayna making Bronson laugh...

This is from the Snow White ride and is a perfect example of the expressions that Emmalyn and Bronson had on all the rides they went on...


Bronson had a pretty relaxing day. He went on a few rides but for the most part he got to relax in the stroller and eat, which is his favorite thing to do.

Shaylin getting ready to go on the Matterhorn for the first time...

Emmalyn and Shaylin anxiously waiting in line to meet the princesses...

They got to meet Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. They couldn't have been more excited and all of the 'princesses' were very nice, especially Belle who gave both the girls hugs which left them speechless for a few seconds.

Emmalyn and Shaylin had fun walking through Toontown and riding some of the cars...

The next few pictures are from Mickey's house...

At the end the girls got to meet Mickey! We went through the house last time we were at Disneyland but didn't realize that we'd get to meet Mickey this time since he wasn't there the last time we went through...

Of course the girls were excited to meet Mickey but Bronson wasn't so sure...

Emmalyn had fun sitting at the table in Minnie's house...

Shaylin and Emmalyn also got to play on the big boat in Toon Town...

Shaylin even got to drive on Autopia. She was a little nervous to drive at first but ended up doing well.

Family picture after our 2nd straight ride on Splash Mountain. Emmalyn just barely missed the height limit, so she didn't get to go, but Shaylin LOVED it!

Shaylin doing her 'Chicka-wa-wa, chicka-wa-wa' dance that she got from Alvin and the Chipmunks after Splash Mountain.

Grandma Olsen and Emmalyn on the Winnie the Pooh ride...

Grandma Olsen and Grandma Hedges with the kids in front of the Haunted Mansion. We all ended up going on the ride. It was still decorated for Halloween and the kids actually enjoyed it.