Disneyland Day Three - Alayna's B-day!

Alayna was thrilled to celebrate her birthday at Disneyland!! She woke up early and unwrapped a few presents we had brought for her.

Today was all about the birthday girl...we did the character breakfast and the kids loved it!! Alayna wore her birthday pin proudly all day and loved when people told her happy birthday.



Benson loved Buzz Lightyear - he had a real hard time waiting in line to see him...Benson was so funny he wouldn't talk or look at a character if it had a real face...but he LOVED everyone he saw in full costume!

Alayna loves getting her face painted - and wanted to have it done. So we made her wait for her birthday. She is so funny she wanted this huge, ugly black widow spider or a baseball with a flame on it...I should have let her get whatever she wanted, but they were hideous!! So we compromised and she got the butterfly - and we made sure he used "light blue" - her favorite color. She ended up loving it and the glitter!

Alayna's request for the day was to go to Toon Town. The kids had a ton of fun driving the cars and posing for pictures.

Prison Break!

Benson and I shared a "Tigger Tail" while everyone rode Splash Mountain. We loved it - him especially...a huge, fluffy marshmallow - dipped in chocolate and caramel!

Disneyland Day 4

Can you believe we didn't ride Dumbo until the fourth day we were at Disneyland...Benson loved it!! He wanted to keep going...he kept saying, "Uppp, Dooown"

Alayna got to meet her favorite princess Belle! She is not a huge princess fan, but she is a fan of Belle.

All the good pictures of Benson at Disneyland are of him eating...I had to keep him entertained while everyone else was riding rides he was to little for.


There is something magical about the Disneyland goats...my kids absolutely love them!

We were lucky enough to meet Coby's Aunt Trish and her family for a day...we had a blast - Matthew was so fun to ride with because he loved everything and got so excited!

We had so much fun at Disneyland...Alayna asks me all the time, "Can we talk about Disneyland?" so we do...forever. She loves to name her four favorite rides - in an ever changing order, "Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates, and Space Mountain." She thought she was as big as her 6 year old cousins Brayden and Karter. The only thing she couldn't ride with them was Indiana Jones.

A New Addition!

Today was a sad day...we said, "Good-Bye" to our Escape - which we have loved!!

Alayna probably took it the hardest...she cried and cried - she kept telling us, "I don't want to sell da N-Escape!" Even riding home in the new car...she cried the entire way home! See those puffy red eyes. (No worries, a few hours later - she was ecstatic to have a new car!)

We found this Ford Flex - and it was just what we wanted. We test drove Minivans and SUV's and decided that this is what is right for our family!! We love it!! I love the Black Leather seats and all the awesome features!

So to our new Flex - we say, "Welcome to Our Family!"

Happy Easter!

Breakfast!!


Alayna was probably the most excited about her "7-11" soda that she got to drink all by herself and didn't have to share with anyone.

We had a great Easter Sunday. The kids loved hunting for Easter Eggs. Benson took a nap before church - so church was a lot more enjoyable than it usually is for us! Alayna and I watched "Finding Faith in Christ" while we did her hair. We have been talking about the real meaning of Easter all week, so I was so touched when after dinner with my family she told us about the Resurrection during a special Easter FHE.

Today she also gave our FHE lesson on the Resurrection. She did an amazing job. She first told us about how the soldiers hated Jesus and hung him on the cross and put nails all the way through his hand so that the nail came out the other side. Then she told us that he died and was put in a tomb with a big stone. Then the big stone was pushed away by angels and Jesus walked out. Then Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and couldn't find Jesus so she started to cry - then she said, "But Jesus was Ahh-live" (drawn out). Then she showed us the picture of Jesus showing the apostles the nail prints in his hands. She also bore the sweetest testimony. I couldn't believe that she had understood so much this week. So I add my witness to hers - That Jesus is alive today and forever! Happy Easter!

On Saturday we spent the day in the mountains with all of the Kitchens shooting rockets, hunting Easter eggs, eating, visiting, and huddling around the campfire.
Alayna was so fascinated (and terrified) with all of the huge rockets that Brandon had brought - and she was super excited to launch Brynnli's huge purple and pink rocket.

Getting it ready to go with Brandon.

Counting down and then Alayna pushes the button to blast the rocket off...

She did not stick around to watch...she pushed the button and ran as fast as she could away. Everyone else watched it disappear into the sky. (The look of sheer terror on her face is priceless!)

My boys!

Benson spent half the day "driving" this jeep - by driving I mean sitting in it and making driving sounds and motions. He couldn't get enough!

Benson's first Easter Egg hunt (mom forgot baskets, so Walmart bags had to suffice)

Hunting Easter eggs is super intense!

Dip, Lick, Repeat...

Friday Night we dyed Easter Eggs - I don't know why, but Benson loved the vinegar water.
He would repeatedly dip, then lick his egg...


"Am I sure I love vinegar?...It is just so addicting..."
Alayna doesn't get any pics on the blog because she was so into dying eggs - that she did it sans clothes...

First Time Ever!

Alayna went bowling for the first time ever for Aunt Juli's birthday.

Thanks to Wii Bowling - she was a pro - she was very disappointed when she didn't get a strike or a spare. She basically out-bowled us all - thanks to her wicked ramp skills. She insisted that she do it all on her own - including carrying her 8 pound ball and placing it on the ramp and pushing it down.

Benson (who's biggest obsession is balls) was having a hay-day...he wanted everyone's balls - he just didn't get why he couldn't have one of the balls...

The birthday girl - we love you Jul-i-fern!