Holiday Baking- Check!

We just finished an entire day of baking- whew! 19,000 steps almost all in my small kitchen today. That's pretty good, huh?

For the past few years I have really simplified baking- the last couple of years I just did some different breads.

This year, though, I have been craving the comforts of my childhood. Baking lots of different recipes and delivering ridiculous amounts of goodie plates to friends and neighbors.

In church somebody said that in order to simplify the Christmas season we should only do things that we enjoy, and if we don't enjoy it- don't do it. I completely agree. And, I love baking at Christmas time. So, this year I decided to go all out again like I used to do- like my sisters, mom, and I used to do. It was nice to pull out some of our old favorite recipes, recipes I haven't made since I was a teenager- peanut butter balls, English toffee, Monster cookies, pistachio nut bread, and more- so many more recipes!

But, unlike my teenage years, I had to worry about allergies. I had to make nut free, chocolate free (aren't you glad you aren't allergic to chocolate?), and gluten free plates.  Good thing we had lots of different treats to choose from.

In a few years, I need these girls to be able to do all the baking themselves. They are on their way:

Yes, that's Camille using a knife. She was so excited to cut the cherries, I had to let her try. And she did a great job- perhaps she'll be a great chef someday:

Fudge, Rick Krispy treats, sugar cookies, molasses cookies, Muddy Buddy Chex Mix, and candy cane white chocolate bark.

Who said baking all day makes a mess? When Ben walked through the door, I said, "Just be grateful you married a domestic goddess, and forget about the rest!"

Disneyland, Part IV

On our last day at the parks, we headed to California Adventure. Neither Ben or I had ever been, so we all got to experience it for the first time together. We got there an hour early, and anxiously awaited our day.

For the first two hours, it felt like we had the park to ourselves- it was very empty, and so freakin' awesome! I looked at the crowd calendar for while we were there, and apparently this week was a level 2 of 4 (worst) for crowds, meaning it wasn't too bad. At Disneyland, it sure felt bad! I can't believe that was NOT too crowded! There's no way I could possibly stand going on a super crowded day. But at California Adventure, it felt normal. At least at the beginning- it got more and more crowded as the day went on.

Anyway, there were zero lines for the first hour or two- we just hopped from ride to ride in Carsland and A Bug's Life. It was wonderful.

It was good because these rides were perfect for Camille. She was in heaven having rides that were more suited for her age.

Camille's eyes lit up like the 4th of July when she saw Sophia- it was pretty sweet.

Anna really liked Audra's braid:

Ben really wanted a "cone" lunch from Carsland. He got the chili cone, I got the mac and cheese cone-it was actually really tasty.

The Tower of Terror was NOT a kids ride for Camille, or for me. Audra and Claire were brave, but didn't like it. Ben loved it, but even though we had a switch pass so he and the girls could go again, they decided not to use it. Too bad, since it is being torn down next month.

I actually didn't love California Adventures. Ben said it best- it was more like a regular amusement park then DISNEY! A lot of the rides were rides we could find here at Elitch's. But, it had one thing that Disneyland did not: FROZEN! We went to the show, and it was incredible. I mean, really, absolutely incredible- just as good as the Broadway shows we have gone to seen. If this was the only thing we did at CA, this would have made it worth it. Definitely the best part of the day, in my opinion (Camille may have preferred the Disney Jr. show, but either way it was great).

Because it was our last night, I wanted to stay late with Audra and Claire. Ben took Camille home because she was exhausted. We were planning to go to World of Color which started at 9:45. But, over an hour early, people were already lining up and crowding in. Even though we had tickets, we decided the crowds weren't worth it, so I told them I would buy them a hot chocolate instead. On our way out of the park, we ran into Minnie Mouse. That was pretty awesome- except that Camille wasn't there, and she LOVES Minnie Mouse. When she saw this picture she burst into tears.

And just like that, our trip was over. It's crazy how you can work for months to get ready for a trip, and in the blink of an eye it is gone.

We got home and Ben said, "I want to do that again!" and all I can think is, "I need at least 5 years to recuperate!" This trip was so incredibly wonderful, and we made tons of memories. But I was so sore from all the walking (we averaged over 20,000 steps a day, plus all day standing), and it was a very draining trip- go, go, go all the time. I would't have done it any other way, but it was very different from a beach vacation- and I could use one or two of those right about now!

Disneyland, Part III

On our second day at Disneyland, we got to "sleep in" a little as we didn't need to leave the hotel until 8 AM. We ate breakfast at the hotel (I brought boxes of cereal and instant oatmeal so we wouldn't have to eat out- the hotel didn't have breakfast) and headed to the park. The line to get in wasn't quite as long as on Magic Morning, which I found interesting, but we will take what we can get.

This day was mostly about the more adult rides- Indiana Jones (one of my many favorites), Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and so much more. Oh, and sneaking in some princess time- that was very important!

Presumably because it was all decked up for the holidays, It's A Small World consistently had a 60 minute plus line. Wowzas! We walked by and saw the line was at 25 minutes, and immediately jumped in. It was pretty cool! Disney really knows how to celebrate Christmas!

Here we are on Space Mountain- the older girls LOVED this ride:

 There were times when Camille insisted on being held. It was pretty cute, but got exhausting after awhile. I got some good work outs! Overall, Camille did awesome. All the kids did- no tantrums, no melt downs, everybody followed directions and there really was zero drama. It was wonderful!

You probably noticed we all have fanny packs- that was a big part of our success, in my opinion. The guide book suggested we have everybody wear one and pack it with snacks, water bottle, and a poncho. It was brilliant advice- even though it never rained, we used the ponchos on a couple of wet rides. And, the fact that the kids could grab a snack whenever they wanted without asking us worked out really well- even though Camille usually just ate all of her snacks right at the beginning of the day.

And another great, and exhausting, day came to an end!