This year it was our turn to spend Thanksgiving with the Ziebarths in California. However, we also lucked out and were able to spend some of the time with my family as well since they were spending the week in Disneyland. We drove down with Jori and Jared Tuesday and were impressed with how well Leila did in the car. If only it would always be that way!
We dropped Jori and Jared off in Anaheim and visited with Granny D for a bit before we continued to make our way south to Oceanside where our arrival was anxiously anticipated. Okay, so maybe it was really just Leila's arrival that was the highlight.
Grandma Z wanted her Leila time so much that she offered to stay up and take care of her all night long every night we were there. I definitely appreciated the sleep and she seemed to appreciate the company. Afterall, who couldn't love this face--even at 3 in the morning?
The next day was spent recuperating from our drive/lack of sleep in previous weeks and letting Leila's grandparents get to know her better. Just before we left, she started intentionally smiling and every time she did, she'd melt everyone's hearts. We also managed to squeeze in a family picture during one of the few times all family members were present.
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| One Happy Family |
Thanksgiving morning we managed to get up bright and early to meet up with my family in Disneyland! Originally we weren't going to take Leila into the park, but I'm a softie and didn't want her away from me for very long and wanted my whole family to be together, so she got her first Disney experience at just over 6 weeks. Her very first ride was the Jungle Cruise which she slept completely though--even the "gunshots."
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| Waiting for The Jungle Cruise |
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| Enjoying the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh |
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| My first time on Splash Mountain in almsot a year! |
My parents even eagerly volunteered to sit with Leila for an hour or so while Jason and I went off by ourselves to take advantage of some fastpasses. When we met up with them later, my mom greeted us with, "Grandpa has a confession to make," in a very serious tone. My heart plummeted thinking that he had dropped Leila or something. Come to find out, they had just taken her to go see Santa for her first time. Apparently she was a big hit with Santa, the photographer cast member, and nearby Duffy the Bear.
After bidding adieu to my family for the day, we made our way to Huntington Beach where we were meeting up with Jason's extended family for dinner. Grandma and Grandpa Z could hardly contain their pride over their new little granddaughter as they showed her off to Great Grandpa Noble and all the relatives.
After we left, the rest of the evening was spent in Oceanside. Jason even went out and did some Black Friday shopping with two of his good buddies: Jimmy and Josh. Or at least he attempted to but ended up empty handed and with the outlook that holiday shopping was better done online.
Friday morning we were heading north once more to spend the entire day with my family which meant more Disney! I was able to experience the new Star Tours and have to say that I was impressed. What's even better is that it doesn't make me nauseous like the old one did. Leila experienced Little Mermaid (twice), Winnie the Pooh, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Peter Pan. Of course, the only one she was awake for was Pirates, but that's okay. My parents gave me an annual pass for Christmas so I'm sure we'll be making even more Disney memories over the next year!
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| Bonding with Auntie Annie |
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| Not letting baby slow us down too much |
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| Another Happy Family |
On Saturday we loaded up in the car once more and went to visit Jason's grandmother and great grandmother. We made sure to document the experience of having 5 generations together!
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| Jason (27), Leila (6 weeks), Helen (90), Pat (70), Erich (50) |
Unfortunately all vacations must come to an end and we drove home yesterday. I had to go back to work at 6am this morning, but at least I have the memories (and pictures) of a great vacation to reflect on!
