Tournament Champions

A few weeks ago Anders' team participated in a tournament.  We hadn't intended to spend our whole day watching soccer games, but they kept winning.  So we kept staying.  And then they won the whole darn thing!  It was pretty cool.  He's had a great season.

Cross Country

Lucy ran cross country this fall.  It was a short season (1 month) and it started out rough but Lucy improved.  Well done Shaz.

Lucy and Ellie:

 Playing with Clara at a meet:

 Strong finish:

She Can Do It

No training wheels!

Birthday

I had a birthday.  It was, you know, a regular sort of day with a few perks here and there.  But this cake, this cake was to die for.  Well done Robert.

Boot Camp

6 weeks ago I began a boot camp class.  Today was this sessions final day. We have been meeting 5 days a week (MTWTH, and Sat).  It has been great.  I intended to lose some weight but I have something seriously wrong with my self control gene and ate like crap. No really, I did.  Self-sabotage.  Next time I should do therapy and boot camp together or something.  However, I did get stronger, if not skinnier.  I took 2 minutes off my mile !!!  I finally got under a 9 minute mile.  8.41 (no Olympian, but hey for an old slow girl, I'll take it).  I doubled my plank time, which seems to be my worst thing.  I blame 4 kids.  Anyway it was really fun and I'm just gonna keep on signing up.  My favorite part is the NORMAL women who do it.  Not a lot of boob job-uber fancy work out clothes-make up on-decked out women-like at some gyms I've gone to.  Just normal women of all shapes and sizes.  I love it!

Disneyland Part 3

I don't know why, but I am having a really hard time remembering how day 3 at the park went.  I know Clara, Anders, Grammy, and I made it to the park together beating some and trailing others.  What we did when we got there is a bit of a mystery.  Actually I think small world was our first ride.  Then Rob arrived with Lucy and Tucker and we divided up.  They attempted to do the big rides but kept getting shut out because the rides kept breaking down (California Screaming and Space Mountain).   By the end of the day, however, they had hit them all.  

 Meeting up with Rob and co:

 Then some of us went to the California side to watch the Aladdin show which was pretty dang good:

 And we enjoyed this cool show with Crush who talks and interacts with the audience.  There must be someone in the back speaking and watching us because if not I don't know how they do this:

 My little Hastings fam and Pop-pop had several (like 4 or 5) goes on the Silly Symphony swings:

Clara had to get in one more round of the Little Mermaid Ride:

 We then split up and the real riders did the Tower of Terror and California Screamin' again (actually I think they got rejected from Screamin' again, but finally made it back after dinner. Anders even tried it and LOVED it)  The rest of us hung out in Bugs Life land or whatever it's called where we met up with the Youngs and cooled our heels in the water fountains and then did Monters Inc.:

 We all met for dinner and had good seats for the parade:

 We then did a few more rides and met up in Frontierland for Fantasmic (Rob, Tucker, and Anders took advantage and did some rides during the show):

Our family finished of the day with another go on Big Thunder and Ice Cream on Main Street.  We milked the day dry, I think.  It was another scorcher (no, seriously it was hotter than you can even imagine) and the heat made me incapable of taking any of my own photos, so thanks Dad for letting me steal them all from you.

Disneyland Part 2

Day 2, I must say up front was hotter than hellfire.  Seriously.  Rumor has it, it reached 108.  It was muggy.  It was hot.  But I think despite the heat most had a great day.  It started out with all of us booking it to get in the Fast  Pass line for Cars.  Then we all headed to Soarin' Over California, which I quite enjoyed.  After that we all split up.  While waiting in the fast pass line we got some time with Goofy:

Not our feet, but it gives you a feel for what Soarin' is like:

 After soarin' we did Little Mermaid, which I think Clara and I did at least 5 times over the course of the next few days.  She loved it:

I think at this point a group was off doin' California Screamin' and we were killing time in Bug's Land:

 Carsland is super incredibly cool.  Those Disney people really know how to do an amazing job.  Every last detail was perfect:

 Here are the California Screamers, a ride that was repeated often by the true riders:

 Then it was time for the Radiator Springs Racers:

At this point we headed to the Grizzly River Rapids:

Mom got SOAKED.  Even on a HOT day it was too wet.  She had to go home and change:

 After lunch the serious riders stayed in California to do Screamin' and Tower of Terror and Grizzly Rapids again:

Lucy, Clara, and I left and went back to Disneyland.  Soon Lucy ditched us to hang with the cousins and I was left waiting in LOTS of lines with Clara for characters.  Pixie Hollow, Rapunzel, etc.  It was excruciating.  At this point I was sweating buckets and cursing Disney and his damn characters.  Not pleasant.  But Clara really loved it. And this was about her, not me, right?

 30 bloody minutes for two fairies.  Did I say it was 107?  Yeah, it was nuts:

 40 minutes for this photo with Rapunzel.  40 minutes.  At this point I thought I was going to die.  So Clara and I went to Small World and rode twice.  No line and 15 minutes of blissful air conditioning.  And Clara LOVED it.  I know it is kind of got a bad reputation but I think it is cute and it reminds me of the adorable book Oh What A Busy Day.  So my mood was a little pleasanter after some cooling off:

 After small world Clara and I took the train over to adventure land to the tree house which should be changed back to Swiss Family Robinson. I have to say it was pretty fun hanging out with Clarice, just the two of us.  I enjoyed her. After the treehouse we rode the jungle cruise ride where Lucy rejoined us:

 After this we met up with our fam and the Wai's and Pop-pop for the Haunted house which had just been decked out in it's Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday finery.  This was one of the nice times to have someone in a wheelchair.  Front of the line:

Meanwhile these guys were riding the big rides.  Here they are back for more California Screamin':

 And more Grizzly Rapids:

 Tower of Terror:

 Mom met back up with us and we all gathered near Big Thunder.  Some rode again (Clarice LOVES big thunder) and then it was time for dinner at Big Thunder Ranch with every single body.  It was fun and nice to sit down:

 They had great entertainment.  This guy was pretty great and had all the kids join in:

 After we spent some time in California Adventure again.  We rode on the Louigie bumper car's and Adam Sandler was within spitting distance of me.  So close I didn't dare take a picture.  Then we went to World of Color which was hard to see, hot, and made me feel like I was back waiting in line for Pixie Hollow.  But after our little fam did some of the rides at Paradise Pier like Goofy's Speed School, and everyone loved it.  So despite the extreme heat and a few incredibly long lines, I think everyone had a great day 2.