Our Disneyland Reunion-TONS OF PICTURES

So we just got back from our long anticipated Disneyland Trip Allen Reunion. It was a BLAST!! We had so much fun. The kids were looking forward to this for so long that as the days got closer, it was harder and harder for them to wait.

We went Monday after Curtis got off work, we started to head to Cali. The kids were amazing. We finally pulled over in Banning and got a hotel about 1 am. Then we got up and headed to Disneyland the next morning. Curtis and I were anxious to see the kids reaction to Disneyland.

The first day was travel day for everyone so we all did our own thing. This was our first picture outside the gates waiting to get in.

Here is the classic picture in front of Mickey.

On Main Street, we saw tons of characters. Really helped the kids get even more excited. The first character we saw was Pluto. Notice Ridge's hat on the nose.

Next up Mickey...

The Chip- or is this Dale. I don't know which is which

We made the mistake of taking the kids on Snow White as our first ride there. OOPPPS!! Don't follow suite if you ever go with your little ones. That is the darkest ride of the park and it scared the kids to pieces. They had no desire to go to on any of the rides for the next hour. It took a lot of effort to get them to enjoy the rides, but they did eventually.

Ridge wouldn't go on the ride, but he would stay forever on this car on the outside.

Short Story- just for documentation purposes....So before this next picture Curtis had taken Cambree on Autopia. I put Ridge and Brecklynn in the stroller and had the other things on the back of the stroller. I turned around for some reason and WHAM!! The stroller went flying back with the kids inside. I had about 6 people swarm up and help me out and it was quite the site. Brecklynn didn't get hurt and was happy soon after. She was an amazing baby the entire trip. Happy and screaming and talking the entire time, despite never getting more than a 15 minute nap.

Here's Ridge being funny....the picture is so his personality.

One of their favorite rides was the teacups. Between Curtis and I, I think we easily rode it 10 times, if not more. The funniest thing was Ridge cried to go on it over and over, but get him on and started and he freaked out. Didn't quite understand.

Disneyland changed the whole Princess thing. I had told Cambree about the Princesses forever and she was so excited to go. However, they no longer walk around the park. You have to wait in a long line to see them at all. We were lucky however and saw at least Pocohontas. I felt bad for Cambree. But she was happy with Pocohontas at least.

About 3, it started to really rain. We were prepared luckily but still decided we needed to wait it out at the hotel. Well the wait ended up being the rest of the day because it never ended. So we enjoyed seeing the cousins and getting ready for the next day.

The hotel had an indoor pool and it was nice for the kids to all get together there.

Day 2!! All the Allen's wore their matching shirts.

April sported her fanny pack on her chest for awhile...quite the fashion statement.

Here's the entire Allen crew- all 44 of us.

I love this picture. Ridge loved Papa's hair. He kept rubbing his chin on his head.

A bunch of us went on Splash Mountain, and Rachel made it out soaked..here's teh proof.

Cambree went on the ride. She hated it! She screamed the whole way down and refused to talk to me or look at the camera.

Cambree with her favorite cousin Ava.

Cuties Brenley, Delaney and Quinn

Ridge was so mad that Mater wouldn't do anything

All the kids with Nana and Papa.

Ridge was so happy to see Mr. Incredible

Awww

One of Cambree's favorite rides was the Jumping Jelly Fish. Quinn was nice enough to take her.

I'm not sure what was up with my eyes, but the picture has the baby twinners in it so I had to share. Aren't they cute!!

At one point or another, Cambree latched on to one family or another. Here she was Chad and LeMae's tag a long.

All the boys doing their thang

Ridge was so cute. He was wired up until the picture. Then immediately after, he was OUT!!! Loved it!!

Brecklynn is 6 Months!!!

Today, 6 months ago, this little one was born. It's already been 6 months!!! Time is truly flying by.

This past month, we ferberized her....and now she's such a happy baby. Not that she wasn't before, but now she seems to be more content and I can understand her cues better. Yes, its taken me 6 months but at least we did it. Now she sleeps through the night with her brother and sister in the same room and is on a nap schedule. Makes things much more predictable.

Her high pitched happy scream continues to shock people. Definitely a unique trait of hers. She's got this wonderful mowhawk on her head that refuses to be tamed at this time. Again, another unique trait. She refuses to sit up by herself still but we're trying.

She wants everything within her reach and is starting to get mad when she doesn't get her way. Still won't eat baby food or drink from a bottle. She's definitely my chunkiest baby but I love it. She's her own in every way.

Today Sara and I wanted to take pictures of our babies since they are both 6 months, but with the rain being relentless, we were restricted to indoors with not the greatest lighting. Still got some cute shots though.

Look at Darrek's eyes. He's gonna be a lady killer later on. :)

This is probably the best shot we got of the two together.

Here we ALL are. This was kind of an impromtu picture so I don't look the best, but notice the hair cuts....yeah we pretty much follow each other in everything lately. But we love our hair cuts. Been fun sharing every step of the way with these kids with Sara and Darrek.

Next stop Disneyland. I'm excited to see what adventures and stories that will bring...

Crafts, Kids Fun, and Preschool Mess!!

I've recently found a new love of crafts. Its something I have always loved doing, but recently made it more apart of my life. I LOVE IT!! Jaymon's wedding has kind of brought this all about but making a cupcake tower, picture blocks and family name clips (all pictures to come after the reception).

Since then, I have a huge list of things I want to do. Just a matter of actually doing it.

This wreath I found here Tatertots and Jello. No mine doesn't look like here with lack of places to get those same items, but I think it still turned out fun.

Now on to the kids. I had Ava and Dee over yesterday and we enjoyed a picnic outside. The weather has been so strange, yet has had some great moments. The kids have really loved getting out more.

During preschool today, I attempted a super messy craft. Attempt is definitely the key word. We pulled it off, but every kid was covered and I don't think the end result will be exactly what it should be. They still had fun. We made paper mache dinosaur eggs with balloons. They didn't quite get the concept of covering the balloons, and not souping up the balloon with the mixture. Made for interesting 'eggs'.

So here they are. We'll see how they dry. The hopes is to paint them and then have dinosaurs 'hatch' out of them. Obviously more pictures to come.

Funny Stories

I just have to document some funny moments we've had lately.

A couple Sundays ago, Curtis and I were telling Ridge how cute and handsome he was. He started crying and saying no he 'wusn't'. I finally asked him what he was then and he said 'um I a dinosor'. After that point, if we told him he looked like a dinasaur, he would just smile so pleased.

We were in the car in the Walmart parking lot leaving. There was a car in front of us taking their time. Well out of no where Cambree goes "that stink'n car needs to move". I couldn't believe what she was saying. I asked her again what she said and she repeated it again and followed it up with "that stink'n car" like she was frustrated. Just caught me off guard.

Ridge's vocaublary grows daily but it cracks us up all the time how he says things. I want to try to write them how he says them

He calls Brecklynn, "ba-bwekwynn" as in Baby Brecklynn

Firetruck, biretruck

Tractor, trrActur

Cereal-cureal almost like surreal

Little- our in-laws dog wittle

Incredibles- incwebles

sucker-swuker

When we tell him to smile- he closes his eyes and does a closed mouth smile. If we say "show us your teeth" then he'll open his eyes and give us a smile.

Whenever we say "I love you Ridge" he just knows to say "I wub you too".

Just had to write this down some place before I forget. These moments go too quickly!

Cambree is a SUNBEAM!!

I cannot believe I have a child old enough to be in primary!! Today she graduated from Nursery to Sunbeams. So scary to me :) We've been talking it up all week. So of course I had to take some pictures to document this BIG event. She was even willing to wear a hat which was big news around here.

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Brecklynn is 5 months!!

I'm a bit late on this since she turned 5 months on December 21st, but its better late than never.

Its been super crazy with Christmas and New Years but I had to take a second for this little one. She's worth it :)

I haven't taken her in to find out how much she weighs or anything, but she is definitely growing. She's getting a lot more chunk on her and I love it. Her voice is getting louder and louder. To the point that it truly hurts our ears, but at least its happy talk. She's VERY close to sitting up alone. She can do it for a little bit and then gets excited and pushes back.

I also made the big decision to try her on babyfood. I didn't want to try quite yet because we are headed to Disneyland in a couple weeks and didn't want to the extra issues with the food, but she's gotten so curious with food I had to try. I think she's going to be like my other kids in that she HATES baby food but likes real food like bread. We'll see though. I'm not giving up quite yet. She cries the entire time that I give it to her and gags, all that good stuff, but I have to keep telling myself that she has to get used to it. She still will not take a bottle for anything. Really frustrating. She loves to grab at anything in her reach. Christmas was fun with all the paper. She was constantly trying to get it in her mouth. She's teething constantly on ANYTHING!!

She's starting to know who I am which is getting interesting. Its a love hate phase in that I love that she knows me, but hate that if she does see me, she starts to cry till I get to her. Starting tomorrow, she's going to my sister-in-laws during preschool so hopefully that will help her get over that before it gets too late. She still loves her daddy too. She just stares at him forever. So cute.

Christmas Outfits

I tried before to take pictures of the kids in their outfits and didn't go so well, but this time didn't really go any better. Here's the 'best' that I got.