California

This year in July, my Grammy turns 80.  To celebrate, a bunch of my family met up on the sandy shores of Southern California for a week of fun and carefree sun-soaking.  Add a little bit of Disney magic, and we had a blast together!

Bryce getting to work on digging a hole in the sand

Parker and my dad

My Uncle Jimmy splashing around with Ava

Longtime neighbor and family-friend, Brett, coming in for a boogie-boarding break

Derek, Jimmy, and my brother Daniel cooling off with the squirt guns

Slathering on the sunscreen

My cousin Braden and his daughter Ava playing in the waves together

Derek giving Parker a pre-swim pep-talk...

Going in for the toe-dip, betraying Parker's trust

And Parker's reaction to his wet toe:

 Sand man Bryce

 Parker taking a much-needed nap on the couch with Grandma Amy

 Jim, my Grammy, and my Dad walking along the pier

Adding a dash of Disney into our week...unfortunately, not too many pictures of the Happiest Place on Earth (how did I forget to at least get a picture of Parker in front of the castle?)  Yes, that's right...our son has been to both U.S. Disney parks before the age of one...just getting him started on the right foot!

 Parker loves sucking on paper products...and spoons and straws...which there were plenty of everywhere inside the park!  He's tackling a park map in this picture:

 Future Prince Charming!

More swimming to cap off the week.  Does your grandmother boogie board? Because mine does! She had never done it before, but that didn't stop her!

Happy birthday, Grammy, we love you!

Walt Disney World

I had a conference to attend for work from April 21-25...and of all places it was at the Swan and Dolphin Resort on Walt Disney World property. Isn't it a bummer when you get paid to go to the Happiest Place on Earth? Of course I took advantage of the fact that Mayo paid the bill on my hotel and round-trip airfare to sunny Florida, and Derek, his mom Becky, and Parker joined me on the 25th, a Wednesday, so that we could round out the week with a few days in the parks! We had a blast.

I miss working inside this castle everyday...that's what I did for seven months back in 2006 during my Disney internship. There used to be an art gallery on the main floor, where we sold some of the most beautiful Disney-inspired paintings

With the Dapper Dans on Main Street

This bird looks bigger in the picture than it actually was, but it was still about 2 feet tall in person! It boldly stole a piece of turkey from a plate that someone had absent-mindedly set aside while she looked at a park map -- oops! Bet the bird was happy for an easy meal, though!

My co-workers, Kristi and Helen, after a ride down Splash Mountain

~ Derek, Becky, and Parker join in on the fun ~

Parker was such a trooper.  He quickly learned that, with rare exceptions, naps would be taken in the stroller or in our arms for a few days.  But he had fun, too, and seemed to really enjoy looking at all the bright colors encompassing him

Our little monster sporting his Mike Wazowski shirt

Parker's first time swimming!  He definitely liked it better than taking a bath...

On the last day, Derek's cousin Shelly was able to join our fun for a couple of hours.  She works for Disney, and was able to get us into the parks for free on all three days we were there ~ thanks, Shelly!  We had so much fun.